Archer is a Ranger kit. Archers have full access to all five proficiency levels of any bow type, but can only have one proficiency point in any melee weapon. This includes weapons such as daggers which can be used as ranged or melee weapons. Archers can have two proficiency points in other ranged weapons like slings. Unlike other Rangers they are limited to leather, studded leather and hide armor and have no Charm Animal ability.
Only humans, elves and half-elves can become archers. Archers have three prime requisites: Strength, Dexterity and Wisdom. They can dual-class with clerics, though such combination has fewer benefits than the vanilla Cleric / Ranger. A Cleric/Archer is restricted to slings as a ranged weapon and thus loses some of the benefits of the Archer kit.
In the non-Enhanced version of Baldur's Gate II, archers could not dual-class with Throne of Bhaal installed.
If the player character is an archer and commits a murder, for example, they will become a Fallen Ranger, which is a ranger without the special abilities - effectively a Fighter without the benefits of grandmastery and slower levelling. Only in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition at the end of Ranger-Protector of the Umar Hills, they can become normal archers once more.
Character abilities table[]
| Character ability | Min. number. | Max. number |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 13* | 18 |
| Dexterity | 13* | 18 |
| Constitution | 14 | 18 |
| Intelligence | 3 | 18 |
| Wisdom | 14* | 18 |
| Charisma | 3 |
18 |
- Prime Requisites for Dual-Classing. Humans require a minimum of 15 strength and dexterity and a 17 in wisdom in order to dual class to a cleric.
Notes:
- The primary abilities table is based on the human class, because humans don't have any bonuses to primary abilities compared to the other races and acts as a 'neutral'.
Special abilities of the archer[]
Stealth[]
Rangers can hide in shadows if they wear leather armor, studded leather armor or no armor. Every ranger starts with 15% in both move silently and hide in shadows, modified by racial and dexterity bonuses at level 1 to successfully hides in shadows. Attempting to hide in shadows during the day or while not in shadows incurs a penalty to the hide check. Melee attacks receive a +4 to-hit bonus if performed while hidden.
Ranged Bonuses[]
Archers receive a 1 point increase to hit and damage with any missile weapon for every 3 experience levels they obtain up to and including level 18. This slows down to once every 5 levels thereafter, reaching a +9 to-hit and damage at level 33. This bonus applies to all missile weapons, including thrown weapons and missile weapons from polymorphs such as the ranged attack of a Mustard Jelly.
Called Shot[]
Gains one use at level 4 and an additional use every 4 levels thereafter. All successful ranged attacks made by the Archer within the next 10 seconds acquire the following effects besides normal damage:
- Effect available from the start: +1 penalty to target's THAC0 for 20 seconds
- Effect unlocked at level 8: +1 penalty to target's save vs Spell for 15 seconds
- Effect unlocked at level 12: -1 penalty to target's Strength for 6 seconds in BGEE and 10 seconds in BG2(EE)
- Effect unlocked at level 16: +2 Piercing damage
Note: As an "innate spell", multi and dual-classed characters "cast" Called Shot at the average of their class levels, rounded up.
There is no save against these effects and they ignore magic resistance. They are also cumulative, i. e., hitting an enemy several times while this ability is active applies its effects multiple times.
Racial enemy[]
Archers tend to focus on a particular racial creature, having a +4 to hit attack bonus roll versus the racial enemy. Some of these are not available in original Baldur's Gate or Tales of the Sword Coast and were added when Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal were released. Several low-level groups are only available in the first Baldur's Gate games. When importing a character from BG1 into BG2, you can choose a new racial enemy when you start a new game. The player chooses one of the types of creatures listed below:
- Beholder1
- Carrion Crawler
- Demonic/Fell
- Dragon
- Elemental
- Ettercap
- Faerie1
- Genies1
- Ghoul
- Giant Spider
- Gibberling
- Golem1
- Gnoll
- Hobgoblin
- Imp1
- Kobold
- Kuo-Toa1
- Lich1
- Lycanthrope1
- Mephits1
- Ogre
- Orc
- Otyugh1
- Rakshasa1
- Sahuagin1
- Shadow
- Skeleton
- Slime1
- Troll
- Umber Hulk1
- Vampire1
1 Not available in Baldur's Gate 1 (EE).
Priest Spellbook[]
At level 8, the priest spellbook unlocks for archers. They can use the following spells from that moment. The spells the archers are able to use are the same as druids. They can learn up to level 3 spells. Their number of spells is determined by their level and is not affected by Wisdom.
Level 1 spells.[]
Level 2 spells.[]
Level 3 spells.[]
Experience table[]
| Level | XP
Required |
THAC0 | THAC0 and damage (Ranged) | Saving throws D/W/P/B/S | Weapon Proficiency | APR | HLA | Stealth Bonus**
MS/HiS |
Hit Dice (d10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 20 | 14/16/15/17/17 |
4 (+2)* |
1 | 25/20 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2,250 | 19 | 14/16/15/17/17 | 1 | 31/26 | 2 | |||
| 3 | 4,500 | 18 | +1 | 13/15/14/16/16 | 5 | 1 | 37/32 | 3 | |
| 4 | 9,000 | 17 | 13/15/14/16/16 | 1 | 43/38 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 18,000 | 16 | 11/13/12/13/14 | 1 | 50/45 | 5 | |||
| 6 | 36,000 | 15 | +1 | 11/13/12/13/14 | 6 | 1 | 57/52 | 6 | |
| 7 | 75,000 | 14 | 10/12/11/12/13 | 1.5 | 65/60 | 7 | |||
| 8 | 150,000 | 13 | 10/12/11/12/13 | 1.5 | 72/67 | 8 | |||
| 9 | 300,000 | 12 | +1 | 8/10/9/9/11 | 7 | 1.5 | 80/75 | 9 | |
| 10 | 600,000 | 11 | 8/10/9/9/11 | 1.5 | 88/83 | 9+3 | |||
| 11 | 900,000 | 10 | 7/9/8/8/10 | 1.5 | 96/91 | 9+6 | |||
| 12 | 1,200,000 | 9 | +1 | 7/9/8/8/10 | 8 | 1.5 | 104/99 | 9+9 | |
| 13 | 1,500,000 | 8 | 5/7/6/5/8 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+12 | |||
| 14 | 1,800,000 | 7 | 5/7/6/5/8 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+15 | |||
| 15 | 2,100,000 | 6 | +1 | 4/6/5/4/7 | 9 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+18 | |
| 16 | 2,400,000 | 5 | 4/6/5/4/7 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+21 | |||
| 17 | 2,700,000 | 4 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+24 | |||
| 18 | 3,000,000 | 3 | +1 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 109/104 | 9+27 |
| 19 | 3,300,000 | 2 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+30 | ||
| 20 | 3,600,000 | 1 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 3 | 109/104 | 9+33 | ||
| 21 | 3,900,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 109/104 | 9+36 | |
| 22 | 4,200,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 5 | 109/104 | 9+39 | ||
| 23 | 4,500,000 | 0 | +1 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 6 | 109/104 | 9+42 | |
| 24 | 4,800,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 109/104 | 9+45 | |
| 25 | 5,100,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 8 | 109/104 | 9+48 | ||
| 26 | 5,400,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 9 | 109/104 | 9+51 | ||
| 27 | 5,700,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 109/104 | 9+54 | |
| 28 | 6,000,000 | 0 | +1 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 11 | 109/104 | 9+57 | |
| 29 | 6,300,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 12 | 109/104 | 9+60 | ||
| 30 | 6,600,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 109/104 | 9+63 | |
| 31 | 6,900,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 14 | 109/104 | 9+66 | ||
| 32 | 7,200,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 15 | 109/104 | 9+69 | ||
| 33 | 7,500,000 | 0 | +1 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 109/104 | 9+72 |
| 34 | 7,800,000 | 0 | Max: +9 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 17 | 109/104 | 9+75 |
Related items[]
Item better for Archers:
Archer's Eyes 
Baldur's Gate:
Siege of Dragonspear (2016)
This icon indicates content from the Siege of Dragonspear campaign of the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. 
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition – Shadows of Amn (2013)
This icon indicates content from the Shadows of Amn campaign of the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition.
Achievements[]
Increasing the proficiency with any ranged weapon to five points, becoming a "Grand Master", will unlock an achievement in the Enhanced Editions.[1]
 |
Grand Master Become a Grand Master. [Read more] |