Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Please try to be more DnD

I loved DOS1 and 2 and have played DnD 2nd, 3rd and 5th editions not to mention loved Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2 (I didn't enjoy much in terms of BG1/2 or planescape:torment).

So far I have played BG3 and I just keep thinking it doesn't feel like DnD.
The fights are focused on us fighting hordes of magically-charged goblins who, unlike actual dnd monsters, are full of environment-interacting utility and spells they have no business having access too. I mean, in DnD the average player at 2nd level will have 20hp. The average CR2 Ogre, designed for a group of players to fight, has 75. Allowing the Ogre to cast sleep with the same strength as a player is utter MADNESS - it really flies in the face of common sense.

Action economy is a big deal in 5th edition, it's all about maximizing the ONE action and ONE bonus action you get... except Thief Rogues get 2 bonus actions, because Larian doesn't appreciate things properly in not having us constantly pitted against more mobs than we should face.

It's also written in the rules you can't cast cure wounds and healing word in a single round... but no, Larian don't care about that rule!
The programmer for Sneak attack spent no time reading up on it, because not only can it be applied once per turn, but it can be applied after you hit with an OFFHAND attack.

I don't understand why Larian felt it unnecessary to capture the essence of 5th edition just to spearhead their desire for environment interaction... stop removing the fun of DnD from this game and start understanding how little things like potions as a bonus are fine, but hide FAILING TO GIVE ME ADVANTAGE FOR SNEAK ATTACK is not... sheesh.

While I may not agree in so many words as the OP here, I do agree with the core message. BG3 cannot be a tribute to D&D 5e. It simply can't, that's not what got fans hyped for it. It needs to be the genuine article. Too many times have studios dropped the ball when it came to a beloved franchise being ported into a digital world. After my initial view of the game, I can truthfully say that it is simply too different in its ruleset to offer an accurate 5e experience. However, it is by no means beyond correction.

There is a spark in this game that makes me believe the devs at Larian don't want to betray the genuine D&D 5e experience. It is plainly evident that certain things have just been put into place to get it into playtesting hands because they are excited about their work. Which, they absolutely should be! What they have set in motion is truly spectacular, and I would personally trust no other studio with this project. With that being said; Larian, PLEASE start looking at this project as a Virtual Table Top first and a video game second. There are many concessions that can be made to promote "ease of use" or a more "seamless" experience when dealing with a virtual space; but sometimes that flies in the face of the D&D experience that fans have loved for decades.

This isn't a reprimand, or an insult to the great work you're doing. This is a plea. I have nothing but the utmost respect for your studio. I simply feel that many others share my sentiment, and don't want their message to get lost. In summation:

-Please think of this as a Table Top RPG first, and a video game second.
-"Easier" and "more seamless" doesn't always support authenticity.
-Try to look at each scene through the eyes of a traditional Dungeon Master and ask "How would I handle this scenario if I was the DM?"
-Optional and customizable feature sets are a great way to allow your players to pick and choose which "conveniences" they want to include in their virtual version of D&D
-And lastly, we love each and every one of you for making our dream come true.

I'm not a 17th level wizard. Not by a long shot. Never the less, I'm casting this Wish. I hope it works.

I feel they did really well keeping to the core of 5e. Of course they've had to change/adjust a few things for balance and gameplay, which mostly was WOTC approved changes anyways. FYI offhand attacks are still able to sneak attack if your main hand misses, so i'm not sure what you're complaining about there as that's still in line with 5e rules. The only thing i would want to see is if they make it possible to sneak attack on a reaction attack of opportunity because sneak attack is a once per turn, which by definition in 5e is by active character in a single round so it's totally doable to sneak attack twice in a round (or more if you can get more than 1 reaction somehow). The problem in this game is it seems sneak attack has to be actively used only on the character's turn though.

The 2 spells rule is definitely something interesting though, I think I agree they should not have the 2 spell option. It seems like it can definitely be exploited all to crap later making casters godlike.

Aside from these and other minor changes though i don't feel it's near enough to take away from the 5e dnd feel, i'm still pretty stoked how spot on a lot of it seems to align with 5e rules.