Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Ironman Mode & too easily worming (illithid) my way out of combat

Hi there,

This thread will cover two topics, namely the concept of Ironman Mode and the other on the Illithid tadpole making it way too easy to worm me out of combat.

Starting with the a simple Ironman mode request, I'm quite confident that I'm not the only one having done so and at the same time, this might probably be so easy to implement, that is most likely has already been done. While I save scum less frequently in combat, I did find myself save scumming far more often with theft and certain dialogue results. The argumentation for Ironman Mode necessity is simple, if I can save scum, I most likely will, because most of us are simply like that, which is where preventing yourself from save scumming will be the savior of having an immersive as possible gameplay, as each roll of dice will ironically carry much more weight, shitty pun intended as save scumming is pretty much the equivalent of playing with weighted dice. Luckily, a quick search led me to learn that DoS:2 had a Tactician & Honour (iron man) mode, so I think it's semi-safe to assume BG3 will end up with something similar.

As for the Illithid tadpole making it too easy to worm myself out of combat. I've managed to get myself out of combat in multiple potentially larger battles with Goblins, where I had been looking forward to, yet if you don't have to, why would you battle them? I feel that maybe utilizing the Illithid tadpole shouldn't be an Absolute, again shitty pun intended, I'm sorry guys and I'm not even a dad. Anyway, perhaps it should still come with a chance to fail? I understand that in the full game there will be repercussions to using the tadpole liberally, but one can only guess what this will mean.

I honestly hope that Larian Studios will have taken the above into serious consideration already, as I'm very much looking forward to a difficult, yet immersive experience.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

We don’t yet have any info about difficulty modes as far as I’m aware, but it would be extremely surprising if there weren’t any. Personally, I’m not fussed about an Ironman mode, and though I confess I did it the first couple of playthroughs I no longer find any problem avoiding save scumming when that’s going to spoil my immersion. But I know it’s something that comes up reasonably frequently, so while I’m not quite sure how you’re envisioning it working, if there were a mode that people could use to disincentivise reloading on a bad dice roll then there could well be a demand.

With respect to illlithid powers, I’m happy to wait and see what consequences Larian have in mind for the full game. It seems to me that they must be planned, and if we wish to avoid becoming a True Soul then we’ll probably need to ration use of the powers even more over the course of the full game. I feel that there’s enough indication that using the powers might be problematic that, from a roleplay perspective, it makes sense that many of my characters would use them only infrequently if at all, and as each character can use them only once per day then unless we long rest spam there’s a limit in any case. I personally like that we have plenty of options to use the powers so we can pick those occasions which make most roleplay sense for our characters, and don’t have any problem not using the powers when I don’t think it makes sense for my PC. And I definitely want options for solving problems without combat wherever possible to give me the flexibility to play the game in multiple ways. So as long as there are appropriately interesting consequences for either using or not using the tadpole in the full game, I wouldn’t want the game to limit opportunities to avoid combat.

Thank you for your thoughtful response. It's interesting to see different players' perspectives on Ironman Mode and the Illithid tadpole mechanics.

While I understand that some players can avoid save scumming without issue, I do think that having an Ironman Mode would be a very welcome and most presumably inevitable addition for those who want to further challenge themselves and enhance their immersion in the game. It's good to read that there's demand for this feature and the potential for it to work for hardcore players.

Regarding the Illithid tadpole, I agree with you that it's essential to wait and see what consequences Larian Studios has in mind for the full game. It's a relief there are indications on that the abuse of these powers might have negative consequences, making players think twice before using them. Having multiple options to solve problems without combat is also an essential aspect of the game, and I appreciate those values for this as well.

It's great to see people engaging in thoughtful discussions about mechanics and sharing their perspectives. I look forward to seeing how Larian Studios addresses these concerns in the full game.

Yep. Difficulty modes- I guess nothing is guaranteed, but that's extremely likely to happen with 1.0

And I like consequences to using the powers.
I have no problems with players choosing to use the powers to avoid fights, start fights, solve puzzles etc. Player agency is the way.

I'm also ok with a choice at the end act 1/ start act 2 where we have a meaningful choice about removing/ changing the tadpoles or not. And that choice opens up diff quests/ pathways for act 2 and 3.

I completely agree with you regarding difficulty modes and the importance of consequences to using the powers. Having consequences for using the powers adds an extra layer of depth to the game, as players have to consider the long-term effects of their choices. It also encourages players to think outside the box and consider alternative solutions to problems.

I think your idea of having a meaningful choice about removing/changing the tadpoles at the end of Act 1/start of Act 2 is great. Not only would this add more depth to the story, but it would also give players a sense of agency and allow them to shape the direction of their playthrough.

Additionally, having this choice affect quests/pathways in Acts 2 and 3 would add even more replayability to the game, as players could experience different outcomes based on their choices. It would also make subsequent playthroughs feel fresh and exciting.

Overall, I'm excited to see how Larian Studios handles the consequences of using the powers and the meaningful choices that players will face in the full game.