Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback On tool proficiency, crafting, and equipment customization

With the addition of musical instruments alongside the Bard class in patch 8, it did somewhat spark the hope that we might (hopefully!) get properly implemented tool proficiency in the game later on - which could be tied together with the crafting system once it gets added (I highly doubt they'd take it away with it being the staple of the games in this engine, and the framework for it already being in the game).

It would make sense for things like a smith's kit or a herbalist's kit to be designated as tools rather than there just being crafting stations scattered around the world (which could be the case also, with how making the sussur weapons goes), and where there are tools there's tool proficiency to go with them so that the party has an additional set of designated roles as to who can make what (martial classes have access to the smithing kit for making special arrows, clerics and druids can brew potions, and so on). With that mindset, the lockpicks and trap disarming kits can also be repurposed as tools, finally divorcing Sleight-of-Hand from being the one all-encompassing roguery skill, even if Larian were to keep them as-is (consumables that get used up for re-rolls). Sleight-of-Hand could still - perhaps? - be used for lockpicking if you don't have tool proficiency, but (maybe) with a cost of rolling with a penalty or a disadvantage because the character doesn't really know what they are doing - so that it does not get reduced to just being pickpocketing and an occassional interaction option. From here one could keep going and add healer's kits and even the disguise kit - which was mentioned in the Bounty Hunter Ranger's description but was removed at one point. Given how the Assassin subclass for the Rogue (part of the PHB) has features tied to it, seeing it implemented would definitely be a benefit - of course, provided that we indeed are getting the entire PHB subclass selection (Champion still missing despite being the most straightforward kind of Fighter is a little odd).

Returning to the subject of crafting, and pondering the utility of what it could be useful for apart from consumables, what comes to mind immediately is how many pieces of gear there currently are even in EA that have some kind of weird/interesting/useful enchantment on them but no enhancement bonus. Say, you get the maul that lets you do 1d4 Thunder in an area whenever you land after jumping. It's an effect all right, but why would you prefer it over the more practical +1 to damage and +5% on average to your hit chance? But what if we were able to either enchant the existing unique equipment such as that to give it both its weird effect and a traditional practical enhancement bonus, or be able to transfer the effect onto other items? That would allow for a lot of customizability when it comes to gear, and would make all of the more gimmicky weapons have a lot more practical use rather than be just that, a gimmick. And it would make the rarer rewards such as the Everburn Blade that you have to work to get a lot more meaningful, as you've gotten not just a powerful early-game weapon but a game-spanning option to add to your repertoire when it comes to tuning your equipment.