The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Thrown Weapons in Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3, developed by Larian Studios, is based on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition system. The game closely mirrors the mechanics of a D&D session, providing players with access to a wide range of rules, systems, and features from this popular edition. As a result, players enjoy extensive freedom in terms of exploration and combat.

However, one frequently overlooked rule from the Fifth Edition is the Thrown weapon property, which can be found on certain melee weapons. In both the tabletop game and Baldur's Gate 3, Thrown weapons can be launched to inflict their full damage from a distance. However, it's important to note that throwing a weapon in Baldur's Gate 3 is not as straightforward as it may seem.

How to Use Thrown Weapons in Baldur's Gate 3

Weapons with the Thrown property can be placed in a character's melee weapon slot, but this is only for melee attacks. For throwing, players should use the Throw action. When selecting Throw, the character's hotbar will be replaced with a list of throwable items in their inventory, including any equipped Thrown weapons. Thrown weapons are always located at the far left of the hotbar for easy access.

To throw a specific weapon, players simply need to choose it from the list and select their target. An Attack Roll will then be made against the target, using either the character's Strength or the highest of their Strength and Dexterity if the Thrown weapon has the Finesse property. Interestingly, all characters currently receive a Proficiency bonus when using Throw, regardless of their proficiency in the weapon being thrown, although this may be a potential bug.

Although thrown weapons do not qualify as ranged weapons for features like the Fighter's Archery Fighting Style, they still receive a +2 bonus when attacking from high ground and a -2 penalty when attacking from low ground. If the Attack Roll of the Thrown weapon surpasses the target's AC, the weapon will inflict its regular weapon damage, in addition to Strength or Dexterity depending on the Ability used for the Attack Roll.

Thrown Weapon Tips

Only a few melee weapons have the Thrown property by default in Baldur's Gate 3:

Dagger (Finesse)

Handaxe

Javelin

Light Hammer

Spear

Trident

In addition to regular weapons, there are also enchanted ones in Baldur's Gate 3 that possess the Thrown property. Some of these magical weapons have the ability to return to the character's hand after being thrown. While all characters can throw weapons in the game, there are two features that greatly enhance throwing capabilities. Barbarians with the Berserker subclass gain the Enraged Throw ability during their rage, which allows them to throw as a Bonus Action and increases the chance of knocking the target Prone. This ability can be combined effectively with the Tavern Brawler Feat, which enables characters to double their Strength modifier bonus for attack and damage rolls with Thrown weapons.

Baldur's Gate 3 is currently available for PC, with the PlayStation 5 version releasing on September 6th, 2023. An Xbox Series X/S version is still in progress.