There are no T1 ranged weapons (other than the Mage’s Staff). I thought something like a slingshot would help in the first two regions because sometimes artillery are scarce and the Wandmaker doesn’t always offer a good offensive wand. I imagine a slingshot like a weaker Spirit Bow, something with infinite ammo (since there would likely be small fragments of rock everywhere in the Dungeon). There have been times when I’ve faced Tengu with nothing more than a Wand of BlastWave and a pair of Throwing Clubs, so something like a slingshot would increase chances of success with such a poor selection of weapons.
I feel like someone suggested this years ago but can’t remember specifically.
I actually do have a shelved idea for a T2 equivalent to the crossbow: a blowpipe. The problem is that by the time you start using T4 gear you are guaranteed to have seen a shop, probably two of them, and so have had plenty of time to acquire darts. The same isn’t true for T2, so the value of the blowpipe would be overly dependent on that. I’m afraid that a ranged weapon without a limited ammo source is simply a non-starter, as I mentioned before that’s supposed to belong to the huntress.
I think a blowpipe is a good idea, consider my view changed! Anything that increases the chance of attacking at a distance on those runs devoid of artillery and offensive wands. I feel like spears and whips are too valuable in the early game, can’t tell you how many times I’ve bought a spear in the Prison Shop because it was essential to success in that region.