Eldritch Knight Build - Tavern Brawler Thrower - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)
Contents
Eldritch Knight - Thrower Build
The subclass is a mix of magic and martial proficiencies accessible from Fighter. Unfortunately, both of these things bite the Eldritch Knight - if you use a spell, this uses action and you have to forgo two attacks. If you use only attacks, then why go with Eldritch Knight and not Battle Master Build?
Fear not, some things make this subclass very useful for its utility and defensive capabilities. Moreover, by going with Tavern Brawler we will be able to use ranged attacks for huge damage bonuses and avoid any type of danger. If needed, as a Fighter it will be also easy to engage in pure melee combat.
The defensive capabilities stem from access to some awesome spells - Shield, Mirror Image and Blur. You can easily tank most of the attacks if the need arises. Moreover, with a good gear selection, it will be easy to ensure that you have some additional actions to use to further empower the combat capabilities.
So let's jump into it!
Starting the Game
We start with the early game. I would go into what are the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for Eldritch Knight Thrower Build. Some of these choices are impactful as you cannot respec them.
Races
Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc. Also, keep in mind whether your picked race has Shield proficiency as this can improve survivability or give benefits for offensive.
Race | Features | Description |
---|---|---|
Duergar Dwarf |
|
Very solid choice, especially as they can enlarge themselves and also become invisible. Another reason for dwarves is that they can use the Dwarven Thrower special effect for bonus damage. |
Half-Orc |
|
A perfect Fighter race gains additional roll for critical hits, but most importantly, can stand up instead of being Downed. |
Githyanki |
|
Very versatile race, that unlocks some good actions for combat and exploration. |
Wood Half-Elf |
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One of the more popular options, Wood Subrace gets bonuses to bonus mobility, you will not need that as much later in the game. |
Class
The build is going into one class - Fighter. They give all weapon and armor proficiencies, making them extremely versatile front liners - two-handed weapons, swords, scimitars, dual-wielding, etc.
Overview | |
---|---|
Fighter | |
Features | |
Second Wind | You can use this to heal yourself in tight encounters, to get a little bit more of survivability. |
Fighting Style
Fighters get a unique choice of different Fighting styles. They give decent bonuses to various stats, pick one based on your preference. With this build, we will only use melee attacks until level 4, after that, it will mostly be throwing.
Fighting Style | Description |
---|---|
Defence | The only choice that is relevant for the build. It will give a higher survivability. |
Background
Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer. Fighter, mainly benefits from Strength related skills, if you want some optimization there are a few options:
Background | Skills | Description |
---|---|---|
Outlander | Athletics Survival |
Gives a boost to Athletics greatly reducing the chances of Shove's success. Moreover, Survival will help with revealing hidden treasures, but it mostly utilizes the Wisdom ability |
Soldier | Athletics Intimidation |
Gives a better chance to resist shove, and increases the success of Intimidation dialogues. |
Abilities
Now let's take a look at the abilities of the Eldritch Knight Tavern Brawler build. Correct allocation will allow us to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.
Ability | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
Strength | 16 (14+2) | The main damage attribute, and will work well with Tavern Brawler for even more damage. I also assume you will be using Auntie Ethel Hair for +1 Strength. If not (for example using this on companion), then set it to 17 (15+2) and decrease Wisdom. |
Dexterity | 16 (15+1) | Early in the game, I recommend going with 14 Dexterity. You can use some good medium armor like Half Plate Armour from La'zael. Overall you can have 15-18 AC in the early game. Moreover, higher dexterity will allow you to start combat earlier. |
Constitution | 14 | We do not need as much, because we will not be in the frontlines from level 4. Moreover, as there is no need for spell concentration, this ability also loses importance. |
Intelligence | 8 | Not an important stat for us |
Wisdom | 12 | We get 12, to not get any negative modifier for Wisdom Saving Throws, as there are many of them. |
Charisma | 8 | This is a debatable ability. If you are the main character and want to get a better chance of passing some dialogues, you could remove two points from Wisdom and add them here. |
Skills and Expertise
Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier and these are Strength-related:
- Athletics
However, you may want some other options, especially if you are the main character
- Intimidation
- Perception
Leveling Progression
Here is the detailed progression for the Eldritch Knight Thrower build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get the feel for the class you can start picking your options
Level 2
At the second level already fighter gains its most popular action:
Action | Description |
---|---|
Action Surge | For each short rest, you can add additional action points for bonus attacks. As you progress and obtain Extra Attack this will even give more than 1 additional attack. |
Overall, this encourages having constant short rests if you want to have the full potential of the Fighter.
Optional Progression with Elixir of Hill Giant Strength
Well, there is a trick early in Act 1, after you reach the first settlement - Druid's Grove. There you can stock up on some really powerful potions for Acts 1, and 2 - Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
What do they do? They increase the Strength to 21 until a Long rest. More or less this negates any need to have strength investment if you plan to use them till the late game. This is somewhat gimmicky, however, if you are interested here is a guide on how to farm Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
However, you will naturally stack up your Strength to 22 with some choices and bonuses, meaning that the potions will not be as useful. In Act 3 there will be an upgraded version - Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength, that will set it to 27. This is the highest possible strength value.
So here is the setup once you get these Elixirs and decide to use them. Remember to respec, to get the full utility:
Ability | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
Strength | 8 | The potion will raise the strength to 21, meaning that we do not need this ability. |
Dexterity | 16 (15+1) | Having higher dexterity will ensure we go earlier, but will not give bonus Armour Class as we are using Medium or Heavy Armors. |
Constitution | 17(15+2) | The higher value will further improve total HP allowing to sustain more damage. Moreover, once we get Tavern Brawler the additional point will be used on this ability. |
Intelligence | 8 | Not an important stat for us |
Wisdom | 12 | We get 12, as this ensures a good chance of surviving Wisdom Saving Throws, against most of the spells. |
Charisma | 12 | As we have more free points, we can now enhance the Charisma, even if you are not the main character. Feel free to boost it further by subtracting points from Wisdom. |
Of course, if you do not wish to use these potions, then don't worry, use the ability allocation I suggested at the beginning of the post.
Level 3
This is an important level as you can choose the Fighter subclass. The build will be going with Eldritch Knight.
Overview | |
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Eldritch Knight | |
Features | |
Weapon Bond | Your weapon cannot be knocked out from the hand and returns when thrown. This further improves the array of weapons that you can use throughout the game as throwing ones. |
Cantrips
You can choose two options. Here are my suggestions:
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Friends | Very useful cantrip if you are the main character and want to have a higher chance of dialogue success. Be sure to not stay too long once you use it, as the targets may attack you once it wears off. |
Fire Bolt | Although you will not use this to deal damage it can be good to light some barrels or oils on fire to create explosions. |
Mage Hand | This can be helpful in world exploration and some encounters. It gives a free shove and can throw items. |
Light | This will most likely be taken by the cleric, but if not be sure to get it as it will be useful in Act 2. |
Spells
The build does not concentrate on offensive spellcasting, for this reason, we take more utility picks.
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Shield | This is one of the main reasons to take Eldritch Knight. By using the level 1 spell slot you can protect yourself with 5 point Armour Class increase for the remaining turn. A solid choice for higher survivability. |
Protection from Evil and Good | It is useful in some encounters, but not necessary in my opinion. It's great if you can cast it before the encounter, as otherwise, the Action point cost is too steep in my opinion. |
Expanded
This list of spells is from Wizards and can be used to get some neat spells. As I mentioned there is no point getting offensive ones with these builds, but something like Longstrider can be beneficial for the whole party.
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Longstrider | Provides longer movement distance and can be cast on all party members. Early in the game, this is beneficial when you do not have Misty Step. If another party member has this spell, take Enchance Leap or Feather Fall. |
Level 4
Level 4 brings the first feat. There are some options that you can pick so let me give recommendations
Spells and Replace Spell
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Magic Missile | The only worthwhile choice in my opinion as it can be used to "finish off" enemies. However, using Tavern Brawler will ensure that we have a very high hit chance, so this spell can be redundant. Nonetheless, we can use it as a replacement in the next levels. |
For replacement, you could change Protection from Evil and Good to a Ritual spell like:
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Feather Fall | Ensures that you can survive very high falls. Some exploration in Act 1 may require this so it is good to have. |
Feat
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Tavern Brawler | This Feat makes the build very powerful. With high strength, you will have extremely high chances to hit and even better damage from its bonus effect. Moreover, it gives +1 Strength if going without Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, otherwise, take +1 Constitution. |
Level 5
This is a huge milestone for the Fighter class
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Extra Attack | This allows attacking two times instead of one, theoretically doubling the build's damage output. |
The next improvement like this will happen at level 11.
Level 6
Additional spell replacement is unlocked with a new Feat selection.
Replace Spell
I would suggest you remove Magic Missile as it will probably be redundant. Of course, if you use it, feel free to keep it and skip this part.
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Enhance Leap | Make sure you have this ritual spell as it will help in exploration for you and your group members. |
Feats
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Dual Wielder | As we are starting to enter the mid to late game, some optimizations are available. For example, you can now have the Knife of the Undermountain King in the mainhand and the main weapon in the offhand. When dual-wielding and throwing a weapon it will return to offhand. This is a perfect offensive feat. If you want to use a shield, check the options below. |
Ability Improvement | If you are not using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, this is the perfect time to pick +2 Strength. |
Alert | This is a very solid option as you now have Extra Attack to deal substantial damage on the first turn. This should guarantee you go first most of the time. You can use this opportunity to remove a particular enemy that may cause problems once their turn starts. With this feat, you can also set your Dexterity to 14. |
Level 7
The Eldritch Knight unlocks bonus level 2 spell slots and a new subclass feature.
Feature | Description |
---|---|
War Magic | Sadly, we will not be using this ability much. Sacrificing action to cast a cantrip is worse compared to two attacks with a thrown weapon. |
Spells
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Arcane Lock | We continue taking spells that do not require Spell Save DC or attack rolls. This can be useful in some of the game encounters, especially in Act 3, where there are a lot of doors. You could leave some enemies stranded making fights very easy. |
For the second spell take anything, we will be replacing it later on.
Level 8
The build unlocks the next Feat and new spells from the Expanded spell list.
Expanded
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Mirror Image | A very powerful spell that can make you avoid three attacks by increasing your Armour Class. In case you need very high survivability just cast this on yourself. |
Replace Spell
As new spells are available I would recommend replacing the second spell you picked in level 7 with:
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Blur | Attack rolls on you have a disadvantage, again additional spells in the arsenal to ensure your very high survivability. |
Feats
Pick one feat, the next one will only be available at level 12.
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Dual Wielder | If you are interested in maximizing offensive capabilities take this and another weapon like the Knife of the Undermountain King in the main hand. If using the shield, take the option below. |
Alert | This is a very solid option as you now have Extra Attack to deal substantial damage on the first turn. This should guarantee you go first most of the time. You can use this opportunity to remove or damage particular enemies that may cause problems once their turn starts. With this feat, you can also set your Dexterity to 14 |
Level 9
Besides the boost in HP, a new class feature of fighter is unlocked:
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Indomitable | Greatly improves chances of succeeding in Saving Throws, minimizing the impact of crowd control actions. |
This can be useful for ensuring that spell concentration is not interrupted in case you get hit.
Replace Spell
One option that you could take to further improve offensive combat (but on a very small margin):
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Enlarge/Reduce | Improves your damage a little bit and gives an advantage on Streng checks and Saving Throws. It would be best to cast this before combat if possible. |
Level 10
This level unlocks another Eldritch Knight feature (which the build does not use, sadly) and other small things with minimal impact.
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Eldritch Strike | Weapon attack applies a disadvantage on the next spell cast. This has a great effect, however, for our build setup it does not bring any benefits. |
Cantrips
Nothing much of interest here just a few options in my opinion:
Cantrip | Description |
---|---|
Minor Illusion | Can be used to attract enemies to one place (before combat). This will be very useful once you get Nyrulna and use its area of effect thunder damage. |
Mage Hand | Another option if you have not taken this before. The hand can be a great tool for some throwing or puzzle solving. |
Spells and Replace Spell.
Generally no spells of interest here, just take one, and you will be replacing it in the next level. You can do a replacement here for something like Misty Step.
Level 11
This is big, very big. You gain a very important class feature from Fighter
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Improved Extra Attack | Now a third attack can be used, tripling your base damage. Especially in the late game, where you have multiple sources of additional damage, this will stack up for easy kills against most foes. |
Spells and Replace Spell
I would suggest taking any spell that you deem necessary. More or less we have covered all the corners. For example, you could do replacement and obtain Magic Weapon, but it will give a very slim improvement to overall combat prowess.
Level 12
The final level of Eldritch Knight Tavern Brawler build is here. There are a few alternatives here that I would like to cover. This allows optimization for a few different cases that arise as you use this build
Multiclass to War Domain Cleric
One option is that you can multiclass to another class, particularly War Domain Cleric. Probably, you have seen that on many occasions the Eldritch Knight has a free bonus action that is not utilized in any way. This is where War Priest comes in, allowing to use bonus action to make another attack.
Just take any spells or cantrips as I do not think they matter at this point in the game. The build is already set on being Thrower and casting would just waste three attacks.
Going for Eldritch Knight Level 12
This is another option, that is good especially if you are not using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength and Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength. This way you can get a fourth Feat. For this variation you now cover everything that is needed:
- Tavern Brawler - for throwing weapons
- Alert - for higher initiative
- Ability Improvement - +2 Strength
- Dual Wielder - wielding two weapons, and getting bonus offensive stats. Another option is Savage Attacker if using Shield.
Illithid Powers
This is a special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3, that allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers. These range from somewhat useful, to extremely deadly. I would like to leave a few recommendations:
Base Illithid Powers
Order | Illithid Power | Description |
---|---|---|
1 | Favourable Beginnings | Very useful power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits. |
2 | Luck of the Far Realms | Guarantees a critical hit, a very powerful action to have. |
3 | Concentrated Blast | Mainly need this one for progression. |
4 | Cull the Weak | It allows you to deal additional psychic damage around the target you kill. Moreover, it can provide an insta-kill if the enemy is very low on HP. |
Potions, Elixirs and Consumables
Let's take a look at what consumables we can use to further empower the build.
Potions
These are general consumables, and most of them are activated for a few turns. Potions are separate from Elixirs and can be active together.
Consumable | Description |
---|---|
Potion of Speed | In case you or your other casters have a Concentration spell slot taken and cannot cast Haste, use this potion. It acts similarly, but the effect is just for 3 turns. |
Potion of Animal Speaking | A good potion to drink for role-playing and additional dialogue options with animals. |
Potion of Invisibility | Can be used to get a perfect position before the encounter starts. |
Elixirs
Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.
Be sure to activate them before combat as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.
Consumable | Description |
---|---|
Elixir of Bloodlust | As you will be able to easily kill at least the weakest foe, this ensures additional attacks per turn. I would go with this option once you have 24 base strength, otherwise look at the options below. |
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength | Sets strength value to 21 until the Long Rest. With this option, you can easily gimp on strength in the early game. You can put those points in Dexterity or Strength. Here is a farming guide for Elixir of Hill Giant Strength |
Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength | An upgraded version that is available mostly in Act 3 via crafting or purchasing. Sets Strength to 27, the highest value possible. if using this one, you could set the strength to 8 via respec. However, I would still prioritize Elixir of Bloodlust late game. |
General Tips
Now I would like to cover some general tips on how to play Eldritch Knight Thrower build.
Using melee attacks
One thing that may blindside you is that you can only throw. Definitely, not as you are as effective in melee combat as in ranged throwing. Of course, the bonuses from Tavern Brawler are so ridiculous that even with penalties from close range it is still usually better to use Throw attacks.
But some weapons have amazing melee actions, that can knock back or debilitate enemies. So don't sleep on them if the opportunity arises and the enemy is close by.
Crushing Damage
The important aspect of any Thrower build is the type of damage these weapons can deal. I would like to draw your attention to the crushing damage that is possible when something drops from very high heights.
Why is this special? It pushes the enemy forward and can sometimes make them fall down the ledges. For this reason, always look for upper ground in combat to activate this bonus.
Multiple respecs
The Eldritch Knight can be respecced multiple times throughout your playthrough, depending on the itemization. For example Act 1:
- Elixir of Hill Giant Strength - makes you not need strength investment, and get higher Constitution or Dexterity for better combat.
As you progress you will also get other items in Act 3:
- Amulet of Greater Health - maximizes Constitution to 23, allowing to skip any investment into this ability.
So as you can see, based on the gear you equip you can then put ability points elsewhere. I would keep this priority:
- Strength
- Dexterity
- Constitution
- Wisdom
- Charisma
- Intelligence
This way you will know where to best allocate points while wearing or using one of the listed items. However, for the late game, I think it's best to minimize the use of these items, as you can get other options that directly improve your damage.
Dual Wield vs. Shield
One option that I suggest through leveling progression is going with a Shield and that is a valid question. Overall, both of them are good options. Going with the shield and getting +2-3 to Armour Class is substantial for survivability.
However, as you are a ranged build and have a ton of survivability options - Mirror Image, Blur, Shield, etc. I see more merit going with Dual-Wielding and equipping Knife of the Undermountain King for a higher critical hit range.
Bonus Ability points through Playthrough
During your playthrough you will have two major points in the game, where you can increase the ability points in this case - Strength:
- Act 1 - Auntie Ethel, by sparing her life and getting her hair. This can be used to increase Strength by 1. This is the reason why we leave it at 17 so that in Act 1 we could have it at 18 (or 20 with Ability Improvement Feat)
- Potion of Everlasting Vigour - obtained in Act 2, in Moonrise towers, after offering Astarion's blood to the researcher. This gives +2 Strength. However, it will hurt your relations with Astarion, so avoid this choice if you care about him.
- Mirror of Loss. This also provides bonus ability points based on your decisions. It gives +2 to Strength.
With all of these in Act 3, you will reach 24, the maximum value of Strength, gaining a +7 Proficiency bonus to many of the rolls. This almost negates any need to use Elixir of Hill Giant Strength or Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength if you are against them and dedicate an Elixir slot for Elixir of Bloodlust.
Have an ally with Phalar Aluve equipped
With this sword equipped on an ally, additional damage rider can be activated using Phalar Aluve: Shriek. This decreases enemy Saving Throw rolls of Charisma, Intelligence, and Wisdom. But more importantly, each hit that you or your ally does adds a bonus 1d4 Thunder damage. So multiple attacks that you do, will stack up quite neatly against enemies.
Equipment Recommendations
Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Eldritch Knight Thrower build effectiveness. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.
Act 1
The early game can be hard, as you do not know where to find items. I would like to point out that you will be using only one weapon in this act, and it is two-handed. You will also get Knife of the Undermountain King, but it will be used later in Act 2.
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (One - Handed) | Knife of the Undermountain King | We are getting this item, to save it for Act 2, once we get access to one-handed thrown weapons. Act 1, does not have one besides Shining Staver-of-Skulls, which bonus damage does not work when thrown. |
Melee (Two-Handed) | Returning Pike | The only weapon you will need in Act 1. Although it may be boring, it will do some great damage and make encounters very easy. |
Ranged | Bow of Awareness | The higher initiative bonus will allow you to start your turn earlier. |
Hand Crossbow +1 | Equipping two of these will allow you to attack with off-hand. This is important as you may not have use for Bonus Action. However, for dedicated ranged weapons check the options above. | |
Shield | Adamantine Shield | It provides a substantial defensive boost by reducing critical hit damage. I recommend at least picking this up as it may be useful in Act 2. |
Head | Grymskull Helm | Gives resistance to critical hits and allows the use of Hunter's Mark, for additional single-target damage. Perfect choice to utilize the bonus action. |
Haste Helm | Provides increased speed at the start of the combat. Use it to get a better vantage point for your thrown attacks. | |
Cloak | The Deathstalker Mantle | The only option in Act 1 that is okay, is by providing once-per-turn invisibility. |
Armor | Adamantine Scale Mail | Very powerful armor in Act 1, that is perfect for frontliner and if you have 12 Dexterity or lower. |
Adamantine Splint Armour | Another powerful armour from Grymforge, that is best worn with 14 Dexterity, to get Bonus Armour Class, making it equal to Heavy Armour. | |
Githyanki Half Plate | This can be equipped when starting the game by taking it from Lae'zel. It's a very solid option with a high Armour Class. | |
Gloves | Gloves of Uninhibited Kushigo | Very powerful gloves that ensure you deal bonus damage. They will lead you through most of the playthrough. |
Boots | Disintegrating Night Walkers | Avoids slipping on various terrains and most importantly unlocks Misty Step each short rest. |
Boots of Genial Striding | No impact when moving on difficult terrain, this allows you to position yourself for perfect shots. | |
Amulet | Amulet of Misty Step | Does not require you to use Spell Slot to cast Misty Step, to either get away or reserve a better throwing position. |
Broodmother's Revenge | I keep this amulet as a recommendation, but the reality is that it does not work with throwing. I assume this is a bug so I keep it for now. | |
Rings | Ring of Flinging | The best ring for Act 1, and it will be used up until Act 3. |
Caustic Band | Provides 2 damage increase on each weapon hit, making it a good choice in Act 1. It is very expensive, so be sure to pickpocket some traders. | |
Ring of Protection | Gives defensive bonuses to Armour Class and Saving Throws. |
Act 2 - mid-game
This is the mid-game, where most of the areas will be covered by dark. Radiant equipment will shine here and having Darkvision is recommended. You also can get some great items, albeit some will stay the same from Act 1.
The most prominent weapons in this act are Shar's Spear of Evening and Selûne's Spear of Night. However, you will be able to get only one of them based on one of the major decisions.
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (One - Handed) | Shar's Spear of Evening | One of the best weapons in the game. You will get it late in Act 2, but it can be a solid choice until you get the endgame weapons or Nyrulna. It is an alternative version of Selûne's Spear of Night |
Selûne's Spear of Night | Very powerful option as it can buff allies with 1d4 damage, and create difficult terrain. It is an alternative version to Shar's Spear of Evening. | |
Lightning Jabber | Use Weapon Bond to bind this weapon and return it to you when thrown. It is an upgrade to Returning Pike, even if wearing a shield. You will use it until you can get the above spears. | |
Melee (Two-Handed) | Returning Pike | This item should be used until you get Lightning Jabber. Then also start using a shield. |
Ranged | Bow of Awareness | The higher initiative bonus will allow you to start your turn earlier. Still a solid option in Act 2. |
Darkfire Shortbow | Although not mandatory, this bow is useful as it can apply Haste without spell slots. As Eldritch Knight, you should only do this before combat as otherwise, you waste 2 attacks. | |
Shield | Sentinel Shield | The shield provides a bonus initiative that is good for starting the turns earlier. |
Adamantine Shield | The shield is still relevant especially as it gives resistance to Critical hits. | |
Head | Dark Justiciar Helmet | It increases the critical chance by 5%, and it only requires you to be obscured. Moreover, gives some resistance against spells by providing bonus Saving Throws. |
Covert Cowl | Provides bonus critical chance while obscured. The first helmet in the game that will offer this bonus. | |
Cloak | Cloak of Protection | Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. |
Armor | Yuan-ti Scale Mail | This armor is strange and very useful for the build. With it, you are not limited to a +2 Armour Class bonus from Dexterity. So while using it, I recommend respeccing, so that you would have 16 Dexterity. You can lower Constitution to 14 for this if you do not use Elixir of Hill Giant Strength. Another benefit is its initiative bonus, allowing you to go earlier in combat. It is useful at least until you get Alert feat. |
Adamantine Splint Armour | The armor is still potent in Act 2, but be on the lookout for others with 19 Armour Class like Splint Armour +2. | |
Adamantine Scale Mail | Still plays a good role in Act 2, as its 16 Armour Class is plenty, especially if you have at least 14 Dexterity. | |
Gloves | Gloves of Uninhibited Kushigo | Still the best option until later in Act 3. |
Dark Justiciar Gauntlets | Both gloves are a good choice, they give additional necrotic damage rider. | |
Dark Justiciar Gauntlets | ||
Flawed Helldusk Gloves | Adds bonus fire damage rider. | |
Boots | Evasive Shoes | Bonus armor class for higher survivability. |
Disintegrating Night Walkers | The boots are still a good option in Act 2. | |
Amulet | Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet | The only amulet that can indirectly help Eldritch Knight Thrower. |
Amulet of the Harpers | Alternative to the amulet above if taken by another member. Gives bonus survivability and allows casting Shield with reaction. | |
Rings | Ring of Flinging | This ring still rocks and should be always equipped. |
Killer's Sweetheart | Allows dealing guaranteed critical hit per long rest. After this, you can just unequip it. Moreover, it can change an attack that misses and turns it into critical. | |
Risky Ring | Provides an Advantage on attack rolls. This is a mandatory ring as it will both guarantee more hits and a higher chance of critical hits. | |
Caustic Band | 2 Acid damage on any kind of attack. With multiple attacks you do the bonus is substantial. | |
Callous Glow Ring | Easily get bonus damage if creatures are illuminated, this can be done by casting Light on yourself by an ally. |
Act 3 - Final Build setup
This is the last act of the game, where you will get access to the most powerful items. Getting them as early as possible will need some planning, but overall, it should not be a problem.
Act 3 gives so many different items, that the build can be changed multiple times as you explore it. For example:
- Going with Thrown weapon and Shield
- Thrown weapon and Dual Wielder a shortsword or dagger for various bonuses
- Using a Thrown weapon, equipping Bhaalist Armour, and going in melee range for double-throw damage.
Each of these provides different options based on your risk appetite and expected damage output. Of course, the silliest and the strongest is the last one:
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (One - Handed) | Shar's Spear of Evening (BiS) |
Alternative to Nyrulna if you want to avoid the area of effect thunder damage. As I mentioned before you can get either this version or Selûne's Spear of Night. |
Nyrulna | Although this would technically be a weapon used for Throwing builds, it is perfect as a melee choice. You can still throw it for AOE lightning damage as Extra Attack still works. It is also ridiculously powerful if you equip Bhaalist Armour for constant vulnerability. | |
Dwarven Thrower | The best option if you are a dwarf. The bonus damage does wonders and its base damage is also the highest out of the ones listed here. | |
Rhapsody (BiS) |
Amazing weapon that improves your damage and attack rolls for each enemy killed. The maximum bonus is +3 on each attack that you do. The best option when dual-wielding in my opinion. | |
Blade of the First Blood | This weapon enables double damage with its special effect. However, this requires you to hit an enemy with it. Then you are required to use melee throws. This is not a big problem even with the attack roll penalty as you have huge bonuses from Tavern Brawler. However, this melee approach could be not for everyone. It is an alternative to Bhaalist Armour | |
Knife of the Undermountain King | The perfect weapon for dual wielding provides some damage optimization and increases critical chance range. Not as good as the above choices, but perfect for early Act 3. | |
Selûne's Spear of Night | Alternative to Nyrulna if you want to avoid the area of effect thunder damage. As I mentioned before you can get either this version or Shar's Spear of Evening. | |
Melee (Two-Handed) | - | Going two-handed is not worth it. Sadly you gain on average just a bonus of 1 damage (1d6 vs 1d8 or 1d8 vs 1d10), which is negligible. However, if you wear a shield or second weapon the bonuses are much better. |
Ranged | The Dead Shot (BiS) |
The best bow if you want to squeeze a little bit more damage. |
Hellrider Longbow | Higher initiative bonus compared to Bow of Awareness. | |
Shield | Viconia's Walking Fortress (BiS) |
The strongest shield in the game. Has a special shield bash reaction that deals force damage. Moreover, gives good resistance to spells. |
Swires' Sledboard | Provides Force Conduit each turn, decreasing the damage that the wielder receives. | |
Head | Sarevok's Horned Helmet (BiS) |
It's the only helmet in Act 3 that provides a bonus critical chance. |
Cloak | Shade-Slayer Cloak | If attacking from stealth (which is possible with a ranged build) increases the critical chance. However, thrown weapons sometimes do not return after a stealth attack, so it's risky (until Larian patches this) |
Cloak of Displacement (BiS) |
Improves the chances of attacks missing the wearer until getting hit for that turn. | |
Armor | Bhaalist Armour | If you are into min-maxing, this is the best armor. It grants Aura Of Murder doubling piercing damage. However, as a ranged build, this would require you to be in close range for the effect to happen. I would recommend using this armor on another party member with melee capabilities so that you would not need to go into close range. |
Helldusk Armour | This armor has the highest armor class in the game. Moreover, it grants flying and burns enemies in flames when they attack you. | |
Armour of Agility | The armor does not limit the Dexterity bonus to AC. So you can again make sure via respec that it is 16, to get +3 to AC. | |
Armour of Persistence | A solid defensive choice, that comes with damage reduction cantrip effects. | |
Gloves | Helldusk Gloves (BiS) |
Gives a solid bonus of 1d6 fire damage on hit, and provides a fire spell with Strength as a casting ability! |
Legacy of the Masters | + 2 bonuses to damage and attack rolls. This is perfect for increased damage and a higher chance of hit, especially at close range if you have Bhaalist Armour equipped. | |
Martial Exertion Gloves | As the build can effectively stay in long range, you can utilize these gloves to get an additional attack each short rest, and taking a bit of damage. | |
Boots | Helldusk Boots (BiS) |
Allows avoiding failed Saving Throws, and uses reaction to change the outcome. Moreover, it provides bonus actions for mobility and damage. |
Boots of Persistence | Gives a huge boost to mobility and avoids difficult terrain. | |
Amulet | Amulet of Greater Health (BiS) |
Makes any Constitution ability investment redundant as it maximizes it to 23 points. However, this means that you also sacrifice an amulet slot for something that could be more offensive. |
Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet | Still a good choice if you find it useful. | |
Rings | Ring of Flinging (BiS) |
The 1d4 bonus damage is a solid option till the end of the game. |
Caustic Band (BiS) |
2 Acid damage on any kind of attack. With multiple attacks you do the bonus is substantial. | |
Risky Ring | Provides an Advantage on attack rolls. It somewhat loses its value as you can increase strength to 27 via Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength. However, it gives a huge boost to critical chance, so feel free to equip it if no group member benefits. |
Conclusion
Thank you for reading the Eldritch Knight Thrower build for Baldur's Gate 3. I hope you enjoyed reading this unorthodox build that utilizes the Eldritch Knight strength for unparalleled survivability and deals enormous throwing damage with Tavern Brawler feat.
The build should also cover all the needs for progression both in terms of leveling and gear, so that you would be very effective throughout the game.
Cheers!
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