Baldur's Gate 3: There's a ghaik in my loot! (Now out on Xbox!)

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Baldur's Gate 3: There's a ghaik in my loot! (Now out on Xbox!)

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Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Hi just got the game. Doin' some googlin' and redditin' and something awfulin'

If I'm doing my first playthrough on balanced, are there any class/races to avoid? I'm trying to find something that is:

Relatively simple, mechanically, to play.
Something that won't be underpowered.
I don't need the most OP race or class, but I just wanna make sure I'm not doing something that makes the game harder .

Also, seems like the races with the most race-specific dialogue options are Tief, Orc, and Drow. Is that right?

Also, are there any guide/build sites? The site in the OP was wildly out of date, referencing the pre-release game.

# ¿ Mar 10, 2024 07:04

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 10:56

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

DeadlyMuffin posted:

:snip:

exquisite tea posted:

:snip:

Goa Tse-tung posted:

:snip:

wizard2 posted:

:snip:

Thank you, friends

# ¿ Mar 10, 2024 08:06

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

My gaming laptop is only two years old and runs the game smoothly, but by golly the fan starts working overtime. Sounds like the laptop is going to take off.

It�s odd because the game sets itself to ultra when I use the �determine preferred graphics settings�. But even when I lower the graphics the laptop just whirrrrrrs away.

Diagnostic software indicates the comp gets to mid 70s temp with spikes above.

I usually play games like heroes of the storm so I�m not used to the fans going so hard. Unsure if the temps get high because I haven�t previously checked with previous games.

But other than that the first 30 minutes of the game have been super fun so far! A bit daunting and overwhelming but still fun lol

# ¿ Mar 11, 2024 06:13

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

exquisite tea posted:

For most systems temps into the 70s are totally normal, try using the frame limiter though because BG3 is uncharacteristically hard on the CPU for a video game.

Thank you friend, I appreciate your effort and wisdom.

Excited to try this after work!

# ¿ Mar 11, 2024 14:46

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Related to the above, as a new player, what are the most important summary numbers to look at when comparing equipment / skills/ whatever?

# ¿ Mar 11, 2024 18:07

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I am now an hour into the game and have head butted a vampire elf. He seems cool though

I quite enjoy this game.

I still need to learn the mechanics more though. At the early game I don�t really know what tactics there are. I kind of just �start blasting� with my sorcerer spells and it is what it is.

# ¿ Mar 13, 2024 00:33

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Recommended YouTube summaries of general strategy and tactics?

I�m struggling to find something above the v basic level of guide videos (�hold alt to highlight items�) but below the extremely specific and spoiler-y build guide videos.

Like, I�m trying to find a video explaining things like how to determine when buffing/debugging outweighs damage, movement implications in combat, specific bonuses (ex/ how much extra damage from being higher up), etc.

Anybody know of good videos at that level of detail?

# ¿ Mar 17, 2024 17:44

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Ornery and Hornery posted:

Recommended YouTube summaries of general strategy and tactics?

I�m struggling to find something above the v basic level of guide videos (�hold alt to highlight items�) but below the extremely specific and spoiler-y build guide videos.

Like, I�m trying to find a video explaining things like how to determine when buffing/debugging outweighs damage, movement implications in combat, specific bonuses (ex/ how much extra damage from being higher up), etc.

Anybody know of good videos at that level of detail?

I guess just getting knowledge from this thread on learning which buffs/debuffs/utilities are good and which are bad, would be great

Any good wisdom on this topic?

Also is there a generally summary of the niches provided by the different classes? Like what�s the practical difference between a melee monk and a melee fighter? Both are melee dps right? Or a ranged warlock and a ranged sorcerer? Both are ranged dps?

# ¿ Mar 17, 2024 17:53

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Ratios and Tendency posted:

You have:

Warriors - tanky, single target damage and control boys. Fighters, Paladins, Barbarians, Monks. Rangers too if built for it.
Skills Dudes - skill guys for sneaking around, disarming traps and picking locks, usually double as good archers since they have high dexterity. Rogues, Bards, Rangers.
Support - buffs, healing, controlling enemies. Clerics, Druids, Bards.
Mages - area damage and control. Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, Druids

Party face/talky character can also be important. High charisma and social skills. Paladin, Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock.

In terms of which specific spells are good or not, the fun of the game is trying them all out to see. The main caveat here is that Shield and Counterspell are extremely important wizard spells that you won't find scrolls for, meaning you have to pick them on level up. Haste is massively powerful to the point that it's pretty busted.

Docjowles posted:

I was gonna make a mini effort post and this is a good start

Buffs/debuffs: I subscribe to the idea that the best debuff is death so I tend to just start blasting immediately. Haste is so OP though that it's worth burning a round to put it on your strongest DPS (or 2 of them if you're a sorc with Twinned Spell!) I find crowd control more useful early in the game when you can easily be killed in one turn, stuff like hold person/sleep/crown of madness. Later on you get AoE CC like confusion and hypnotic pattern which can be nice when you're badly outnumbered. There are a TON of spells in the game and to be honest I get in a rut and just use the handful I know and like every time.

If you want to be a cheeselord, get a life cleric hireling from Withers. Once they get high level enough, you can abuse them to buff the hell out of your party every long rest. Level 5 Aid, Heroes Feast, Longstrider, Freedom of Movement on your whole party without burning any of their spell slots. It's pretty hard to die when you have 150 HP and immunity to most CC.

Don't overlook potions and elixirs. If you're going into a tough fight, they can give you a variety of different buffs. Another cheeselord strat is to stockpile strength elixirs, which lets you respec to dump strength and boost other stats higher than you normally could on your melee characters.

Casters: Very important is the fact that with 1 level of wizard multiclass, you can learn literally every scroll in the game. Most spells have scroll versions, though a few do not. So mixing 1 level of wizard with whatever other caster class is common and advantageous.
Wizard: huge variety of spells, many subclasses to choose from for flavor, can look them up on the wiki. Evocation is popular since it has the big nukes and also an ability that eliminates friendly fire, so you can fireball on top of your homies with reckless abandon.

Sorcerer: With 1 dip into Wizard, I'd argue they are just a better Wizard. You gain Metamagic, which lets you spend Sorcerer Points to enhance your spells. Cast 1 spell on 2 targets, increase your chance to hit, increase your range, etc. Also your spellcasting stat is Charisma which is very useful, as opposed to INT on a Wizard which rarely matters

Warlock: Plays very differently. Typically you drop some kind of Concentration crowd control spell like Hunger of Hadar or Hypnotic Pattern or Darkness, and then spend your turns plinking at mobs with Eldritch Blast. You only get a few spell slots but they replenish on short rest, which is unique. Can also be made more of a melee build if you go down Pact of the Blade.

Cleric: Varies a bit by subclass. Life is a strong pure healer but you don't really need one in this game. Light is a strong caster with a lot of fire and radiant damage spells. Storm gets a lot of elemental damage spells. Not totally useless in melee as you get a lot more armor and weapon proficiency than other casters, though it probably shouldn't be your primary plan.

Druid: subclasses all play very differently. You can be more or less a pure caster. Or specialize in wild shape (turn into an owlbear and gently caress poo poo up). Or a spore druid who makes a huge army of helper goons to fight for you.

Melee: More than casters, I think this comes down to what class fantasy you prefer.

Barbarian: probably the simplest class? You just kinda wade in and gently caress poo poo up. Get a lot of bonuses to AC and damage reduction so they are pretty tanky. Get bonus damage to throwing attacks so that is a popular and good playstyle. Also you get really funny dialogue options to resolve conflicts BY SHOUTING AT PEOPLE

Fighter: Battlemaster subclass gets a lot of buttons to push. You get "Maneuvers" which do things like stun/prone/gain advantage/etc in addition to doing damage. You also get a lot of feats and extra attacks as you level up which is nice.

Monk: I'm already on record about how good I think Monk is. You're a kung fu master zipping around annihilating people with your bare hands. It feels very fun.

Rogue: I hope you like engaging with the stealth mechanics because everything revolves around sneak attacks. I do not, so I haven't spent much time with rogue

Hybrid:
Bard: You can build this as a caster heavy on utility and CC, a very powerful archer, or melee DPS. I personally really enjoy the archer variant. You get "flourishes" that are similar to Monk or Fighter special abilities, that add some effect on top of doing damage. Regen on short rest. Very good jack of all trades that doesn't feel like you are *bad* at any of them.

Ranger: Pretty similar to bard I feel like? I haven't played this much TBH, sorry

Paladin: Mostly a melee that boosts damage with Smite and has some healing spells you probably won't use. I haven't played a lot of this class either

Caphi posted:

I think rogues can Sneak Attack against any enemy that's threatened, so they can get reliable DPR if they just follow a fighter. Snipers can still just Cunning Hide constantly.

I stand by support paladins, particularly for Ancients. You passively defend everyone near you and have a pretty solid set of buffs, including one or two exclusive ones and good elemental access on your weapon strikes. I think BG3 has also given every paladin a viable bonus action Channel that doesn't even stop you smiting if that's your thing.

As a paladin fan I haven't really been able to get into ranger. BG3 gave paladins a ton of extra spell selection leeway but didn't do the same to ranger, so you're a finesse fighter with limited styles, a small handful of mainly support spells, and a subclass that either gives you more support actions or a little extra attack damage (I wanted to like the spider but it's really jank). Gloomstalker is supposed to be a sneaky ranger, but they only get a one-time d8 for their ambush strike instead of the rogue's ever-growing fistful of d6s.

Thank you all!

My interpretation of some key takeaways:

Healing is best left to potions, rather than in-combat actions.
Buffing is usually, but not always, better left to potions/items/pre-combat rather than in-combat actions.
Buffs range wildly in power, with Haste being the most OP of all.
Debuffs are generally not worth it, except CC. CC like paralyze is really good.

Does that sound about right?

# ¿ Mar 18, 2024 03:02

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

How often should I be short resting and long resting?

Are there any negatives/impacts of testing a lot (other than using camping supplies)?

# ¿ Mar 18, 2024 16:54

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

EorayMel posted:

You get way, way more camp supplies you need, especially if you steal everything not bolted down. You can rest frequently and the only downside is that you'll burn through your elixirs faster, which give buffs until you go to sleep.

Oh that�s good to know! Thank you!

What is the relationship between �sending items to wares�, the various food items I can pickup but not directly eat, and the broader �camping supplies�?

If I collect enough food stuff does it automatically turn into camping supplies?

This game is so tight

# ¿ Mar 18, 2024 16:58

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Docjowles posted:

Yeah act 1 is very big. Plus you're lower level and still learning the game so you're going slower. As a very rough estimate I'd guess it's something like 35% act 1, 20% act 2, 45% act 3? If you do everything. If you think act 1 has a lot of poo poo going on, buckle up for act 3 lol.

On my first play file I had spent 2.5 hours in the game before even getting to the first tiefling camp because everything was so overwhelming.

I stopped with that save because I realized that I had accidentally made a durge, which I didn�t want for a first character.

Remade a half elf sorc and did a bunch of other stuff on the opening beach and still made it to the tiefling camp in like 2 hours.

I love the undead friend! It�s nice that the game gives you access to him in the camp so early in the game.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2024 18:06

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Is having a rogue in the party, for things like lockpicking, as vital as it first seems?

I'm working my first play through and I just got to Tiefling town after the beach.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2024 04:56

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I love this game

# ¿ Mar 23, 2024 00:32

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

exquisite tea posted:

No, it�s possible to get Astarion to admit he�s a vampire to you before the bite scene, for which one of the responses is �well yes, obviously�

lol how do I unlock this?

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 05:27

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Generally speaking is it a steep uphill challenge to fight enemies a level higher? Or should I be able to handle them with good gear / builds / tactics?

My party is level three at trying to fight the swamp hag . The enemies are level four and I'm getting shreked. Like it's not even close.

It's my first playthough, and I'm on the standard difficulty, so I'm still learning mechanics and stuff.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 05:29

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Fender posted:

I usually wait until 4 to do that one.

*snip*

SlothBear posted:

*snip*
At lower levels much moreso than higher ones. The difference between levels up to level 5 is huge.

I wouldn't do the hag any lower than 4 personally, unless that's the specific challenge you're looking for.

The game gets much easier at level 5, so don't feel bad about just going to level up elsewhere and coming back.

SlimGoodbody posted:

Taking out higher level bosses is really hard when you're still figuring out the game, but once you get the hang of it, it's much easier to punch above your weight. What's your party comp and rough load out?

Class builds are listed below. Not sure if my equipment is good or not. I did buy some upgrades at the grove.

Tav: Sorc (Wild): 3
Astarion: Rogue (Assassin): 3
Shadowheart: cleric (light): 3
GITH FIGHTER (champion): 3

From what I�ve learned about in-combat tactics so far (from this thread, Reddit, and game experience):

generally, killing > cc�ing/debuffing
AoE heal spells are good, single target heal spells not so good
bust your nuts by using your powerful spells and abilities
magic missiles v good
bless the homies up asap

I am not even close to getting past the redcaps outside the hut

E: thank you all for the responses!

Ornery and Hornery fucked around with this message at 06:12 on Mar 25, 2024

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 06:08

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Docjowles posted:

It�s cheap and you can even pickpocket the gold right back with zero consequences lol.

lol wow

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 16:35

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Does wearing armor negatively impact casters?

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 16:44

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Multiclassing seems darn near required for most builds.

Seems like mono pally and mono sorc and mono fighter can be decent though.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 19:44

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I�m at work but I just want 2 game

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 21:23

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I like my current sorc but thinking I�m gonna reroll as a bard or paladin.

Want somebody a bit more frontline and tanky.

But kind of avoiding paladin because I want a mischevious party of rascals.

The options are endless!!!

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 21:29

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Docjowles posted:

I'm sure it's a side effect of arbitrarily cutting off the D&D leveling curve at 12. But it's a little weird that the classes don't have some kind of capstone ability at max level to make multiclassing less of a no-brainer. As it is the later levels tend to be like "you gain one spell slot". Which is cool, but pales in comparison to the power of an extra action/bonus action. Or the whole "you can learn 99% of the spells in the game with 1 dip into wizard" thing. It doesn't bother me. I just wonder if Larian would have set it up this way if they weren't coloring inside the lines of D&D. Usually there is more of a reward for depth over breadth in character builds.

I�m glad you shared this because I was trying to find some bonus for monoclassing , but I didn�t find any capstone thing.

# ¿ Mar 25, 2024 21:30

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I love this game

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 15:41

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Lawman 0 posted:

Honestly this turned out to be shockingly useful when I just started picking up chests for Astarion to lockpick at camp.

Is there a reason why you lock pick the chests at camp?

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 20:24

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Oooo so lockpicking in the camp does *not* consume lockpicks??

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 20:34

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

grack posted:

Successfully picking a lock doesn't consume a lockpick.

Failing to pick a lock will consume a lockpick regardless of where you do it.

Knowledge!!!

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 22:05

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Thinking about this game.

Darn reality keeps getting in the way!

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 22:06

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Shard posted:

I am totally obsessed with this game. I got dd 2 resident evil 4 and dead space remake and I started all three and came back to this.

I know I'll probably burn out eventually but it really is everything I've ever wanted out of an RPG.

Same! BG3 feels perfectly like what I want out of an RPG.

Developers could make different iterations of BG3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Zelda Tears of the Kingdom over and over and over and I�d still love it.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 23:06

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Woolie Wool posted:

This sounds absolutely terrible, Morrowind and Skyrim were great games too but nobody needed the entire industry to spend 10 years making open world shovelware because of MBA-brained numbskulls thinking that imitating the mechanics and surface features of a game would also recapture what made it good. And besides, more cerebral, "literary" storytelling is also a valid path for making an RPG and one that lends itself to a far more austere presentation that would also be far more accessible to studios without hundreds of millions of dollars to spend.

I think most gamers would enjoy more of great game

Ornery and Hornery fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Mar 26, 2024

# ¿ Mar 26, 2024 23:19

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

How does pickpocketing work? I had Astarion pick pocket stuff from the tiefling smith in the grove. There were little green circles in the pickpocket mini game but I don�t know what any of it means. A couple beats after I finished, he goes �I�ve been robbed� and a different NPC ran over and said they will search for the thief. I went and talked to the tiefling smith again with Tav and then again with Astarion and it was fine. Did not trigger an arrest or anything.

It was a lot of decent equipment worth hundreds of gold, which seems rad. Pickpocketing seems super strong.

I�m still in the grove.

Sorc 3 Tav
Life cleric 3 Shadow heart
Thief 3 astarion
Battle master 3 Laez

This is a fun game!!!

# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 16:15

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

SlothBear posted:

It would have made Wyll fit in a lot more with the other characters who all have that sort of theme playing into their backstories (using fantasy tropes as a way of exploring universal struggles)

This sounds so awesome!!! I am excited to experience this as in progress through the game!

# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 16:53

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Thank you Black Noise, thank you docjowles.

Astarion will steal for me. Can�t wait

E: I kind of want to do a relatively good party for the first time through. But I like the vibes Astarion brings. Just from an RP perspective I like Lael and Shadowheart in the same party because they snipe at each other so much lol.

I want to experience all the character interactions!

# ¿ Mar 28, 2024 17:25

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I�m still in the grove, just heading out to find the missing leader.

I�m trying to role play as a charismatic, slightly bewildered, slightly kind, willing to break the rules sorcerer. Like a generally good dude who is just kind of confused by the whole alien abduction and tadpole thing. He�s just trying to make the best of it.

I�m finding it a bit difficult to actually role play that though.

The dialogue options are sometimes ambiguous in terms of how npcs will react. Like will they interpret this as a light teasing or as a grave insult?
My companions seem to disprove of most of my poo poo. I�m especially surprised by the reactions from Astarion and from Wyll. Astarion is way more violent and evil in approve/disapprove actions than his aloof personality would have me believe. And the lack of approval is curious because at camp Astarion and Shadowheart are at least beginning an inkling of wanting to have to have sex with Tav.

I think the only companion who generally likes my goofy, charismatic, just-trying-to-get-by-but-good-hearted roleplay Tav personality is Gale.

What was your experience with companion reactions? Are my companions always going to be off put by my Tav roleplay? Does it matter?

# ¿ Mar 31, 2024 17:27

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

I freaking love this game.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2024 17:27

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Thank you all for the input on companions!

So it sounds like there�s no substantive difference in relationship-building between companions who are actively in the party and companions who are at camp, because most relationship-building is accomplished through their personal quest lines. Is that correct?

If so, then does that mean we just go actively partying with the companions based on their class builds (which we can customize) and the vibes/dialogue?

I love the little conversations that the companions have while out and about, walking from place to place

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 00:26

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Maybe I should keep shadowheart, Laez, and Astarion in my party then, for this generally good-dude Sorceror run. I like the banter between laez and shadow. And I�m unlikely to play an evil character, even if doing an URGE play through.

Next run I�ll be a bloodthirsty do-gooder and keep gale in the party.

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 01:13

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

just unlocked Karlach

this game is so good

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 06:45

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

Woolie Wool posted:

I've reached the final dungeon. With 152 hours in total so far, this game is way too long for me to replay immediately, but one day I want to do a Durge run.

...with this mod that would let me play as a lich. How well does full-on necromancy (using the Necromancer wizard subclass, of course) work as a playstyle in this game? The most thematic seems like to focus on, in addition to summons, Necrotic damage with the mod's necrotic phylactery, but necrotic damage in my experience often isn't that useful because too many things resist or are immune to it.

Perhaps I could play a necromancer in BG1 + 2 as well and make up a backstoty that my lich in BG3 is Gorion's Ward in undeath.

What a fun and detailed Mod!

I am always interested in pursuing necromancy or summon type builds but they never seem to be that fun in CRPGs.

Still gonna give the fungus druid a try at some point

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 06:46

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 10:56

Ornery and Hornery: Oct 22, 2020

GHOST_BUTT posted:

Best boy Scratch has the help action so if you toss a Sanctuary on him he can dash across and free Astarion without impacting your action economy too much, freeing up your guys to start doing all of the things everyone else has already mentioned.

e: Caz's legendary action can't fire if he's prone so if it was me first priority would be hitting him with flurries from Laezel until he's on the ground, which is a pretty good idea under most circumstances anyway.

Scratch can join the party?! I love him!

# ¿ Apr 1, 2024 16:54

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Baldur's Gate 3: There's a ghaik in my loot! (Now out on Xbox!)

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