Baldur's Gate 3: How to Get the Returning Pike & Best Use, Explained

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How to Get the Returning Pike in Baldur's Gate 3

Best Build & Use For the Returning Pike in Baldur's Gate 3

In Baldur's Gate 3, there are a variety of different weapons that can be obtained throughout your journey through exploration, purchase, or looting. Among these items is the Returning Pike, a two-handed ranged weapon that is available early on in the game.

The Returning Pike has a unique aspect to it in that it will automatically return to your hand when thrown. This means that you don't need to waste extra time and valuable Actions re-equipping it each time. Because of this, the Returning Pike can be extremely powerful when included in the correct build, operating as the core mechanic for certain characters and playstyles, which makes obtaining it as early as possible a necessity.

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How to Get the Returning Pike in Baldur's Gate 3

The Returning Pike is only available to obtain during Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3, so you'll need to ensure that you collect this weapon during the early stages of the game, specifically before you take on the Goblins or invade Emerald Grove. This is because to obtain the Returning Pike in Baldur's Gate 3, you will need to make your way to the Goblin Camp and speak with a Goblin merchant known as Grat the Trader. If you progress forward too much by slaughtering the Goblins or leading them to invade the Grove and kill the Tieflings, then you will likely miss out on your opportunity to obtain this weapon altogether.

The Goblin Camp is just a short walk from Blighted Village, down the hill, and then across the bridge on the right. You will have to make your way here at some point to rescue Halsin, speak with Minthara, or rescue Volo, among other things, so you shouldn't have too much trouble locating this area.

Once you have arrived at the Goblibn camp, you will simply need to speak to Grat the Trader, who is located just within the entrance to the Goblin Camp, on the right side. Here he will be standing among a small collection of items he has placed up for sale, so from here you'll just need to speak to him and ask to see his wares.

Grat the Trader will have this weapon available for purchase, so all you'll need to do to secure the Pike is throw a few gold his way or offer up a trade which he deems valuable enough to accept. After that, the Returning Pike will be added to your inventory, where you can start to play around with the potential of the weapon in various character builds.

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Best Build & Use For the Returning Pike in Baldur's Gate 3

The Returning Pike makes a brilliant first weapon for one of the most powerful builds in the game, a thrown/makeshift weapon wielding Berserker Barbarian. This is a brilliant build to consider if your Tav is the Barbarian Class, or a hugely powerful arrangement to implement into Karlach's progression.

Returning Pike Berserker Barbarian Initial Stat Build

STR 17 (+2)
DEX 15
CON 16 (+1)
INT 8
WIS 8
CHA 8

To best utilize the Returning Pike as a Berserker Barbarian, you will need to reach level 3 and select Berserker as your subclass. Next, at Level 4, you will need to select Tavern Brawler as your Feat. Tavern Brawler doubles your Strength Modifier for any unarmed strikes or thrown attacks, so this is a huge boost in power when using the Returning Pike. Next, you should aim to pump your STR modifier as high as possible.

The best way to go about this is to obtain the Hag's Hair from Auntie Ethel during her boss fight, and use it to improve STR +1, then on your next Feat, take Ability Improvement and select STR +2. This will bring your STR up to the maximum of 20, which will last you the majority of your playthrough until late in the game, where you will get the chance to obtain Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength, making your STR modifier 22.

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After taking your first 5 levels in Barbarian to gain Extra Attack, you will need to take your next 2 in Fighter to gain Action Surge. Now, when it comes to combat, your Berserker Barbarian build should function somewhat like this, using the first two turns of a fight as a sample:

Turn 1

Bonus Action Frenzy (Rage)
Action - Throw (Returning Pike)\
Action - Throw (Returning Pike)
Action Surge
Action - Throw (Returning Pike)
Action - Throw (Returning Pike)

Turn 2

Bonus Action Enraged Throw (Ranged throw attack using Returning Pike)
Action - Throw (Returning Pike)
Action - Throw (Returning Pike)

As Extra Attack works with Thrown Attacks, this enables your Berserker Barbarian to take the Throw Action twice per turn at Level 5 and above, as well as a third thrown Attack through Bonus Action Enraged Throw. As damage is already increased with Enraged Throw, Tavern Brawler makes this hit extremely hard, and fixes this build-up to be an overall high-damage-dealing tank that can play at a variety of ranges, depending on the combat. Furthermore, Action Surge enables you to make a whopping five attacks on your opening turn, which is massive in terms of giving your party a strong opening and upper hand in combat.

This can be further improved by taking 4 levels in Rogue and going the Thief Subclass, and then one last level in Barbarian, making your build 6 Barbarian/2 Fighter/4 Rogue. The extra Bonus Action that Thief offers means that you will be able to get a bonus Enraged Throw per turn, which changes your turn-by-turn playstyle to operate as below: