Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Special Arrows and Acid

Can we please seriously tone down the special arrows in this game? I get it, they were fun and cool in DOS2, but in BG3 I'm finding it less and less useful to bother having magic casters when I could just have warriors and rangers with tons of special arrows. Also, acid needs to just deal acid damage, not reduce AC. Reducing AC is a [i][serious/i] thing in D&D, even just a 2 point AC reduction makes it a lot easier to roll attacks that hit. That's why most, if not all, spells and cantrips don't reduce AC. Having it on a starting cantrip/spell is just insane. Having spells that give us advantage on attack rolls against a target is already enough, but combine that with decreasing their AC and you might as well be the Forgotten Realms best sniper.

I agree. Special arrows were a thing in DOS2, but this game is supposed to be based on DnD 5e. I want it to feel distinct from DOS2. There are no such arrows in DnD, and it is like you said: why bother with spellcasting?

Special arrows were a thing in original BG too. Problem is not their availability, but in their implementation...same as cantrip issue.

+1
in BG you had special arrows that dealt additional damage. that was fine, since there was not as much stacking in the early parts of the game.
The problem is the easy stacking of abilities. You basicly always get advantage, you can reduce enemy AC without even giving up your damage in that turn by shooting acid arrows. At the moment you basicly play poorly if you do not have 90%+ hit chance against basicly any opponent.

totally +1

there are way too many things to create surface everywhere.
Arrows, potions, spells, containers,...

If every single goblin have surfaces arrows, it become boring and less interresting.
Please, keep those arrows for specific combats (boss i.e) or tone them down so they don't create any surface.

The surface thing is a mecanic I really love but not in EVERY combat.
This is BG3/D&D, not DoS.

That's something I can agree with, getting my hands on special arrows or vials of acid/other throwables feels really easy, same for weapons and equipment with special effects. It just doesn't feel like a reward when I can get special items from random easy to kill goblins. Now, if you had to fight a boss and/or a decently tough mob of enemies to get some special items like special arrows or equipment with a unique effect, it would feel a lot more like a reward, more like I actually earned that loot than just some crap I got from killing a couple goblins or an easy skeleton mob (seriously, an amulet that lets me cast Speak with Dead as much as I want for free just for fending off a few measly skeletons? The biggest problem I had with that fight was the stupid acid cantrip, and the -2 to AC didn't really matter much cause I mopped the floor with them right after anyway without the melee guy getting close enough to hit me)

I don't mind arrows that deal an extra 1d6 of fire/acid/whatever. As long as they are rare and expensive or magical (Flame Arrows, 3rd level Transmutation).

I do have an issue with them being spammed by goblins or basically whoever and leaving ridiculous pools of fire or acid on the battlefield in addition to literally drenching the target. Gallons of acid from an arrow.

Goblins can make a concealed grease pool trap and light it with a normal 1d6 fire arrow that doesn't create a surface.

Acid temporarily corroding your armor is a weird concept. This is where I want things to make sense. If you want a temporary AC debuff, there are things that do make sense, like a daze effect. In D&D, there's Rust Monster that gives weapons a permanent cumulative -1 penalty. Acid corroding armor should follow the same principles and be permanent. That said, any kind of AC debuff from a cantrip on top of damage is too powerful anyway.

The issue to me is also, that they work around armor class.
I did a run with a "tank" fighter. so heavy armor, shield, defensive training and shield of fait cast on him for AC21. Wich is supposed to be pretty damn amazingly good on early levels.
Yet the goblins shoot fire arrows, they miss, but the AOE that does not allow for a save hits me anyways and deals damage. And since it´s a dot it easily deals as much damage as a ordinary hit of a bow, even if they miss.
so whats the point in scaling up AC? Thats BS.

I´d suggest fire arrows:
- Dealing +d3 fire damage on hit.
- No aoe
- Not setting surfaces on fire, unless you specificly target the surface (and therefore give up the damage with the arrow)
- Reflex DC10 safe to be set on fire for 1 damage DOT for like 2 rounds, if they really really really want to have a burning effect. But allowing for a save should be mandatory.

for reference: The +2 arrows of fire in BG1 had d6 fire damage, negated by a successful spell save.