Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 Pre-Release Thread [EARLY ACCESS RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Cryomancer]

HotU and MotB aren't good because they are high level, the high levels actually detract from the experience.

How do you plan to make a history about a key figure send to solve a bloody war between drows in underdark where one of then control a archdevil, then the charname needs to escape the 8th circle of hell to stop a prince of hell, and can kill single handily a mindflayer colony, a beholder army, a demilich and a dracolich strange cult without making him epic strong?

I don't plan on doing that and wouldn't do it. Sounds terrible.

Now you realize that hotu can only work as a high level/epic level campaign?

 

[Lacrymas]

I mean I wouldn't create a scenario like that. The whole thing is bonkers. Maybe don't create stories in which your character goes toe to toe with archdevils, beholder armies, or mindflayer legions. It sounds anime tbh and is against the spirit of D&D.

 

[Cryomancer]

goes toe to toe with archdevils, beholder armies, or mindflayer legions. It sounds anime tbh and is against the spirit of D&D.

It is not "anime". And even you realized that hotu is much better than base NWN1(which you can reach high level but not epic). If the spirit of D&D is to be only low level kobold slaying adventure games, they would't even bothered to write epic level rules. The game name is Dungeons & DRAGONS, not dungeons & low level kobolds. Last time i checked, low level parties has no chance against dragons.

And honestly, dragons should be far more powerful than they are on monster manual. A ancient silver dragon should have in addition to his massive hit points, saves and superhuman stats, he should have epic sorcerer levels and all spells with "cold" descriptor should be maximized and empowered(3.5e).

On Gothic 2, Dragons are cakewalk BUT the mod Returning made then really nasty creatures, only by being 300m- close to the frost/fire dragon liar, you take envorimental damage. They have health regen, summons and uses circle 6 magic(btw when you encounter one on chapter 4, you can only cast circle 4 magic).

EDIT : About anime, check this homebrew class anime swordsman. The top rated homebrew class in the site

 

[Kaivokz]

I've been playing Spellforce III recently—these are the graphics BG3 should have.
Watching the gameplay footage from the other day, especially the character models and proportions, is

just some random sf3 screenshots

 

[Xamenos]

And honestly, dragons should be far more powerful than they are on monster manual. A ancient silver dragon should have in addition to his massive hit points, saves and superhuman stats, he should have epic sorcerer levels and all spells with "cold" descriptor should be maximized and empowered(3.5e).

Dragons, in the hands of a competent DM, are terrifying in tabletop. A humble level-appropriate dragon can absolutely demolish an overconfident party simply by keeping to the air, strafing the party whenever its breath recharges, and using its spells and abilities intelligently. It is unfortunate that there's no way to translate this to a pc game, and dragons are barely mobile brutes.

 

[Lacrymas]

I've been playing Spellforce III recently—these are the graphics BG3 should have.
Watching the gameplay footage from the other day, especially the character models and proportions, is

Not that I'm defending them, but it's not ready yet. It's far from ready.

 

[fantadomat]

I've been playing Spellforce III recently—these are the graphics BG3 should have.
Watching the gameplay footage from the other day, especially the character models and proportions, is

just some random sf3 screenshots

Oh yeah,SF3 is one of the best RPG made in the last decade. It is an amazing game. Expecting similar quality from a Dos2 clone is delusional.

 

[underground nymph]

Think about it for a moment... In Baldur's Gate, you start off as a snot-nosed whelp whose foster father gets ganked in the woods.

a whelp who is coincidentally, surprise surprise, a descendant of the

Spoiler

god of murder

right, nothing to look at here folks

That's not the point, I'm not saying the protagonist can't be a rare and special little flower (though I tend to prefer games where they're not). The issue is the circumstances of the introduction - BG doesn't kick off with a host of celestials duking it out with Abazigal over Candlekeep. All you've got at the start is that some creepy bloke in expensive armour wants to split your fucking skull for some reason. By Forgotten Realms standards, that's relatively mundane.

BG kicks off by two assassinations attempts in a row in the first hour of gameplay
saying that Larian’s bg3 isn’t packed with celestial interference as well. we still don’t know when the underdark part takes place story-wise.

 

[Dodo1610]

Spellforce 3 was good but it wasn't even the best RPG of that year. Hell, it wasn't even the best game in that series.

And again the Ilithid invasion is not the main plot of the game the main antagonists are the dead three or rather a cult that worships them.

 

[underground nymph]

And BG3 doesn't start epic? Mindflayer spelljammer ship fighting dragon riders army is prety epic IMO.

If BG2 starts epic, then why BG3 starting epic (even more so than BG2, one could say) is suddenly a problem?

Din't said that is a problem. But you go from lv 1 to 10 on BG3, BG2 from 8 to 17~21(depending the class)

Oof Illithids are pretty high to use as a BBEG against a 4 man level 10 party. A single Elder Brain is a deadly challenge (a hard bossfight thats decently winnable with good builds) for 4 lvl 10s, and the colonies have those surrounded by dozens of mooks.
I hope they dont let us fully resolve the Illithid plot at level 10 but not resolving it in the same game would be kind of a dickmove aswell. They have written themselves into a corner by using Illithids and level 10 cap.

i can’t stop thinking that that mindflayer isn’t some average one, but kind of a rebel one or something (given all the dead illithids around), and that a tadpole has something to do with it.

 

[Delterius]

I mean I wouldn't create a scenario like that. The whole thing is bonkers. Maybe don't create stories in which your character goes toe to toe with archdevils, beholder armies, or mindflayer legions. It sounds anime tbh and is against the spirit of D&D.

talked like a scrub that doesn't kill gods at level 6

 

[Harthwain]

Din't said that is a problem. But you go from lv 1 to 10 on BG3, BG2 from 8 to 17~21(depending the class)

How viable is level-to-level comparison, considering that BG2 is 3.5 and BG3 5.0? From what I understood, by reading other discussions (about encounters, for example), it sounded like 5.0 scaled everything down?

It's a direct sequel, featuring the same protagonist, and that's precisely why I mentioned it as "even Baldur's Gate 2" - a campaign where you've been established as "a son of a literal god" and the "Hero of Baldur's Gate", and it still has a somewhat more subdued introduction. [...] BG3, however, looks like it will introduce content of a more extraordinary nature right off the starting line. I've seen Schumacher make slower starts and I worry Larian might try and cram in too much "awesome" stuff all at once and make it the opposite of awesome.

Well, BG3 is an indirect sequel to BG2, so it makes sense for it to start with an earthquake, followed by rising tension. It's also - if I am not mistaken - the first attempt to establish a video game based on DnD 5.0, so I am not surprised at all that both Larian and WotC want to fill it with enough cool stuff to catch the attention of wider gaming audience. Also, the manner the game starts allows to put together races that you'd otherwise be very hard pressed to find under the usual circumstances (Drow, Githyanki).

I wouldn't be surprised if they have very rough plans for expansions/DLCs to resolve all plot points that start in BG3. Either that or BG3 is going to be a very big game (if you do not beeline for the main quest).

 

[guestposting]

They keep saying you have a week to get the tadpole out of your head. Does that mean you’ll be on a timer? That would be perfect.

Terrible business decision, but then I thought BG3 would be an ARPG for commercial reasons. This has been one pleasant surprise after another. Even if they have no plans for a timer, maybe we can badger them into implementing one.

 

[Cryomancer]

How viable is level-to-level comparison, considering that BG2 is 3.5 and BG3 5.0? From what I understood, by reading other discussions (about encounters, for example), it sounded like 5.0 scaled everything down?

BG2 is 2e, not 3.5e. The unique IE game which is 3.0(not 3.5) is icewind dale 2.

And yes, one of the good things about 5e is that they toned down the numbers BUT they should also toned down player HP. At least IMO, i love games with high lethality for both sides.

Dragons, in the hands of a competent DM, are terrifying in tabletop.

Yep. But a ancient silver dragon still has less spell casting capabilities living from centuries compared to a offspring of him which has like 1/124 draconian blood. On 5e and 3.5e. A ancient silver dragon should't have few spells like 3.5e, he should know ancient spells long forgotten from the humanity and be really nasty enemies that only a party of high level with a LOT of preparation and planing can have a chance of defeating.

His superhuman intelligence stat(24 on pathfinder) and genius intelligence on 5e(18) is not translated effectively in abilities. If a intelligent human can become a archmagician with decades of hard working, a dragon with dozens of more time and superhuman abilities should be able to do far better.

On NWN1, i as a lv 14 sorcerer could solo 2 dragons.



And really wish that will be no dragon fights on BG3. And if there is, your should try to flee and avoid fight at any cost and maybe kill a heavily damaged juvenile dragon but that is it.

5e already made this epic creatures fell far more weak than they are. IMO Larian should not put any dragon fight in their games. But again, is just my opinion. for me legendary creatures should fell legendary. In lore and mechanics.

 

[Thac0]

talked like a scrub that doesn't kill gods at level 6

JRPG profile picture

How viable is level-to-level comparison, considering that BG2 is 3.5 and BG3 5.0? From what I understood, by reading other discussions (about encounters, for example), it sounded like 5.0 scaled everything down?

A bit. The aforementioned Elder Brain, that is the meanest beater in an illithid colony if they dont have any mind flayer liches, is CR 14 (a normal encounter for a level 14 party) in 5e and a CR 25 encounter in 3e. I dont think 2e has CR?
Still 10 is low for Illithids. Three normal Illithids alone are a deadly fight for 4 level 10s. If underground nymph is right and we are dealing with Elite Illithid conspiracies level 10 is way too low.

They keep saying you have a week to get the tadpole out of your head. Does that mean you’ll be on a timer? That would be perfect.

Terrible business decision, but then I thought BG3 would be an ARPG for commercial reasons. This has been one pleasant surprise after another. Even if they have no plans for a timer, maybe we can badger them into implementing one.

I assume it will be a faux timer that does not end in a game over, but if you pass the week without dealing without it you are forced into the contract with the devil. But we have to wait and see on that.

 

[Lacrymas]

It might be structured like Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. In that adventure, the McGuffin you want is always in motion and you have like 4 or 5 different points in the adventure you can get it. It's possible to not get it at all and you get a different ending. In BG3, you might get a bunch of different ways to remove the tadpole, and indeed be forced into the deal if you fail the other methods.

 

[The_Mask]

You know, I thought about my BG2 experience... And I never figured out how to prevent Illithids from brainsucking Minsc to death. Is there even a defense against that attack in BG2 other than summoning hordes of skeletons/cloud spells?

Pots of int and focus. And there are a few spells that give rezistance or immunity to psionics, so he won't get stunned. Otherwise, no - not really.

 

[Harthwain]

BG2 is 2e, not 3.5e. The unique IE game which is 3.0(not 3.5) is icewind dale 2.

I stand corrected.

Still 10 is low for Illithids. Three normal Illithids alone are a deadly fight for 4 level 10s. If underground nymph is right and we are dealing with Elite Illithid conspiracies level 10 is way too low.

That's why I am thinking we might not see the Illithids in BG3, save for the initial encounter. Or at least we'll not fight them. Illithids could be not invading - they could be on the run, and the answer to that will probably be in the Underdark, which they had fled. And demons could be involved in all of this. Perhaps demons are invading the Underdark?

 

[AwesomeButton]

They keep saying you have a week to get the tadpole out of your head. Does that mean you’ll be on a timer? That would be perfect.

Terrible business decision, but then I thought BG3 would be an ARPG for commercial reasons. This has been one pleasant surprise after another. Even if they have no plans for a timer, maybe we can badger them into implementing one.

Do we even have it confirmed that BG3 has time passage implemented?

 

[Chunkyman]

The timer idea seems unlikely to be implemented. Swen mentioned that the game is going to have a lot of exploration and poking around places looking for stuff, which would be difficult to do if you have a clock always ticking down and you're just trying to steamroll through to wherever you get the tadpole removed.

 

[Thac0]

The timer idea seems unlikely to be implemented. Swen mentioned that the game is going to have a lot of exploration and poking around places looking for stuff, which would be difficult to do if you have a clock always ticking down and you're just trying to steamroll through to wherever you get the tadpole removed.

While BG2 didnt have timers for most quests, the main quest had parts where they specifically wanted you to leisure around and explore and parts where they wanted you to rush the objective.

Spoiler

As an example the part where you are gathering cash to hire the thieves guild to track down Imoen or searching allies to defeat Irenicus Vampire bint are made to get you to explore the world and get entangled in sidequests, while stuff like the asylum is meant to be rushed

They could to the same in BG 3

 

[Lacrymas]

Exploration and timers aren't contradictory. You might not get to explore everything in every playthrough, but that's a plus.

 

[NJClaw]

The timer idea seems unlikely to be implemented. Swen mentioned that the game is going to have a lot of exploration and poking around places looking for stuff, which would be difficult to do if you have a clock always ticking down and you're just trying to steamroll through to wherever you get the tadpole removed.

There's going to be a timer on the tadpole quest, otherwise they wouldn't be reminding you of that one-week limit all the time. This doesn't mean, however, that there are going to be other time limits, or even that the consequence of missing the deadline is a game over.

 

[Delterius]

JRPG profile picture

In jrpgs you are supposed to grind to lvl 9999 so you can one shot the final boss.

 

[Thac0]

JRPG profile picture

In jrpgs you are supposed to grind to lvl 9999 so you can one shot the final boss.

I see someone has been playing Disgaea