A ranged weapon is any weapon that launches a projectile or that is a projectile itself. In contrast, a weapon intended to be used in person-to-person combat is called a mêlée weapon. Early ranged weapons include thrown weapons such as spears, the bow and arrow, and medieval siege equipment like catapults and trebuchets. These ranged weapons were extremely effective in combat in comparison to close-combat weapons, as they gave the wielder opportunity to launch multiple projectiles before an enemy armed with non-ranged weapons posed a threat to him. After the invention of gunpowder and the development of firearms, ranged weapons became the weapon of choice. In modern warfare, ranged weaponry is used in the form of cruise and ballistic missiles.
A character can fight with both ends of a double weapon as if fighting with two weapons, but he or she incurs all the normal attack penalties associated with two-weapon combat, just as though the character were wielding a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.
An arrow used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (-4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (critical multiplier ×2).
A crossbow bolt used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (-4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (crit ×2).
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