Archer is a Ranger kit. Archers have full access to all five proficiency levels of any bow type but can only have one proficiency point in any melee weapon. This includes weapons such as daggers which can be used as ranged or melee weapons. Archers can have two proficiency points in other ranged weapons like slings. Unlike other Rangers they are limited to leather and studded leather armor and have no Charm Animal ability.
Only humans, elves and half-elves can become archers. Archers have three prime requisites: Strength, Dexterity and Wisdom. They can dual-class with clerics, though such combination has fewer benefits than the vanilla Cleric / Ranger. A Cleric/Archer is restricted to slings as a ranged weapon and thus loses the main benefits of the Archer kit.
If the player character is an archer and commits a murder, for example, they will become a Fallen Ranger, which is a ranger without the special abilities and they will lose a lot experience points. Only in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition at the end of Ranger - Protector of the Umar Hills, they can become normal archers once more.
Character abilities table
| Character ability | Min. number. | Max. number |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 13* | 18 |
| Dexterity | 13* | 18 |
| Constitution | 14 | 18 |
| Intelligence | 3 | 18 |
| Wisdom | 14* | 18 |
| Charisma | 3 |
18 |
- Prime Requisites for Dual-Classing. Humans require a minimum of 15 strength and dexterity and a 17 in wisdom in order to dual class to a cleric.
Notes:
- The primary abilities table is based on the human class, because humans don't have any bonuses to primary abilities compared to the other races and acts as a 'neutral'.
Special abilities of the archer
Stealth
Rangers can hide in shadows if they wear leather armor, studded leather armor or no armor. Every ranger starts with 15% (not confirmed) modified by racial and dexterity bonuses at level 1 to successfully hides in shadows. Attempting to hide in shadows during the day or while not in shadows incurs a penalty to the hide check. Melee attacks receive a +4 to-hit bonus if performed while hidden.
Ranged Bonuses
Every three levels Archers receive a 1 point increase to hit and damage with any missile weapon(applies to all missile weapons, including thrown weapons). +11 to-hit and damage at max level.
Called Shot
Every four levels they gain the ability to use Called Shot once per day. Called Shot lasts for ten seconds and gives the following bonuses based on level.
- Level 4: Damages the THACO of the target by 1 point.
- Level 8: Damages targets ability to save vs spells by 1 point.
- Level 12: Damages the target's strength by 1 point.
- Level 16: +2 bonus to the Archer's damage.
Racial enemy
Archers tend to focus on a particular animal, having a +4 attack roll versus the racial enemy. Some of these are not available in original Baldur's Gate or Tales of the Sword Coast and were added when Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bhaal were released. Several low level groups are only available in the first Baldur's Gate games. When importing a character from BG1 into BG2, you can choose a new racial enemy when you start a new game. The player chooses one of the types of creatures listed below:
- Beholders
- Carrion Crawlers
- Demonic/Fell creatures
- Dragons
- Elementals
- Ettercaps
- Faeries
- Genies
- Ghouls
- Gibberling
- Golems
- Gnolls
- Hobgoblins
- Imps
- Kobolds
- Kuo-Toa
- Lich
- Lycanthropes
- Mephits
- Ogres
- Otyugh
- Rakshasa
- Sahuagin
- Shadows
- Skeletons
- Slimes
- Spiders
- Trolls
- Umber Hulks
- Vampires
Priest Spellbook
At level 8, the priest spellbook unlocks for archers. They can use the following spells from that moment. The spells the archers are able to use are the same as druids. They can learn up to level 3 spells. Their number of spells is determined by their level and is not affected by Wisdom.
Level 1 spells.
Level 2 spells.
Level 3 spells.
Experience table
| Level | XP
Required |
THAC0 | Saving ThrowsD/W/P/B/S | Weapon Proficiency | Attack per Round | HLA | Stealth Bonus**
MS/HiS |
Hit Dice (d10) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 20 | 14/16/15/17/17 |
4 (+2)* |
1 | 25/20 | 1 | |
| 2 | 2,250 | 19 | 14/16/15/17/17 | 1 | 31/26 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 4,500 | 18 | 13/15/14/16/16 | 5 | 1 | 37/32 | 3 | |
| 4 | 9,000 | 17 | 13/15/14/16/16 | 1 | 43/38 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 18,000 | 16 | 11/13/12/13/14 | 1 | 50/45 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 36,000 | 15 | 11/13/12/13/14 | 6 | 1 | 57/52 | 6 | |
| 7 | 75,000 | 14 | 10/12/11/12/13 | 1.5 | 65/60 | 7 | ||
| 8 | 150,000 | 13 | 10/12/11/12/13 | 1.5 | 72/67 | 8 | ||
| 9 | 300,000 | 12 | 8/10/9/9/11 | 7 | 1.5 | 80/75 | 9 | |
| 10 | 600,000 | 11 | 8/10/9/9/11 | 1.5 | 88/83 | 9+3 | ||
| 11 | 900,000 | 10 | 7/9/8/8/10 | 1.5 | 96/91 | 9+6 | ||
| 12 | 1,200,000 | 9 | 7/9/8/8/10 | 8 | 1.5 | 104/99 | 9+9 | |
| 13 | 1,500,000 | 8 | 5/7/6/5/8 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+12 | ||
| 14 | 1,800,000 | 7 | 5/7/6/5/8 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+15 | ||
| 15 | 2,100,000 | 6 | 4/6/5/4/7 | 9 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+18 | |
| 16 | 2,400,000 | 5 | 4/6/5/4/7 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+21 | ||
| 17 | 2,700,000 | 4 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+24 | ||
| 18 | 3,000,000 | 3 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 109/104 | 9+27 |
| 19 | 3,300,000 | 2 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 2 | 109/104 | 9+30 | |
| 20 | 3,600,000 | 1 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 3 | 109/104 | 9+33 | |
| 21 | 3,900,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 109/104 | 9+36 |
| 22 | 4,200,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 5 | 109/104 | 9+39 | |
| 23 | 4,500,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 6 | 109/104 | 9+42 | |
| 24 | 4,800,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 109/104 | 9+45 |
| 25 | 5,100,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 8 | 109/104 | 9+48 | |
| 26 | 5,400,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 9 | 109/104 | 9+51 | |
| 27 | 5,700,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 109/104 | 9+54 |
| 28 | 6,000,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 11 | 109/104 | 9+57 | |
| 29 | 6,300,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 12 | 109/104 | 9+60 | |
| 30 | 6,600,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 109/104 | 9+63 |
| 31 | 6,900,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 14 | 109/104 | 9+66 | |
| 32 | 7,200,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 15 | 109/104 | 9+69 | |
| 33 | 7,500,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 109/104 | 9+72 |
| 34 | 7,800,000 | 0 | 3/5/4/4/6 | 2 | 17 | 109/104 | 9+75 |