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I recently beat the game, and I started a new character that is a marksman. I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I prefer the long bow, but I was wondering if there are any differences between the crossbow and the long bow, other than damage. Also, will I need enchanted arrows for skamps and dremora and enemies like that? Any advice would be appreciated.

Arrows are easier to come by than bolts. If you use an enchanted, daedric or ebony bow, then ordinary steel arrows will work fine against daedra. Otherwise, yes, you'll need enchanted, silver, or glass arrows.

Originally posted by fireal
I recently beat the game, and I started a new character that is a marksman. I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I prefer the long bow, but I was wondering if there are any differences between the crossbow and the long bow, other than damage. Also, will I need enchanted arrows for skamps and dremora and enemies like that? Any advice would be appreciated.

A most excellent choice of skills. The longbow can be much more powerful than crossbows. The most powerfull crossbow you can get is the dwaven crossbow. A Daedric bow easily beats that and is a devasting weapon. Marksman also makes you an excellent dart/throwing knife/throwing star person. Though these don't do as much damage they can thrown so quickly that you have a steady stream of them heading toward your taget. Each hit causes them to stop for a second or two. Get any bow you can as soon as possible (chitin, short, etc) and all the arrows you can carry. It helps to have good athletic and acrobatic skills so you can jump up on rocks for safety early on. Later you can levitate and attack your enemies most of the time (makes enemy mages easy pickings).

If you don't mind some spoilers/hints read on:

Tons of arrows: there are hundreds and hundreds of free arrows in the game. The fighters guild provides 100 iron arrows in each of their supply chests. Also in the waistworks of Vivic Arena are supply storage room full of arrows and other loot. Killing rogue ashlanders gives you lots of chitin arrows. Once you are rolling in gold and a member of the Imperial Legion you can buy glass arrows from their armorer in Ebonheart. Every time you open up his inventory to barter the arrows are resupplied (no resting required). There is a mod that adds a fletcher to the Foreign Quarter in Vivic who sells area affect arrows.

Free daedric bows: Though the fletcher mod allows you to buy a daedric bow in her shop there are two free bows in the game. Ever notice the in dialogs with Hlaalu Councilors a reference to the Vassir-Didanat Cave? Each councilor will offer you somekind of reward for finding this cave and telling them about it first. Well Dram Bero (hiding in Saint Olms Haunted Quarters) will give you your pick of daedric weapons. He doesn't say they are daedric but they are. Just find the cave and tell Dram Bero. You will need to be able to unlock the door to his chamber to see him so some lock picking skills or alteration ability is needed to open his door. You can get this very early in the game. You do not need to go far into the cave just find the door go in, come back out and report to Dram Bero for your reward. The second free bow requires levitating via potions, spells or enchanted items. Find the Maelkashishi Shrine just west of Maar Gan on the other side of the mountains. There are two entrances. One at ground level with a lot of daedra worshipping orcs and one up in the mountains. If you go in the bottom level do not kill the orcs, just run past them to the rear door. This puts you in the same chambers that you would have entered from the mountain entrance. (You need to heal one of the orcs as part of a later quest). You will probably encounter some winged twilights or hungers in their so the sooner you levitate the better. Now levitate all the way up until you see a ledge with a skeleton on it. Loot the skeleton for a daedric bow, more levitation potions and some really nice daedric arrows.

Free money and fun with Tribunal assassins: Lets face it, early in the game you just plain suck. Get a bow and lots of arrows and join the Mage guild so you can rest there. In Balmora they have bunk beds so jump up on top bunk (this is another place where athletics and acrobatics helps) and sleep. Often an assassin will spawn (you will be awoken by a loud noise). Now wait for the assassin to come down the ramp and attack you. He must attack you first or the mages will attack you for starting the fight. Stay well back on the bunk bed so he can't hit you with his jink sword. He may get an ebony dart off but he only carries one and you should survive. Now pump him full of arrows. This may take awhile as he will be constantly moving back and forth and your marksman skill will be such that you miss a lot anyway. Once you kill him, put on his armor (its second best light armor next to glass) and sell the other loot in Caldera to Creeper. The dart alone is worth 2000 gps. Use the loot to get marksman training in the Caldera Mansion - one of the guys in there can train you up to a pretty decent level though he is not a master trainer. Repeat as often as you like but now you can sell the armor as well for even more loot. Plus you will eventually get some really nice swords (adamantium jink and poison swords, possibly a daedric wakizashi, etc).

One other great bow: There is a guy in Ghostgate (a bouyant arminger) who has a fantastic bow (called something like Bow of the Hart). As good as a daedric bow. But you will have to taunt and kill him or pickpocket him for it. (Its also part of a House Telvanni quest). He's on one of the upper levels of the two strongholds (Dawn and Dusk). Go into the big room opposite the temple doors where there are some merchants and stairs leading up. I mention this because it's there but there are easier bows to get.

Edit: I meant to tell you where the Vassir-Didanat cave was located. Highlight for spoiler:To find the cave head south from Balmora along the river until you pass the two miners camped outside the egg mine. Keep heading south until you see the bridge across the river. Cross over (you'll be heading East) and stay pretty much on a straight due East course into the hills. The cave should be just at the start of the mountain range. You may have to scout a bit North or South but not far.

Ok this is a spoiler so if you dont want to know, dont highlight the text. It Tells you where the master trainer for Markmen is if you want to know, if you dont listen to the last post, that guy knows his stuff.

The persons name is Missun Akin. They can be found at the Falasmaryon Stronghold, a dunmer stronghold a little North-East from Maar Gan. It's way out of the way and kinda hard to get to, but if you really want it and you haev the money, the guy can train you up to 100 ir whatever lvl its governing attribute is.

ok so its not terribly hiddin...but i tried.

Thanks to all-- I am already in vivec, so I am definitely about to speak with the Hlaalu councilor. Also, I don't think I would have figured out the levitate and shoot thing until well after finding the travel stained pants. I am a fighters guild member, so I have yet to pay for arrows, and I have a nice stockpile sitting at home. While I'm not exactly a sharpshooter yet, the kagouti and nixhounds are beginning to feel my prescence. Once again, thanks everyone.

Tons of free arrows are also it the tombs with undead in (there are ones with mostly Daedras, too, you know). Unfortunately only if you're between the level 2 and 6 (including), the Skeleton Archers become very rare afterwards. Altogether they're real challenge (and may be the real pain if met eye to eye) at those levels

P.S. It's shame there's no soultrapping arrows, isn't it?

One more question-- I have tried several times enchant a shock spell onto my Deadric bow. Nothing too complicated, just some extra damage to an already great bow. I get everyting like I want it, and the elf at the mage's guild in balmora enchants is for me, but the bow never uses the attack. The red charge bar stays at 100. I have it set to "cast when strikes." Any advice?

You cannot expect bow's "on strike" enchantment ever working because actually it is the missile what strikes. Shame, in Morrowind you can never use a bow as a whip or cudgel, so do not expect it can do damage without arrows other that enchanted ring, amulet or robe does ... It's shame of course, for you also cannot put "on strike" on gauntlets to use in H2H

Originally posted by fireal
One more question-- I have tried several times enchant a shock spell onto my Deadric bow. Nothing too complicated, just some extra damage to an already great bow. I get everyting like I want it, and the elf at the mage's guild in balmora enchants is for me, but the bow never uses the attack. The red charge bar stays at 100. I have it set to "cast when strikes." Any advice?

Like Loredweller says, the bow cannot do the Cast on Strike damage only the arrow. So you can put a dippy little Cast on Use or Constant Effect enchantment on it instead. I think you can get it to accept 2 points of CE Fortify Attribute (your choice of attribute) or a bound bow enchantment.

Ohh. Well, it was worth a shot.

Originally posted by fireal
Ohh. Well, it was worth a shot.

One good thing about enchanting a bow is that regardless of the enchantment (even one that doesn't work) I believe it will allow the arrows fired from that bow to harm daedra and undead even if the arrows are just iron. Of course deadric bows have that as an inherent ability so its not really necessary but other unenchanted bow types should benefit from it. All daedric items are supposed to have some trapped daedra soul in them already. Ever notice each piece has a tortured face on it - some are a bit hard to make out but you can see the eyes, mouth and other features on the bows and shields fairly easily.