Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Ranking Skills For Early Access Playthrough

[b So this thread is for people to list what skills they found useful during their playthroughs. I have three skill monkey characters, each close to the level cap, and some skills haven't come up at all, while others are far more regularly used, and therefore, more utility in my opinion.

if you post about an instance a skill came in handy then I'll update the list to show that a skill is more useful then I originally thought, etc. Thanks to anyone who takes the time.]



STRENGTH SKILLS

01. Athletics (Really useful in a passive sense, as long as you're a strength based character, otherwise, it's a complete waste).


DEXTERITY SKILLS

02. Acrobatics (Not as valuable as Athletics, but useful in a passive sense, as long as you're a Dexterity based character, otherwise, it's a complete waste).

03. Sleight of Hand (Allows you to pick pockets AND even more importantly, DISARM TRAPS! I don't know if they have programed any other use for it so far, I find this can be very useful if you're careful).

04. Stealth (Extremely useful if you have a high DEX score, also Wood Elf and Half Wood Elf get it for free!).


INTELLEGENCE SKILLS

05. Arcana (Very early on in the Tutorial Level there are a few small Arcana rolls which add to fluff and lore, but doesn't seem to impact much otherwise in terms of ramifications for your character, there may be more later).

06. History (I have yet to see a single trigger for a History roll, so far it's completely pointless until someone finds a use for it in early access).

07. Investigation (There are a few places where high Difficulty, or high DC rolls for Investigate occur. *Might also sub for Perception in some areas TBD).

08. Nature (There are a few rolls available I seem to have missed involving the Druid Grove, will check for them soon).

09. Religion (So far this adds to fluff and lore in a few spots, but doesn't seem to impact much otherwise in terms of ramifications for your character).


WISDOM SKILLS

10. Animal Handling (There is a wild Boar you can sooth with Animal Handling at the start of the game if you keep an eye out for it, and a very dangerous encounter which can be affected by it if you have it, there also might be other instances of it being useful, especially in some dialogues, but I haven't seen anything which wasn't ultra-specific, still, not without it's uses).

11. Insight (Super useful in dialogues when it comes to fishing for story elements or more information on your party members, one of the best skills to take as long as you can invest in WIS to make it worth it).

12. Medicine (There are a few instances where Medicine comes up in dialogues, and it can be useful on top of healing spells and potions, if you are WIS based character, and there's nothing better to pick this is a good choice).

13. Perception (Great skill if you have a high WIS, in that you can use it to avoid traps, notice things in dialogues, and find hidden objects/doors, Elves get it for free).

14. Survival (I have yet to see a single trigger for a Survival roll, so far it's completely pointless until someone finds a use for it in early access).


CHARISMA SKILLS

15.Deception (Secondary CHA based skill to Persuasion, it's almost an auto-take if you're already taking Persuasion, or planning to get it as a 2nd Level Warlock).

16. Intimidation (Tertiary CHA based skill, but there are ways to get advantage with it as a Tiefling

17. Performance (I have yet to see a single trigger for a Performance roll, so far it's completely pointless until someone finds a use for it in early access).

18. Persuasion (Possibly the MOST useful CHA based skill, but they're all very useful to have together if possible, works well with INSIGHT and PERCEPTION in conversations, can get it for FREE as a 2nd Level Warlock).


NOTE: If you're playing an Asmodeus Tiefling you get Thaumaturgy as a Cantrip, and can get FREE Advantage on Intimidation and Performance Rolls. OR if you take Friends as a cantrip, you can get Advantage on ALL Charisma based skills. It seems that people don't get mad if you cast Friends, so unless that's revised to be more like P&P, it's an auto take if you're CHA based caster with access to it).

[/b]

Off the top of my head:

03. Sleight of Hand is used to disarm traps.
06. History rolls pretty often, typically as a passive thing mid-conversation that changes your available dialogue options.
07. There's a high DC Investigation roll when entering the region for Auntie Ethel's house. I'd say more, but I don't know how to spoiler text here. I thiiink it's also passively rolled sometimes, in place of Perception, to notice environmental details?
08. Nature has a couple of available rolls. Two off the top of my head are in/near the Druid's Grove (one even being an explicit option to try and persuade someone!).

theres also an invetigate roll and an arcana roll involved with the Us, the intellect devourer. And a few more Arcana rolls after that

Awesome thanks! I'll update with these.

Thanks, added!

Athletics and Acrobatics are both a flat 0/10, as neither seem to do anything at the moment. Athletics is NOT used for jumping, that is done by the STR modifier. There don't seem to be any Acrobatics checks for mitigating fall damage or not landing prone.

Investigation is probably pretty low, because you can't investigate for traps at all, that's entirely perception-based.

Survival has come up once or twice as your character speaking out loud "hey, tracks here".

I've seen Animal Handling checks for knowing how to act non-threatening to creatures or soothing them away, and even one which revealed an illusion.

You can use Performance in a Loviatar's priest pain trial. There are 3 checks for 3 strikes (along with some others like Intimidation or Constitution).

I believe nature check helped with finding the scuffed rock/chest west of the nautiloid crash early on in the game.

Should make a sheet of the skills and where used.

I like the perception use. I hate traps.

There is a Tiefling in the Druid Grove who is trying to write a song. You can use performance to help her complete the song. There are multiple checks as you work through each verse of the song.

That's super interesting...thanks!