Example: Eating Pigs Heads1.) If Larian balances all combats assuming that players
will eat a pig head to restore 15HP every turn, then not eating pig heads will make the combat incredibly more difficult. So you have the option of
- a) eating an entire pig head in <2 seconds, something that is incredibly un-immersive
- b) playing an unfairly balanced game.
This is a BAD implementation.
2.) If Larian balances combats assuming that players
won't eat a pig head every turn, then eating pig heads will just be a way of optionally making combats easier. This is a GOOD implementation. I personally don't understand why it's included in the game, but it doesn't affect me.
Many of Larian's homebrew fall into the former category. E.g.: - Enemies use high ground, so you can't ignore it. Enemies also sometimes use shove & backstab, and multiple enemies have been given jump+disengage powers.
- Encounters are balanced around constant advantage via high ground & backstab, bonus action jump disengaging, and BA shoving. Enemies are more powerful than in PnP 5e because we can do all these things.
- Companion dialogues are tied to long resting, forcing the player to rest or miss content
