It’s been a few days since I last saved the Sword Coast, and I’ve spent far more time along the River Chionthar than I anticipated this year. Baldur’s Gate 3 won game of the year recently and since I just finished my first playthrough (yes I anticipate I will play it again) I wanted to reflect on some of the lessons I took from the video game adaptation of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. Mostly some observations on rules changes and things I might implement at my own table. I’ll keep this blog spoiler-free and focus instead on some of the mechanics and how those change the game.
Usefulness of Shoving and Movement Abilities on the Battlefield
Baldur’s Gate 3 makes greater use of the bonus action in its ruleset. There are several actions changed to bonus actions to assist in creating a smoother video game adaptation. As a result, shoving as a bonus action and other movement abilities become a real tactical option. Anyone who has the Shove Off achievement can tell you, there’s great satisfaction in yeeting one’s foes from upon high or into a chasm. In the RAW 5th edition ruleset shoving as an action is often seen as a sub-optimal choice when a spell or weapon can be used with that precious action.
Presenting shoving as a better option within the action economy allows the characters to utilize it more readily. Additionally, the terrain and shoving (and other movement based effects) provides a tactical advantage to whoever uses it. The battlefields have been thought out with this function in mind. The terrain and this simple-trick-players-hate can also be used by more intelligent enemies. I’ll never forgive what Balthazar did to Karlach. Ah, who am I kidding, I immediately save-scummed and yeeted the problem away myself.
My point here is that by allowing greater use of the bonus action adds more tactical choices to the game for classes who are not as bonus action heavy in their overall abilities. Of course several of the new weapon abilities and the use of potions as bonus action makes deciding what to use as a bonus action since there are more options. What about those other options?
Chugging Potions as a Bonus Action
Another change to the RAW is the ability to drink potions as a bonus action. Many 5e tables may have already adopted this as a rule from Critical Role or as their own house rule. In Baldur’s Gate 3, unless you’re running around in turn-based-mode (you know who you are) time is passing, which makes keeping buffs from spells and potions sometimes shorter than they might be at a static table. If I was heading into a tough fight I’d utilize turn-based-mode to keep my buffs going, though this sometimes made initiative awkward.
The game not only allows drinking potions with a bonus action, it also provides a ton of potions to use. This frees up casters to more have fun in combat with less buffing during their combat turns. Though it can be really fun watching your teammates wreck havoc while buffed, it can also frustrating applying the buffs once combat begins (especially those with touch or short ranges). While, potions as a bonus action can be more fun, I’ll be the first to admit it can change the character of battles greatly, especially if the potion supply is great. Another change is that BG3 allows you to throw potions at other party members and enemies. It works for the game okay, but I think in a tabletop game it could be abused by players in strange ways. That might be where I draw a line.
Special Weapon Actions
Each type of weapon you pick up in Baldur’s Gate 3 has its own special attacks. Sometimes these are bonus actions and other times they are full actions involving movement and applying conditions, something absent from all but the most involved magic weapons in 5th Edition. These special attacks are tied to a Short or Long Rest and fit well into the same dynamic the game uses for magic weapons. Though +1 and +2 weapons are available from vendors and as drops by far the most interesting weapons are the ones with special abilities and spells.
Unique Magic Items
To that point the game has some very flavorful and fun magic items. The best of these apply fun abilities in and out of combat, giving access to spells, increasing key abilities, and providing more options for the characters to utilize. Recently Mike Shea put talked about this on his YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKRaXJZhYV8. He talked about creating magic items in this way. Although this is not something new to the game it isn’t something often seen in the core generic magic item list.
One of the key points Mike makes in the video is creating magic items that are tied to the factions, gods, and powers of whatever campaign world the game is taking place in. This makes the item an object tied directly to the game world. Maybe someone is looking for that magic box connected to Vlaakith or perhaps a dragon is seeking to destroy the blade you carry since it was used to kill its mate a hundred years ago. I highly recommend checking out the video. I agree with all of the advice there.
Companions and Tying in the Backstory Narratives
All of the main companions are tied into the overall storyline in ways that are complex and sprawling. Having the companion in your party can affect how the world interacts and treats the characters. Tying the characters to the game world is nothing new, but is perhaps more common in more character-driven editions where character death (permanent death anyway) is relatively rare. This is something published adventures can struggle with and often it is left to the Dungeon Master to tie a characters’ backstory into their game.
Depending on your style of play, prep, and improvisation at the table (or VTT) you may find this easy to accomplish or a chore. For me, a key has been to entice characters to interact with NPCs early on who are further tied into the narrative. For The Dread of Dynwel the characters might be tied to the NPCs of Three Crows, all of whom are connected to later parts of the adventure through the famous adventuring party, The Company of the Autumn Moon. The characters can also be tied to the legendary figures presented in the backstory of Dynwel itself: The Wild King, Eldarion the Four Fold Master, and Menicus the Sage of Dynwel.
As with Baldur’s Gate 3, none of this is necessary. The adventure itself accommodates any party and adjusts the story to fit with how it is approached. I think that is the triumph of Larian here. Capturing the essence of choice within a narrative. Many of us who have played ttrpgs know that each table and group, each DM and group of players will have a slightly different preferences. Some players don’t want to make hard moral choices or may prefer a railroad so they can focus on what their characters are doing. Or maybe who their character is fucking. These are important considerations after all.
Concluding Thoughts
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a triumph. It was the brightest spot of 2023 for Dungeons and Dragons and I have hopes that it will bring more folks into the hobby, who will discover a whole new world of gaming just as games like Wizardry and Zork did for me. I enjoyed the game immensely, and I’d encourage DMs out there to try adding some of these rules to your own games and see how your players like it. You can always roll back the rule or tweak however your table likes. Before you know it, your players will be yeeting their way to victory!
