Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Minotaurs

I know the canon monster discussion has been had before but I never saw/noticed the following before so I'm concerned its only getting worse.

Tonight I went into the underdark though the selunite outpost and encountered 2 minotaurs. One of which had resistance to slashing and vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. This alone makes zero sense. These aren't skeletal minotaurs (not that they implemented skeleton resistances/vulnerabilities with skeletons so why here? But then there was the minotaur charge - not only are they still doing the straight line charge and hulk smash jumps but they can charge through both their allies and my characters to hit someone well behind my front line fighter. This game is feeling less and less like a D&D game every time they update things.

Welcome to the club.


He has a belt which is responsible for these modifications.

I haven't fought them since patch 7 but I thought it was an amulet...

I fought them maybe twice in total, so I don't remember exactly, either. Anyway, it's an item "bonus".

Yes it's an item.
An item that doesn't make any sense and that is really useless (unless you like to change your equipment at every combats), but an item.

The charge is not really a problem to me. The non sense jump is a bigger one imo.

I would not say useles ... it can save your ass against Grym ...
Its highly focused bonus, that can easily turn into penalisation ... personaly i like it, not all items needs to be universaly beneficial.

No, but you shouldn't have to keep such magical items just in case you need them.

-4dext +2strenght is still interresting depending your characters/ your choices.
Resistance to x + vulnerability to x is only appealing when the game devs have decided it would be. And it's absolutely tedious to check (all) ennemies attacks.

Larian drive things way too much with their items rather than giving us a lot of freedom to "build" our characters.

(If you use a dash even if you don't have to, if you have less than 50%, if we placed ennemies doing slashing damage, if we placed ennemies with more eyes, if you play with our surfaces,...)

Some see it as interesting ...
Some see it as boring ...

Personaly i see myself somewhere in the middle ...
I dont mind neither, but honestly will rather have conditioned item that gives me something great, than flat stat boost that is practicaly invisible. :-/

How is "vulnerable to + resistant to" more visible than, let's say a ring of protection that gives you +1 AC and +1 to your ST ?
How is "+1D6 vs 2 creatures" more visible than a +1 arrow ? (%to hit increased)

I'm not against a few items like this. But I hate than most "interresting" items in the game drives the gameplay.
That's not how it's supposed to be in DnD if I trust the DMG and that's not how it works in most (C)rpg.

Well, it has been clearly demonstrated many times that the favourite type of gaming in Larian is metagaming.

Items like this are crucial for it. You pick it up, and you remember that very soon you will need it, but not right now.

It isnt ...
How is "vulnerable to + resistant to" conditioned?

You know, conditioned are those items you keep complaining about "if you heal", "if you are standing in something", "if you have less than 50%" ... those are THE conditions.

I like that my Wizard can now make Elecrified field around himself as long as he is standing in Water (seems still a little bugy with Blood), so any enemy that dares to come closer gets his ass zapped ... i like that when he do, he have +1 to hit, and +1 to damage with every single spell, he also gets 3 temporary hit points, +1 AC and (if i remember corectly) +1 to Saving Throws ... and i like that every second turn that +1 damage can turn into 1d8(or 6? Dont remember)
And yes, i totally like that thousand times more than i would like flat stat bonus. :-/

You mean the Vision of the Absolute spear?
Honestly we would use some reaction from Larian in topic of this particular weapon, since its tooltip is in my honest opinion quite vague. :-/

But still, that spear have chance (quite high in my experience) to Blind your enemy with every strike ... i call that pretty powerfull bonus. And not just powerfull, its also a little more versatile than just +1. :-/

This is i believe the core of the problem ...

Most people around here dont seem to even mind the new items (or they are unable to properly formulate argument ... that is also possible) ... i just cant help the feeling that most people dislike just the fact that "this isnt what they expected, what they are used for, and what they want" and nothing else.
As i allready few times mentioned, they are upset for Larian so far refused to give them their favorire toy. :-/

But just bcs some items are new, doesnt mean they are bad. -_-

It is conditionned by the devs design decision (creatures attack types, number and locations in these 2 exemples), just as I said.
The spear may still be appealing but the additionnal damages is another exemple of effect that is not really.

Larian's game are great for many things but they haven't ever been praised for their itemization.
Maybe there's a reason if items in most (c)(j)(tt)RPG don't drive the gameplay as (much as) they do in BG3.

And as a player that don't like being told how I should play/improve my characters, I'm mostly stuck with +1 weapons/armors for 25 hours.

There are some items I like ofc, but many aren't very appealing.

On top of that they always claimed that they don't care about min-maxing and builds and so on but that's exactly what they're doing with items, especially with their new sets design. Your Gale in a water or blood surface as the best exemple.

I dunno ... feels a little like i just did it in my previous coment.

And that is exactly what i like about this game so much ... that you can.

I dunno, usualy in CRPGs i played i just get flat bonuses ...
First magical items you find is +1 ... some time later you find +2 ... it doesnt really matter if it is Intelligence for your Wizard, or Strength for your Fighter ...
What choices do you have in such game?

I believe we have different definition for both "min-max" and "build". O_o

Min-max is completely unrelated to this topic ... so i skip to the other one.
What is so "build"-y about that example?
Its just bunch of items that works well together, bcs their effects are tied. O_o

But if you dislike certain ties, you dont have to use it ... few examples:
There is a neck that allows you to expell your remaining Lightning charges ... i obviously dont use it, since Magic Missile one is OP as fuck ... i also find out that when im using Magic Missile, then i get 2 charges (one for Force damage, one for Psychic damage) for every dart, wich helps me charge much faster (1 round instead of 5)
Or you can decide you dont want to use the crown, since 3temporary arent appealing ... so you can take anything else, that crown that gives you free Scorching Ray would be good choice for example ... same reason as abowe > 3 rays, 3 charges
Or you can decide you dont need AC and Saving throws? ... Well, poisoner robe is waiting for you, if you are using Poison spells ... yet another way to altern your gameplay ... or Summer robe, if you feel like cold damage protection is your thing.
Or you can give away the possibility to build charges by casting ... and switch it for free cast of Ray of Sicness from Staff of Crones ...
Its all possible.
What kind of "build" is that?

The point is ... if you are creating build, you have to keep on it, otherwise you dont get intended results ...
But here? You can mix it any way you want and it still works ... some combinations work better, some work a little worse, that much is allways true ... but there really isnt any "build", nobody is "telling you how you are suppose to play" ... if you play certain way, there are items to support your style ... if you play different way, there are other items to support your style ... sure if you want to change your gamestyle in middle of the fight where you cant change your equipment, you will most likely suck for a while.
But if you dont want to risk that, all you need to do is simply keep using +1 items that empowers everything just the same.

I think you've kinda missed the point of Max's statement here. What I read is that from his perspective, he has no more choice than you feel you have in other crpgs. He doesn't like the weirder, niche behaviour items being provided and in his place he's sayins he's presented with...just using the same items for long stretches without even the chance to change to the +2 gear you're talking about. So it's not actually a choice between the two styles, it's either use the items that present lots of variety, or be stuck with the same handful of items for the foreseeable future. I haven't played BG3 since like, patch 5 so I don't know how accurate that assessment is to the game experience, but if it's accurate-and you don't seem to be arguing that it is-then it's not actually a choice in the same way that deciding to use a sword of ice or a sword of fire, or a great sword that increases critical hit rate would be.

I think it's also worth bringing up that for all your talk of players being able to choose what they do and don't do, every game, no matter how open, has an intended playstyle envisioned by the developers, because they can't really make the game without that intended vision. And even if the game can support other playstyles, the game isn't, at its core, meant for that. And that intended vision is always going tobe putting pressure on anyone who deviates from it. Like how people play these games without companions and only do it solo. The game is much more difficult because it's meant to be played as a group. And people who ignore the party members. They're missing out on the story, as well as enemies and even areas because that's not the intended way this game is meant to be played. So if a lot of players are deviating from that intended vision not because they want to impose the challenge on themselves or because they don't mind missing out on one experience in exchange for another, but because the alternative is simply not fun for them, then they're gonna constantly be playing against the pressure of the intended vision.

What that all means in relation to this topic is that if the intended vision is for players to use these items and adjust their playstyle accordingly, then they'll be punished for not doing so by getting fewer items that they actually want to engage with. Which isn't to say that this is the intended vision. But if it were, then that's something to be conscious of.

I don't have a problem with this particular item myself. I actually think it may be a direct copy of a belt or ring or something from an older DnD title. I do seem to recall there use to be some non-cursed(is that still a thing) items with negatives as well as positives but maybe not.

I personally don't find it tedious to check on enemies. You should be equipping yourself for the task at hand. You wouldn't go to the elemental plane of fire without some kind of fire protection. Attack or defense the first thing a player should be doing when they encounter something(from as far away as possible) is examine it to see what you need to take it out. That's just good planning. It is even a bit OP in the player's favor that we can see resistances and such.


This to me sounds borderline OP and these are the lowest tier of sets and affects. I fear the mid/high tier items are going to be artifact level just because "bigger/flashier/more is better". I further fear Larian will then have to homebrew more creatures and encounters to compensate for the extra player power.

Yup, but this is caused by his own filtering ... not the game itself.
The options are there for him, prepared and working ... his refusal to use them, is completely different topic.

Well, since dataminers have found some +2 models back in patch 2(or maybe even 1) i dare to say its safe to presume he will get that +2 gear "im talking about" ...
Also i though that word "later" will be enough to express that in those other games i was talking about, the better gear you obviously and logicaly get in futher parts of it ... wich itself should explain why he dont get any chance to change for +2 gear in EA for BG-3 since we are not yet so far in the game. -_-
(and it seems i was wrong)

I just cant agree with this ...
If i offer you Coke, Sprite, Beer, Juice and Water ... and you say to me that you shall not drink anything that contains sugar ... yes, your only choice is Water ...
But NO! Definietly NO! Its simply not true, if you claim that you were offered no other choice than Water.

At best you were offered no other "acceptable choice", wich is based on your own prefferences, not the actual list of options. :-/

And i categorically refuse to see that as Larians fault. :-/

You mean like when they say something as ... i dunno:
"We want to give you as much freedom as we can, to provide you experience as close to actual DnD tabletop session as possible." ?

Wich is exactly what they wanted ... so where is the problem?
Choices and consequences ... whole philosophies were build on that concept.

Or those items can be simply created for player that allready play this way to simply amplify their effectivenes ...
And people who play any other way still have options to search for items that suits their own style.

Wich is by the way easily achieved by implementing a lot of different items.

I for example used the Wrath "set" on my Barbarian playthrough.
But i never used most of those items actualy.
Since head you get in Grymforge, where i get after everything else was allready done ... so i get head hear that gives you +1 (if i remember corectly) to damage, for single turn AFTER you have ben hit ... wich is exaclty something i try hard to avoid when fighting Grym.
From chest you get the same effect +1 to damage, if you are under 50% of hp ... but since no enemy was ever able to reduce my HP to half. :-/ But if i would harm my Barbarian BEFORE starting combat, im confident that it would be no problem to keep her alive ... but im roleplaying so that was out of question.
(By the way, both nice and immersive effects for Barbarian gear if you ask me, what should fuel Barbarians rage if not damage taken? )
Then there are gloves that gives you 15 temporary Hit points after you end your rage ... wich was a little confusing to be honest, at first i thought i have to end that Rage willingly to gain this effect, but it showed that it was working every time Rage ended, so my little Barbarian rarely even loosed any of her "own" hitpoints, since 15 is quite a lot. Here it was a little harder to find any conection between boosting HP, fnishing rage and gloves. O_o
But i guess some stuff about adrenaline and pain ignorance arguments could be used here ... even tho it would still look better in my opinion if you get smaller boost of Temporary hit points when you enter the rage, rather than leave it. :-/
(And i believe its stacking with other effects, like Armor of Agathys)
And finaly there are boots, that gives you Wrath (+1 to damage) if you use "Dash or simmilar action" ... first of all "simmilar actions" is horrible description ... but i never used them anyway, since i strictly kept my Actions for Recless Attacks.

So ...
One would say that my Berserker have 1/4 usefull items and all others were wasted.
And it would be right.

But now i play second Barbarian - Eagle Wildheart ...
And gues what i have found ...
They get Dash as Bonus Action while Raging ... so they can Dash to get Wrath and then Attack with that bonus damage ... so those boots were simply not ment for my previous Build.
I mean i still could have use Dash with action and then attack with Bonus Action to keep my Rage, bcs Frenzy ... but still.

Same as the Mace that was presented in PFH ...
That gives (if i remember corectly, some of those new items are still not on wiki) 1d6 Lightning damage, uppon landing.
Many people are upset about this thing, bcs they feel "forced to jump around like an idiot" to get this item working ... i say they should simply equip different weapon.
But Eagle Wildheart is using diving attack, and this item simply amplify its effects.

So basicaly yes ... you have three choices ...
Either adjust your gameplay style the way that is in synergy with your items.
Or other way around ... equip items that are in good synergy with your playstyle.
Or simply use something more generic as +1 that isnt tied to anything specific.

But its still your own choice.

Really? O_o
To me it seems as just equivalent to +1 Weapon and Armor for Meele characters.

Sure, there is those 3Temporary hit points and that +1 for saving throws ... and that 1d8 (or 6?) once per 5charges ...
But those things are only ballancing out that once you have no charges, you have no bonus.

Also note that may not come clear, since i presumed people know those items so i dint describe them fully ...
If you create that Elecric field around your Wizard, EVERYONE inside gets their ass zapped (even Evocation Wizard is causing Friendly fire with this shit) ... and im not quire sure how it work with synergy of that ring, since once i equipped it Gale buged and no longer electrified anything he was standing in ... but i believe it says "wearer cannot be electrocuted" ... wich if i remember corectly is only effect that prevents you from taking reactions, so you still get even your own ass zapped. But not so hard, since it also gives you Lightning resistance ... so its most likely often consumed by those Temporary hit points.
On the other hand, you just had to sacrifice your whole bonus from one item in order to keep full extend of bonus from another one.

Dunno ... i dont. :-/

It really didnt seemed anyhow ridiculously powerfull ...
Yes, there is lot of effects that can seem like "a lot" when written together, but they come from different items and once you have them all you just reached your roof and cant move anywhere futher without sacrificing something.

I agree with your points overall. But I will also say that with your last point, you didn't actually need to give all those examples. You made your point pretty cleanly in those first two lines I feel.

The belt is really poorly designed OP and micromanagement intensive item. It supports a heavy metagaming focused playstyle they seem to like where you can and are supposed to examine enemies exact stats.

A 50% damage resistance is stupidly powerful on PCs when you have enemies that only have one damage type available to begin with.