Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Patch 5 - Melee Combat Changes

Hi all, this thread is focused on changes to jump, disengage, backstab, and threatened.

Overall I love the changes, I made a dwarf fighter and the 1-2 punch with Astarion is absolutely satisfying. I can't really put all of it into words, but combat is significantly more enjoyable. And playing a rogue feels like playing a rogue!

The only concern I have, and it should be free to discuss. Is the additional requirement to get backstab in the fray. In tabletop you only need an ally to be within 5 feet of the enemy, in Baldur's Gate 3 that enemy now also needs to have been damaged with a weapon.

• Why is spell/cantrip damage excluded?
• Is this healthy for the game?

Personally I think the caveat is healthy for the game, rogue can still get sneak attack with a crouch, otherwise rogue is only missing out on 1 round of expected sneak attack. I do request that direct spell damage be included in allowing Sneak Attack, if an enemy has two of my allies in front of them and Gale hits them with a firebolt... Astarion should get sneak attack. That firebolt would be a distraction.

Update - I genuinely had sneak attack bug out against the owl bear.

I had been always making sure to damage the enemy with Tav first, but after getting a successful sneak attack on the first round, the second round I could not get sneak attack on the frightened, injured owl bear. The only changes were that I had cast bane and the owl bear had moved so it became swarmed by Shadowheart, Tav, and Astarion.