Slings vs Darts
cbarchuk
Member Posts: 322
Looking at rolling a halfling thief. Just wondering what would be a better ranged weapon to use? Also I haven't played BG EE in a while. Just curious how the bugs are looking compared to the GoG tutu version? Thanks.
Post edited by cbarchuk on
1
Comments
No pun intended.
( btw - you should change category from 'New Members Welcome Area' to for 'General Discussion' )
Unless you have some sort of picture in your head of a halfling thief that uses darts, go with slings.
2. Offer no evidence to back it up
3. ???
4. PROFIT!!
1. Slings get both a strength and dexterity bonus whereas darts only get dexterity.
2. A halfling character has a +1 thaco to slings over darts.
3. There exists a +2 bullets in the first game (which if my memory serves me right there is no dart that hits as a +2 although I might be wrong on this one).
4. Slings have a greater range.
Darts are flat out superior...while it's true there are no +2 darts...there's also no enemies that require +2 to hit (in BG 1 anyway, and by BG2, there's a returning +3 dart that can hit everything but 4 enemies, and a cloak that can create several +5 darts per day (just use it's cool-down for every rest and save them for the big 4, if you must)). And Asp's Nest darts (+1) are basically 3 apr ranged daggers of VENOM. Even if you count the str bonus slings aren't supposed to have (and darts are), slings still can't compete due to lack of attacks, and the fact it's the end of the game before you can push your str high enough for it to matter (and that's around the same point you get ready access to special dart types for sell, that utterly blow bullets away).
And of course...for an assassin, darts are a no-brainer. More apr greatly magnifies the power of poison weapon.
Also...80% sure (Haven't played one in BG in forever, but very knowledgeable about the 2nd ed versions) halflings get a +1 thac0 with both slings and thrown weapons, rendering that point moot.
I mean hell....if darts and apr were PnP accurate to 2nd edition, darts would be the weapon of choice for every fighter, aside for piercing immune/resistant enemies. 1d3 + str (+6 assuming 18/00) + GM (+5), at 7 attacks per round (there is no attack cap in PnP, and darts and thrown daggers gain an extra full attack at lvls 7 and 13 for warriors and for specialization and GM for proficiencies, total of +4 extra on top of the dart's base 3, (6 total, just using the core book's charts, which doesn't have GM)).
Access to haste makes a big difference here. It doubles the number of attacks slings get to 2 while giving darts 4APR. Also if you can give your halfling 19 strength (through rasaads quest reward belt or DOHM) it'll give a big boost to his slings damage output (+6 damage over 17 strength). Getting 18/75 strength or 18/50 strength (through spells) will help a little but not nearly as much.
I think in the hands of a fighter slings are a better choice (partly because of strength potions), but for a thief either will work. Yep.
Edit: darn, forgot about the extra .5 attack from proficiency for the sling, that puts the expected damage at 18.75*P, and 14*P for the darts (with P the probability to hit + 0.05). Tipping point would be 18/76 Str, that's where the slings start to do slightly more damage than the darts.
Slings get str bonus to damage. This is big. Halflings can not get natural 19 str, but you can get the belt in Rasaad's quest. Actually, a f/t halfling specialised in slings can do shocking amounts of damage after gulping a giant str potion and using draw upon holy might ability to get 25 str. That's +2 dmg from magical sling, +2 from bullets+2, +2 from specialisation, and +14 from 25 str. A single hit will do 1d4+21 damage, in other words 22-25 damage per ranged sling hit. Scary stuff!
By the way, you forgot throwing knives--there are plenty available and some are even already pre-poisoned for you. Even if your halfling will be a straight thief you can start off with * in both proficiencies. If you go with fighter/thief then specialize in one.
Though I would certainly second the sentiment: just pick what you want to use, what best fits your character.
Maybe not a lot but the Darts of wounding( I think they're called?) are really good. They inflict high poison dmg and we all know how brutal poison is in this game.
1. Yeah, Strength bonus is definitely the most badass thing about slings; so glad they brought that back.
2. Strangely, Halflings get a +1 THAC0 bonus to Darts now as well. Dunno whether I agree with that decision or not, but that's besides the point.
3. True; But with Darts you get Darts of Wounding and Stunning, I think that makes up for it really. I tend to prefer the unique, effect-inducing arrows over flat bonuses, though flat bonuses are good too.
4. Yup, very clearly true. Not such an issue with a thief character IMO but with mages it can be troublesome.
So basically:
Slings - Strength bonus, greater range.
Darts - APR of doom.
WTB item duping. It'd be like using the Ninja's Throw ability, to throw Excalibur in Final Fantasy Tactics all over again!