Baldur's Gate 3 has three difficulty levels to choose from, in increasing difficulty order: Explorer, Balanced, Tactician.
Selecting A Difficulty
When you start a new game, you will be prompted to select a difficulty. You also may change the difficulty after starting a game by using the menu.
Explorer Difficulty
Explorer is the least difficult setting. In comparison to the Balanced difficulty setting Explorer has:
- Friendly NPCs are harder to kill.
- Items purchased from a merchant are at a 20% discount.
- Allies' proficiency bonuses are increased by 2.
Balanced Difficulty
As the default and middle difficulty, Balanced difficulty is the baseline.
Tactician Difficulty
Tactician is the highest difficulty setting. In comparison to the Balanced difficulty setting Tactician has:
- More aggressive enemy NPC behavior, such as targeting spellcasters more often and attempting to finish off downed characters.
- Increased hitpoints, armor class, and bonuses for enemy NPCs.