Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Surfaces and Combos ARE BACK :'(

Total agreement to the OP

In DOS1 I managed this by focussing on abilities that hit targets, not the environment.
I quit DOS2 because in most battles the whole map is filled with crazy effects, sometimes its almost impossible to walk around and its almost impossible to avoid these crazy effects.

For BG3 I just hope for one thing: use the DnD 5E rules.
Most spells deal damage once, only when the description says they create a hazard zone (grease, web, stinking cloud, spike groth, . . .) they should influence the environment. These hazard zone effects should only be removed by stuff written in the description, such as clouds being removed by wind.

This means:
- A fireball causes an explosion that deals damage once to every char and object in the area. It does not leave behind a round area where the ground is burning, especially when the ground is rock or sand.
- A lightning spell cast on a target in a stinking cloud deals damage to the target. It does not electrify the whole cloud and does not stunn everyone standing in it.
- Holding a regular arrow into a fire does not create a flame arrow. In the best case nothing happens, in the worst case you destroy the arrow and the bow. Same thing for melee weapons, just in case.
- There is no teleport spell similar to DOS in DnD (some spells allow you to teleport yourself) and shove or jump should not be bonus actions any char can do every round. They are actions you can do instead of an attack (unless a feat or class ability says something else) and jump should not avoid attacks of opportunity (you have the disangage action for that)

Among other problems these issues reduce the value of some (sub) classes. Some classes or feats have the ability to do some moves at all, do some things as bonus action or reaction or influence the environment in unique ways. This would be meaningless if everyone can do it.

Some environmental effects do make sense. It is OK if a fire spell blows up a gunpowder barrel ( why do I find gunpowder barrels in a middle age fantasy world anyway). But such environmental effects should be the exception in places where it makes sense. It should not be the standart in every fight.