Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3does a lot to faithfully adaptD&D 5e, turning the TTRPG into an excellent gaming experience. However, when it’s time for the game to get itself a sequel, there’s one weakness inBaldur’s Gate 3that ought to be smoothed over.
The pool ofcantrip choices inBaldur’s Gate 3is much smaller than it is inD&D 5e, and that’s no surprise; 45 cantrips have been officially published over the TTRPG’s decade on the market, spread across a variety of sourcebooks. Larian tightened the spread of these spam-cast spells to just 22, cutting out many of the more redundant options.
A Sequel To Baldur’s Gate 3 Should Bring In More Utility Cantrips
The final list has two glaring omissions: Druidcraft and Prestidigitation. These two cantrips, especially the latter, are among themost iconic spells inD&D 5e. Both are open-ended options that can create a number of effects — some of which are purely flavorful, but fun nonetheless. This pair of cantrips is missing fromBG3, while Thaumaturgy — the divine alternative to the other two — has been simplified into an advantage on Performance/Intimidation checks. ThoughBaldur’s Gate 3has been quite successful without these quirky utility spells, a sequel should really take a second look at them. Druidcraft, Prestidigitation, and the original form of Thaumaturgy encourage player creativity in a way that’s yet to be explored inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Utility Cantrips Are Indicative Of TTRPG Creativity
Many changes had to be made in thetranslation fromD&D 5etoBaldur’s Gate 3, but one area where this adaptation of mechanics suffered was with creative freedom. This was, of course, inevitable;Dungeons and Dragonsruns off pure imagination, whereas a video game has to be far less modular. For instance, Prestidigitation allows the player to ‘create an instantaneous, harmless sensory person,’ something that really can’t be contained by the narrow lens of a video game.
Furthermore, making these useful takes some real ingenuity and DM fiat; a player could use Prestidigitation’s ‘nonmagical trinket’ quality to make a key or vial of poison, Druidcraft’s powers of plant manipulation could work miracles in a drought, and Thaumaturgy could be used to carry messages across long distances when it makes a voice louder. These cantrips, as written inD&D 5e, are simply too open-ended for the hard-and-fast requirements of a video game.
That said,Baldur’s Gate 3has taken on similar cantrips. Thaumaturgy’s improvements to Performance and Intimidation are a simplification, but they do approach the use most players get from the spell. Minor Illusion distracts a group of NPCs, which is how it’s often used at the table. Prestidigitation and Druidcraft would have to be limited, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be worked with. Giving them more specific uses, with moderate customization, could give the nextBaldur’s Gateeven more of a sandbox vibe. Failing that, the spells could be reworked entirely — somethingBaldur’s Gate 3readily does.
A New D&D 2024 Cantrip Could Be The Answer For Baldur’s Gate 4
D&D 2024’s newPlayer’s Handbookwill soon be released, and its spells are definitely candidates for aBaldur’s Gate 4. For the purposes of this query, the cantrip Elementalism may just offer the utility, flavor, and strict rules that would be perfect for a video game. Elementalism, a cantrip available to druids, sorcerers, wizards, andD&D’s reworked elemental monk, only offers a few, strictly-defined options. Many of these options are pure flavor, but options like ‘Sculpt Element’ could be used to create a variety of convenient items.
The nextBaldur’s Gatewillinevitably take cues fromD&D 2024. Considering this, using the updatedPlayer’s Handbookand its clearer rulings could be a huge boon for utility cantrips inBaldur’s Gate 4, especially with the addition of Elementalism.
