Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Is the backstory to the game...

Is the backstory to the game that the iron shortage got so out of hand that everybody started making weapons entirely out of wood?

Because that's the only way the games "Dip" fire mechanic makes any fracking sense.

I can only assume somebody on the design team was just way too big a fan of the scorpion king. And was "that's so awesome, we got to have that in our game in spite of how stupid it actually is." Because spoiler alert: Dip swords in flaming oil, and when you pull them out, all you have are slightly warmer swords with residue on them. Not enough oil will stick to the sword for the flame to last any amount of time. Won't even hurt the blades temper.

And a candle? SERIOUSLY?

And don't "It's a fantasy game" me. This isn't (supposedly) a magical aspect.

Dipping was a feature in DOS and as BG3 is just a modified DOS2 they just did not remove this mechanic, probably because Larian still thinks its "cool".

Well, bows are made of wood, in all likelyhood. But I don't know how realistic it is to set your bow on fire and then expect it to be improved.

In 3 and half years I don't think I've ever even used the Dip mechanic. It was the first icon I removed from the hotbar when I ran out of space trying to for go a tripleclass spellcasting character, followed by improvised weapon which I also never used. This wasn't like trying to self nerf, I just never found myself using it, so it was the first thing on the chop chop block.

I think it's silly, the whole idea of coating our metal weapons in corrosive acids, or sticking my sword in live wire electricity, or lighting it on fire, certainly not with a candle lol. Just like Lae'zel, I balk at candles in this game! But honestly none of those are the reason I didn't really use dip - I didn't dip it because I found it perpetually inconvenient in the moment. Like trying to walk up to the edge of a poison puddle to dip an arrow or whatever, it just always seems like a wasted movement to do it spontaneously, and again, too silly to do it with purpose.

I find myself trying to avoid spells that create surfaces that can't be removed with fire because otherwise the VFX on the environment is perma. Using water only works for spots we don't have to return to constantly. It's particularly annoying if you cast any icy spell or a create water spell at camp, cause it doesn't go away. Using create water or tossing a water bottle to clean up is risky too, if you do it in the wrong spot. I tried to cover up my crimes as Durge by washing the blood into the river, but instead I just had blood and mud at camp for most of the first act. I totally ruined the Elfsong Tavern with an icestorm, now it looks like the place just got rocked with a hurricane level deluge. Pretty sure I did the same at the Last Light. It's super annoying that we can do nothing to get rid of those visual effects if we happen to create water at camp. Not that anyone is dipping swords in water, but it's like the only way to remove the other stuff that does do the dipty dip.

When it comes to weapons, maybe if we had scabbards it wouldn't seem quite as ridiculous. But I can't stand the sight of flaming weapons worn on the back. It's one of the most jank BG3 visuals I can think of off the top of my head, with perhaps the sole exception of Karlach rocking Zhalk's sword, where it basically works, but otherwise not so much.

I do think the idea of coating weapons with poisons is very much on theme though, and I like that this exists, though I'm not sure that dip is the right word for it. Dip makes me think of appetizers and icecream cones and stuff like that, as if we have a big dipping bowl or pool to submerge whatever inside it. I'm not sure there's any narrative explanation that could sell me on this one, though I guess sure, iron crisis must have gotten pretty nuts lol.

So it's an inherited stupid mechanic?

But yeah. dipping (coating) weapons in venom/toxins has a fairly long history. Just about the only time I've used it so far was when I noticed there was a puddle of toxin (or maybe venom? Forget which. Conceptually wise should be venom, but mechanics wise may have been labeled toxin) on the ground I could dip weapons into by the body of a dead phase spider. Now THAT actually makes sense.

Though it should probably last for a set number of hits instead of "until long rest"... And probably shouldn't do much for bludgeoning weapons.

Yes.

Larian likes their systems, and their philosophy seems to be to not punish players for making stupid decisions. Dipping your weapon in certain substances make sense, but rather than keeping it logical, they seemed to prefer to apply some beneficial effect no matter if it makes sense or not.

I would rephrase that and say that their games are permissive and allow players to do whatever and have fun. It is there if you want to use it, just like so many other absurd mechanics. At the same time, those mechanics are not something "real" in the game world; players can keep it realistic or they can try to innovate using what the game allows, but you won't see the goblins stacking dozens of crates to invade the Grove through a guard's blind spot.

That said, OP might be looking for scientific and historical accuracy in the wrong place. It's a fantasy game. They could have you spend an action to wrap an oiled rag around your weapon and then set it on fire, but also roll a saving throw every time you attack or defend, because your gauntlets are now slippery from handing the oiled rag.

Well, bad luck for you. That's exactly what I'm gona say.
Heracles shot flaming arrows at the Hydra of Lerna, and had to use fire also to cauterize the neckstumps to avoid new heads growing after he cut one off. (Clever, could have been a challenge in a FRPG)
Then he dipped arrows in the blood of the dead hydra and obtained poisonous arrows. (With which he later killed the centaur Nessus)

Invincible Achilles was killed by a poisoned arrow in the heel. The one spot where he was vulnerable.
It's not uncommon in myth and fantasy.

Excellent idea. As I never dip ('cause it is so silly my mind refises to remember this :)) this is icon will get the boot.
Improvised weapons probably too.
Maybe some day I will play a cuttlery throwing themed Barbarian - only then I'd remember about imrpvised thingies.

Shadowheart's spell Create or Destroy Water makes it possible to remove water and blood surfaces. If you use a higher level version of it it will enlarge the radius.

All the surface effects are vastly toned down in BG3 compared to DOS2. This time they are not a massive nuke or a primary strategy, but they - indeed - feel more realistic. Ice the floor, enemies can slip. You won't then melt the ice, electrocute it, and turn it into cursed acid and explode it. And then there is Concentration, but I am not touching that here.

Weapon coatings are cool, but, like so many other DnD things, they don't translate very well in a CRPG. DOS2 did all that better, and for a very good reason: it was designed from the start (well, DOS I guess) to be not just a game in the style of BG, but to be the perfect traditional RPG but in video game form. Things like coatings using your bonus action (and preventing you from doing so many other things, even though you have an action remaining) invariably lead to players either ignoring them or being forced to go full meta and prepare ahead (in situations where the characters wouldn't).