Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Rules and Gameplay Suggestions

You are going to be getting a lot of suggestions for removing some or all of the DoS elements you are introducing to the 5e rules universe. If you are adamant about sticking to this, please, please, I beg you....at least provide a difficulty level or selectable option that removes those additions and forces closer compliance with the rules of 5e. For example, the 'true' 5e rules should have Firebolt doing a d10 damage with no burning effect on the surface. Just one of the many examples that would be impacted.

1. As mentioned, please stick closer to the rules. Stop having every surface area be covered by Acid, Fire, Brine, whatever. There are very specific rules for what can create a 'surface' effect in 5e, most involving save DCs and specific expenditure of resources (leveled spells, class features, etc). Absolute adhesion to the rules is impossible, but right now the amount and usage of surfaces makes the game DoS: D&D DLC rather than an actual 5e successor to the BG series.

2. Please tighten up the underlying grid you have. At the moment, the 'area' for area of effects spells shows the underlying grid system and it shows why it makes combat feel so janky. They are so small that you even have tenth of a feet measured out. That shouldn't exist in 5e and it makes it extremely difficult to judge whether you might be in an AoE or not. The 'area' for AoE effects should be static. You can see great examples of this in Wasteland 3, PKM, etc.

3. Please give a better movement indicator. I often can't even see the 'line' because of all the surface effects or camera position. More importantly, I can't tell whether I'll be in range for a standard attack or not.

4. Rename "backstab" to "Flanking". Because that's what it is. Directional Facing doesn't exist in 5e, and it is clearly another port of a DoS effect. Make it so "Flanking" doesn't require you to be 'behind' your target, just on the roughly opposite side of them from another friendly character. With how janky the grid movement system is, it is impossible to tell whether you'll be in the 'backstab' position because you didn't port over the DoS backstab indicator.

5. Change how the rolling system works. Please, PLEASE change this. I don't want to see the number I have to roll on a D20. I want to see the DC and my modifiers. Otherwise, as you level 'up' the numbers you see on screen go 'down'. D&D tried this in previous editions (for example. the THAC0 system) and people hated it.

6. Tied to my first statement, but change all of the 'extra' combat options you added (Jump, Shove, Dip, etc.) to require you to use your Action, rather than Bonus Action. Having them be Bonus Actions right now severely diminishes the value of class features like a Rogue's Cunning Action, a Monk's Ki, spells like Misty Step, etc. Having a spellcaster Disengage from an enemy that has ran into melee with them should be a big sacrifice for the magic user, either in using their Action to Disengage, or by using a leveled spell.

7. Add the Dodge action. I don't know why this isn't in the game already. It is a major element to certain classes as well as Combat in 5e.

8. Allow for more than 1 'follower' per character. Right now, if a Ranger takes the Find Familiar Option, and then later selects Beast Master, they've just made their Find Familiar option completely useless because they can't use both at the same time. I've already had the game bug out and have both on screen so the engine can handle it.

9. Add a button for switching between 1 and 2 hands for a Versatile weapon. For example, I might want my Ranger to wield his Longsword in 1 hand to take advantage of his Dueling Fighting Style. At the moment that's impossible without forcing him to equip a Shield.

10. Please do another pass on your spell effects. Remove the screen 'shake' for when you select a spell but before you target it. Again, I know this particular effect is a DoS port and you like the effect, but it makes it really hard to argue that the game is an actual spiritual successor to the BG series. For example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcu4KFZOKtM here are a multitude of spells being cast in the BG series. Each has their own feel to them based on the words used, colors, motions, etc. As is, each spell in the game has a very 'samey' feel to them because of that obnoxious effect upon selection. It overrides everything else that's done to make spells feel different.

11. Don't force-lock dialogue to the character that happened to hit the trigger first. There is zero reason why a dumb Fighter would be the one trying to determine the magical runes around a door when the party Wizard is literally just sitting there in the background. Adopting a more party inclusive approach to dialogue would go a looooong way towards helping the dialogue feel more compelling to the entire party, rather than just that individual character.

12. Add the Grapple function. You clearly love forced movement (Shove as a BA and significantly stronger than 5e rules normally allow), so I'm surprised this wasn't already implemented. Grapple check to prevent movement until broken (or magic is used like Misty Step), and ideally then able to move the Grappled creature at half-speed (unless too big to grapple in the first place).

Agree with 1, 2, 3.

4. is a funny thing. Afaik directional facing in 5e doesn't exist because in combat, characters are assumed to be moving and shifting their views with every step. It would be very hard to keep track of each enemies direction in or outside a fight. That is less the case in a computer game where you have a visual representation and the computer takes care of the directional view for you as the player. It would be silly not to have it. But there should be limitations. Outside combat, direction should absolutely be used for walking past or sneaking by unnoticed. Also for backstabbing/sneak attacks. But in a fight, if you walk around your enemy, he doesn't just stand still and let you stab him in the back. So in combat, the enemy should always face the focussed target or nearest player character.

9. there is a button on the very bottom edge, under the attack buttons, where you can switch between one and 2 handed.

10. I hate that screen shake. Pushing someone is not an action that does warrant for a shaking screen. You're not H-fucking-ULK. The only reasonable thing that should shake the screen is an earth quake or a bomb going off.

Some additional notes:

13. Spears aren't 2-handed only. They are Versatile, just like the Longsword. I know you had Spears be only 2-handed only in DoS, but 5e is very clear on that. Spears can be wielded 1-handed and it drops their damage die to a d6 rather than a d8.

14. The British aren't coming, they're already here. Holy hell did you only hire British voice actors and tell them not to try something, anything different? Seriously, this is just inexcusable. In the opening 1 minute of BG II we get about 4 different accents. There's no excuse why Elf, Human, Halfling, Goblin, Tiefling, and literally everyone else I've encountered in a game as diverse as D&D to *all* have British accents. Once you realize that, it just breaks immersion completely in dialogued cut scenes.

Facing doesn't exist in 5e because the point of 5e was to make the rules easier, less intensive than prior versions of D&D that absolutely included things like Facing. It was gotten rid of intentionally and was a great change. It shouldn't be in this game either because all is does is cause problems trying to get the clunky movement system to get your character into a position that it can't even tell is there without a 'backstab' visual indicator. Flanking is already in the rules for 5e (DMG variant rule). All Larian needs to do is use that instead. It's changes like this that can help differentiate the game from just being DoS 3. Allowing Facing means anything from behind you is an "Unseen Attacker" and thus should have Advantage, which is stupid and completely balance breaking. It adds an additional layer of complexity and interaction with a bad movement system, whereas Flanking is far more forgiving but also avoids terrible rule interactions later on.

That button doesn't work and just switches between your melee weapon and your Ranged weapon. Go equip a Longsword without a shield and having the Dueling feat. It doesn't work.