(sword/katana/smithnar/ect)/dagger dual wield for bard

pipinho

i have a vision of a bard that uses the crossbow(ofcourse) but dual wields some kind of a one handed sword and a dagger. Does anyone have any sugguestions?

ScytheKnight

Unfortunately the way the engine handles weapons if you have anything in your off-hand you have to un-equip it to equip a two handed item like a bow/crossbow.

moopy

I suggest you don't until they come out (if ever) with a IWD2 weapon set interface.

Unless you don't mind switching to the inventory and moving your weapons around every time you want to switch between crossbow and dual wielding.

PeteAtoms

What kind of suggestions are you looking for? What you said seems fine to me.

pipinho

i don't mind the switching between melee and ranged. I am asking for suggestions on actual weapons. It seem that a dagger with some kind of ac/taco bonus on the off hand would be ideal but i don't think there are any in BGEE..

Madhax

A bard is uniquely suited for dual-wielding different types of weapons since they can only ever invest one point in a weapon.

Unfortunately, in my experience there aren't many daggers that lend themselves to being in the offhand, since you really want an offhand weapon that grants bonuses to the main hand. The best offhand selections, based on BG2 options, tend to be scimitars, longswords, and hammers.

That's just a powergamer evaluation, though. There's no reason you can dual-wield with a longsword in the main hand and a dagger in the offhand.

pipinho

i guess the best option is to pickpocket or kill drizzt

Madhax

pipinho said:

i guess the best option is to pickpocket or kill drizzt

Too bad that most of these discussions seem to come back to getting Drizzt's swords =\

By the way, this thread inspired me to make a request thread concerning off-hand daggers.

ScytheKnight

Hmmm.... that bounty hunter's longsword and dagger of venom would be a nasty combo.

Suiboon

Well for BG 1 there's always the Dagger of Venom +2. But I'd recommend using that in your main hand and as a plain bard you won't hit anything very often so it is a bit wasted regardless.

If you go for the blade kit it is a whole different story however.

TJ_Hooker

Madhax said:

A bard is uniquely suited for dual-wielding different types of weapons since they can only ever invest one point in a weapon.

Unfortunately, that same quality of only being able to put one proficiency in anything actually makes them kind of terrible for dual wielding, as they'll have -2 to hit on their main hand, -6 to hit on their off hand.

Unless of course we're talking a Blade, who can put up to 3 pips in 2-weapon fighting. But even then, I don't think the OP's plan will work, at least in BG1, as you don't get enough proficiencies. You only get a total of 4 pips by the level cap. You're gonna want at least 2 in 2-weapon fighting (this at least eliminate the THAC0 penalty for the main hand). That only leaves 2 for you actual weapons. So if you choose 2 kinds of melee weapons, you won't be able to be proficient with crossbows like you want. There is the option of using weapons you aren't proficient in, but then you get a -3 to THAC0, and I don't think bards have a good THAC0 progression to be able to eat this penalty and still be effective.

If you want to dual wield with a blade, I think the 'best' choice would be to put a pip in scimitars and use Drizzt's 2 swords. Then you can still be proficient in a ranged weapon.

Debaser

@ pipinhopipinho @TJ_Hooker @ScytheKnight

I would only dual wield as a blade.

If you're good / not going to kill Drizzt....

I would go:

+ Longsword OR + Dagger
+++ Dual Wield

If using Longswords - Viscona +2 +1 Cold Damage for mainhand, and Harrorer +1/+3 Vs Undead for offhand (And swap them both when facing Skeleton Knights)

If using Daggers - Dagger of Venom +2 and Heart of the Golem +2

Daggers will be better Vs mages...longswords vs everything else, but the dagger of Venom is waste in the offhand slot and heart of the Golem has no special abilities beyond a +2 enchantment. But Viscona will get through stoneskin and interrupt the occasional cast with it's cold damage.

You're only going to start with two ++ to use...and two more ++ while leveling, even if you go to higher level in the Black Pits so I'd rather get the max bonus using one great weapon.

If you're evil...Scimitars work. Killing Drizzt is kind of a bonus boss fight essentially. You won't be able to use Twinkle but Frostbrand will be fine as a mainhand or offhand and gives great Fire Resistance.

Longswords are easy to get, and both of the ones in question are drops from encounters you can have early...so I'd probably go Longsword either way.

Any other type of bard I would give Chelsea Crusher to though.

Fardragon

For duel wielding, I would use the blade kit. I would focus on learning the dual wield proficency and forget about x-bows until level 8 at least. Longswords will serve you well.

Any other sort of bard is better off with bows/x-bows and a 2H weapon. Duel wielding is pointless, because you will never hit anything.

Edited for dumbness.