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Discover everything you need to know about all Hand Crossbows Listed in Baldur’s Gate 3 and the best one to use in combat.
Hand Crossbows in BG3 are one-handed light weapons that allow you to equip two weapons at once. Get ammunition to fire a ranged attack. The Hellfire Hand Crossbow is the best Hand Crossbow to use in combat due to its unique benefits and properties. The user needs Martial weapon proficiency or suffers penalties while wearing the weapon. You can equip it with martial weapon proficiency in any class, companion, or character. Selecting the best one is crucial because your gameplay mostly depends on it if you’re a long-range player. In this guide, we’ll discuss all Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3, their properties, and the unique bonuses they provide to players in combat.
Hand Crossbows Overview in BG3
Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3 are the one-handed martial ranged weapon, dealing 1d6 Piercing damage without enchantment. The range of this weapon type is 15m, allowing you to dominate foes from afar. You can equip two weapons simultaneously and gain hand crossbow proficiency by being a level-one bard or rogue. Most regular hand crossbows are found in Act One in the Underdark. You can either loot them from dead bodies around the Underdark at the beach or obtain them from Derryth at the myconid colony.
They are useful due to their lightweight mobility that allows you to dual-wield while carrying a ranged weapon in the game. They complement both stealthy builds and high-damage ranged attackers like Fighter or Ranger. Magical Hand Crossbows offer elemental damage, bonuses to attack rolls, or status effects in combat. Hand crossbows deal less base damage but are faster than other weapons. This weapon type offers better range and turns your character into a deadly marksman.
What is the purpose of Hand Crossbows in BG3?
The Purpose of Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3 grants a light, versatile ranged weapon that excels in certain combat strategies. They fill several specific roles and tactical purposes in the game that other weapons can’t. These weapons allow your character to stay agile and maintain their distance while dealing damage in combat. Characters like Thief Rogues can benefit from multiple bonus actions.
- Piercing Shot- This weapon action allows you to deal with regular damage and possibly inflict gaping wounds, which cause extra damage during attacks.
- Mobile Shot- This weapon action allows you to make a Ranged Attack while moving. Prerequisite: Must have Dashed or Disengaged this turn.
Hand Crossbows offer plenty of potential for creative and effective gameplay, allowing you to maximize damage output, exploit action economy, or build a tactical character. These are ideal for a class like the Ranger that wants to stay effective at all ranges. Players looking to experiment with multiclass builds that blend range and utility.
List of All Hand Crossbows in BG3
Here are all the Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3 including their damage, damage types, and special.
| Weapon | Rarity | Damage | Damage Type | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand Crossbow (Yurgir) | Common | 2d10 | Piercing | Not usable by humanoids. |
| Hand Crossbow | Common | 1d6 | Piercing | |
| Firestoker | Uncommon | 1d6 | Piercing | Burned Alive Deals an additional 1d4 Weapon damage to Burning targets. |
| Hand Crossbow +1 | Uncommon | 1d6 + 1 | Piercing | – |
| Hand Crossbow +2 | Rare | 1d6 + 2 | Piercing | – |
| Ne’er Misser | Rare | 1d6 + 1 | Force | Magic Missile Cast as a level 3 spell Recharge: Short rest. |
| Hellfire Hand Crossbow | Very Rare | 1d6 + 2 | Piercing | Hellstalker Possibly inflict Burning when attacking while Hiding or Invisible. Scorching Ray Cast as a level 3 spell Recharge: Short rest. |
Tips and Tricks for Using Hand Crossbows in BG3
Here are all the tips and tricks for using Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3.
- Prefer Dexterity for attack and damage rolls, Constitution for survivability, and Wisdom for perception.
- Equip a hand crossbow in each hand and use your bonus action for more ranged attacks.
- Combine Sharpshooter with abilities that provide perks like Faerie Fire, hiding, or using a Rogue’s Cunning Action to balance the attack penalty.
- Utilize a Thief Rogue build to use the additional bonus action for even more attacks.
- Use elemental arrows, poison, or enchanted bolts to add additional effects to your attacks.
- To add extra damage to each attack, use Hunter’s Mark or Hex.
- You can use Cunning Action to hide and make Sneak Attack shots from stealth.
- Aim for enemies near cliffs to take advantage of the battlefield.
Best Hand Crossbows in BG3
Here are the best Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3 to use in combat.
- Hellfire Hand Crossbow- A very rare, +2 Hand Crossbow that has a chance to set targets on fire when attacked while invisible or hiding. It grants Scorching Ray and pairs well with anything that triggers against targets that are burning.
- Ne’er Misser- A rare +1 hand crossbow in Baldur’s Gate 3 that deals force damage and gives the wearer the ability to cast Magic Missile once per short rest.
- Hand Crossbow +2- A rare crossbow that deals piercing damage and has a range of 15m. It deals a ranged damage allowing your character to stay at a safe distance in combat.
1) Hellfire Hand Crossbow
| Damage | Enchantment | Weapon Skill | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1d6 + 2 Piercing | +2 | Scorching Ray Hellstalker | Can be looted from Yurgir in Act 2 |
In Baldur’s Gate 3, Hellfire Hand Crossbow provides decent damage with added dexterity modifier and pricing damage. You get extra Hellstalker buff, which is good for stealth characters, but not only. This weapon’s extra spell can be handy on spellcasters such as Sorcerer, Wizard, or even Paladin. You might not use this weapon much later in the game, but it does give you a free spell. It can set targets to burn when attacking while hiding or invisible.
It’s helpful for classes such as Paladin, especially when you need ranged action and can’t reach the target with your sword. You can also keep this weapon on your secondary slot just for the extra spell, using it sparingly when you need ranged damage. You can equip it to your character’s main hand weapon slot in the inventory, providing additional bonuses and buffs. To get the Hellfire Hand Crossbow in Baldur’s Gate 3, you must find and kill Yurgir, an old Raphael’s enemy during Act 2, in the Gauntlet of Shar location.
2) Ne’er Misser
| Damage | Enchantment | Weapon Skill | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1d6 + 1 Force | +1 | Magic Missile | Bought or stolen from Roah Moonglow in Moonrise Towers during Act 2 |
In Baldur’s Gate 3, Ne’er Misser is a rare Hand Crossbow that you can buy from Roah Moonglow vendor in Moonrise Towers during Act 2. This weapon offers 1d6 + 1 Force damage and a level 3 Magic Missile spell. This level 3 Magic Missile spell can be cast once per short rest and makes a great addition to any damage dealer arsenal.
Piercing Shot and Mobile Shot are Ne’er Misser’s weapon actions that allow it to dominate enemies in battle. The normal attacks from this weapon deal an additional 1d6 force damage, which is a useful damage type to break different objects and doors. The third level casting of Magic Missile deals 5d4 force damage and automatically hits the target.
3) Hand Crossbow +2
| Damage | Enchantment | Weapon Skill | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1d6 + 2 Piercing | +2 | None | Inside a wall vault in Lady Jannath’s Estate |
In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Hand Crossbow +2 is a decent ranged weapon that won’t be best-in-slot for your Rogue or Ranger archer build but can be a good backup weapon for your melee party members. While it has no major bonus, it has a basic +2 to Weapon Enchantment, which will increase the overall damage.
To get the Hand Crossbow +2 in Baldur’s Gate 3 you must first enter the Lower City during Act 3 and find the Lady Jannath’s Estate. This is a moderately enchanted (+2) variant of the Hand Crossbows family of weapons. It is a martial ranged weapon wielded in one hand. It’s a light weapon that anyone can dual-wield without special training.
FAQs about All Hand Crossbows in BG3
Are there Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Yes, Hand Crossbows are available as a weapon type in Baldur’s Gate 3. These are versatile marital melee weapons that most of the classes can use.
How many Hand Crossbows are there in BG3?
There are 7 Hand Crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3 ranging from the nonmagical type to special/magical type variants.
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