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- Jan 28, 2011
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Tags: Baldur's Gate 3; Larian Studios; Nick Pechenin; Swen Vincke
The seventh major patch for Baldur's Gate 3 was released today following its introduction at the latest Panel From Hell event. As the title suggests, the centerpiece of the new patch is the addition of the Barbarian class, which comes in two flavors: the traditional Berserker and the Wildheart, whose powers are determined by their chosen spirit animal. To help get into the barbarian spirit, Larian have also implemented D&D's improvised weapons mechanic, which allows characters to use any object in the environment as a weapon, including small enough enemies. There are plenty of other changes as well, including tweaks to stealth and exploration, new loot, and improved cinematics. However, the true highlight of the patch is probably the complete overhaul of the game's UI, which has been fitted with numerous PC-centric usability features including text search.
All of this and more were demonstrated during the Panel's gameplay session, in which Swen Vincke and Nick Pechenin, joined by YouTuber WolfheartFPS, took a party of barbarians into the countryside to wreak some havoc. Despite a misguided attempt to delve into forbidden knowledge found in a necromancer's basement, they successfully managed to sneak into the Underdark, killing plenty of monsters who were twice their size along the way. ERYFKRAD approved! Here's the trailer for the patch and an excerpt from the accompanying community update:
Unleash your fury: A new Barbarian class comes to Baldur’s Gate
Merciless in the heat of battle, fueled by nature’s fury, and boasting chaos energy louder than a thousand reality TV stars combined: Barbarians are the latest class to join Baldur's Gate 3.
These brutal warriors hail from the wilds of Faerûn, but they feel most at home at the center of combat where they can channel their inner Rage to unlock devastating actions. When a Barbarian is enraged, they gain extra buffs, bonuses, and attacks - boosting the damage they lay down and halving the physical damage they take. But in order to reach this state, they must first spend a Rage Charge.
Barbarians have three charges at their disposal by the time they reach Level 3. Once enraged, they need to do damage or receive damage in order to keep their Rage going for another turn. Lose this Rage, however, and the perks that it generates disappear. Mastery of Barbarian combat is therefore all about maintaining your Rage and sustaining it for as long as possible by hitting or being hit every turn.
So what does a Barbarian do when they want to feed their rage but their friends are hogging all the combat on the other side of the battlefield? They simply jumpstart that Barbarian temper. One way to do this is through your Tadpole power Endless Rage. This ability deals 1d4 Psychic Damage to the Barbarian for 10 consecutive turns, ensuring Rage stays activated for the duration. In turn, Barbarians will also inflict an additional 1d4 Damage to enemies when using their melee weapons - making them even more ferocious in combat.
And remember, Barbarians: When in need, you can always recruit a friendly companion for a strategic thwacking. It's as easy as ABC (Allies can Bash you Continuously).
Choose your destiny: Wildheart or Berserker
As you level your Barbarian, your combat actions will evolve to reflect one of two subclasses: Wildheart and Berserker.
Those who go the path of the Wildheart will appoint a Bestial Heart to inspire them, granting different combat actions depending on which Heart they select.
There are five Bestial Hearts to choose from: The Bear Heart provides players with a self-heal, the Eagle Heart introduces a dive-attack from above, the Elk Heart gifts you a Stampede rush-attack to flatten enemies, the Tiger Heart offers a coned Cleave attack that inflicts bleeding, and the Wolf Heart allows you to buff your allies using a Pack Howl to help them move further during their turn. Your choice of Bestial Heart also affects how you appear in-game with different facial piercings, similar to the Sorcerer's Draconic Bloodline scales - although you’re still free to pick a piercing type from another Heart or disable them altogether if face metal is not the look for you.
For those who choose the path of the Berserker, your Barbarian will pull from a reservoir of pure fury, turning their Rage into a Frenzy. While in a Frenzy, players can create further chaos with an Enraged Throw or a Frenzied Strike. Enraged Throw wreaks additional damage on enemies and inflicts prone. Frenzied Strike, on the other hand, is a new weapon attack that allows you to attack twice.
Another fine update from Larian. The full patch notes are available here and there's also a small batch of press previews. But when is the game finally leaving Early Access? Unfortunately, at the end of the panel Swen confirmed that the launch date has almost certainly been pushed into 2023. Oh well, at least we didn't have to wait until the end of the year to learn that.
The seventh major patch for Baldur's Gate 3 was released today following its introduction at the latest Panel From Hell event. As the title suggests, the centerpiece of the new patch is the addition of the Barbarian class, which comes in two flavors: the traditional Berserker and the Wildheart, whose powers are determined by their chosen spirit animal. To help get into the barbarian spirit, Larian have also implemented D&D's improvised weapons mechanic, which allows characters to use any object in the environment as a weapon, including small enough enemies. There are plenty of other changes as well, including tweaks to stealth and exploration, new loot, and improved cinematics. However, the true highlight of the patch is probably the complete overhaul of the game's UI, which has been fitted with numerous PC-centric usability features including text search.
All of this and more were demonstrated during the Panel's gameplay session, in which Swen Vincke and Nick Pechenin, joined by YouTuber WolfheartFPS, took a party of barbarians into the countryside to wreak some havoc. Despite a misguided attempt to delve into forbidden knowledge found in a necromancer's basement, they successfully managed to sneak into the Underdark, killing plenty of monsters who were twice their size along the way. ERYFKRAD approved! Here's the trailer for the patch and an excerpt from the accompanying community update:
Unleash your fury: A new Barbarian class comes to Baldur’s Gate
Merciless in the heat of battle, fueled by nature’s fury, and boasting chaos energy louder than a thousand reality TV stars combined: Barbarians are the latest class to join Baldur's Gate 3.
These brutal warriors hail from the wilds of Faerûn, but they feel most at home at the center of combat where they can channel their inner Rage to unlock devastating actions. When a Barbarian is enraged, they gain extra buffs, bonuses, and attacks - boosting the damage they lay down and halving the physical damage they take. But in order to reach this state, they must first spend a Rage Charge.
Barbarians have three charges at their disposal by the time they reach Level 3. Once enraged, they need to do damage or receive damage in order to keep their Rage going for another turn. Lose this Rage, however, and the perks that it generates disappear. Mastery of Barbarian combat is therefore all about maintaining your Rage and sustaining it for as long as possible by hitting or being hit every turn.
So what does a Barbarian do when they want to feed their rage but their friends are hogging all the combat on the other side of the battlefield? They simply jumpstart that Barbarian temper. One way to do this is through your Tadpole power Endless Rage. This ability deals 1d4 Psychic Damage to the Barbarian for 10 consecutive turns, ensuring Rage stays activated for the duration. In turn, Barbarians will also inflict an additional 1d4 Damage to enemies when using their melee weapons - making them even more ferocious in combat.
And remember, Barbarians: When in need, you can always recruit a friendly companion for a strategic thwacking. It's as easy as ABC (Allies can Bash you Continuously).
Choose your destiny: Wildheart or Berserker
As you level your Barbarian, your combat actions will evolve to reflect one of two subclasses: Wildheart and Berserker.
Those who go the path of the Wildheart will appoint a Bestial Heart to inspire them, granting different combat actions depending on which Heart they select.
There are five Bestial Hearts to choose from: The Bear Heart provides players with a self-heal, the Eagle Heart introduces a dive-attack from above, the Elk Heart gifts you a Stampede rush-attack to flatten enemies, the Tiger Heart offers a coned Cleave attack that inflicts bleeding, and the Wolf Heart allows you to buff your allies using a Pack Howl to help them move further during their turn. Your choice of Bestial Heart also affects how you appear in-game with different facial piercings, similar to the Sorcerer's Draconic Bloodline scales - although you’re still free to pick a piercing type from another Heart or disable them altogether if face metal is not the look for you.
For those who choose the path of the Berserker, your Barbarian will pull from a reservoir of pure fury, turning their Rage into a Frenzy. While in a Frenzy, players can create further chaos with an Enraged Throw or a Frenzied Strike. Enraged Throw wreaks additional damage on enemies and inflicts prone. Frenzied Strike, on the other hand, is a new weapon attack that allows you to attack twice.
Another fine update from Larian. The full patch notes are available here and there's also a small batch of press previews. But when is the game finally leaving Early Access? Unfortunately, at the end of the panel Swen confirmed that the launch date has almost certainly been pushed into 2023. Oh well, at least we didn't have to wait until the end of the year to learn that.
Sven is probably an Ork player in the 40k 
