Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Spells in social situations

There are a couple of spells in the game so far that don't have a clear and effective use; Friends and Detect Thoughts. At the tabletop the number of NPCs you encounter is generally pretty small and it's easier to work in when these social heavy spells are useful. In a cRPG like Baldurs gate however there are so many people that the excess of choice means they basically don't get used. I tried out detect thoughts a couple of times in my first play through but didn't find any use. Presumably I didn't use it on the right NPCs.

My feedback is that I think it would be a significant improvement if NPCs that have been scripted to reveal something via Detect Thoughts has a speech option with [DETECT THOUGHTS]. Now I know, as a DM, that this wouldn't work at the tabletop. Spells in 5e have verbal and somatic components and NPCs would notice a player casting a spell in front of them. But in a cRPG it's not really fun to run around a corner, cast a spell, run back and do the thing you wanted to do. Might as well just be allowed to do it then and there. Maybe this will have implications for metamagic but things like subtle spell casting might work better for sneak attack anyway given that being noticed for casting spells isn't an important feature of the game. Besides, material components don't seem to be in the game anyway so there's clearly a good level of adaptation.

Please consider this Larian, this would be a great improvement on social spellcasting IMO and would help expand on the feeling of depth and choice. All it really requires is that characters who have (already) been programmed to reveal something under social spells get a marker during dialogue. It still would cost resources but would eliminate the feeling of "I can cast this on anyone...so I'll end up casting it on no one"

Just want to add my 2 cents. Yes, please please please make Friends viable. Been playing a warlock as the face and it seems like my choice in cantrips was for naught as it doesn't seem like i get advantage on CHR when interacting with npcs. Currently there is no reason to choose it as one of my limited cantrips. I would also love a discount with merchants too if possible. Mahalo.

I completely agree!

Yes, canarios like friends should be assumed yo be used in conversation or added as a dialog option. While spells like detect thought should be a dialog option. It worked well on vampire bloodlines. Also, it is already done with the tadpole. Whenever the tadpole would reveal information, detect thoughts should work too

I will use the example of knights of the old republic here (not saying that it is the gold standard, just a example)

Which was based off of 3rd edition rules.

They went to far as to option up dialogue based on skill profenciencies.

I can see this opening dialogues based on background at character selection.

I do know there are spots where heal is used... but that seems to be cleric based, not spell based.

There is so much that can be done here

According to Swen (Monsters and Explosions Twitch interview, around 40:00 iirc), it's on their to-do list.

I like this idea!

I don't know if this was the intention of the OP but my issue with social spells is that you can't cast them in a conversation. Casting something like friends is rarely possible before you engage in a setpiece conversation like Kahga or an goblin encounter where conversation starts automatically and advantage could be really helpful.
I can see the need for some balance if you can give yourself advantage on every charisma roll you have to make, but that could be offset with something like a stealth skillroll to fool someone that is well versed in the arcane or a willsave from the target to signify someone with an extra strong will.

I didn't know that, thanks!




Yup that was the idea, that during a conversation one of the options would be [DETECT THOUGHTS] which would let you click that option to use the spell. Whether or not it should just cost a spell slot or require some other check would probably have to be balanced out.