Weapons in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire build on the mechanics introduced in Pillars of Eternity, introducing a number of wrinkles to the formula. As usual, weapons are your primary method of aggressively negotiating with other denizens of the Archipelago (the other being your sharp wit), but added modal abilities to each weapon type allow you to further refine your playstyle. These are granted by weapon proficiencies chosen at level-up or character creation. Note that there is no penalty for using a weapon your character is not proficient in. You only won't have access to that weapon's modal ability.
Of course, each weapon (and shield, since they're coded as off-hand weapons) also has its own, unique tactical niche: Daggers deal low damage, but attack fast, pikes are slow, but have increased reach... Picking the right tool for the job is a large part of defeating enemies you come across in your journeys. As before, there are no class or race restrictions on weapons use.
One major difference as compared to Pillars of Eternity is the introduction of Penetration as a counter to armor value in combat.
Ranged weapon types
Bows and crossbows
Bows and crossbows have the largest attack range among all the ranged weapons in the game. Bows are the fastest to use. Crossbows are slower to reload/fire than hunting bows or war bows but they do more damage. The more powerful Arbalests can't be cocked by hand and need to be planted and cranked, and thus are slower to reload than crossbows, but still faster than Firearms.
Implements | Base Damage | Damage Type | Penetration | Range | Attack Time | Recovery Time | Additional Effects | Modal ability | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hunting bows | 14-24 | Pierce | 6 | 12m | 0.9 s | 4 s | Accurate: +5 Accuracy
Unfit for Melee: -10 Deflection against melee weapons |
Rapid Shot | -15 Accuracy with Hunting Bow weapons -50% Recovery Time with Hunting Bow weapons |
War bows | 13-19 | Pierce | 8 | 12m | 1.1 s | 4 s | Unfit for Melee: -10 Deflection against melee weapons | Overdraw | +2 Penetration with War Bow weapons +50% Recovery Time with War Bow weapons |
Crossbows | 15-20 | Pierce | 9 | 12m | 0.7 s | 5 s | Bonus Crit Chance: 10% of Hits converted to Crits
Unfit for Melee: -10 Deflection against melee weapons |
Interrupting Shot | Hits Interrupt targets -25% Action Speed with Crossbow weapons |
Arbalests | 17-25 | Pierce | 9 | 12m | 0.7 s | 6 s | Blunted Criticals: -25% Crit damage
Unfit for Melee: -10 Deflection against melee weapons |
Overbearing Shot | Hits knock the target prone -25% Action Speed with Arbalest weapons |
Firearms
Firearms are very slow to reload, taking longer to reload than any other weapons and aren't very accurate, but they make up for it by dealing high damage and their unique advantage in dealing with Wizards standard magical defense with their Veil Piercing effect.
The biggest change to firearms in Deadfire is that Pistols and Blunderbusses are now 1-handed weapons. Dual wielding pistols and blunderbusses reduces their loading time, just as with melee weapons, though firing a brace and switching to another set is still often faster. Dual wielding a ranged weapon with a melee weapon will have the character only shoot by default against targets outside of melee range, but use the melee weapon exclusively against targets in melee. This gives both weapons the recovery time reduction from dual wielding and frees the need to swap weapons, but you lose the ability to use a shield and the accuracy bonus you would have normally gained if you were wielding each weapon by itself.
Implements | Base Damage | Damage Type | Penetration | Range | Attack Time | Recovery Time | Additional Effects | Modal ability | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blunderbusses | 3-6 (4 projectiles) | Pierce | 6 | 4m | 1.1 s | 5 s | Inaccurate: -10 Ranged Accuracy with Blunderbuss attacks Blunted Criticals: -25% Crit damage Multi-Shot |
Powder Burns | Self when attacking: Distracted for 10.0 sec AoE when attacking: 8-12 | Accuracy vs. Reflex |
Pistols | 15-19 | Pierce | 7 | 8 | 1.1 s | 5 s | Blunted Criticals: -25% Crit damage | Rushed Reload | -50% Reload Time with the Pistol weapons -15 Ranged Accuracy with Pistol weapons |
Arquebuses | 20-26 | Pierce | 9 | 12m | 0.7s | 6.8 s | Inaccurate: -5 Ranged Accuracy with Arquebus attacks Blunted Criticals: -25% Crit damage Unfit for Melee: -10 Deflection against melee weapons |
Aimed Shot | +20 Accuracy with Arquebus weapons -25% Action Speed with Arquebus weapons |
Magical implements
Magical Implements are ranged magical missile weapons, that are quite fast and accurate, but not very powerful.
In Deadfire, Wands and Scepters are now 1-handed weapons, and can be dual wielded with 1-handed melee weapons. This give both weapons the Recovery Speed bonus for dual-wielding, but they lose the accuracy bonus of wielding a single one-handed weapon.
Implements | Base Damage | Damage Type | Penetration | Range | Attack Time | Recovery Time | Other | Modal ability | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wands | 8-14 | Pierce | 7 | 8m | 0.7sec | 3 sec | Unfit for Melee: -5 Deflection against melee weapons | Interfering Barrage | |
Scepters | 9-13 | Crush/Slash (Best) | 8 | 8m | 0.7sec | 4 sec | Destructive Channeling | ||
Rods | 15-24 | Pierce/Slash (Best) | 6 | 8m | 1.1 sec | 4 sec | 1.5m area of effect | Blast | Attacks deal AoE damage, +50% Recovery time |
Melee
Different melee weapons will have different attack speeds, but for most weapons will be categorized by their relative handedness and speed (Fast One-Handed, Large One-Handed, and Two-Handed). Fast one-handed weapons attack more frequently than large one-handed weapons. Two-handed Weapons are almost universally hard-hitting weapons, that can deal more damage per-hit than their one-handed counterparts, but you cannot use a shield with them or use a second weapon.
Fast one-handed weapons are particularly effective against enemies with low damage reduction and two-handed weapons are particularly effective against enemies with high damage reduction.
One-handed
Implements | Base Damage | Damage Type | Penetration | Attack Time | Recovery Time | Additional Effects | Modal ability | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daggers | 10-14 | Pierce | 7 | 0.5 s | 3 s | Accurate: +5 Accuracy | Parrying Blade | +10 Deflection against Melee weapons; -25% Damage. |
Battle axes | 13-19 | Slash | 7 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Bonus Crit Damage: +20% Crit damage | Bleeding Cut | 10% of damage reapplied per 3.0 sec for 60 sec;
+50% recovery time. |
Clubs | 10-14 | Crush | 7 | 0.5 s | 3 s | Accurate: +5 Accuracy | Bewildering Blows | -25 Will on target for 10 sec, -25% damage |
Flails | 10-14 | Crush | 7 | 0.5 s | 3 s | Arcing Blows: 10% of Grazes converted to Hits | Unbalancing Blows | deal less damage, but lower Reflex on hit |
Hatchets | 10-14 | Slash | 7 | 0.5 s | 3 s | Deflector: +3 Deflection against melee weapons | Interfering Strikes | -10 accuracy on target for 10 sec; -25% damage. |
Maces | 11-15 | Crush | 9 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Rending Smash | -1 Armor on target for 10 sec, +50% Recovery time | |
Rapiers | 10-14 | Pierce | 7 | 0.5 s | 3 s | Accurate: +5 Accuracy | Needle Strike | +20 accuracy;
50% recovery time. |
Sabres | 13-16 | Slash | 7 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Sharp: +10% damage with Sabre attacks | Windmill Slash | +2 Penetration;
+50% Recovery time. |
Spears | 13-19 | Pierce | 7 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Accurate: +5 Accuracy | Engaging Thrust | +1 enemies Engaged;
-15% Stride. |
Stilettos | 8-12 | Pierce | 9 | 0.5 s | 3 s | Piercing Thrust | +2 Penetration;
+50% Recovery time. | |
Swords | 13-19 | Pierce/Slash (Best) | 6 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Half-Sword | +2 Penetration;
-15 Deflection | |
War hammers | 11-15 | Crush/Pierce
(Best) |
8 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Piercing Blows |
Shields
Two-handed
Implements | Base Damage | Damage Type | Penetration | Attack Time | Recovery Time | Additional Effects | Modal ability | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Estocs | 14-22 | Pierce | 9 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Vulnerable Thrust | ||
Great swords | 18-24 | Pierce/Slash (Best) | 6 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Rending Smash | ||
Morning stars | 14-22 | Crush/Pierce
(Best) |
8 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Body Blows | -25 Fortitude on target for 10 sec, -25% Damage | |
Pikes | 18-24 | Pierce | 7 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Increased Reach: 1.8 m range | Exposing Strikes | -10 deflection on target for 10s, -25% damage |
Pollaxes | 14-22 | Crush/Slash (Best) | 9 | 0.7 s | 4 s | Engaging Threat | +1 enemies Engaged, -25% damage | |
Quarterstaffs | 18-24 | Crush | 7 | 0.5 s | 4 s | Increased Reach: 1.8 m range | Defensive Strike | +20 Deflection against melee weapons, +50% Recovery time |