D&D 5e rule changes

This page and related pages summarize rule changes from the implementation of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition (D&D 5e) rules to Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3).

The rule changes described on this page and related pages are written with the assumption the reader understands the relevant D&D 5e rule. These pages will not explain what the D&D 5e rule is, only what the changed or altered BG3 rule is. These pages also include many BG3 features and abilities that are unchanged from D&D 5e to help a D&D 5e player quickly see which options have changed and which have not, and make decisions without having to do additional research. If the BG3 rule aligns with a OneD&D rule or other playtest material from D&D 5e, that is considered a rule change from D&D 5e.

There will be rapid changes to these pages at BG3's launch, so leaving relevant comments with any edits are strongly encouraged.

Fundamental Changes

The level cap is 12.
There is a weighted dice setting in the game called Karmic Dice which as of EA Patch 9 is enabled by default. Check your game settings to disable this option if desired.
Characters must use 27 point buy. There is no rolling for ability scores.
All races have a +2/+1 flexible ability score bonus - similar to Tasha's alternate rules - though the standard 5e racial ability score bonus and the +1/+1/+1 option do not exist. Half-elves and Humans have been granted additional features to make up for this change. There is no word yet on whether Mountain Dwarves have been similarly compensated. The details of this change are discussed on the D&D 5e Race Changes page.
Multiclassing ignores ability score requirements.
You are able to respec your characters when you meet an NPC made available early in Act 1 of the game. At a minimum you can respec your starting class, subclass (when applicable), ability scores, spells (when applicable), and skill proficiencies. It is not possible to change a character's race.
- If you change an origin companion or traditional companion's starting class (or subclass when applicable), the world will still react to them as though they were a member of their initial starting class.
Hit points gained on level are fixed values, not a roll of the hit die.
The party is limited to two short rests per long rest. Short rests restore each ally's hit points by an amount equal to half their maximum HP (rounded down). There is no hit die rolling.
Long rests require camp supplies, which are food items that can be looted or purchased. In towns you will be able to rest at an inn.
Rolling a natural 1 on a skill check always results in failure, even if modifiers would put you over the DC. Rolling a natural 20 on a skill check always results in success, even if modifiers would not put you over the DC. Other than critical hits, there are no additional fumble or critical success features besides an automatic failure or pass of the check.
Combat areas tend to have a large amount of verticality, but are rather small in horizontal size. This has led to the following mechanical changes:
- The ranges of spells are reduced as described on the spells page, often to 60 ft.
- The normal ranges of ranged weapons are reduced to 60 ft, except hand crossbows, which have a range of 50 ft. (verification required on distance of long range attacks).
- Darkvision is reduced to 40 ft, and Superior Darkvision to 80 ft.
There is no cover system.
When a creature is at least 10 ft above their target and makes a ranged attack, they receive a +2 bonus to the attack roll due to high ground. When a creature is at least 10 ft below their target and makes a ranged attack, they receive a -2 penalty to the attack roll due to low ground.
If two player controlled characters are next to each other in the initiative order then their initiative is shared. Both characters can act at the same time.
Tool and language proficiencies are not used. This includes Thieves' Tools. Skill checks to pick a lock or disarm a trap use the character's sleight of hand modifier, and require a set of thieves' tools or trap disarm toolkit respectively, which are consumed on a failure.
As of EA Patch 9, creatures don't have a sense of hearing and instead can only detect what they see. If you hide while not in a creature's sight cone, you automatically succeed. If you try to hide while in a creature's sight cone, you automatically fail. If you are hidden and enter a creature's sight cone, you must roll stealth against the creature's passive perception. This may be a straight roll, advantage, or disadvantage, based on the creature's senses and the level of lighting. Some creatures with different senses such as blindsight may follow different rules.
- A number of changes to hiding and stealth have been made in the full release, but exact details have yet to be verified.
There is an inspiration system. As a party you can have up to 4 inspiration dice which can be applied to a failed skill check. The way you gain dice is based on the background of you and your companions. If for example you or one of your companions have the Charlatan background, they may gain an inspiration die for your party if they deceive their way into a fortified enemy position.
Characters can carry a maximum 20 lbs (10 kg) of weight per point of Str. If the character is carrying an amount of weight equal to 14 lbs (7 kg) x Strength, they are encumbered. This becomes heavily encumbered at 18 lbs (9 kg) × Strength.

Spellcasting

Details on individual spell changes can be found on the D&D 5e Spell Changes page.
Prepared spell casters can change their prepared spells at any time out of combat.
Verbal, Somatic, and Material components are ignored. Being silenced prevents all spellcasting regardless of what the components would be in D&D 5e.
The game does not stop a character from casting a leveled spell with both an action and a bonus action.
Ritual casting is not in Early Access, but the Ritual Caster feat will be added at launch, so it is possible that ritual casting is added at launch.
Anyone can cast any Spell scroll from any class list (even if it is not their own or they do not have the spellcasting feature), and there is no Arcana check for casting higher level spells than a character has spells known.
Spell scrolls do not have a fixed DC or attack roll bonus. They use the caster's relevant casting modifier (verification required at launch when multiclassing implemented).

Action Economy

A character can have one ranged weapon set equipped and one melee weapon set equipped, and are able to freely switch between them as a free action an unlimited number of times per turn. This includes starting their turn with the melee weapon equipped, switching to a crossbow for free, shooting at targets, and switching back to the melee set to allow them to make opportunity attacks. Equipping a weapon from the inventory costs an action.
Shove is not a part of the attack action. It is a bonus action available to all characters. Shove only pushes the target back an amount that depends on the shover's strength and the target's weight. It normally does not knock them prone unless they are shoved off a high ledge.
Falling damage only sometimes causes a creature to go prone.
Using the help action on a downed ally brings them back to 1 hit point and leaves them prone.
Jumping is a bonus action which consumes 10 ft of movement speed. With a Strength score of 10 or below, a creature can jump 15 ft, and this increases by 5 ft for every two points in strength above 10. At 20 Str a creature may spend 10 ft of movement speed and a bonus action to jump, and can travel 35 ft effectively increasing the creature's movement speed by up to 25 feet.
The Dodge action is not present in Early Access or at launch, with the exception of the monk's Patient Defence ability.
Readying an action is not implemented.
Grappling is not implemented.
Consuming a potion is a bonus action.
If a creature throws a healing potion as an action, it will break and heal all targets in a small radius. This applies to many - but not all - types of Potions.
There are options to throw creatures which are at least one size smaller than you (not always accurately implemented). There is a minimum Strength required, based on the target's weight, and you need to win a contested check using your Athletics.
Hide is currently a bonus action for all player characters as of Early Access Patch 9. Footage from Panel from Hell 8 indicates that Hide will switch back to an action unless a feature (e.g. rogue's cunning action) gives a character the option to hide as a bonus action.
Bonus action attack options such as offhand weapon attacks do not require a character to first take the attack action.
Donning and doffing armour does not take time, and can be done as an action even in combat.

Equipment

Weapons are given unique weapon action attacks depending on the weapon type. These can be used once per short rest only if the wielder is proficient with the weapon.
There is no magic item attunement system.
A creature can have a melee weapon set and a ranged weapon set equipped that they can toggle between freely. As of Early Access Patch 9, if you have a shield equipped in the equipped melee set but have the ranged weapon set being actively wielded, you still benefit from the AC boost the shield provides.
Some equipment like gloves, boots, or helms may require armour proficiency to wear effectively. They don't grant a bonus to armour class (unless they have a magical effect that specifically says so), but may have magical effects and the character will only be able to don them effectively with the correct proficiency.
Heavy armour does not have a Strength requirement, and therefore no movement speed penalty.
You are unable to select starting equipment; you are given starting equipment based on your starting class.
Crossbows currently have the loading property, but it does not restrict the usage of crossbows in any way. It is possible that they will continue to ignore loading at release (needs confirmation).
- This allows a character to dual wield hand crossbows. It does not allow a character to wield a hand crossbow with a shield because the crossbow goes in the ranged set while the shield goes in the melee set. But as discussed above, the character gains the AC bonus of a shield equipped on your melee set even while the ranged set is actively drawn.
Appropriate weapons have the "heavy" property added to them, but this property does not apply disadvantage to attack rolls made by small characters as of EA patch 9.
Slings, darts, and whips are not in the game.
The weights of various pieces of equipment have changed. For example, chain mail weighs 36lbs instead of 55lbs.

Conditions

Blinded: In addition to the other effects, ranged attacks are limited to 15 ft range. Blinded creatures can also make opportunity attacks.
Encumbered: A character becomes encumbered when they carry an amount equal to 14 lbs (7 kg) times their Strength rather than 5 times. Being encumbered also halves your jump distance in addition to the normal effects.
- Heavily encumbered: A character becomes heavily encumbered at 18 lbs (9 kg) times their Strength rather than 10 times. It also prohibits them from being able to climb or jump at all in addition to the normal effects.
Frightened: Creatures which are frightened are unable to move at all (rather than being unable to move toward the source of their fear), unless the effect instead makes them "fearful" which gives them the frightened effect as well as making them flee.
Prone: Being prone gives disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws, attacks against a prone creature have advantage out to a range of 10 ft rather than 5 ft, and ranged attacks against a prone creature do not have disadvantage. Your character cannot do anything while prone. Starting the turn while prone will cause you to automatically use half your movement to stand up. Becoming prone during your turn automatically ends your turn.
Turned: Turned creatures will not dodge, since monks will likely be the only characters able to dodge.
Wet: This is a new condition that prevents the character from burning (e.g. from Searing Smite) and grants resistance to fire damage, but also makes the creature vulnerable to lightning and cold damage.

Miscellaneous

Great Weapon Fighting Style rerolls any and all of an attack's damage dice on a 1 or 2, even if they are not a part of the weapon's physical damage.
"Lifeberries," a.k.a. Goodberries that have been buffed due to being cast by a Life Domain Cleric, will only get the additional healing benefit from Disciple of Life if the same Cleric who cast the spell is also the one to consume the berry. If somebody else consumes the berry, they will just get the normal 1d4 that a goodberry gets in BG3.
If a character with extra attack makes a melee or ranged weapon attack first, they may follow it up with a thrown weapon attack. However, making a thrown weapon attack first causes the game to classify it as a full throw action rather than part of the attack action, consuming your entire attack action.

Other Changes

See related pages for details on changes from the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition rules specific to the classes, races, spells and feats available in Baldur's Gate 3.