Baldur's Gate 1

Strategy

Weapon choices

Slashing (e.g. swords) weapons tend to do the most damage per hit, and two-handed weapons do more damage than single-handed (but come at the cost of not allowing you to use a shield). However, some enemies in the game have high resistance to slashing damage and therefore it is a good idea to have crushing weapons to switch to occasionally. For example, attacking skeletons with slashing or piercing weapons will typically do a small amount of damage - usually 1-3 per hit. Some types of armour also give more protection against slashing and piercing damage than crushing damage.

Ranged weapons - particularly bows - are overpowered in the first game. Not only are they excellent for interrupting spellcasters - as you can deal out damage from afar without the delay of closing for melee combat (which can be enough for a spell to be cast) - but your THAC0 can be brought down further with high dexterity (similar to high strength for melee weapons).