It's been 20 years since the last expansion to hit a Baldur's Gate game. Hasbro is betting that the current renaissance of will translate into strong sales of a brand new Baldur's Gate made by the same studio that brought us Divinity: Original Sin. Larian Studios is no stranger to adapting tabletop gameplay to video games, but when it comes to Baldur's Gate 3, they wanted to ensure as faithful a representation of D&D rules as possible.
In an interview with IGN, combat designer Matt Holland at Larian talked about just how closely Baldur's Gate will mirror the current rules for Dungeons & Dragons. So far, it seems like they've stayed pretty close to the source material, with only a few minor deviations made for the digital medium.
The World Turns
Turn-based action is not hard for a video game to replicate, but getting each of those turns to feel like the 6-second rounds in Dungeons & Dragons is more challenging. Baldur's Gate 3 uses a similar combat system to Divinity: Original Sin 2, but stretched out so that each turn follows the same structure as D&D. Each character has movement, action, bonus action, and reaction just as they do in the tabletop game.
Out of combat, however, time flows freely. There's no need to play the game in 6-second increments unless you have a goblin bearing down your neck, but there are times when you want to take stock of your situation and make a plan. Those "what do you do" moments are facilitated by a "pause" button that will let the player strategize freely in much the same waythey would while sitting around a table with their playgroup (unless your DM is a jerk and puts you on the clock).
This pause button really comes into its own during stealth sections. There, a player can hit pause, plan out their infiltration, and then execute the perfect sneak attack.
Who Goes First?
Initiative works a bit differently in Baldur's Gate 3. Rather than each character and monster having their own separate initiative rolls, Baldur's Gate uses Side Initiative. This means that each side rolls a D20 and whoever rolls highest goes first. It's technically in the rules (see page 270 of the Dungeon Master's Guide), but rarely implemented on paper.
Larian decided to go with Side Initiative for two reasons. First, it allowed the player to be more creative with spells and abilities, finding combos and group tactics that were spectacularly effective. And second, it meant that players in multiplayer co-op games were more engaged; communication is key in order to pull off those same combos.
Side Initiative also just makes combat generally faster as it means the AI gets to move their pieces all at once. It does break the action economy somewhat as it means that whoever goes first can focus-fire down an opponent before they can even respond, but given the number of enemies you’ll face, this probably won’t be as game-breaking as it would be on paper.
Skill checks are all done behind the scenes. Perception, investigation, and charisma-based skills all happen automatically as necessary. For example, when passing by a hidden object, the player will either pass their check and the hidden object will appear when they walk by, or nothing will happen. All characters make these checks individually so as to not slow down gameplay.
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But What About Spells?
Some spells are - as expected - difficult to implement in a video game. Fireball and Guiding Bolt are simple enough, but more open-ended spells like Minor Illusion and Wish are far tougher to code for. How do you allow a player to Wish for anything they can think of?
To get around that, Larian has implemented a context-based system for these spells. It means you won't be able to do as much as you could in the tabletop version of D&D, but it does mean you'll have a list of options that you can select from in any given situation - provided you have the right spell, of course.
The one thing Larian hasn't quite figured out is reactions. They found that popup menus that come up whenever a reaction becomes available didn't feel good, so opportunity attacks are all just automatic. Things like Counterspell are a little trickier, and Larian is still trying to find a way of implementing that spell without interrupting the normal game flow. We'll find out how they fix that problem when Baldur's Gate 3 enters Steam Early Access later this year.
Source: IGN
NEXT: Baldur's Gate 3 - These Characters From The Original Games Could Return
FAQs
This page and related pages summarise rule changes from the implementation of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e) rules to Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). The rule changes described on this page and related pages are written with the assumption the reader understands the relevant D&D 5e rule.
How close to D&D is Baldurs Gate 3? ›
Summary. Baldur's Gate 3 is based on the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the classic tabletop RPG. DnD has multiple elements that are impossible to adapt into a video game, making differences in BG3's rules a necessity.
Is Baldur's Gate 3 faithful to D&D? ›
Baldur's Gate 3 isn't merely using D&D for its setting or fantasy flavour, but recreating its rules almost exactly. And as a result, D&D and Baldur's Gate 3 are in many ways mutually beneficial to one another.
Does BG3 help you learn D&D? ›
Its explains how to play the game. It homebrews several things, so you won't get a perfect example of how TT 5e DnD works. That being said, it's not too off, so I'd say it's a decent way to get a very general idea of the system. I wouldn't solely rely on it though.
How accurate is Baldur's Gate 3 to D&D? ›
Baldur's Gate 3 is an incredible facsimile of Dungeons & Dragons' Fifth Edition. Its recreation of D&D 5E's gameplay system and worldbuilding are exceptionally accurate. Fans of the tabletop roleplaying game would struggle to find another video game that provides such a faithful experience.
What version of D&D is Baldur's Gate 3 based on? ›
The game is based on the 5th-edition Dungeons & Dragons rule set, though it includes tweaks and modifications that Larian found necessary in adapting it to a video game. For example, the combat system is more in favour of the player than in the tabletop version, to make the game more enjoyable.
Does Baldur's Gate feel like D&D? ›
It'll give you a really rough introduction to the concept but the actual mechanics aren't really the same. Decently so, in that the mechanics are. Reasonable translation of the tabletop mechanics in the edition that was used when each entry was released.
How much of Baldur's Gate 3 is currently playable? ›
The current Early Access version allows you to play through Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3, which lasts roughly 30 hours. There are many classes and races to test, though, so you might find yourself playing for much longer across various saves.
Will Baldur's Gate 3 be bigger than Divinity 2? ›
I read this multiple times, apparently BG3 is a huge game, but not as huge as Divinity 2. I remember in Divinity 2 I would spend almost 20 hours in Fort Joy lol (not Reapers Coast, actual Fort Joy), and apparently in this game you can be finished in 30ish hours.
Can you be evil in BG3? ›
1: Yes, going evil will have some companions leave you (specifically Karlach, Wyll, and Gale... though I think you can persuade Gale into staying.). In return you do get a couple evil companions. 2: While it is entirely possible to do an evil playthrough, doing so cuts out a massive portion of the game's content.
The level cap in Baldur's Gate 3 is 12, having previously been 5 prior to the full release of the game. It's highly unlikely that we'll see further updates or expansions in the future that raise the cap beyond level 12, due to the complexity it adds when accounting for high-level spells and powers.
Will Baldur's Gate 3 have dungeon master mode? ›
Baldur's Gate 3 Lead Says The Dungeon Master Mode Is Not Planned. The development of the mode would require too much time. Head of Larian Studios, Swen Vincke, continues to talk about Baldur's Gate 3 and its upcoming release, sharing what players can expect.
Can you play Baldur's Gate 3 without knowing anything about D&D? ›
Nothing tops the feeling of something you love inspiring something amazing, but let's stop the DnD gatekeeping with Baldur's Gate 3. Dungeons & Dragons is responsible for more videogames than you'd think.
What is the best main class in BG3? ›
The best classes in BG3 are Bard, Rogue, Wizard, Cleric, and Paladin, as they are the best at fulfilling their role. All five of these classes are able to accomplish their specialty better than any other, even if just by a small margin.
Who can you sleep with in BG3? ›
Companions you can romance as in have a relationship with:
- Shadowheart.
- Astarion.
- Wyll.
- Lae'zel.
- Gale.
- Karlach.
- Halsin (only starts in Act 3)
- Minthara (least content and you might want to be evil for this one)
Baldur's Gate 3 is based on Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, and the party is limited to 4 characters. Numerous side quests and plot twists are associated with particular NPCs and can be activated if they are found in the player's party.
Is Baldur's Gate D&D canon? ›
It may come as a surprise to some fans, but Baldur's Gate 3 is, in fact, canon to the world of Dungeons and Dragons—in fact, all three games are.
Can you play as an artificer in Baldur's Gate 3? ›
However, despite the staggering amount of options, Baldur's Gate 3 did have a noticeable omission of a popular Dungeons and Dragons class: Artificer. Artificer was the only class of Dungeon and Dragon's thirteen classes to be omitted from Baldur's Gate 3.
