Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback How would modify companions stats?

As the title says, how would you modify companions initial stats, class, race or other characteristics. The backstory of the companion would remain, but everything else is fair game.

I would start with Shadow Heart. Having 13 strenght and 9 on Dexterity makes no sense. It would be way better if she has 12 strenght and 10 dexterity to avoid the dexterity penalty. And considering that she is not going to be a melee fighter, it would be better if she has higher dexterity. That way she could use a ranged weapon more effectibly.

Anyway, it doesn't seem as if we are going to have the chance to change that.

The mods will deliver us, you can be sure of that.

Yeah, mods are great. Specially when some stats are so bad. By the way, do you get the impression that dome of them asume that you would have the intellect band? Astarion is a good example.

Just throwing this out there.

The only reason I could think to not make the change you recommend is the possibility of an alignment change. If she turns to Selune she would lose access to the Trickery domain and then a strength build would make more sense.

Dump Shadow's extra charisma into dex too, she's not charismatic at all

I had a suggestion a few weeks ago asking for us to be able toe custom every companions as much as possible.

As much as possible because you can't change the class of shadowheart or her divinity for obvious reasons... But the domain isn't related to her god and a few domain (not all) should match.
Abilities, proficiencies and backgrounds are also things we should be able to custom.

Models or races could maybe also be a thing even if everything is not unlocked.

Even if anything is not allow for everyone and if you can't custom the exact same things for everyone of them, being able to custom origins characters as much as possible before the beginning of the game could be awesome and create a new concept : Origin companions.

That make sense is a game where a huge majority of players care about custom characters way more than about origin characters.

I think they give her charisma for the rebuke undead. Same as giving Astarion wisdom 14 instead the 8 bis dialogs suggest. It is handy for perception even if it doesn't fit personality.

Your suggestion is completely on point maximus

You mean Turn Undead? That keys off WIS now. It's part of the streamlining process of 5e.

Supposedly, evil priest can control undead instead of turning them. But you might be right and then, there is no point in high cha for clerics

Shadowheart can have the exact same stats and a 10 Dex with point buy. She and Astarion are just made intentionally shitty, with a +1 in both of their dump stats.

She'd be fine in melee with a 14 starting Strength. Its the -1 to AC, Initiative, and more importantly Dex saves that's an issue. Mine spent a lot of time on her ass thanks to ice patches.

I agree that they are made suboptimal for some reason. Although Astarion (or Laezal) compensate with the intellect band. The optionbto go eldrtch knight or arcane trickster with a dumped down int, is really unbalancing.

On the other hand, classes like cleric or wizard have no magic object that bump a relevant stat. I suppose that neither limit the intellect band or add other ítems. But until then, it seems that Shadowheart would suffer more than Astarion from this.

Agreed. I think dos2 had something similar where you couldn't change race but everything else was fair game. You can lock class and race but allow everything else (except specific things like Shadowheart's deity of choice for example)

I personally feel like Astarion is supposed to be very charismatic. I'm okay with his DEX score, I can even accept that he isn't that smart, but his charisma being a flat 10? That is just not something I believe. Now that I think of it, the first time you meet him he tricks you. Doesn't sound like someone with 9 INT.

I'm not familiar with D&D mechanics myself, but it seems that many think Shadowheart has garbage stats. I've read this several times on the Something Awful forums, where they've been discussing this game.

e: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3891331

Disclaimer: Stats assume base Human (+1 to all stats) for Gale and Wyll. Overall improvement of stat loadout while maintaining adherence to the base character concept was the intention.

Astarion

STR: 12
DEX: 16
CON: 12
INT: 10
WIS: 12
CHA: 14

Lower wisdom to reflect his lack of self-control and restraint in the absence of his master's leash while still giving credit to his elvish and vampirically enhanced senses. Much higher charisma to reflect his suave manner and familiarity with the higher eschelons of society. Kept constitution low to reflect the fact that he's essentially been malnourished for the entirety of his vampire life.

Gale

STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 13
INT: 16
WIS: 12
CHA: 14

Lowered constitution to better reflect that Gale is an academic from a wealthy urban environment (can easily be brought to 14 with the Resilient feat). Kept balance between wisdom and charisma the same. Gale is clearly capable of forethought and planning, but his ego blinds him to the possible consequences in the event of a failure. He is polite, well-spoken, and much much better at keeping secrets and his true motives from the PC than pretty much any other companion.

Lae'zel

STR: 16
DEX: 12
CON: 14
INT: 12
WIS: 10
CHA: 12

Balanced out physical stats to increase constitution. A trained fighter that is pretty much limited to melee has no business running around with less than 14 constitution. Kept intelligence above-average to reflect race's affinity for psionics, even though Lae'zel herself does not seem particularly intelligent. Kept wisdom mediocre to reflect her inability to compromise, properly gauge her odds or otherwise look past the confines of her doctrine while still allowing for idea of some willpower training, which Githyanki warriors no doubt receive. Charisma higher, because while Lae'zel has all the charm of a bag of rusted razorblades, she radiates certainty and has a very forceful personality.

Shadowheart

STR: 10
DEX: 14
CON: 14
INT: 10
WIS: 16
CHA: 12

Flipped balance of strength and dexterity, because a trickery domain cleric is unlikely to be particularly well-versed in melee and lacks training in heavier strength-based weapons and armor. A dexterity focus allows Shadowheart to use ranged weapons somewhat effectively and shift to a more rogue-like weapon loadout that would make sense for her domain. Constitution higher as well, because clerics are one of the hardier character archetypes regardless of domain. Charisma slightly lower, because while Shadowheart is very secretive and her faith thrives on deception, she is extremely bad (almost hilariously so) at hiding the fact that she does, in fact, have secrets.

Wyll

STR: 11
DEX: 16
CON: 14
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 16

Changed physical stats to better reflect a bladelock that Wyll is clearly meant to be, though he would be using a rapier rather the longsword he is depicted with in official art. Lowered intelligence substantially, because nothing Wyll says or does suggests higher learning or a great intellect and he clearly came by his pact through chance rather than study of forbidden arcana. Kept wisdom low because he is bad at forethought and keeping the consequences of his own actions in mind, made all the worse by being so enarmored with his own fake persona.

Aren’t companion stats built off the standard array stats? I haven’t paid enough attention to confirm that, but I’ve read that here. If it is so, Larian should Dutch that for using point buy to build decent characters.

Yeah, I think they are using the standard array and that doesn't really work. Leuenhertz proposal is better, based on how larian is presenting the characters.