How to dual-wield crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3’s fleshed-out DnD experience will let you do almost anything in the game. From stealing, killing, and romancing all of your companions to raising the dead, the RPG gives you plenty of freedom to explore the Forgotten Realm at your own pace. There are a variety of weapons that you will come across, and it’s not all that surprising why players are curious about some features when it comes to pairing them.

One of the more popular questions amongst community members is if Baldur’s Gate 3 will allow them to dual-wield crossbows. Pairing two ranged weapons together is a rather fun concept, and it’s a build that many might want to invest in.

---

Can you dual-wield crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Considering that the typical crossbows in the game are two-handed weapons, you will not be able to dual-wield them. However, the smaller version, which is the hand crossbow, is the ranged weapon that you can dual-wield in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Once you have two crossbows in your inventory, you can drag them to the two empty weapon slots and then they will be automatically equipped to your character. It’s one of the best options for those classes who do not have reliable long-range combat skills at their disposal.

---

Why should you dual-wield hand crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Dual-wielding crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3 are a lot like dual-wielding melee weapons, in the sense that if you opt for a ranged attack and it misses, you will be able to invest in a backup attack which can be taken with a bonus action.

Additionally, unlike dual-wielding melee weapons, hand crossbows do not have damage reduction for using the off-hand crossbow. It means that the bow from the off-hand will hit 100% of its damage number.

Hence, depending on the hand crossbow that you have and the build that you are going for, these bows will give you more damage than the heavy crossbows on a single turn.

Moreover, there is no accuracy penalty as well for the off-hand bow, and irrespective of the encounter you are in, the weapon’s hit will function as a second attack.

---

Which classes are best for dual-wielding hand crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Hand crossbows scale with Dexterity. Hence, one of the best classes to utilize these in the RPG will be the Rogue. It will allow them to have an incredible amount of damage output from afar, especially if they are not able to close the distance on the enemy.

Alternatively, Monks can also be another class that can utilize a dual-wield hand crossbow build rather well. Monks don’t exactly have good ranged options to invest in during an encounter, forcing them to waste turns in closing the gap on the enemy.

As they have proficiency in the crossbow weapon type, you will be able to equip your Monk with them to give access to more tools on the battlefield.

---

What are the disadvantages of using hand crossbows in Baldur’s Gate 3?

There are not exactly any evident disadvantages to dual-wielding hand crossbows in the game. However, it’s important to note here that this weapon type is incredibly rare to find in the Forgotten Realm.

While the typical and heavier crossbows and bows are something you will find a lot of, hand crossbows are very rare. If you are lucky, you will get them early on in your exploration, otherwise, you might have to invest hours before you can find two of them.