Weapon Proficiency

A Weapon Proficiency is a skill that determines how well a character can handle certain types of weapons, which may add penalties or bonuses to their attack and damage, depending on the skill level. Most non-warrior classes may become proficient (one proficiency slot) in their weapon array; paladins and rangers can specialize (two slots), and only fighters are able to achieve grand mastery (all five slots).

Certain non-humanoid creatures might also be proficient in fighting with their specific weapons, or even master these.

Skill lists

Original Baldur's Gate I system

Proficiency	Excluded classes
Bow	Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druid and Fighter / Druid Mages
Spiked Weapons	Druid and Fighter / Druid Mages Mage / Thief Thief
Small Sword	Clerics, incl. all multi-class options
Large Sword	Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Mages
Axe	Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druid and Fighter / Druid Mages Mage / Thief Thief
Blunt Weapons	–
Missile Weapons	–
Spear	Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Mages Mage / Thief Thief

Baldur's Gate & Tales of the Sword Coast

For Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Siege of Dragonspear, see further below.

The original Baldur's Gate groups certain, "similar" weapons together and offers only a few categories of weapon proficiencies: eight in number.

See the table to the right for a listing and forbidden classes.

This makes characters more versatile, and they can quickly switch to a different weapon of the same category – e.g. if the one used suddenly breaks – without having to deal with penalties during combat.

Note: For which weapon type belongs into which category, see the table for Baldur's Gate II & Enhanced Editions below.

Note: For a more detailed table about which class is allowed to learn which proficiency, see further below.

Icewind Dale

Main article: Weapon Proficiency on the Icewind Dale Wiki.

Icewind Dale, a "sister" game of Baldur's Gate, which was developed and published between the first and the second part of the Bhaalspawn saga, has a more specialized system of weapon proficiencies, splitting the Baldur's Gate I categories up into many more single weapon types, and keeping only very few weapons within one category.

See the table below for a listing and comparison with Baldur's Gate I and II.

Class restrictions are also handled slightly different from the Baldur's Gate games:

• Crossbows can't be chosen by Thieves

Baldur's Gate II & Enhanced Editions

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn further cuts down the weapon proficiencies and binds most of them to a single weapon, following even closer the underlying Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition ruleset, documented e.g. in the Player's Handbook. Remaining exceptions are:

• the grouping of scimitars, wakizashi and ninjatōs – mostly new weapons in Part II;
• no difference between Flail and Morning Star – formerly the "Spiked Weapons";
• no difference between light and heavy crossbows;
• and throwing variants of otherwise melee weapons – axes, daggers, and hammers – don't need an own proficiency, either.

Also, "fighting styles" are introduced: proficiencies that add bonuses when using a two- or a one-handed weapon, a shield or two weapons simultaneously.

See the table below for a listing, forbidden classes and the Baldur's Gate I proficiencies for a comparison.

These expansions of the weapon proficiency system were carried over into and are still valid for the Enhanced Editions of the games.

System since Baldur's Gate II

Proficiency	BG & TotSC	IWD	Excluded classes
Bastard Sword	Large Sword	Great Swords	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Shamans Wizards
Long Sword	Large Sword	Large Swords	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Shamans Wizards
Short Sword	Small Sword	Small Swords	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Shamans Wizards
Axe	Axe	Axes	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Wizards
Two Handed Sword	Large Sword	Great Swords	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Shamans Wizards
Katana	Large Sword	–	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Shamans Wizards
Scimitar	Large Sword	Large Swords	Beast Master Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Shamans Wizards
Dagger	Small Sword	Daggers	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options
War Hammer	Blunt Weapons	Hammers	Beast Masters Druids and Fighter / Druid Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Shamans Wizards
Club	Blunt Weapons	Clubs	Wizards
Spear	Spear	Spears	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Wizards
Halberd	Spear	Halberds	Beast Masters Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Shamans Wizards
Flail	Spiked Weapons	Flails	Beast Masters Druids and Fighter / Druid Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Shamans Wizards
Mace	Blunt Weapons	Maces	Beast Masters Druids and Fighter / Druid Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Shamans Wizards
Quarter Staff	Blunt Weapons	Quarter Staves	Monks
Crossbow	Missile Weapons	Crossbows	Cavalier Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Kensai Monks Shamans Wizards
Long Bow	Bow	Bows	Cavalier Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Kensai Monks Thieves and Mage / Thief Shamans Wizards
Short Bow	Bow	Bows	Cavalier Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Druids and Fighter / Druid Kensai Monks Wizards
Dart	Missile Weapons	Missile Weapons	Cavalier Clerics, incl. all multi-class options Kensai
Sling	Missile Weapons	Missile Weapons	Cavalier Kensai
Two Handed Weapon Style	–	–	Monks Wizards
Sword and Shield Style	–	–	Kensai Monks Wizards
Single Weapon Style	–	–	Wizards
Two Weapon Style	–	–	Monks Wizards

Technical note: The old Baldur's Gate & Tales of the Sword Coast proficiencies are still existent and active in the game files of the newer games. Creatures that haven't the new proficiencies assigned to their code (e.g. ones that were imported into Shadows of Amn from Baldur's Gate or almost any in the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition) do benefit from the old system's bonuses.

Proficiency bonuses

Proficiency (Slots spent)		Unskilled (0)	Proficient (1)	Specialized (2)	Master (3)	High Master (4)	Grand Master (5)
Weapon Type	APR bonus, warriors only			+0.5			BG1: +1.5 BG2: +0.5 Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games.: +1
	THAC0 Modifier	Warriors, Monks: +2 Priests, most Rogues: +3 Wizards, Shadowdancer: +5	0	-1	BG1: -3 BG2: -2  Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games.: -3
	Damage modifier			+2	BG1: +3 BG2: +2 Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games.: +3	BG1: +5 BG2: +3 Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games.: +4	BG1: +5 BG2: +4 Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games.: +5
	Speed Factor bonus					-1	-3
Fighting Style	Two-Handed Weapon		Damage: +1 Speed F. -2 Crit: Roll 19	Damage: +1 Speed F. -4 Crit: Roll 19
	Sword & Shield		AC vs Missile: -2	AC vs Missile: -4
	Single-Weapon		AC: -1 Crit: Roll 19	AC: -2 Crit: Roll 19
	Two-Weapon	Main hand: +4 THAC0 Off-hand: +8 THAC0	Main hand: +2 THAC0 Off-hand: +6 THAC0	Off-hand: +4 THAC0	Off-hand: +2 THAC0

1. Fighting style bonuses apply only when wielding melee weapons. This also includes throwing weapons used in melee mode.
2. Thrown weapons in "melee" mode use the Str bonus to hit, not Dex
3. Thrown weapons in "ranged" mode use the Dex bonus to hit, not Str
4. In BG:EE the following "hurled" weapons also get the strength damage bonus, even in ranged mode: slings and throwing axes/daggers/hammers, but not darts.

Slots gained with level by class group

Growth rate differs based on class group. Multi-classes use only the class of the fastest progression. Dual-classes only gain slots from the current active class. Note that all rangers automatically start specialized in Two Weapon Style. The numbers in this chart for that class are what can be chosen by the player, with the absolute total being two higher. Some classes will reach their maximum proficiency before their highest level due to limited weapon selection.

Level	Warrior group	Priest & Rogue group	Wizard group
1	4	2	1
2
3	1
4		1
5
6	1		1
7
8		1
9	1
10
11
12	1	1	1
13
14
15	1
16		1
17
18	1 (Max for triple multi-classes)		1 (Max for single-class)
19
20		1
21	1 (Max for cleric/ranger)
22
23
24	1 (Max for fighter multi-classes)	1 (Max for cleric/mage)	1
25
26
27	1
28		1 (Max for thief multi-classes, druid, monk, shaman)
29
30	1		1 (Max for dual-class mage)
31
32		1 (Max for single-class cleric)
33	1 (Max for ranger, paladin)
34
35
36	1	1 (Max for dual-class warrior cleric)
37
38
39	1
40		1
Total	17 for fighter, barbarian 15 for ranger, paladin 12 for fighter multi-classes 11 for cleric/ranger 10 for triple multi-classes	12 for thief, bard 11 for dual-class warrior cleric 10 for single-class cleric 9 for thief multi-classes, druid, monk, shaman 8 for cleric/mage	4 for single-class 6 for dual-class mage

Allowed slots investments by class kit

Max slots per weapon differs based on class kit, fighter, ranger multi-classes may specialize (2 slots), other combinations may only be proficient (1 slot); dual-classes gives the better of the two caps, with fighter dualing are allowed up to 5 slots, but beware of risking wasting and permanently losing any duplicate slot expenditure, as the slots spent are not combined, only chosen the better value if you take the same proficiency in both classes, so keep track of what you have spent. Fighting styles have different investment values.

Class	Class kit	Max slots allowed	Exceptions / Restrictions
Fighter	Berserker	5	Limited to Proficient in ranged weapons
	Kensai	5	Cannot use ranged weapons
	Barbarian	2	Mastery in Two Weapon Style
	Dwarven Defender Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games.	2	High Mastery in Axes and Warhammers Mastery in Two Weapon Style
	Other fighter kits	5
Fighter multi-classes		2	Restricted to cleric or druid weapon selection if using respective class Mastery in Two Weapon Style
Ranger	Archer	1	Grand Mastery in Crossbows, Longbows, and Shortbows Specialization in Darts and Slings Mastery in Two Weapon Style (starts Specialized)
	Beast Master	2	Cannot use metal weapons (Club and Quarterstaff are only melee options) Mastery in Two Weapon Style (starts Specialized)
	Other ranger kits	2	Mastery in Two Weapon Style (starts Specialized)
Paladin	Cavalier	2	Cannot use ranged weapons Mastery in Two Weapon Style
	Other paladin kits	2	Mastery in Two Weapon Style
Cleric		1	Weapons limited to: War Hammer, Club, Flail, Morningstar, Mace, Quarterstaff, and Sling
Druid		1	Weapons limited to: Scimitar, Dagger, Club, Spear, Quarterstaff, Dart, and Sling
Thief	Swashbuckler	1	Specialized in Thief melee weapons (no extra APR) Mastery in Two Weapon Style SpecializedCE / ProficientEE in other fighting styles
	Other thief kits	1	Weapons limited to: Long Sword, Short Sword, Katana, Wakizashi, Ninja-To, Scimitar, Dagger, Club, Quarterstaff, Crossbow, Shortbow, Dart, and Sling
Bard	Blade	1	Mastery in Two Weapon Style
	Other bard kits	1
Mage, Sorcerer		1	Can only use certain weapons: Dagger, Quarterstaff, Dart, and Sling Cannot use fighting styles
Monk		1	Weapons limited to: Long Sword, Short Sword, Katana, Wakizashi, Ninja-To, Scimitar, Dagger, Club, Dart, and Sling Cannot use fighting styles other than Single Weapon Style
Shaman Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games.		1	Weapons limited to: Dagger, Club, Spear, Axe, Quarterstaff, Dart, Sling, and Shortbow

Achievements

Increasing the proficiency with any weapon to five points, becoming a "Grand Master", will unlock an achievement in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition.

	Grand Master Become a Grand Master. [Read more]
	Grand Master Become a Grand Master. [Read more]

External links

• Weapon Proficiency on the Icewind Dale Wiki, a wiki for the first Icewind Dale game.