Baldur’s Gate 3has a lot in common withD&D 5e, the TTRPG ruleset it uses as a foundation. However, in translating tabletop mechanicsto the gaming medium,Baldur’s Gate 3makes many changes—some of which could serve well in home games.
One of the reasonsD&D 5eis so popular is its modularity; mechanics can be tweaked with incredible ease thanks to design principles like bounded accuracy, allowing for many changes to be made to the core system without total collapse. This is why there is so much third-party5ematerial and such an active homebrewing scene, all of which has contributed immensely to the game’s longevity. Likewise,Baldur’s Gate 3makes its own changesto tailor the TTRPG to its needs.
Changes Baldur’s Gate 3 Makes That Are Great For D&D Games
Potions
Baldur’s Gate 3makes potion consumptiona bonus action, which is already one of the most common house rules used by dungeon masters. Players don’t want to spend an entire turn making no progress against a foe, so most find it more fun to heal and attack. In fact, this rule change is so popular that it’s making its way intoD&D 5e’s 2024 revision. Since this is a pretty typical change, DMs who want to try this out may wish to use this alteration: make consuming a potion as a bonus action use dice to determine the amount it heals, and consuming it as an action heal the full amount (so a bonus action it would heal 2d4+2 hit points, but as an action it would heal 10 hit points).
Anotherbig potion changeBaldur’s Gate 3madeis allowing players to throw potions, turning them into items akin toMinecraft’s splash potions. While this doesn’t make complete logical sense, it does make alchemy more desirable. InD&D 5e, negative potion effects have subterfuge written into their mechanics, but this tweak could make them an active mode of offense. It would also open up more debuffs and forms of elemental damage to martial characters.
Resting
As a video game with much harder rules compared to a TTRPG,Baldur’s Gate 3had to codify many mechanics that are often hand-waved by the vague timescale ofD&D. This includes short rests, whichBaldur’s Gate 3limits to twice a day. This is probably about as many as the average party would take in a day, and it’s a good way to make sure players are thinking about how often they rest.
On the subject of days,Baldur’s Gate 3adds a resource requirementto long rests; players need to consume a certain amount of rations to perform a long rest. This is a nice way to stop players overusing long rests in a way that can be controlled mechanically, all while avoiding the weeds of complex survival systems. Rather than tracking individual meters and resources, players only need to have an amount of rations constituted from various foodstuffs—simplifying a pillar ofD&Dthat 5e treats with a great deal of inconsistency.
Action Economy
Baldur’s Gate 3’sunique weapon propertiesare already coming toD&D 2024, but its other action economy changes are still worth inspection. Jumping is more useful, functioning as a bonus action that grants more movement than it consumes. Shoving is also a bonus action, making it far more useful to far more classes than its attack-based equivalent. The help action is particularly potent, bringing a downed ally back to 1 hit point. That last change may not work for all campaigns, but it’s definitely solid for something likeBaldur’s Gate 3—an adventure that requires a touch more tenacity given the tone. DMs should consider the tone and genre of their campaign when looking at any changes mentioned here, as using mechanics is a great way to get those concepts across to players.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
