D&D 5E Will Baldur's Gate 3 Change D&D?

[Ogre Mage]

I think the impact will be more cultural than mechanical. I could see BG3 inspiring player characters, NPCs, cosplay and such. DMs may draw inspiration for plots. Maybe there could even be a novelization.

 

[Scribe]

So I work on a computer all day, allllllllllllll day, to the point where when I am gaming, I generally dont care to do any work, even install a mod.

Getting the Gem Dragonborn in was worth the 5 minutes.

Hopefully someone gets the little floating crystal/horn bits in, the recolour on the model looks good though.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's already changed the name of the totem barbarian. So yes, definitely.

But it is also popularising and redefining what people think the Forgotten Realms (and by extension a typical D&D world) is like. Far more people have played BG3 than have ever read an FR sourcebook, or seen HAT. As a result it has become the definitive version of the setting. In concrete terms, what does that actually change? It's not remotely medieval for a start. It has everything from daily newspapers to submarines. It somewhat reinterprets gods and religion.

 

[Corinnguard]

So I work on a computer all day, allllllllllllll day, to the point where when I am gaming, I generally dont care to do any work, even install a mod.

Getting the Gem Dragonborn in was worth the 5 minutes.

Hopefully someone gets the little floating crystal/horn bits in, the recolour on the model looks good though.

I hope the mod does a good job of showing you what their breath weapons look like. I can only imagine what they'll look like. A Force or Thunder breath weapon will probably resemble the shockwave of an explosion as it radiates outward. A Radiant breath weapon will be a sudden flash of light blasting forward. I have no idea on what a Psychic breath weapon since it would be all in my head. As for Necrotic, super bad breath?

 

[Parmandur]

It's already changed the name of the totem barbarian. So yes, definitely.

Other way around: in the latest UA video Crawford took credit for that, WotC git Larian to use the name they were already using in TTRPG playtests for the new Core books.

But it is also popularising and redefining what people think the Forgotten Realms (and by extension a typical D&D world) is like. Far more people have played BG3 than have ever read an FR sourcebook, or seen HAT. As a result it has become the definitive version of the setting. In concrete terms, what does that actually change? It's not remotely medieval for a start. It has everything from daily newspapers to submarines. It somewhat reinterprets gods and religion.

All of those elements are established in 5E books that predate the development of BG3, such as Dragon Heist.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

All of those elements are established in 5E books that predate the development of BG3, such as Dragon Heist.

In terms of technology levels, sure (and some things, like railroad tracks and sewer valves, came from BG1). However, what's in the books and what's in the popular perception are not the same. Very few people have read all the relevant books. We still have people claiming that the Forgotten Realms, and hence standard D&D, is pseudo-medieval. See the reaction on this forum to the balloon in HAT for example.

 

[Parmandur]

In terms of technology levels, sure (and some things, like railroad tracks and sewer valves, came from BG1). However, what's in the books and what's in the popular perception are not the same. Very few people have read all the relevant books. We still have people claiming that the Forgotten Realms, and hence standard D&D, is pseudo-medieval. See the reaction on this forum to the balloon in HAT for example.

Ah, well, I would consider popularizing existing element sof the game and the FR Setting not necessarily "changing the game," though it good for the brand from a business and marketing perspective.

 

[Bacon Bits]

There are other threads to discuss what one might like to see make the transition from the video game to the tabletop. This isn't that thread. This thread is simply asking "Do you think Baldur's Gate 3 will have a significant impact on the design and/or culture of tabletop D&D?"

Obviously, expound in the comments.

I don't see why it wouldn't.

It's going to be a lot of people's first introduction to D&D, just like Gold Box and BG1 and BG2 were. Some number of players are going to look at playing paper D&D or other TTRPGs specifically to replicate or synthesize that experience they had with BG3. They're going to bring in new opinions on what D&D should be like. It's exactly the same way that Critical Role brought in players with new ideas and different opinions, and the D&D novels brought in players with new ideas and different opinions.

That's going to influence the styles of play that are popular, and affect which products are popular. That can't help but affect the design of the game.

Frankly, I would be shocked of WotC and Larian aren't talking about some way to make a BG3 tie-in to an adventure module.

If we treat BG3 like a "house ruled" version of 5e, I would even suspect that a lot of tables will at least try out Larian's rules at the tabletop. I would be a little surprised if none of those become as common as bonus action potions, or multi-weapon interaction leniency with multiple attacks, or actual milestone leveling not what the DMG claims is milestone leveling.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Frankly, I would be shocked of WotC and Larian aren't talking about some way to make a BG3 tie-in to an adventure module.

They are. They have been plugging Decent to Avernus based on BG3, and the new Phandelver Campaign. "look, Forgotten Realms! Mind Flayers!!"

 

[Corinnguard]

It would be interesting if BG3 leads to future games in other D&D settings such as Eberron.