BG2 - Shots per round

kicker04

Hi there!

I wonder how the shots per round with a bow are calculated? Where can I see how many I have with a special bow?
Does the number increase with higher levels? Anyone who knows how that works?

Thanks a lot for help!

kicker04

Quartz

Well let's put it this way.

Bows have a base Attacks Per Round of 2. This is for any class. Ranged weapons are nice like that; a lot of them have a high base "APR" with any class, whereas with melee weapons you are stuck at 1 APR with non-warrior classes, with only a few notable exceptions. (Dual-wielding, special weapons such as Belm)

You are probably noticing a lot of variation due to two things: The Tuigan Bow, which is usually found very early in BGII. And more noticeably still, when your warriors (Fighters, Barbarians, Rangers, and Paladins) wield bows.

Warrior classes get a bonus to their attacks per round. At level 7, they have a base APR of 1.5 with *any* weapon. At level 13, they have a base APR of 2 with any weapon.

Furthermore, when they invest proficiency points (aka "pips") into a weapon type, they gain further abilities with that weapon beyond the basics. With Specialization, that is, two pips **, a warrior class gets an extra 1/2 APR when wielding that weapon.

Also, depending on whether you're running BGII, vanilla BG1, True Grandmastery mod, BG:EE, or whatever, you may or may not get another extra 1/2 APR for achieving five pips *****. Make sure to check the description.

Going back to the Tuigan Bow ... while other bows grant a base APR of 2, it gives characters a base APR of 3. Awesome Short Bow, great thing to hand to a thief who would otherwise be stuck with far less APR.

AstroBryGuy

Longbows and shortbows have a base rate of 2 attacks per round. Crossbows have a base rate of one attack per round. There are a handful of magic bows that increase the rate of fire in BG1 and BG2 (e.g., the Army Scythe, a light crossbow with a rate of 2 attacks per round, in BG1).

Warriors (fighters, rangers, paladins) gain additional attack per round at high levels (+1/2 attack per round at 7th and 13th levels), and can specialize in bows or crossbows to gain more attacks per round. These extra attacks are simply added to the base rate of fire for the weapon (i.e., its not multiplied by the base rate of fire). For example, a 1st level ranger specialized in longbows gets 2 attacks per round base + 1 attack per 2 rounds for specialization, i.e., 5 attacks per 2 rounds.

kicker04

Thank you both for your explanations!

kicker04

One more question: A thief using the Tuigan Bow would always have 3 APR instead of 2 with a normal bow, right?

Quartz

@kicker04 Yes, a thief with the Tuigan would have 3 APR. It makes your Thief a BAMF.

Tresset

There is also the army scythe, a crossbow that gives one extra attack per round. Crossbows normally start with a base of 1 APR but this one starts with 2 APR.

sarevok57

@Quartz the fact that you used the word BAMF makes you a BAMF

ZanathKariashi

Meh, still would prefer to see PnP-accurate attacks per round with weapons were implemented.

Bonus attacks from warrior levels/Proficiencies

Bows (base 2) - None

X-bows (Base 1 Light, base 1/2 heavy) - None

Sling (base 1) - +1/2 at **, +1/2 at *****, +1/2 at 7, +1/2 at 13

Darts or thrown knives (base 3 darts, Base 2 thrown knives) - +1 at **, +1 at *****, +1 at 7, +1 at 13.

Melee or thrown axe/hammers (base 1) - +1/2 at **, +1/2 at *****, +1/2 at 7, +1/2 at 13



The speed property on any weapon increases it's base attacks by 1, except in the case of a heavy crossbow, which increases by 1/2.

kicker04

Quartz said:

The Tuigan Bow, which is usually found very early in BGII.

Well as BG2 is the most non-linear game I've ever seen (and that is just great if you compare it for example with jokes like NWN2) you are free in putting in on the top of your priority list as soon as you're out of the dungeon.

Mortianna

@Quartz said:

@kicker04 Yes, a thief with the Tuigan would have 3 APR. It makes your Thief a BAMF.

Apparently, this is what Imoen shooting the Tuigan bow in real life looks like.

Although I think that may be a bit more than 3 APR.

BelgarathMTH

@Mortianna, that is freaking *amazing*! I wonder how much force arrows shot from a shortbow like that have? In other words, would those pierce plate? I kind of doubt it. Looks like they might pierce leather, but maybe not chain. Of course, with skill of accuracy like that woman has, she could probably hit knees, elbows, and eyes.

ZanathKariashi

Yes, any bow can penetrate armor....it's a matter of where the arrow hits, what the arrow is made of, Arrow shape (Bodkin tips are made specifically to penetrate plate), the design of the armor, and the shot force of the bow as to what range is required for consistent penetration.


Crossbows are still technically better due to less skill needed and fairly cheap to manufacture the light versions while putting out Composite bow amounts of shot force (albeit at about half the effective range for accuracy). And it just goes up from there.