Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game that’s taking the gaming world by storm, and not without reason. It’s vast, brimming with content, and, to top it off, allows us to play exactly as we please. However, this doesn’t negate the fact that it’s also a demanding game. With numerous systems and microsystems, the onslaught of quests can be overwhelming, and even if we want to cut to the chase, it’s hard not to feel like we’re constantly leaving things behind. This burden is considerably eased if we’re familiar with the Dungeons & Dragons system beforehand.
Now, is Baldur’s Gate 3 respectful of the rules of the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons? Answering this question is tricky, as it depends on where we draw our red lines. That’s why we’ll say yes, but many players will argue no. That it commits true heresies against the sacred scriptures. Therefore, before giving a definitive answer, let’s delve into the details that make it very different.
In Dungeons & Dragons, when we start a combat encounter, we have to roll dice to determine initiative. Adding the result to our character’s modifiers decides the order in which each participant acts. The order is strict and cannot be changed in any way during the same round, although it can change from one turn to the next if speed effects are used. However, in Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s different.
Initiative in Baldur’s Gate 3, when we have two or more characters acting consecutively, allows us to choose any of them to take their actions before moving on to the next turn. We don’t have to follow a predetermined order, as is obligatory in the fifth edition of D&D, making it easier to execute certain strategies in the video game.
A similar situation arises with attacks against enemies. In the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, nothing explicitly tells us whether we will hit an enemy or not, except perhaps the impressions our dungeon master gives us about our chances. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 does explicitly tell us. It provides a specific percentage of our chance of success, which is something a dungeon master could calculate in a tabletop role-playing session, but it’s not something that players are typically informed of.
Another curious aspect is how the game becomes more restrictive in certain rules. According to the Dungeons & Dragons rulebook, jumping and pushing costs movement, but not any type of action. In Baldur’s Gate 3, however, it costs movement and an additional action. This often means that in many turns, we cannot push or jump, two crucial abilities in the game, given that there are many situations where falling off a cliff results in instant death.
Similarly, in Baldur’s Gate 3, there are no “readied actions,” which involve instructing a character to react with a specific attack or ability if a specific event occurs. However, other types of reactions, such as opportunity attacks or numerous character, item, or class abilities, do trigger automatically. In other words, reactions do exist, but only those pre-scripted in the game. This limits player agency, as you cannot instruct a character, for example, to attack or cast a specific spell when an enemy passes through a certain area where the effect could take place.
In exchange, Baldur’s Gate 3 introduces an additional type of action that doesn’t exist in the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons: “dipping.” This action allows us to immerse a weapon in a surface with some kind of elemental effect, and it retains that effect until the end of the combat. For example, if we dip a sword into flames, it will deal fire damage throughout the entire battle. This not only promotes the use of elemental damage but also encourages the exploitation of various synergies within the game, such as electrifying water or igniting alcohol.
Speaking of weapons, which are undoubtedly one of the most relevant aspects of the game, they undergo some significant changes in Baldur’s Gate 3. Specifically, weapons acquire unique abilities that can be used only once per short rest. In D&D, there are two types of rests: short rests, which take one hour, and long rests, which take eight hours. Short rests restore some health and a few spell slots, while long rests restore everything. By granting unique abilities to weapons, which is not present in the tabletop role-playing game, the game ensures that players always have extra abilities available even without taking long rests, which are only possible at the end of the day and specifically in a safe area.
This concept also extends to spellcasters. In fact, the spellcasting mechanics in Baldur’s Gate 3 are simplified to the extent that they seem quite different from Dungeons & Dragons. Firstly, anyone can cast a spell from a scroll, regardless of their class. Then, spellcasters need to rest to regain spell slots, but wizards can prepare spells at any time. Lastly, spells don’t have any material costs. This streamlined approach makes playing as a wizard much easier and less restrictive in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Perhaps the most significant departure, however, is the inclusion of the Karmic Die in Baldur’s Gate 3. Essentially, the game’s algorithm ensures that if you fail multiple rolls in succession, it becomes less likely that you will fail in your subsequent rolls. This is a way to help alleviate the frustration caused by a streak of bad luck.
With all that said, is Baldur’s Gate 3 respectful of the rules of the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons? Not entirely. It changes many essential aspects of the rules, patching numerous elements of the experience. However, this is because Larian, the development studio, understands something crucial: Baldur’s Gate 3 is a video game.
All these rule changes are implemented to make the game more accessible, simpler, and more direct. When not done for that purpose, as is the case with the Karmic Die, it’s intended to reduce frustration. Since there isn’t a Dungeon Master who can modify unfair rolls, tweak rules they dislike, and adjust things that don’t quite fit with the campaign, it’s the developers themselves who must patch the system to suit their needs. They’re not strictly adhering to the rules, but rather using them as a foundation to create their own unique experience.
That’s why Baldur’s Gate 3 may not strictly adhere to the rules of Dungeons & Dragons, but it does capture its spirit. The game disregards many rules, introduces its own, and modifies others, just as every Dungeons & Dragons player group does to tailor the game to their preferences. Because that’s what tabletop role-playing is all about—creating a shared experience. There’s no need to rigidly adhere to the rules when they don’t necessarily align with our needs. And at Larian, by understanding this, they’ve created a video game that truly feels like an adaptation of a Dungeons & Dragons session.
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