All characters get at least one attack per round (APR), but there are a number of bonuses that can increase than number:
- Class - most classes get a single attack per round but Warriors and Monks get more
- Weapon Proficiency (warriors only)
- Weapon Type - many ranged weapons grant multiple attacks per round
- Enchanted gear
- Dual wielding
- Temporary effects (Haste effects, HLAs)
The max APR is capped at 5, though that can be exceeded through the use of temporary effects. APR bonuses are multiples of 1/2. A 1st level warrior (1 APR) wielding a single long sword with which he is specialized (+1/2 APR or 0.5) will have 1.5 attacks per round. The game will display this as 3/2, meaning 3 attacks over 2 rounds.
Class
Most class groups get a single attack per round. Warriors (Fighters, Paladins, Rangers) and Monks get an extra +1/2 attack at levels 7 and 13. Warriors may get additional bonuses based on their level of proficiency with their main-hand weapon (see following table). Monks also gain +1/2 APR at levels 4, 10, 16 and 19 when fighting unarmed, maxing at 4 apr at level 19.
| Warrior Level | Unskilled (0) | Proficient (1) | Specialized (2) | Master (3) | High Master (4) | Grand Master (5) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BG1 | BG2 |  Baldur's Gate I & II: Enhanced Editions This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games. May situationally encompass Siege of Dragonspear and The Black Pits I & II content as well. | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 3/2 | 5/2 | 3/2 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 3/2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5/2 | |||
| 13 | 2 | 5/2 | 7/2 | 5/2 | 3 | |||
While some non-warrior classes can also advance to specialized or higher (e.g. Swashbuckler), they do not gain more APR from this, only THACO and damage bonuses.
Baldur's Gate I & II Classic
This icon indicates content from all original Baldur's Gate games, extensions included. Note: No known method makes it possible for player characters to achieve grand mastery in the original BG1 even with Tales of the Sword Coast, but enemies do benefit from it.
Baldur's Gate I & II: Enhanced Editions
This icon indicates content from all Enhanced Editions of the Baldur's Gate games. May situationally encompass Siege of Dragonspear and The Black Pits I & II content as well. Note: A dual-classed Fighter-Druid or Fighter-Thief can achieve grand mastery within the 161,000 XP cap of BG:EE, but the 5th proficiency point can only be added once one class levels up to at least 9.
Effects
Several effects can increase a character's APR:
- Haste effects:
- Weak Haste, only available to players in the Original BG2, rounds APR up to the nearest integer, within the regular APR cap of 5. For example a character with 2.5 or 3 APR would get to 3.
- Normal Haste grants a +1 APR bonus which is then rounded down to the nearest integer, with a maximum APR of 6. For example, a character with APR 2 or 2.5 will have it increased to 3. This is the only haste available in Original BG1.
- Improved Haste doubles APR, up to 10.
- Offensive Spin grants Normal Haste in Original BG2, and a regular +1 APR bonus in Enhanced Editions.
- Boon of Lathander grants +1 APR and stacks with itself and other modifiers.
- The Whirlwind Attack and Greater Whirlwind Attack HLAs sets the character's APR to 5 and applies improved haste for one round, giving the character 10 attacks per round.
Weapons
Weapons all have a Base APR assigned to them, and almost all melee weaponry like spears, swords or flails have a base APR of 1. The base APR is the lowest, or bottom value of the weapon's APR. That value can be modified by weapon proficiency skills or other effects, such as certain spells, innate abilities or worn items. Dedicated missile weaponry like darts or bows typically have a higher base APR value assigned (exception would be crossbows).
The following ranged weapon types set the base APR of the weapon to 2 or 3:
- Bows (long or short, but not crossbows) have a base 2 APR
- Throwing daggers have a base 2 APR; those that can be switched to melee retain their 2 APR there
- Darts have a base 3 APR
- The Army Scythe light crossbow sets the base APR to 2
- Drow Crossbow of Speed light crossbow sets the base APR to 2
- The Tuigan Bow (shortbow) sets the base APR to 3
The magical weapons listed below add an additional attack per round to the wielder in melee. All those weapons are edged, so Cleric and Fighter / Cleric have no way of increasing their APR via weapons. Kundane, Belm and Ninjatō of the Scarlet Brotherhood can be equipped in either hand, but only the main hand gets the extra APR (so if dual-wielding, a more powerful weapon may be held in the main hand). The throwing daggers used in melee, however, can only be equipped in the main hand, but allow wielding another melee weapon in the off-hand. Weapon proficiency modifiers still apply. Two of those weapons can be dual-wielded at the same time, for overall 4 base APR.
- Belm (Scimitar)
- Kundane (Short Sword)
- Ninjatō of the Scarlet Brotherhood (Ninjatō)
- Boomerang Dagger (Dagger), can only be equipped in the main hand
- Firetooth (Dagger), can only be equipped in the main hand
- Throwing Dagger +1 (Dagger), can only be equipped in the main hand
The weapons created by spells or abilities listed below set APR to a certain value, which can then be increased by effects such as Haste but are unaffected by weapon proficiency skills.
- Melf's Minute Meteors set APR to 5.
- The Priest of Helm's Seeking Sword sets APR to 3.
- Energy Blades set APR to 4.5 and apply Improved Haste to the wielder for a total APR of 9.
- Black Blade of Disaster applies grand mastery, which adds +1 APR but only for fighter-mages who don't already have proficiency with longswords (as pure mages don't add APR from higher weapon proficiency).
The Gauntlets of Extraordinary Specialization provide a bonus +½ (0.5) APR.
In Original BG2 only, the following sources grant Weak Haste:
Dual Wielding
Wielding an offhand weapon adds an additional attack per round with that weapon. All other attacks will be by the main hand.
- The offhand APR is NOT impacted by level or weapon proficiency. (However, the THAC0 and damage modifiers from proficiency are applied both on the main and on the offhand).
- When a weapon with an APR bonus is equipped in the offhand (like Belm or Kundane) the additional attack is made by the main hand weapon.
- Dual-wielding two weapons that both add APR is cumulative.
- If a dual-wielding character is hasted, the additional attack is made with the main hand
- A dual-wielding character under the effects of improved haste will make 2 attacks with their offhand weapon instead of one.
- When using the whirlwind HLAs, the offhand weapon will be used for 2 of the 10 attacks. If the offhand weapon is weaker than the main-hand, to maximize your DPS, consider unequipping the offhand weapon or switching to a higher damage two-handed weapon prior to using these abilities.
- Throwing weapons that can be switched to melee (throwing hammers, throwing axes and certain throwing daggers) still always have to be equipped in the main hand, but another melee weapon may be used in the offhand. To switch a throwing weapon to melee, right-click on it to open the menu.
Shapeshifting
When shifting form into another creature, the new one will override base APR. Those are cumulative with the bonuses from Warrior levels and haste effects, but override equipped weapons. Examples:
- Slayer Form sets base APR to 4 (would be 4.5 for a level 7 fighter, 5 for a level 13 fighter, 8 with Improved Haste etc.).
- Black Bear from Polymorph Self or Druid Shapeshift sets base APR to 3.
- Greater Werewolf sets base APR to 3.
- Shapechange: Mindflayer gets 4 APR.
- Sword spider (from Avenger kit) gets 4 APR plus automatic haste, meaning 5 APR total.
APR penalties
Certain debuffs can also lower attacks per round:
- The slow effect halves APR. If haste is also active, they cancel each other out (APR set back to base).
- The Chesley Crusher lowers attacks per round to 1.
- Shapeshifting into a form which has less APR than the currently equipped weapons.
Cleave Mechanic/Bug
The game possesses a hidden "cleave" mechanic (or maybe it's a bug) that allows a character to perform more attacks per round than they're supposed to by (seemingly) granting an extra attack per enemy killed if another enemy is nearby.
There seems to be some kind of limit/additional requirements for this to happen, but it potentially allows a character to attack significantly more in a single round than normal, as evidenced by this test footage of a Kensai with only 2 APR being able to do 6 critical strikes against 6 werewolves with a single cast of the ability (which lasts exactly 1 round).