Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General When did Paladins start using missile weapons?

I don't remember personally when this happand. This is basically just a post asking a simple question just for my own personal curiosity. Lol. I remember way back in 1st edition the rules said that paladins could NOT use missile weapons. They basically said "A paladin is an up-front, in your face, melee only, I challenge you to a one on one personal and fair fight" character. That's what I got from the way they worded it anyway. Lol. I wish I had a 1st edition book to go back and look as well as a 2nd and 3rd edition also so I could see when it changed. Now in 5th edition BG3 they start with 2 javelins and that really conffused me until I realised, the more and more I play, that 5th edition is very very different. Anyway, can someone tell me when paladins started being allowed to use missile weapons? No reason other than curiosity

As far as I'm aware, no class has been locked on being able to use ranged or melee weapons exclusively since 2e - they weren't in 3e, at least.

3e iirc, Paladins gain proficiency with all simple and martial weapons, both melee and ranged.

EDIT: So i did just have a little look at the AD&D players handbook and if I'm reading this right then technically paladins have been able to have ranged weapons from 2e, because the way 2e handles weapon proficiency is to give players "proficiency slots" that they can assign to individual weapons, skills, and things like crafting (You can gain proficiency in pottery using 1 slot) and there don't appear to be any restrictions. But paladin, as a warrior, is usually better at melee, and can get multiple melee attacks per round, so it's about balancing your character between what works and what you want.

Paladins have never been banned from using missile weapons. Even in 1st edition they could use any weapon. There are mechanical* and role play reasons for them to prefer melee, but if there is a dragon flying overhead burning a village to the ground they have always been allowed to pull out a longbow and start shooting.


*In 5e smite only works with melee attacks.

As pointed out, Paladins always had access to ranged weapons since AD&D 2e. Their abilities just tend to synergize more with melee.

I know BG2 and the Enhanced Editions of BG1&2 and IWD had a Paladin kit that couldn’t use mossile weapons, but that was a kit limitation.

OP, you're probably remembering the Cavalier sub-class, which was first introduced during 1E.

Nah, paladins have always been using warrior attack values and weapon skills. It's 6E which is trying to reframe the paladin not as a warrior but as a priest. Good luck to that!

Btw Branding smite (level 2) applies to melee and range attacks.

TT, I recall one player who had a female paladin archer riding a pegasus. This was early 3E. Smites were really limited then so she saved it for the odd sword-swoop.

A 1 minute google search would answer that for you.

Paladins are a martial class - they can can put the holy smack down with any weapon they choose - but I’d agree in so much as they don’t generally get portrayed as a Robin Hood type fighter

Back in 1st Edition Paladins could only be human as well (for a completely ridiculous reason).

Thankfully - this is not AD&D

2nd edition too. Which is pretty much the whole schtick of Mazzy Fenton, halfling wannabe paladin companion in BG2.

her 5 pips in shortbow really kicked ass

Is OP thinking of a 2e optional subclass? "Cavalier," IIRC? I think it was an option in BG1 and Icewind Dale. There was definitely a variant Pally that could not use ranged weapons.