Fighting Style |
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| Archery Defense Dueling Great Weapon Fighting Protection Two-Weapon Fighting |
Fighting Style is a Class Feature in Baldur's Gate 3. Features are acquired when leveling up and are based on the Character's Class.
Fighting Style Information
Fighting Style is a Fighter, Paladin, Ranger and College of Swords Feature, though Fighters have more choices than any other class. You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
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Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. -
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. -
Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. -
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. -
Protection - Fighter Only
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to im pose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield. -
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
How to unlock Fighting Style
- Fighting Style is only available for the Paladin (LvL 2), Ranger (LvL 2), Fighter (LvL 1), and College of Swords (which can choose Dueling or Two Weapon Fighting ONLY)
Fighting Style Tips & Notes
- You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
- The only way to get 2 fighting styles is by picking the subclass Champion for Fighter. As soon as you reach Level 10, you can pick another Fighting Style.
- Dueling now only works with 1 Handed Weapons that are not versatile. Weapons like Spears and Longswords no longer get their benefit when you're going Weapon + Shield.
- These Fighting Styles can complement unarmed combat by choosing the Defense Fighting Style. Also, Protection if you're wearing a shield.
- Defense is the most consistent. AC is always good, though it will see diminished returns after reaching the low 20s range. An opponent's 20 rolls will always hit, so math is done against their 19 rolls. Having a base proficiency of their weapons as a +2 at low levels, a 19 roll with no ability modifiers would hit an AC 21.
- If you plan on dual-wielding for your weapons, it's best to pick Archery on a DEX build and Defense on a STR build.
- College of Swords (Bard subclass) can only take Dueling and Two-Weapon Fighting.
- At the moment, there are no other known ways to change Fighting Styles aside from respec.
AnonymousDueling actually does apply to versatile weapons, but only if they're wielded in one hand (think sword and board). It's just confusing wording is all. Also the info about taking archery if you do dex dual wielding is completely false unless you're talking about hand crossbows.
- Anonymous
Protection is listed here as fighter only but paladin also gets access to it at level 2
- Anonymous
I get +2 damage from Dueling with a Longsword + shield. 25 Nov 2023.
- Anonymous
"Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC."
Counts this only if i wear a body armor or even for a helm / boots which require light or medium armor proficiency?
- Anonymous
Two hand crossbows ranger giant slayer and mark target gets you some pretty big numbers. But insta kill alpha strikes aren't as effective
- Anonymous
This is incorrect:
"The Fighting Style is available to Paladin at Level 2, Ranger at Level 2, Fighter at Level 2, and College of Swords at Level 2."
fighter is at level 1 and bard is at level 3
- Anonymous
I'm very perplexed. I just went to Withers and respecced, Took 2 levels of Ranger for Archery then took a level of Fighter for Defense.Both show up on the character sheet. I feel this "Cannot get multiple fighting styles except for going 10 levels of champion" is bad information. Multiclassing and getting multiple styles has always seemed to work perfectly fine for me. It's just that certain classes don't have access to all the available styles so be aware of which ones you need to select with which class. (Fighter is go-to that can pick any)
- Anonymous
Paladin only get access to Defense, Dueling, Great Weapon and Protection
- Anonymous
is there another way to change fighting styles instead of going though the whole respecing process?
- Anonymous
You cannot seem to take a second Fighting style of any type; my Oathbreaker had defense fighting style but did not get the opportunity to pick a second one when he took a level in fighter. Now I cannot take that level back without becoming a regular paladin again.
- Anonymous
If you play with hand crossbow x2, does archery & two weapon fighting stack ?
would be 1d6 +2 +dex x2, better than using a single bow/crossbow too ?
- Anonymous
I hope Larian gets to use Tasha's Cauldron down the road, would be great to get the extra fighting styles like a version of thrown and unarmed.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
This page needs updating, there's a minor yet major change from original 5e rules: Dueling now only works with 1 handed weapons that are not versatile, meaning things like spears and longswords no longer get its benefit when you're going weapon + shield.
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
- Anonymous
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- Anonymous
Well for a melee Ranger for example dueling may make sense...doesn't it?
You pump the damage of an 1h weapon kinda to that of a two-handed. (3-10 vs. 1-12) sure your big hits don't hit that big but statiscally your EV is 6,5 both ways.
With the duelist style you can still hold a shield (so it is said..), so you gain an addittional +2 AC
With a 2handed weapon your only choice is Defense for a +1AC
So you end up with either 1d8+2 and +2 AC oder a 1d12 an +1 AC
Feats, Flavor, ... not included obviously. [Greatsword is slightly better with an EV of 7]
Archery is the the biggest impact fighting style, mathematically. Increasing accuracy will in the end result in more overall damage: less rounds wasted on a "miss". However, it is more reliant on team play, positional tactics, and limited (magical) weapon options.
Defense is the most straight up consistent. AC is always good, though it will see diminished returns after reaching the low 20s range. An opponent's 20 roll will always hit, so math is done against their 19 rolls. Having a base proficiency of their weapons as a +2 at low levels, a 19 roll with no ability modifiers would hit an AC 21. The most AC you can get currently (EA) is enchanted or gith half plate (15+2dex cap= 17), plus 2 from a shield, plus this style, to get AC 20. The Cleric spell Shield of Faith will add an additional 2, for a current cap of 22.
Dueling sounds cool, but ends up doing the least, at best it pumps your weapon damage by 1 die size.
GWF is cool too, but commits you to being that style of combat.
Protection requires a lot of coordination with other members and seldom is "turned on". Also there are problems with the reaction system in EA and how to toggle and choose.
Two Weapon is probably the next best after archery or defense, depending on style choice. Another roll to attack is another chance to crit, and adding ability damage is a huge boost to baseline damage. You're just slightly more vulnerable in that style, but not a bad choice.
Archery=Defense>TwoWeapon=GWF>Dueling>>Protection
- Anonymous
Fighters seem to get "Two-Weapon Fighting" by default. When I look at the battle log before and after choosing it there's literally no difference to the damage of OH attacks. It adds in the (+) from dex/str regardless.
"The only way to get 2 fighting styles is by picking the subclass Champion for Fighter. As soon as you reach Level 10, you can pick another Fighting Style."
outdated info from when multiclassing wasn't added yet, you can take additional different fighting styles by multiclassing.
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