Some weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3 have the property “Finesse.” If you are wondering what that means, which weapons have finesse, or how to use them best, MeinMMO has the answers to your questions.
What are finesse weapons? In Baldur’s Gate 3, melee weapons usually use the strength modifier to calculate hit chance and damage rolls. For classes like rogues or bards, which typically have low strength, this is of course a disadvantage.
Finesse weapons provide a way out here, as you can apply your dexterity to them – just like with ranged weapons. Many of the best classes in the game rely on these weapons because dexterity is their most important attribute.
These are the finesse weapons: A general rule is that the type of weapon indicates whether it has finesse or not. The weapon types that scale with dexterity are:
- Daggers
- Scimitars
- Short swords
- Rapiers
- all ranged weapons like bows and crossbows
However, there are still some exceptions in the game: The longsword Phalar Aluve, for example, allows you to use really powerful combos, is a finesse weapon. The glaive “Dancing Breeze” also scales with dexterity.
What you should pay attention to: Finesse weapons can be used with both strength and dexterity. The game automatically takes the higher value for calculations. This means that barbarians, paladins, or fighters can also use finesse weapons without issues, even if they have low dexterity.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Patch 8 brings new builds for finesse weapons
With Patch 8, new subclasses have arrived in Baldur’s Gate 3, creating new builds and new multiclassing opportunities. Many of these subclasses or builds benefit from dexterity and are thus well-suited for finesse weapons. Some examples are:
- the blade singer wizard
- the hex blade warlock
- the swashbuckler rogue
Dexterity as a value is already useful in itself, as it increases your armor class. A character with high dexterity inherently has better defense than most other classes without armor.
Ideally, you combine finesse weapons and your builds with the right talents. In particular, Martial Arts Master and Two-Weapon Fighting are useful for almost all classes that rely on dexterity and melee combat. In our guide, you will find everything about feats and the best talents ranked – Which is good for my class?
