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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8679983" data-attributes="member: 82106">In 1e STR adds to both attack and damage bonus with melee weapons, and thrown weapons, and DEX does the same for missile weapons. DEX also adds to AC if it is high enough. There is no 'heavy' or 'light' armor in classic D&amp;D, DEX always adds to your AC, even in field plate. Basically you want a high value in BOTH, but since attack and damage bonuses are hard to get, and melee is neigh unavoidable at some point (and ranged attacks have a LOT of ugly restrictions on them, like if you fire into melee you hit some random target, like it could be your own guys). The upshot being, you CAN be a 'bow expert', but it is unlikely a D&amp;D fighter will be deliberately built with DEX primary in most cases, at least in core 1e. Once you add in dual wielding and weapon specialization, then it might be more attractive to with DEX, as it removes dual wielding penalties and being a specialized dual wielding shortsword buzz saw is not such a bad way to go! OTOH there is a rule that allows you to make unusually high pull 'strength bows' that get a damage bonus from STR, which kinda balances things.Overall, your fighter can be effective with just a high DEX, OR just a high STR. The STR guy is maybe the more solid choice (great weapons with high STR vs large monsters basically rules). Of course GoOP are a thing, if your DEX fighter can get those, or a girdle, yikes. There are also magic bracers that grant fixed ACs. Not as good as armor, but presumably DEX bonus piles on top of that, and gives you some nice mobility, etc. A STR fighter might use that plus a strength bow, for instance if you REALLY want to be a STR archer!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 8679983, member: 82106"] In 1e STR adds to both attack and damage bonus with melee weapons, and thrown weapons, and DEX does the same for missile weapons. DEX also adds to AC if it is high enough. There is no 'heavy' or 'light' armor in classic D&D, DEX always adds to your AC, even in field plate. Basically you want a high value in BOTH, but since attack and damage bonuses are hard to get, and melee is neigh unavoidable at some point (and ranged attacks have a LOT of ugly restrictions on them, like if you fire into melee you hit some random target, like it could be your own guys). The upshot being, you CAN be a 'bow expert', but it is unlikely a D&D fighter will be deliberately built with DEX primary in most cases, at least in core 1e. Once you add in dual wielding and weapon specialization, then it might be more attractive to with DEX, as it removes dual wielding penalties and being a specialized dual wielding shortsword buzz saw is not such a bad way to go! OTOH there is a rule that allows you to make unusually high pull 'strength bows' that get a damage bonus from STR, which kinda balances things. Overall, your fighter can be effective with just a high DEX, OR just a high STR. The STR guy is maybe the more solid choice (great weapons with high STR vs large monsters basically rules). Of course GoOP are a thing, if your DEX fighter can get those, or a girdle, yikes. There are also magic bracers that grant fixed ACs. Not as good as armor, but presumably DEX bonus piles on top of that, and gives you some nice mobility, etc. A STR fighter might use that plus a strength bow, for instance if you REALLY want to be a STR archer! [/QUOTE]

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