How Baldur’s Gate 3’s Funniest Build Archetype Lives On in D&D 2024

With the release of the updated 2024 Player’s Handbook, many players are likely to soon test out builds developed in Baldur’s Gate 3 within the tabletop format. The landmark success of the Larian Studios game can in part be attributed to the level of freedom offered by its many build options, and several of them stand out as unconventional in the ways they take advantage of BG3‘s different ruleset. One of these is a build centered around thrown weapons facilitated by the Tavern Brawler Feat, which has never been as viable in Dungeons and Dragons, but could find new life following key rule changes in the Dungeons and Dragons 2024 Player’s Handbook update.

Hurling various objects and even other characters is an enjoyable and effective playstyle in Baldur’s Gate 3, acting as one of the game’s more humorous uses of its open-ended rules. Now that DnD‘s update introduces a new system that benefits these kinds of alternative builds on top of other rule changes, it could be more viable than ever to commit to throwing weapons instead of wielding them traditionally as a martial class.

How Dungeons and Dragons’ 2024 Update Benefits Thrown Weapons

Synergy Between Fighting Styles and Tavern Brawler

The Thrown Weapon Fighting Style offers a modified effect which benefits Extra Attack using throwing weapons with the Light property, making the added damage from the player’s Ability modifier more consistent. This pairs well with the updated Tavern Brawler Feat that matches Baldur’s Gate 3‘s implementation more closely, benefiting unarmed strikes now in a way which can affect thrown weapon attacks if they are ruled to fall under improvised weapons.

The Introduction of Weapon Mastery

Unique properties can be added to weapons using Dungeons and Dragons‘ Weapon Mastery class feature, including those that can be thrown. This makes it a versatile way to potentially augment these options, with examples like the Push Mastery Property possibly being able to space out enemies by creating even more space after a thrown weapon attack or Nick being able to consolidate dual-wielding attacks into one Action.

Building a Throwing Character in Dungeons and Dragons 2024 is Closer to Baldur’s Gate 3’s Approach

Embracing the Chaotic Benefits of Multiclassing

The most effective way to replicate the diverse nature of Baldur’s Gate 3‘s thrown weapon builds in DnD is to multiclass for stacked features. Combining Fighter and Barbarian while building for high Strength along with Weapon Mastery can lead to reliable damage or other effects from throwing. When paired with the versatility of the Fighter’s Extra Attack, even options like Rogue can make for a blend of stealth and range through thrown weapon attacks. With a stack of bonuses applied, even a simple dagger wielded at early to mid-level, when thrown, can take its initial 1d4 damage up to around 11 points on average. When this kind of build gets its hands on Light weapons with higher damage rolls along with Extra Attack, the output per turn can become considerable for a ranged martial character.

Game Master Rulings Can Make or Break Throwing Builds

If allowed, Tavern Brawler can offer a considerable increase in damage output for Strength-based throwing characters. Depending on how the rules are interpreted, there’s even the potential for added subclasses like the Path of the Giant of 2023’s Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants to throw massive objects for significant damage in the right context. The limit in Baldur’s Gate 3 comes from how many improvised weapons the player can find to throw successively, but in the more open format of tabletop after the 2024 update, there’s no telling how sustainable a thrown weapon build can be made.