Attacks per Round (APR)

[Nunns]

Could you guys please help with figuring out attacks per round (APR).
I intend to take an NG Wizard Slayer[9]/Thief[x] from Candlekeep to God Throne and wanted to figure out best weapons to pick for early and for late game.
I have 11 proficiency points to play around with at WS[9]/Thief[10] with further points probably going towards mastery and not newer weapon types.
I am looking for maximum APR with lowest THAC0 to continue disrupting casters while also doing better than marginal damage.

Considering ranged weapons do not get extra APR from mastery, I think leaving longbows at *** is enough. No one wants to melee during BGI and having 3 APR right away should be useful.
Darts have the best APR so *** from my early thief levels should also be enough. But my question would be, does the extra APR overcome the ridiculously low damage? What else should I pick during my thief only times? Is a second ranged weapon a good idea?
Does anyone think getting either to mastery ***** in BG II is useful? All you get is +2 to damage, with THAC0 and APR already capped. That potentially 10 extra damage per round with either does not seem to be a good trade off for 2 whole proficiency points.
I'm gonna leave the Shortbows to Imoen and Slings and Xbows are just not fast enough imo.

For melee I am thinking of starting off with either Katana or Bastard Sword with Daggers or Scimtars taken while switching to Thief.
Should I go for mastery with any or try to then get Dual Weilding? What other Weapon types would you recommend with backstabbing taken into consideration.

What are your thoughts on getting max APR without resorting to spells or potions. And then with either.
Thanks

[red255]

as a thief you get use any item. so I generally consider the scarlet ninja to in the off hand, its a +3 it grants an extra attack, nobody else can use it. which is a ninja-to .

as for the main hand, criteria? you want something you can backstab with? katanas kinda suck since there arent any more than +3 really. Bastard swords can't backstab.

I guess go scimitars and go with usano's brand and scarlet ninja-to. eventually opening up to more weapon types as you get more unlocks.

[wendigo211]

Okay, APR:

• Ranged weapons have a Rate of Fire that can be 1 (slings, crossbows, throwing axes and the throwing hammer), 2 (longbows, shortbows and throwing daggers) or 3 (darts). All other weapons have one base attack per round.
  
• Some melee weapons have bonus attacks per round: Kundane (shortsword), Belm (Scimitar), Ninjato of the Scarlet Brotherhood and all magical throwing daggers when used in the main-hand for melee.
  
• The following ranged weapons have a bonus attack per round: Tugian Bow (shortbow), Army Scythe (light crossbow), Drow Crossbow of Speed (light crossbow)
  
• Fighters, Paladins and Rangers get an extra 1/2 attack per round at level 7 and level 13
  
• Warrior classes get an extra 1/2 attack per round for specializing in a weapon (2 proficiency points) and grand mastery (5 proficiency point). N.B. even though Swashbucklers (Thief kit) can specialize, they don't receive the extra 1/2 APR
  
• Dual Wielding will give you an extra APR
  
• Gauntlets of Extraordinary Weapon Specialization will give you an extra 1/2 APR
  
• The Haste Spell will increase your APR to the next highest integer (e.g. if you have 2 or 2.5 APR it will give you 3 APR).
  
• Improved Haste will double your APR.
  
• Due to engine limitations,10 is maximum APR (5 without casting Improved Haste). This is the same as Whirlwind of Greater Whirlwind attack.

Ranged weapons do get bonus APR from specialization. So a level 13 Fighter with Grand Mastery in Darts would have 5 APR (10 with improved haste). A level 9 Fighter could get the same with Grandmastery and the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization. However, you would be better off with throwing knives since you get to add your strength bonus to damage with daggers and you don't with darts (if you buff up to a 25 strength, that's an extra 14 points of damage per attack, and you'll probably end up with a 20 strength if you use the stat increases).

In melee a level 9 fighter could at most get 3.5 APR (1 base, 1 dual wield, 1 from grand mastery, 1/2 from level 7 bonus). You could get to 5 APR with either the Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization and a bonus APR weapon or two bonus APR weapons.

BTW, you are aware that, while a Wizard Slayer's disruption attack will work through Stoneskin and (IIRC) Mirror Image, it will not work through Mantles or Protection from Magical Weapons. Basically, it follows the same rules as Darts of Wounding or a Ghoul's melee attack. If the spell only counters the damage but allows the on-hit effect to be applied, the miscast magic effect will be applied. If it counters the damage and the on-hit effect, it will counter the Wizard Slayer's disruption attack. It will also only work on Mages, not Clerics or Druids.