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Bow
Item Bow Banner
Slots ItemSlot Bow
Base Value Icon Mana 100 / Icon Gold 100
Special Properties None
Possible Bonuses (Item)
Ranged Attack

Icon Ranged Bow +1

Icon Ranged Bow +2

Icon Ranged Bow +3
Defense

Icon Defense +1

Icon Defense +2

Icon Defense +3
Mana Icon Mana +5

Possible Item Powers:

Item Power Req.
Spellbooks
StoningIcon Nature2
Resist ElementsIcon Nature2
Resist MagicIcon Sorcery2
Possible Bonuses (Artifact)
Ranged Attack

Icon Ranged Bow +1

Icon Ranged Bow +2

Icon Ranged Bow +3

Icon Ranged Bow +4

Icon Ranged Bow +5

Icon Ranged Bow +6
To Hit

Icon ToHit +10%

Icon ToHit +20%

Icon ToHit +30%
Defense

Icon Defense +1

Icon Defense +2

Icon Defense +3
Mana

Icon Mana +5

Icon Mana +10

Possible Item Powers:

Item Power Req.
Spellbooks
StoningIcon Nature2
Resist ElementsIcon Nature2
Elemental ArmorIcon Nature4
Resist MagicIcon Sorcery2
Magic ImmunityIcon Sorcery5
PhantasmalIcon Sorcery6
HasteIcon Sorcery7
FlamingIcon Chaos2
DestructionIcon Chaos5
LightningIcon Chaos5
ChaosIcon Chaos6
DeathIcon Death3
Power DrainIcon Death4
This article is about the Magical Item type called "Bow". For the icons representing attack strength, see Ranged Attack.

A Bow is a type of Magical Item which can be equipped on any Hero possessing an appropriate slot. The bonuses on the Bow will enhance that Hero's performance, particularly his/her Ranged Attack.

As with any Magical Item, Bows can have a total mix of up to 4 different bonuses and/or Item Powers. Bows can generally take very powerful bonuses compared to other weapons, but they only improve the Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Missile Attack, which has strong advantages but also strong disadvantages. Any Hero who can use a Bow can switch to a melee weapon, but not during combat!

Bows can receive Item Powers that alter the Hero's Ranged Attack, making it more dangerous in one way or another. Very few Bows will alter a Hero's Melee Attack or other attack types (if he/she has any at all), and that is always thanks to specific Item Powers.

Description[]

The Bow is a type of ancient hunting weapon that has similar lethality in combat. Its purpose is to launch a long, thin projectile - an arrow or bolt - into an enemy target some distance away. The speed and pointy tip of the arrow concentrate its impact on a tiny spot, allowing it to plunge straight into the target - causing damage to internal organs. Some bows, particularly crossbows, launch their projectiles with such force that they can even pierce through armor. Strong bowmen with strong bows can kill an armored combatant from quite some distance!

In Master of Magic the bow is a common weapon, but is most dangerous in the hands of a trained Hero. It can allow the Hero to pick off enemy targets - even powerful monsters - quite easily, before they close in for melee combat.

The Basic Item[]

The Bow is one of many possible Magical Item types in Master of Magic. Magical Items can be Crafted by a wizard (tailored to the specific needs of a Hero under the wizard's employ), or found as rewards for defeating a suitably-dangerous Encounter (in which case the item already has a set of pre-defined bonuses).

Any Bow can be equipped on a Hero, if said Hero possesses an appropriate weapon slot. Bows can only fit into the following slot:

ItemSlot Bow Bow Slot

Only a few Heroes possess a Bow Slot. They all have a Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Missile Attack, which is the primary attribute that will benefit from the Bow's bonuses. Heroes that do not possess this slot may never be equipped with a Bow. Note that the Bow Slot also accepts any melee weapon, allowing Bow-wielding Heroes to choose the correct weapon for an upcoming battle - but they cannot switch weapons during the battle.

Any additional attack strength bonuses on a Bow will only apply to the Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Missile Attack. Any Item Powers imbued into a Bow that directly alter the Hero's attack, such as adding Special Damage to it, also apply only to the Hero's Ranged Attack. A few Item Powers, however, have a complex effect that can end up altering the Hero's other attacks, if he/she has any.

Crafting a Bow[]

It is possible to create a new Bow (like any other Magical Item) using the Item Crafting process. This is initiated by casting either the Enchant Item spell or the Create Artifact spell, though there are differences in the potential strength of the new Bow depending on which spell is chosen.

During Item Crafting it is possible to select a Bow as the type of Magical Item being created. This sets the default cost of casting the item-crafting spell to Icon Mana 100.

Once the Bow is selected, the Item Crafting menu will show all bonuses and Item Powers that can be imbued into it. Click the desired options to add them to the weapon, or click a selected option to remove it. Regardless of which item-crafting spell was selected, a Bow can only take up to 4 different bonuses and/or Item Powers - just like any other item in the game.

Each additional bonus will increases the value of the item by a set amount. The more powerful the bonus or enchantment, the more it raises the item's value (see list below). An item with higher value costs more Icon Mana Mana to create, and thus may take more than one turn to complete.

Enchant Item[]

The Enchant Item spell limits the strength of the bonuses that can be imbued into a Bow, and also the types of Item Powers that can be added to it.

Available Bonuses[]

Bonus Type Options Extra Cost Description
Attack Strength Icon Ranged Bow +1 Icon Mana +50 Increases the Hero's maximum damage output with a Ranged Attack by the listed amount. Average damage output increases accordingly, subjected to the Hero's Icon ToHit To Hit score.
Icon Ranged Bow +2 Icon Mana +100
Icon Ranged Bow +3 Icon Mana +200
       
Defense Icon Defense +1 Icon Mana +50 Increases the maximum amount of Icon Damage Damage this Hero can block from direct-damage attacks. Average blocked damage increases accordingly, subjected to the Hero's Icon ToBlock To Block score.
Icon Defense +2 Icon Mana +100
Icon Defense +3 Icon Mana +200
       
Mana Icon Mana +5 Icon Mana +200 Increases the amount of Icon Mana Mana available in each battle for casting combat spells and/or for making Icon Ranged Magic Magical Ranged Attacks. This bonus has no effect if the Hero lacks the Caster ability.

Available Item Powers[]

Name Required
Spellbooks
Extra Cost Effects
Resist Elements Icon Nature2 Icon Mana +100 Permanent Resist Elements: Hero receives Icon Resist +3 Resistance against Icon NatureNature and Icon ChaosChaos effects, and Icon Defense +3 Defense against Icon Ranged Magic Magical Ranged Attacks.
       
Stoning Icon Nature2 Icon Mana +150 Adds Stoning Touch -1: When this Hero makes a Ranged Attack, each figure in the target unit must Resist at Icon Resist -1 or die instantly.
       
Resist Magic Icon Sorcery2 Icon Mana +200 Permanent Resist Magic: Hero receives Icon Resist +5 Resistance against all ill-effects.

Create Artifact[]

The Create Artifact spell allows Bows to be imbued with much more powerful bonuses and/or Item Powers. Certain limitations still apply, based mainly on the type and number of Spellbooks you possess, and the amount of Icon Mana Mana you wish to spend on creating the item.

Note that the potential bonuses that can be placed on a Bow using this spell exceed those of any single melee weapon type (Swords, Maces and Axes). In other words, a Bow can be stronger than any of these, potentially.

However, since there's a limit on the number of Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Missile Attacks that a Hero can perform in each battle, as well as Icon ToHit To Hit distance penalties to consider, the Bow may or may not actually perform better than a good melee weapon. It simply depends on a lot of other factors. Always remember that a Bow-wielding Hero may hold any melee weapon instead - with various possible results for good or for bad.

Available Bonuses[]

Bonus Type Options Extra Cost Description
Attack Strength Icon Ranged Bow +1 Icon Mana +50 Increases the Hero's maximum damage output with a Ranged Attack by the listed amount. Average damage output increases accordingly, subjected to the Hero's Icon ToHit To Hit score.
Icon Ranged Bow +2 Icon Mana +100
Icon Ranged Bow +3 Icon Mana +200
Icon Ranged Bow +4 Icon Mana +350
Icon Ranged Bow +5 Icon Mana +550
Icon Ranged Bow +6 Icon Mana +800
       
Defense Icon Defense +1 Icon Mana +50 Increases the maximum amount of Icon Damage Damage this Hero can block from direct-damage attacks. Average blocked damage increases accordingly, subjected to the Hero's Icon ToBlock To Block score.
Icon Defense +2 Icon Mana +100
Icon Defense +3 Icon Mana +200
       
To Hit Icon ToHit +10% Icon Mana +400 Increases the Hero's average damage output with a Ranged Attack by X percent of his/her total Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Missile Attack strength.
Icon ToHit +20% Icon Mana +800
Icon ToHit +30% Icon Mana 1,200
       
Mana Icon Mana +5 Icon Mana +200 Increases the amount of Icon Mana Mana available in each battle for casting combat spells and/or for making Icon Ranged Magic Magical Ranged Attacks. This bonus has no effect if the Hero lacks the Caster ability.
Icon Mana +10 Icon Mana +400

Available Item Powers[]

Name Required
Spellbooks
Extra Cost Effects
Resist Elements Icon Nature2 Icon Mana +100 Permanent Resist Elements: Hero receives Icon Resist +3 Resistance and Icon Defense +3 Defense against various types of Icon NatureNature and Icon ChaosChaos attacks and ill effects.
       
Stoning Icon Nature2 Icon Mana +150 Adds Stoning Touch -1: When this Hero makes a Ranged Attack, each figure in the target unit must Resist at Icon Resist -1 or die instantly.
       
Elemental Armor Icon Nature4 Icon Mana +500 Permanent Elemental Armor: Hero receives Icon Resist +10 Resistance and Icon Defense +10 Defense against various types of Icon NatureNature and Icon ChaosChaos attacks and ill effects.
       
Resist Magic Icon Sorcery2 Icon Mana +200 Permanent Resist Magic: Hero receives Icon Resist +5 Resistance against all ill-effects.
       
Magic Immunity Icon Sorcery5 Icon Mana +700 Permanent Magic Immunity: Hero cannot be harmed by most harmful spells and Special Attacks, and receives Icon Defense 50 Defense against all Icon Ranged Magic Magical Ranged Attacks.
       
Phantasmal Icon Sorcery6 Icon Mana 1,500 Adds Illusion Damage to the Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Attack: Target units without Illusions Immunity or Magic Immunity cannot make Icon Defense Defense rolls against this attack.
       
Haste Icon Sorcery7 Icon Mana 2,000 Permanent Haste: Hero's Movement Allowance is doubled. Whenever the Hero makes any Melee, Ranged or Counter attack, he/she makes 2 complete attacks in a row (for no extra Movement Points cost).
       
Flaming Icon Chaos2 Icon Mana +300 Hero receives Icon Melee Normal +3 Melee Attack strength.
       
Lightning Icon Chaos5 Icon Mana +800 Adds Armor Piercing Damage to the Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Missile Attack: The target's Icon Defense Defense score is reduced by 50% when blocking this attack.
       
Destruction Icon Chaos5 Icon Mana 1,000 Adds Disintegration Damage to the Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Attack: The lead figure in the target unit must Icon Resist Resist or be Disintegrated.
       
Chaos Icon Chaos6 Icon Mana 2,000 Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Attack is halved in strength, but delivers Doom Damage: It makes no Icon ToHit To Hit rolls and the target may not make any Icon Defense Defense rolls.
       
Death Icon Death3 Icon Mana +400 Adds Death Damage to the Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Attack: The lead figure in the target unit must Resist at Icon Resist -3 or be destroyed.
       
Power Drain Icon Death4 Icon Mana +500 Adds Power Drain Damage to the Hero's Icon Ranged Bow Ranged Attack: Target unit with Caster loses Icon Mana 2-20. Targets without Caster are unaffected.
       

Acquiring a Pre-Defined Bow[]

The game data files contain 250 items that were designed by Simtex - each with its own pre-set name, bonuses and/or Item Powers. 25 of these items are Bows.

There are three different ways by which you can acquire one of these pre-defined Bows:

It is often better to acquire items in this way, as it means you do not need to spend any time or Icon Mana Mana to create them. However, since the offered item is chosen at random, and since all 250 items have pre-defined bonuses and enchantments, you may or may not receive an item that's really suitable to your needs.

Furthermore, many of the pre-defined items possess Item Powers that cannot legally be added to them via Item Crafting.

Bows as Treasure[]

Whenever an Encounter zone of sufficient difficulty level is cleared of its initial defenders, the winning army may receive a Bow (or any other Magical Item) as a reward.

The game may select (at random) any item whose total value does not exceed the remaining treasure points given by the Encounter. Thus, the more difficult the Encounter, the more potential there is to receive a high-value item.

If the selected item's value is significantly lower than the remaining treasure points, the game will try to select additional rewards (possibly more items).

Bows from Item Merchants[]

Item Merchants have a certain chance to appear at the start of any overland turn. This chance is primarily influenced by the wizard's current Icon Fame Fame score. When the roll dictates that a Merchant should appear, the game selects an item at random from the entire list of all 250 pre-set items.

Item Merchants will only offer the selected item if the wizard has 3 times as much Icon Gold Gold as the value of the item itself. Charismatic wizards need only 1.5 times as much Icon Gold Gold as the item's value, since they pay half-price for any item. If you lack sufficient Gold at the start of the turn, the Item Merchant will simply not appear this turn.

Bows as Gifts[]

Finally, an Event called "The Gift" may occur at random at the start of any overland turn, bestowing a Bow (or any other Magical Item) to your wizard, for no cost whatsoever. This event can choose any of the 250 pre-defined items, including any of the 25 available Bows.

List of Pre-Defined Bows[]

Below is a list of each Bow present in the default game-data files.

Note: The ItemMake program which is supplied with the game allows users to alter the list of pre-set items at will: you can change any of these items (within the same constraints as those of a Create Artifact spell), add new ones, or remove existing ones from the list. Therefore the list below may or may not match your game-files.

Image Name Total Value Bonuses and Item Powers
Item Bow 1 The Scarlet Bow Icon Mana 500 Icon Ranged Bow +3 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +3 Defense.
       
Item Bow 6 Living Bow Icon Mana 650 Elemental Armor,
Icon Ranged Bow +1 Ranged Attack.
       
Item Bow 7 Uhl Dover Icon Mana 650 Icon Ranged Bow +1 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +2 Defense,
Icon ToHit +10% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 3 Mithril Longbow Icon Mana 750 Resist Magic,
Icon Defense +1 Defense,
Icon Mana +10 Mana.
       
Item Bow 1 The Regulator Icon Mana 900 Icon Ranged Bow +4 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +1 Defense,
Icon ToHit +10% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 9 Crossbow of Power Icon Mana 900 Icon Ranged Bow +6 Ranged Attack.
       
Item Bow 2 Elvish Longbow Icon Mana 1,000 Flaming,
Resist Magic,
Icon Ranged Bow +4 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +1 Defense.
       
Item Bow 5 The Hartshone Icon Mana 1,050 Elemental Armor,
Stoning,
Icon Ranged Bow +3 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +2 Defense.
       
Item Bow 1 The Archer Icon Mana 1,050 Icon Ranged Bow +2 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +1 Defense,
Icon ToHit +20% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 1 Bow of Magic Immunity Icon Mana 1,300 Elemental Armor,
Magic Immunity.
       
Item Bow 1 The Telecaster Icon Mana 1,350 Icon Ranged Bow +4 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +2 Defense,
Icon ToHit +20% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 1 Hell's Bolt Icon Mana 1,400 Flaming,
Icon Ranged Bow +2 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +2 Defense,
Icon ToHit +20% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 2 Bow of the Golden Horde Icon Mana 1,400 Stoning,
Icon Ranged Bow +5 Ranged Attack,
Icon ToHit +10% To Hit,
Icon Mana +5 Mana.
       
Item Bow 1 The Deathstorm Icon Mana 1,400 Icon Ranged Bow +1 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +1 Defense,
Icon ToHit +20% To Hit,
Icon Mana +10 Mana.
       
Item Bow 8 The Undertaker Icon Mana 1,500 Death,
Icon ToHit +20% To Hit,
Icon Mana +5 Mana.
       
Item Bow 4 Gideon's Harp Icon Mana 1,650 Magic Immunity,
Icon Defense +1 Defense,
Icon ToHit +10% To Hit,
Icon Mana +10 Mana.
       
Item Bow 1 Life Bow Icon Mana 1,750 Elemental Armor,
Stoning,
Icon Ranged Bow +6 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +3 Defense.
       
Item Bow 1 The Devil's Instrument Icon Mana 1,900 Lightning,
Magic Immunity,
Icon Defense +2 Defense,
Icon Mana +5 Mana.
       
Item Bow 1 Little Flicker Icon Mana 1,900 Flaming,
Destruction,
Icon Ranged Bow +2 Ranged Attack,
Icon Mana +10 Mana.
       
Item Bow 1 Bow of the Dervish Icon Mana 2,150 Icon Ranged Bow +6 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +1 Defense,
Icon ToHit +30% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 3 Ray of Light Icon Mana 2,400 Haste,
Resist Magic,
Icon Ranged Bow +1 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +1 Defense.
       
Item Bow 4 Silver Shortbow Icon Mana 2,700 Lightning
Icon Ranged Bow +5 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +1 Defense,
Icon ToHit +30% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 1 Bow of Hazard Icon Mana 2,950 Flaming,
Destruction,
Icon Ranged Bow +4 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +3 Defense.
       
Item Bow 4 White Flicker Icon Mana 4,300 Chaos,
Icon Ranged Bow +6 Ranged Attack,
Icon Defense +3 Defense,
Icon ToHit +30% To Hit.
       
Item Bow 9 The Master Crossbow Icon Mana 5,100 Chaos,
Destruction,
Power Drain,
Phantasmal.
       
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