I love what they did with the game. But I agree to a point the "Acid and Fire" do stay on the ground too long. Not sure if that is more of a glitch than anything else. Pots in the game are a "Bonus Action" not an "Action." I actually like this, and I think people who play table top would be OK with this change as well. I think that leaving pots as an "Action" would have made the game unplayable for PC Gamers, and they made a good compromise there. I don't think the monsters being smart is a problem. Tucker's Kobolds comes to mind. Simple monsters can be a difficult encounter in their lair.
You're right but if memory serves me right, drinking potions, handing things to other players, grabbing things out of your backpack were all moved to Bonus Actions and is how it works in the rules already.
I like the concept of having a bunch of oil and/or gun powder and putting it close to a boss and boom. Perhaps those things should be more interactive and the mobs could be smart enough to not let me do that. But I always wanted to do stuff like that in our table top campaigns. But the DM would never allow it. If you spent all your time and resources implementing those types of strategies, then you should be rewarded. I don't like the idea of "Linear Campaigns." I like Sand Boxes. I don't like the idea of: you are an Archer, "you shoot a bow." you are a Fighter, "you swing a sword." you are a Wizard, "you cast spells." I remember wanting to apply poison to my weapons. The DM said I couldn't because it was a "Heroic Campaign," and I was like but I am a freaking "Drow." I like the freedom the mechanics provide.
I agree 100%, being able to have more control over your surroundings, this is not a bad thing. But being able to place a few barrels near a hard boss and use a level 0 spell (fire cantrip or something) to blow it up to do massive damage and killing the boss is cheesing it. There needs to be a balance on this and you're not walking around finding pools of poison to dip your sword in all the time. There shouldn't be barrels of oil and gun powder all over the place. And the monsters will attack those first. It just makes it feel superficial hard to make up for a lack of something but I cannot place a finger on it. I like being able to interact with the environment.
Crossbows are a free action to reload (unlike an "Action" in Dnd), but they do have the loading property. I am guessing once we get extra attack at level 5, you won't be able to fire 2 shots unless you have the Crossbow Expert Feat. This seams reasonable as PC Gamers would think it was too lame otherwise. I think it has the proper balance. "Fire Bolt" is what 1d10 in Dnd 5e and "Ray of Frost" is 1d8 as well as slows down movement. The way they did it is 1d6 for each. "Fire Bolt" can set the burning status 1d4 for 2 or 3 turns. (Should be 1 turn for Knights in shinning armor, who would get lightning effect for 2 or 3 turns but not catch fire.) "Ray of Frost" lowers movement speed and they have to "Save" or fall prone and roll to "Save" if they walk through the "Ice." This all make perfect sense. In a way it's even more realistic than Dnd.
Ranged attacks rule in this game. And when everyone even monsters that are supposed to be "easy" I use that term loosely, are firing arrows of acid and fire and creating environmental affects at your feet. Its bad enough that they chase my caster across the map with their bows even though a big burly dwarf with a two handed axe is closing in on them to 1 shot them. I'm actually thinking of starting over and seeing how a ranger works out as I feel it would make the game 100% easier. I could be wrong.
I think that having the "Ice" or "Fire" stay on the ground for 1 turn would be better though. Unless, there was water then the ice stays for 3 turns, and if their was oil then the fire stays for 3 turns. Also, if there was water on the ground the floor doesn't catch fire etc. Just tone down some of the DOS 2 Mechanics a bit. But I would leave them in because that is what Dnd was missing.
The "Acid" status effect, I think lowers your armor class as well. I remember seeing a pop up in the game. One way that Table Top Dnd is more realistic than Larian's version, which in my opinion is very realistic, is this: If Acid lowered the AC of your "Leather", "Chainmail" or "Half-Plate." And "Fire" burned your "Robes." It would remain that way until you found a Tanner, Blacksmith, or Seamstress respectively.
I think having it on the ground is not bad. But here's the thing. I had some poison gas or acid or something in the environment on the ground. I stepped away to let it disappear. I cooked dinner and baked two pumpkin pies and it never went away. so I had to just reload when I came back to my game an hour later. This is no joke. I literally went and put two pumpkin pies in the oven and cooked dinner and it never went away.
Finally, perhaps the "Magical Arrows" were available for Enemies as well as Player Characters a little too early on, and "Poison Weapons" etc. Perhaps cut back on the availability until Act 2. Or at least the end of Act 1 as Drow and Underdark encounters would be well known for using those sorts of things. This may not be common in campaigns but the Dungeon Masters Guide certainly allows for it. I think I got a hold of some Wyvern poison by like LV3 or something. My DM would have never allowed that, or at the very least made me fight the Wyvern in order to obtain it.
Agreed cut back on this type of things until they player has time to obtain equal items.
Also, Baldur's Gate 2 was real-time pause and not turn based at all. I think they have been more Dnd, then any other title except maybe Solasta. I don't know as I have never played Solasta. I have cousins that love RPGs but would hate true 100% turn based. I don't think that minor modification for implementation on a digital medium breaks the game. Just they should keep them minor. Also, having more uncommon items from the "Dungeon Masters Guide" available would be nice. I like the idea of introducing new items as well. I don't think it breaks the game. But I think we can all agree that "Boots of Flying" an uncommon item that should cost around 500 gold pieces in game as well as being somewhat available. They are kind of broken. Larian could break the RPG by simply supplying things straight out the DMG.
I actually feel that turn base is closer to DnD than real-time. I think the turn based is how it should be. The Real-Time makes it feel more fluid but doesn't feel like DnD, everyone gets their turn, I shouldn't have my Wizard mowed down before he can cast 1 spell because I didn't pause the game to set up all of their actions. I understand that there are character AI but when has that ever felt right? lol And magic items are supposed to be rare, especially in the beginning because it tips the balance too early but is needed to fight a dragon. They need to find the right balance.
Also, the DMG says that the DM has the final say so in the game. Larian is the DM, btw. Another-words, they can on day number one throw out all the rules and make everyone play Pokemon. And it is still Dnd according to the rules. I would never sit at a DM's table that did that. Just saying!
They do but as a player I can determine if I want to play or not. If its not enjoyable you will have no players to DM.
Some other suggestions that I have are in instances like when I saved the Goblin Sazza. I actually knocked out the Tiefling that was trying to shoot her, and her brother that turned hostile. I think we should be able to drag their bodies into her cage, and lock them up. You could do that in table top. Also, sometimes I would knock out other enemies. You should be able to pull out their teeth or fingernails if you are doing an Evil play through, and torture them. You can "Speak with the Dead," but maybe they don't want to talk because you killed them. There should be certain information obtained by "Speak with the Dead," other info obtained by "Detect Thoughts," and yet another info obtained from Torture. You can do this in Table Top.
I could go on and on and on. I always try to assassinate people. If I just kill and ask questions later. I don't have to Save Scum. (Sometimes I play the good guy, sometimes I murder hobo, I like to change it up.) I hate how dialogue interrupts my assassinations, and it fails to do them damage. That should be fixed. Because I have saved up that much "Oil and Powder Explosives." My rogue is in position to finish them off after the explosion. However, perhaps my ability to assassinate should be affected by the number of guards in a city. Although, the number of guards should be finite, so that after I assassinate all the guards everyone else becomes fair game. My thinking is that I shouldn't have to fight this boss later on. I don't care that they are essential to the story line. That is not a true Sandbox. That is Dnd with a Linear Story line, which is the main reason that I quit playing Table Top. If a DM can't make any given campaign into a Sandbox, then that just shows a lack of creativity on their part. Larian Studies has the man power. Let's give them a chance.
Right and Larian needs to add this depth to the game and they can do it with their style while keep faith to the 5e DnD ruleset. Its a superficial difficulty by adding elements that just don't really belong.
