Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General How is Dueling meant to work?

So in Baldur's Gate 3, the Dueling fighting style has the text "When you are wielding a melee weapon that is not Two-Handed or Versatile in one hand"

This is different than 5e, where it's described as "When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons"

I don't know how to read the BG3 text in a way that doesn't mean "A versatile weapon held in one hand does not benefit from dueling," as a conscious call out to being different than normal 5e rules. However, when I wield a longsword and shield and hit something, the combat log does indeed say that 2 damage is being added from dueling.

So is the longsword *not* meant to be benefitting from Dueling and a glitch is making it so that it does? Or am I misunderstanding what "not Versatile in one hand" means?

I *think* it means you can't be using the longsword as a two handed weapon, which would automatically happen if you didn't have a shield in your other hand.

Personally, I also find it confusing.

Versatile means a weapon that can be used alongside with a shield (one hand, one shield), but without a shield will be used as 2H weapon.

Rapier will be used with one hand regardless if you use shield or not.

So Longsword is on the same "class" as Trident, Spear etc.

Also Versatile weapon damage are reduced when you use shield.

It's quite simple really.

So it will be not benefitted from Dueling, but will be benefited from Great Weapon Fighting (correct me if I'm wrong).

If you pick Dueling as fighting style for your fighting man, don't worry, in Act 3 there is an amazing Duellist Rapier that you can get.

For now? Look for rapier, dagger and short sword.

The wording could be a bit confusing.
It means when you are wielding a weapon that is not 2 handed or when you are wielding a versatile weapon in one hand.

I'm not aware the later is supported by the game ? AFAICS the only way to wield a versatile weapon onehanded is to also use a shield.

Though likely picking up the dualwielder feat and using an offhand weapon also works.

If that's the case then it's really poor wording. Like to the point of just being grammatically incorrect.

It is very poorly worded, but it's trying to get across the idea that you can't use a versatile weapon without a shield because, otherwise, it defaults to a two handed condition.

There were folks who had trouble understanding that in early access. They were trying to use a versatile weapon in one hand without a shield, and the game was registering the weapon as being used in two hands, negating the dueling bonus. I suspect the wording change was meant to make it clearer, but it unfortunately added a bit of new confusion.

I suggest drawing inspiration from Magic the Gathering's reminder text. The cards' text has to be written in precise legalese so that it technically functions under the rules, but that can be hard to parse. The solution are italicized sentences between parentheses that explain what's going on in plainer english.

"When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons (versatile weapons are wielded with two hands if one is empty)".

Something like that.

The wording is confusing but the concept is simple enough.

Versatile weapons default to two-handed if no shield is equipped so you cannot duel with them. And for the record using a versatile weapon with a shield does not reduce its damage - it does its default damage, e.g. a longsword does 1d8 one-handed and 1d10 two-handed. So its damage is increased if you use it two-handed.

In a nutshell: if the weapon does not have the label 'versatile' and if the off-hand is empty then you can use duel.

Far too conditional for my liking. Can't see much use for it unless you are going for a specific build.

This is so mind-bendy! I don't think that works because you can use duel with a versatile weapon and a shield.

Double post due to forum glitch. But let's recap.

For duel to work you need to use a single, one-handed melee weapon. Four things are off the table: ranged weapons, two-handed weapons, dual wielding weapons, versatile weapons with an empty off-hand. I'm still saying that a few words to explain the weirdness around versatile weapons and the empty off-hand will make things clearer than the convoluted, if technically correct, sentence.

edit : Crud, I've got so much work to do but I can't not think about this. Final answer:

"+2 damage when using a single one-handed melee weapon (versatile weapons are held with both hands if the off hand is empty)"