@DArt:
I completed Risen 1 with all three factions, and I can say whichever other group you choose after Bandits, it'll be vastly different. That said, up until a certain point there's little to no difference between mage and warrior monk questlines. Later on there are some minor differences, with mage being somewhat less generic imho.
I don't think these two factions mesh too well with archery, but you can give it a shot (pun not intended). It won't be necessary though, because after chapter 2 you'll be shooting ranged spells like crazy, even as a warrior. If you tank up with mana rechargers, you'll be totally op. Maybe archery will come in handy pre-faction when roaming the island. When I play I usually do as much exploration as is humanly possible before joining any guild (I do all the quests available, loot everything and sweep clean most of the island) and bows are useful for that.