Baldurs gate 3 help

[Pherick]

This game runs on a slimmed down 5e rules set. I'm trying to find anywhere that people post builds that aren't in a video because I can't understand a thing the people talk about because they go so fast that their explanations are pointless and their videos end up being terrible. Trying to find anything I can actually read or a video where someone talks slow enough to understand instead of talking at Double speed all the damn time.

I have tried 5e in a couple of campaigns but up until this game I was bored as hell with the system.


Thanks!

[Psyren]

Have you tried googling "Baldurs Gate 3 builds?" I'm seeing lots of resources (articles, wikis, subreddit) etc that aren't videos.

Also, while it's (somewhat loosely) based on 5e, as it's a video game we have a dedicated thread for it (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?657972-Baldur-s-Gate-3-What-does-fried-Nautiloid-taste-like) over in the Other Gaming subforum from people who are actively playing.

[KorvinStarmast]

...find anywhere that people post builds that aren't in a video because I can't understand a thing the people talk about because they go so fast that their explanations are pointless and their videos end up being terrible. Yes, most youtube videos suck. Sturgeon's Law. :smallwink:

[OldTrees1]

Part of the issue is the game is too new. The wikis are missing information (although they are improving). Magic items are still being cataloged*.
*In Act 1 there is an item that gives you a free jump if you dash. Imagine a Str character with Rogue 2 for cunning action.

The Tavern Brawler feat in BG3 is +1 Str/Con and thrown weapons/unarmed attacks get 2x Str to attack and damage. Therefore a build naturally emerges that has 20-24 Str and throws (a returning weapon) or punches many times in a turn.

Build 1:
Fighter 11 + Tavern Brawler + Str 20

Build 2:
Rogue(Thief) 3 / Monk 5 + Tavern Brawler + Str 20
Thief 3 in BG3 gives you an extra bonus action per turn. Monk can punch as a bonus action and gets Extra Attack at 5th.
17 Str + 1 (Tavern Brawler) + 2 (ASI) means you can get to Str 20 with only 2 feats. That could be Rogue 4 / Monk 5, Rogue 3 / Monk 8, or even Rogue 3 / Monk 5 / anything 4.

[Unoriginal]

Part of the issue is the game is too new. The wikis are missing information (although they are improving).

That is very true. The game is massive and the consequences for all choices and options aren't even known yet.

A couple hours ago I saw two people chat about the game, and it turns out they got different NPCs showing up at a certain time. Neither of them had any idea what resulted in this.



Thief 3 in BG3 gives you an extra bonus action per turn. Monk can punch as a bonus action and gets Extra Attack at 5th.

Does that let a Monk/Thief Rogue use Flurry of Blow twice a turn too?

Another avantage of high STR characters is, unless I'm mistaken, you can carry more red barrels that explode.

[pothocboots]

Does that let a Monk/Thief Rogue use Flurry of Blow twice a turn too?

Yes.
Open Hand gets a 1/LR action buff for 3 turns which gives them regenerating Ki and a bonus bonus action for a total of 3.

They also can add 1d4+Wis mod to every unarmed strike of either Psychic, Necrotic or Radiant Damage. I find this pairs well with a set of medium armor that I forget the name of (Luminous Armor maybe?), but whenever you deal Radiant damage, every foe in 10ft gets a turn of Radiant Orb (-1 to attack rolls per turn remaining).

The highest I've stacked it so far was 26.

[Unoriginal]

Yes.
Open Hand gets a 1/LR action buff for 3 turns which gives them regenerating Ki and a bonus bonus action for a total of 3.

They also can add 1d4+Wis mod to every unarmed strike of either Psychic, Necrotic or Radiant Damage.

Thanks.

That's pretty neat, though Monk-based multiclass tends to not have the ASIs to boost STR, DEX and WIS, not to mention CON, so it wouldn't be easy to go Rogue/Monk with Tavern Brawler and have decent AC/HPs.

[Sigreid]

Thanks.

That's pretty neat, though Monk-based multiclass tends to not have the ASIs to boost STR, DEX and WIS, not to mention CON, so it wouldn't be easy to go Rogue/Monk with Tavern Brawler and have decent AC/HPs.
It's so easy to get potions and items that boost strength, that's not really an issue.

[Psyren]

Thanks.

That's pretty neat, though Monk-based multiclass tends to not have the ASIs to boost STR, DEX and WIS, not to mention CON, so it wouldn't be easy to go Rogue/Monk with Tavern Brawler and have decent AC/HPs.

Monks get a lot of assistance in BG3 so I'd say it's not comparable. There are magic robes/clothing that give AC bonuses and resistances, magic gloves that give unarmed damage bonuses, ki points for things are cheaper across the board, every subclass is buffed vs. its tabletop version, all potions are a bonus action to use, literally everyone can use scrolls which are beyond abundant, attunement slots aren't a thing, and there are even potions that let you take a short rest in the middle of combat should you run out of ki and run short of HP on a long fight. The kinds of issues 5e monks run into just aren't as much of a thing in BG3, if at all.

[OldTrees1]

Thanks.

That's pretty neat, though Monk-based multiclass tends to not have the ASIs to boost STR, DEX and WIS, not to mention CON, so it wouldn't be easy to go Rogue/Monk with Tavern Brawler and have decent AC/HPs.

Why all 4? BG3 lets Thief/Monks wear armor. I am waiting until 7th level before switching from Dex to Str, but currently the monk wears light armor and still punches.



Also, yes you are correct that Str lets you carry more bombs. Like brewing, I should use that in one of my playthroughs. Which highlights another factor, the players are given so many resources and alternative solutions. So in practice it is much more about satisficing rather than optimizing.

[Keravath]

Most of the best damage builds will leverage the 2 bonus actions of the rogue-thief subclass and a couple of other rules modifications in BG3.

1) BG3 allows two weapon fighting with ranged weapons so you can wield two hand crossbows at once.
2) Off hand ranged weapon attacks include the dexterity modifier to damage (which melee two weapon fighting does not).
3) Rogue thief class has two bonus actions allowing two bonus action ranged attacks
4) Sharpshooter feat is -5 to hit +10 damage and can be applied to every ranged attack

Rogues also have great skill abilities and expertise in 4 skillls - perception, stealth, sleight of hand and persuasion help alot for using your main character for most skill checks in the game.

5) If you want to use sneak attack then 11 rogue-thief + 1 fighter (for archery fighting style and ability to use some of the cool medium armor helms and gloves without preventing sneak attacks). This is a bit less efficient at dealing damage since hiding for sneak attack requires a bonus action but the large damage numbers from sneak, especially if you crit, are quite fun.

6) If you want a more sustained damage build then 6 rogue-thief/6 fighter-(pick one) works well since you get Extra Attack plus two bonus actions for 4 sharpshooter hand cross-bow attacks each round. You could go rogue 4/fighter 8 for an extra ASI but it gives up the extra level 6 expertise in two skills from the rogue.

Both builds get 3 feats since the fighter gets an extra at level 6 while the rogue gets an extra at level 10. This lets both builds max dex and pick up sharpshooter.

Rogue 11 has an edge on late game skill checks since it picks up reliable talent at level 11 so it can't roll less than 10. This appears to negate any automatic failures a 1 would generate - at least I haven't failed any checks since I got rogue 11 (since BG3 seems to use a 1 fails skill checks rule).

By the way, Gloves of Thievery are very useful for Sleight of hand checks opening locks and disarming traps.

---

There are tons of good BG3 builds out there and the spellcasting ones are likely better for a variety of purposes but I've had fun playing through using the rogue 11/fighter 1 since scouting is fun and the character can handle most of the skill checks that might come up.

P.S. A bard build is likely as good at the skills as the rogue (better at the social skills) but may not do as much damage.

[Theodoxus]

I'm doing a Karlach playthrough - first time touching a wildheart barbarian, and was surprised how much the wildheart bear can carry. 20 Str, it's something like 950+ lbs. So, I'm thinking my next playthrough will be a human bearbarian for an extra 25% carry capacity, and go full barrelmancy.

[Damon_Tor]

There's a bunch of stuff that's different, game-changing stuff, stuff that obliviates 5e character optimization. Haste comes to mind: in 5e there are strict limits on what you can do with haste"s bonus action, but in BG3 it's just a normal, totally restriction-free action. You can cast spells with it, get your full compliment of 2 (or 3) attacks, or whatever else. Every party should have a sorcerer for twin-casting haste. Every single one.

And a huge part of the building in BG3 revolves around the items you get. There are no limits to how many magic items you can equip and you can count on game-breaking items being exactly where you expect them to be. This is another reason monks are so strong: they overdid it with the number of items that add to unarmed damage.

[Psyren]

5) If you want to use sneak attack then 11 rogue-thief + 1 fighter (for archery fighting style and ability to use some of the cool medium armor helms and gloves without preventing sneak attacks). This is a bit less efficient at dealing damage since hiding for sneak attack requires a bonus action but the large damage numbers from sneak, especially if you crit, are quite fun.

Reminder that you don't need to hide to sneak attack - just as in 5e, you can sneak attack any enemy that is in melee with one of your allies too, which in BG3 is represented by that enemy having the Threatened condition. So on turns where you need your bonus action to do something else, simply target one of those enemies and you can sneak attack them while leaving your BA available.

And yes, crit sneak attacks are very powerful in BG3. In fact, there are items and illithid powers that increase your crit range or even guarantee crits, so you can get the benefit of the Champion and Assassin subclasses in one build while doing something else (I went Arcane Trickster and picked up Shield, Detect Thoughts, Pro Evil and Invisibility.) My invisible Mage Hand came in handy on several fights as well.

[Witty Username]

Barbarian feels like it got decent chunk of stuff.
Jumping and shoving gives alot of interesting play options (also gith jumps are a bit nuts).
I just reached 6th level so my understanding is hardly comprehensive but
I have been doing berserker barbarian, bonus melee attack or throw does alot.
16 in strength and dex, this gives medium armor master for decent stealth checks without sacrificing too much armor for it, and allows for a wide range of magic armor if that is a concern.
Also 16 dex means I can use bows reasonably effectively, which gives options when closing-creating distance.
The thing that is still true is rage, there isn't really a good way to plan how to use it as if you try to hold it for a fight you need it, it will often be up later than you need it, but that means rage won't go very far. Now that I have 4 rages a day it isnt that bad though.

[OldTrees1]

Barbarian feels like it got decent chunk of stuff.
Jumping and shoving gives alot of interesting play options (also gith jumps are a bit nuts).
I just reached 6th level so my understanding is hardly comprehensive but
I have been doing berserker barbarian, bonus melee attack or throw does alot.
16 in strength and dex, this gives medium armor master for decent stealth checks without sacrificing too much armor for it, and allows for a wide range of magic armor if that is a concern.
Also 16 dex means I can use bows reasonably effectively, which gives options when closing-creating distance.
The thing that is still true is rage, there isn't really a good way to plan how to use it as if you try to hold it for a fight you need it, it will often be up later than you need it, but that means rage won't go very far. Now that I have 4 rages a day it isnt that bad though.

You might want the Fleetfingers Gloves. They improve Jumping in a way. They are the only magic item I found that was buried in a dirt mound.

Running Jump: Once per turn, after the wearer Dashes or takes a similar action, they can Jump without using a Bonus Action.
Exit East out of the Blighted Village. Then turn south before the bridge and head along the cliff. When you fail your survival checks, manually dig to find the chest.

[Witty Username]

You might want the Fleetfingers Gloves. They improve Jumping in a way. They are the only magic I found that was buried in a dirt mound.


Yep yep, I found them, I think I have them on Astarian though, I tend to personally not dash often in combat since it takes up attacking, but I could take a couple rogue levels and do it like that.

I will keep that in mind.

[AHF]

Most of the best damage builds will leverage the 2 bonus actions of the rogue-thief subclass and a couple of other rules modifications in BG3.

1) BG3 allows two weapon fighting with ranged weapons so you can wield two hand crossbows at once.
2) Off hand ranged weapon attacks include the dexterity modifier to damage (which melee two weapon fighting does not).
3) Rogue thief class has two bonus actions allowing two bonus action ranged attacks
4) Sharpshooter feat is -5 to hit +10 damage and can be applied to every ranged attack

Rogues also have great skill abilities and expertise in 4 skillls - perception, stealth, sleight of hand and persuasion help alot for using your main character for most skill checks in the game.

5) If you want to use sneak attack then 11 rogue-thief + 1 fighter (for archery fighting style and ability to use some of the cool medium armor helms and gloves without preventing sneak attacks). This is a bit less efficient at dealing damage since hiding for sneak attack requires a bonus action but the large damage numbers from sneak, especially if you crit, are quite fun.

6) If you want a more sustained damage build then 6 rogue-thief/6 fighter-(pick one) works well since you get Extra Attack plus two bonus actions for 4 sharpshooter hand cross-bow attacks each round. You could go rogue 4/fighter 8 for an extra ASI but it gives up the extra level 6 expertise in two skills from the rogue.

Both builds get 3 feats since the fighter gets an extra at level 6 while the rogue gets an extra at level 10. This lets both builds max dex and pick up sharpshooter.

Rogue 11 has an edge on late game skill checks since it picks up reliable talent at level 11 so it can't roll less than 10. This appears to negate any automatic failures a 1 would generate - at least I haven't failed any checks since I got rogue 11 (since BG3 seems to use a 1 fails skill checks rule).

By the way, Gloves of Thievery are very useful for Sleight of hand checks opening locks and disarming traps.

---

There are tons of good BG3 builds out there and the spellcasting ones are likely better for a variety of purposes but I've had fun playing through using the rogue 11/fighter 1 since scouting is fun and the character can handle most of the skill checks that might come up.

P.S. A bard build is likely as good at the skills as the rogue (better at the social skills) but may not do as much damage.

Running a SS build with Astarion right now that is very effective with handcrossbows and Thief but went Gloomstalker Ranger instead of fighter. Gets you an additional level of for sneak attack and the dread ambusher feature to come out of the gate high in initiative with 5 attacks in the first round (7 if hasted) at level 8.

A strong thrown weapons build is Berzerker Barbarian + Thief. 4 thrown attacks every round. I personally added a couple of fighter for action surge as well. The range on the attacks is great and tavern brawler means you’ll rarely miss and will hit like a truck. Only annoyance is sometimes thrown weapons get strange “path interrupted” restrictions on who you can target.