Bow

A bow is a weapon that consists of a flexible wooden arc designed to launch projectiles through means of elastic energy. A common piece of war equipment throughout Terran history, bows feature prominently in a number of other worlds, including Britannia, Serpent Isle, Eodon, Tarna and Rhiannon. They appear in Ultima I,  II,  III,  IV,  V,  VI,  VII,  VII Part Two, and  IX, as well as in the Ultima Underworld series and Savage Empire.

Classic Longbows
The standard Britannian longbow is a simple weapon made out of wood, often yew. Dating back to the ancient days of Sosaria, this simple weapon was long a favorite of bards and rangers, and allowed inexperienced or injured opponents to strike defensively against distant foes, raining a barrage of arrows against them before they could attack. In later ages, (Ultima V and onward) ammunition became crucial to archers, and a variety of magical arrows slowly wormed their way into warriors quivers.

These common bows were listed in Ultima VII as having an effectiveness rating of 8, and in Ultima VII Part Two as having a damage of 6 and an effective range of 10. In Ultima IX, they were listed as doing between 20-25 damage and were classed as a medium range weapon.

Nahuatla Short Bow
In the temporally displaced valley of Eodon, the Nahuatla Tribe made use of bows, instead of the more common atl-ah and blowguns found throughout the region. The Avatar during their journeys while stranded in this unique locale, could purchase such weapons from the armor smith, Atlipacta, in exchange for two emeralds.

Novice Bow
Appearing only in the latest days of Britannia, when the marital theories of archery became more complex and varied, a novice bow was a piece of equipment designed for apprentices new to bow use, and had a light string which made them easy to draw. As these weapons were intended for the inexperienced, they did negligible damage in true combat, delivering only 1-6 damage per strike and hitting only at a short range.

Short Bow
Another product of the late Age of Armageddon, short bows offer considerably more firing power than novice bows (doing between 10-15 damage per hit at a medium range), yet remain compact and easy to handle.

Siege Bow
The strongest commercially made bow available in Ultima IX, the siege bow was a heavy piece of equipment designed for those already adept at archery. While its firing power was easily exceeded by magical weaponry, it was among the stronger weapons for a wayfarer not able to afford or discover such enchanted pieces of equipment. It dealt between 30-35 damage per hit and struck at a long range.

Iolo's Bow
One of the most famous bowyers of Britannian history, Iolo FitzOwen prepared an expertly crafted bow in his later years, which he would gift to the Avatar should the hero be able to save him from death in the midst of the dungeon Despise. Requiring the archer who drew it to be at peak physical condition to draw it's bowstring, Iolo's Bow delivered a fearsome bite to those in its sights, striking for 45-50 damage per hit and covering a long range with its arrows.

Magic Bows
In addition to conventional bows, a number of magically enhanced bows existed which had been enchanted to improve their accuracy or hitting power - in some cases even being capable of manufacturing their own ammunition. Such artifacts were often rare or costly, and would require a fat purse or an adventurous temperament to obtain.

Trivia

 * In Ultima II, an Agility of 21 was required to wield a bow.