Accepting Orbax advice, I’d like to state that I’m not native so go easy on me. That said, here are the arguments:
As everybody could see, Larian implemented a large number of homebrew rules in the Early Access of the game. Out of those new rules, only three of them have the greatest potential to render some classes useless and completely break the overall balance of the game.
My intention through this post is: Not to repeat what is being repeated over and over in this echo chamber of “this game feels like DOS3”. Instead, I’ll get the scenario “AS IS” of the game and explain what are the impacts of that changes in the current scenario & final release.
After reading this extensive text, is up to you to decide if you like it or not. I’m not here to convince you. Yet, if you think that this thing must be changed I’d like to ask for your help to pump the reach of this thread to reach as many comrades as possible and let them to decide whether it’s good or not.
I’ll throw those homebrews over the table:
Increased HP / Decreased AC
Advantage being given by high ground & backstab
Surfaces Effect
(just for this time being I'm leaving out of the debate dumb rules related to Actions to bonus actions for some features like shove and disengage)
I’m handling those 3 at the same time because the way they intertwine jeopardize the whole DnD5e mechanics.
Now, how Increased HP/Decreased AC harms the gaming experience? In the end you are hitting more so there’s a counterbalance to your foe HP to maintain the same number of turns needed to finish them. Well, that could be true IF the spell casters were out of the game.
I’ll start with spell values and action economy:
Even for the those who don’t have a deep understanding of DnD5e have already noticed that the number of spells you can cast is limited by the number of spells slots available to you (which are recovered every long rest). That means that spells are UNRELIABLE source of damage/utility. Once you spend all your spell slots, you’re done for and you can then only use Cantrips (which are a RELIABLE source of damage yet with the trade off of dishing smaller outputs of damage per round).
That said, those spells grows in value given the fact that they can definitely changes the odds of a battle. And why the hell am I using this spell slots as an argument for HP/AC?
Larian changed many things during the course of the Early Access. One thing they didn’t is the damage output of the weapon/cantrips attacks, spells damage & monsters attributes. Also, the number of spell slots remained the same.
It’s important to say that 99% of the spells forces your enemies to roll a saving throw based in a specific attribute (which was not altered). Which means: Spells in DnD5e & BG3 have THE SAME CHANCE TO HIT. Spell attacks like cantrips still targets foes AC but their scaling in damage output is very small compared to other classes like fighters (who get bonus attacks).
Case scenario:
Given an enemy with 7 HP 15AC (DnD5e) and the other with 13 HP 9AC (one of Larian’s goblins),
You cast Shatter(2nd level): Evocation 3d8 (BARD, SORC, LOCK, WIZ) – Dex saves for half – means that: even under a failure your UNRELIABLE spell slot would deal an average of 12 damage therefore killing the 7HP foe and not killing the 13 HP foe. Not to mention its value increase if multiple targets are within 10 foot radius.
First conclusion: Blasting Spells worth LESS in BG3 compared to DnD5e.
On the other hand, weapon attacks receive a boosted chance to hit due to the low AC & were given a new rule of getting advantage in high ground & backstab, boosting the chance to hit even further.
Second conclusion: Blasting Spells lost its value even more. (2x Nerf)
What about utility spells? Now let’s get deeper into the Advantage system in DnD5e and I’ll mention spells that can benefit out of some of them
There’s a list of situations where you’ll get advantage and I’ve added the spells that causes it.
Attack rolls made by a blinded creature have disadvantage. (Deafness / Blind, blinding smite, color spray, contagion, divine word, holy aura/weapon, sunbeam, sunburst)
Attack rolls against a blinded target have advantage. (Deafness / Blind, blinding smite, color spray, contagion, divine word, holy aura/weapon, sunbeam, sunburst)
Attack rolls against an invisible target have disadvantage. (invisibility & greater invisibility)
Attack rolls made by an invisible creature have advantage. (invisibility & greater invisibility)
Attack rolls against a paralyzed target have advantage. (Hold Person)
Attack rolls against a petrified target have advantage. (Flesh to Stone)
Attack rolls and ability checks made by a poisoned creature have disadvantage. (ray of sickness)
Attack rolls against a prone target have advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet, or disadvantage otherwise. (Tashas hideous laughter, Destructive wave, earthquake, sleet storm, thunderous smite, Grease, etc)
Attack rolls made by a prone creature have disadvantage.(Destructive wave, earthquake, sleet storm, thunderous smite, Grease, etc)
Attack rolls against a restrained target have advantage.(Poor Grapple :()
Attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws made by a restrained creature have disadvantage.(Ensnaring Strike, Entangle, Mental Prison, Telekinesis, Web, Whirlwind, Transmute Rock, Snare, and many more)
Attack rolls against a stunned target have advantage. (Stunning strike – Monk, Contagion, Divine Word, Psychic Scream, Symbol)
Attack rolls against an unconscious target have advantage. (Catnap, Eyebite, Sleep, Symbol)
A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight. (Fear, Eyebite, Hallow, Illusionary Dragon, Phantasmal Killer, Symbol, Wrathful smite)
It gets better:
Fairie Fire: advantage 60ft against enemies who fail a dex saving throw
Stealth Attacks : advantage for any attacks against an enemy that cannot see you
& Increased/decreased accuracy spells: True Strike (Yeah this cantrip sucks), Bless & Bane (when you have advantage those spells adds so little to your chance to hit compared to when you have them under normal circumstances)
Barb Reckless Attack (CORE MECHANIC): You receive advantage to your melee attacks while getting disadvantage against you. & Barb path of the totem warrior (wolf) which make closer targets to get disavantage
Cleric Guiding Bolt, shadow blade, Ottos irresistible dance, shocking grasp, and some more
Phew, that was a large list of things that got their outputs diminished by that simple homebrew
Why is it bless (or any spell that boots your accuracy) less effective in BG3:
Let’s do some math with actual numbers:
Goblin 15 AC : Standard hero with +2 prof +3 Attribute modifier = +5 attack rolls
Chance to hit: 55%
Now Bless it (average of +2)
Chance to hit: 65%
65/55=+18% variation
Now take the hero with advantage:
Chance to hit:75%
Now Bless it (average of +2)
Chance to hit: 85%
85/75=+13% variation to your accuracy
If Advantage is dished every single turn your spells will worth less
Isn't it silly to have bless output diminished? now let's do the very same exercise of Bless in BG3
Goblin 9 AC : Standard hero with +2 prof +3 Attribute modifier = +5 attack rolls
Chance to hit: 85%
Now Bless it (average of +2)
Chance to hit: 95%
95/85=+11% variation
Now take the hero with advantage:
Chance to hit:99%
Now Bless it (average of +2)
Chance to hit: 99%
99/99=+0% variation to your accuracy
Yes, your valuable bless spell lost 100% of its value!
Dear tactical adventurer that loves the flavor that Larian added with advange homebrew, do you still thinks it’s a good idea to lower the outputs of that spells granting advantage in abundance?
I’m not done yet
Now, lets add surfaces into play.
Now, your utility spell that rely on concentration (the great majority of them by the way) can be easily broken with a goblin trowing a bomb
That UNRELIABLE spell that you’ve saved for that magical situation were broken by a bomb. Oh, not to mention that you’ve succeed the Save but you took that surface damage that is RELIABLE because it do not miss.
Also, more HP means that against that paralyzed foe will takes more times to be defeated because of the HP bloat, meaning that you’ll need more turns to keep concentrating on and higher are the chances to have your concentration broken until your enemy is dealt with…
Conclusion:
Spell value DnD5e >>>>>>>>>>>>Spell value of BG3
Who cares? Spells don’t even exist in RL.
You know why people who knows DnD5e don’t complain about weapon skills homebrew? Guess what? Because they simply don’t break the game.
Larian’s reasons are: Players do not like to miss.
WotC agree with this, that’s why they’ve added TONS of spells to give you that desirable accuracy. Want to balance the game
Easy – Reduce the values of attributes & Attributes Evenly and/or double damage value outputs.
Hard - Reduce the values of attributes & Attributes Evenly and/or cuts in half damage value outputs.
Want to feel that you’re the king of the hill with homebew– Adds a RAW +2 damage
Or implement cover system from DnD5e. All of that works. Advantage don’t.
There’s no need for breaking the value outputs of the spells to in order to see that hp value popping out of your foes heads every single turn.
