Baldur's Gate 3 is built on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition system, adapted for CRPG by Belgium-based developers Larian Studios. As with any tabletop-to-video game adaption, Larian has had to add, remove, and tweak the Fifth Edition rules to fit Baldur's Gate 3.
Tabletop players will easily recognize the familiar races, classes, features, and monsters in Baldur's Gate 3. However, it's worth noting the more major changes that Baldur's Gate 3 makes to Fifth Edition, so that players who are relying on their tabletop knowledge don't find themselves missing out.
The Biggest Rule Changes in Baldur's Gate 3
The most impactful changes that Larian Studios has made to the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition system can be found in the game's core rules and mechanics:
- The maximum level is 12
- Multiclassing ignores Ability Score requirements
- In Act 1, players will meet an NPC that can respec their characters
- HP gained when leveling up uses the average result of the class' Hit Die
- There is no cover system
- When a character makes a ranged attack at a target at least 10ft lower than them, they get a +2 bonus. If the target is at least 10ft higher than them, they instead take a -2 penalty
- Player characters with shared initiatives can act simultaneously
- There are no Tool or Language Proficiencies
- There are no Hit Dice, but Short Rests restore half of each character's HP
- The party can only Short Rest twice between each Long Rest
- Long Rests require Camp Supplies
- Each Weapon type has a set of Weapon Actions that can be used once per Short Rest
- Characters earn Inspiration based on their Background, and can only use it to reroll Ability Checks
- Shoving, Jumping, and drinking a Potion are all Bonus Actions
- Players cannot ready actions or grapple
- Characters can throw other characters that are at least one size smaller than them
- Bonus Action attacks, such as offhand attacks, do not require a main hand attack to be made first
RELATED: Baldur's Gate 3: How To Change Party Members
The Biggest Spellcasting Changes in Baldur's Gate 3
Along with tweaks to individual spells, there have also been several major changes to the spellcasting system:
- Characters can cast both an Action Spell and a Bonus Action Spell on the same turn
- Clerics, Druids, and Wizards can change their prepared spells at any time outside of combat
- There is no Verbal, Somatic, and Material Components system, and spells can be cast with both hands full
- Some spells can be cast when Silenced or Hidden
- Longer duration spells now last until the next Long Rest
- Any character can cast a Spell Scroll, but only spellcasters get to add their Proficiency Bonus
- Ritual Casting spells takes no additional time
The Biggest Race Changes in Baldur's Gate 3
The 11 Races of Baldur's Gate 3 can all be played in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, though some have received fairly major changes:
- All races get +2 and +1 to two Ability Scores of their choice, rather than their racial bonuses
- All races with Darkvision have a reduced range to compensate for the smaller maps in Baldur's Gate 3. Races with Superior Darkvision, like the Drow, also have a reduced range, but it's still double basic Darkvision
- Elves and Drow don't have the ability to Trance instead of sleeping
- Drow are no longer weaker in sunlight
- Half-Elves don't get additional Skill Proficiencies
- High and Wood Half-Elves can't take Elf Weapon Training
- Halflings can't pass through other creatures' spaces
- There is no Variant Human option
- Forest Gnomes have permanent Speak with Animals
- Deep Gnomes' Advantage on Stealth checks doesn't require rocky terrain
RELATED: Baldur's Gate 3: All Negative Combat Status Effects, Explained
The Biggest Class Changes in Baldur's Gate 3
The 12 Classes in Baldur's Gate 3 have all been tweaked extensively, but here's the most impactful changes for each class:
- The Barbarian's Rage and Reckless Attack features work with Finesse weapons and thrown weapons/objects
- The Bard's Song of Rest allows the party to take an additional Short Rest per Long Rest
- The Cleric's Turn Undead can no longer instantly kill weaker undead
- Druids can wear metal armor but can't alter their concentration spells while in Wild Shape form. Additionally, Wild Shape no longer has a fixed duration
- Monks receive their Ki feature at 1st level and gain more Ki points overall
- Paladins select their Oath at first level, and can lose their powers if they break the tenets of their Oath
- The Ranger's Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer features are greatly expanded with new and more powerful options
- Rogues no longer gain Thieves' Tools Proficiency as the Sleight of Hand skill is used to pick locks instead
- Sorcerers gain Metamagic at level 2 and get a third Metamagic option at level 3
- The Warlock's Pact of the Blade feature now allows characters to use their Charisma for attacks and damage with weapons
- The Wizard can instantly learn a spell scroll but still must pay a gold price per spell level
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now for PC. The PlayStation 5 version will be available on September 6th, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X/S is still in development.
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FAQs
The massive damage rule is designed for games of heroic fantasy. It maintains the remote possibility that a single blow from a mighty opponent can kill a chracter, regardless of that character's actual hit points.
What is the 60 second rule in D&D? ›
A practice I find makes combat feel fast and intense, the 60 second rule makes it so players (not including the dm) only have 60 seconds to decide and act during their turn. In addition, other players are not allowed to interject. The DM tells a player when their time starts.
What is the difference between 3rd edition and 5e D&D? ›
One of the most easily spotted differences between 3e and 5e Dungeons and Dragons is the way that they handle skills - one look at the two character sheets, and you'll instantly spot the difference in space that they take up. The 5e sheet sections off a small rectangle for it alongside the basic stats and modifiers.
What is the hidden rule in D&D? ›
Hiding in D&D 5e takes an action to do. To hide, roll a Dexterity (Stealth) check for your character and tell the DM (Dungeon Master) the result. The Hide action grants PCs advantage on their first attack roll against an enemy. It also forces enemies to roll attacks against hidden creatures with disadvantage.
What is the 21 damage rule in EDH? ›
A player that's been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game. The commander is tracked across zone changes for this purpose (for example, if one player takes control of another player's commander, any damage that commander already dealt is still counted).
What is the brutal critical rule in 5e? ›
Brutal Critical
Beginning at 9th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack. This increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level.
What is the golden rule of D&D? ›
The golden rule of D&D is that the word of the DM is the final say on any matter when it comes to rules. Even if it directly goes against what it says in the Player's Handbook or Dungeon Master's Guide. While this can be a useful tool to introduce cool aspects into the game it can also take away from player enjoyment.
What is rule 0 of DnD? ›
Known as 'Rule 0', the principle has existed throughout all of D&D's history, with varying wordings in official publication. In short, it states that the DM is the final arbiter of the rules; the world belongs to them and their players, and the rules of the world are created by them.
What is the instant death rule in D&D? ›
Massive damage can kill you instantly. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points and there is damage remaining, you die if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit point maximum.
Will one D&D make 5e obsolete? ›
Will D&D 2024 make 5E obsolete? Though the arrival of Dungeons & Dragons 2024 is hotly anticipated and will provide players with a new way to play the tabletop RPG - as well as a fresh entry-point with the new books - it will not mean that 5E will vanish from existence.
D&D 5e is by no means lacking in character customization. But some find it to be somewhat limited in comparison to what came before, especially with feats being rarer and more costly to take. As such, for players who really love building characters, 3.5 is a good choice.
Is 3 players enough for D&D? ›
Yes, you can play Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with three players, typically one acting as the Dungeon Master and the other two controlling player characters.
What is the cool rule in D&D? ›
Essentially, the Rule of Cool is a trope that is a willing suspension of disbelief for the sake of something cool happening, without dwelling too much on the specifics.
What is the red rule in D&D? ›
A player-controlled character can only be seduced or otherwise put in a sexual situation if the player is okay with it. Otherwise, any such attempt fails automatically.
What are the surprise rules in D&D? ›
If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't.”
What is the massive damage variant rule? ›
Massive Damage (DMG p273)
Under the rules for Massive Damage, a character who takes more than half their hit points in damage in one blow must make a Constitution saving through at DC 15 or roll on the System Shock table.
What is the damage rule in 5e? ›
Whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hit points. The loss of hit points has no effect on a creature's capabilities until the creature drops to 0 hit points.
What does massive damage do? ›
Massive Damage
Indicated enemy types will take much more damage from unit attacks. Units with this ability will inflict 3x damage to specific enemy traits. The Fruit Treasures increase the effect against certain enemy traits to 4x damage.
What is the oversized rule in 5e? ›
Oversized weapons are an interesting and hotly debated topic in 5e Dungeons and Dragons. The basic concept is that as a weapon increases in size, the weapon dice are added again for every step above Medium, as per the rules on page 278 of the DMG.
