D&D (2024) Baldur's Gate 3: List of Mechanical Differences from 5e (need assistance to fill the list)

[Stalker0]

There are a few threads going around discussing the various mechanical changes BG3 has made, and whether some of those would be good changes for the core game. To help with that, this thread will catalog the various differences. I am happy to collect them into a list in the OP.

Please keep this thread strictly about two main areas:

• Mechanical Differences: 5e does it X way, BG3 does it Y.
• Conventions: Scenarios that are intentionally vague in 5e, but BG3 "crystallizes" them into a set mechanic.

Please do not use this thread for commentary about whether mechanics are good, bad, or ugly, that is for other threads to discuss. This is purely a factual list for people's reference and use.

General

• Shove is a bonus action, but can only push (cannot make prone).
• (Convention) When you break surprise using an action, that character does not get to use an action of their first turn.
• (Convention) When using an attack that has multiple parts (such as eldritch blast or magic missile), all targets must be determined up front before the effect is generated.
• (Convention) If an effect triggers multiple reactions (such as cutting words and shield) you must decide which effects are activated at the same time, you can't wait for one and then do the other.
• (Convention) Piercing and Slashing does no damage to walls, blugeoning does normal damage (but must overcome hardness)
• Cover does not exist. Instead higher ground gives you advantage on ranged attacks, low ground firing on high ground gives you disadvantage.
• Swapping spells for Clerics/Druids/Wizards: Happens anytime outside of combat.

Classes

• Warlock
  • Pact of the Blade: Automatically gets 2nd attack at 5th level with pact weapon (instead of through thirsting blade invocation). Uses charisma for att/dmg (instead of hex warrior feature)

Feats

• Durable: Provides full healing after every short rest.

Resting / Healing

• Short Rest: Costs no time, can do it 2 per long rest.
  • No Hit Die, heals half of the person's max hitpoints.
• Long Rest: Costs no time, requires 40 "supplies".

Spells

• Mass Healing Word: No real range, effects all allies "in the area".
• Gaseous Form: You can pick up and manipulate items.
• Several spells have duration changes to "next long rest"
  • Aid
  • Daylight

 

[Weiley31]

Mechanical-Warlock: Pact of the Blade boon not only combines the Thirsting Blade invocation (second attack at level 5 gained with Pact Weapon) but also gives all Warlocks the Hex Warrior feature from the Hexblade regardless of subclass in 5E (CHA Modifier can be used for their Attack/Damage Rolls instead of STR/DEX).

 

[overgeeked]

There’s a BG3 wikia with a list.

D&D 5e Rule Changes

bg3.wiki

 

[FitzTheRuke]

You can throw stuff and punch (doing damage) with a mage hand. It can be killed.

A flaming sphere has 20 HP and can die.

Lots and lots of interesting stuff with Druid Wildshapes.

 

[Ondath]

Resting / Healing

• Long Rest: Costs no time, requires 40 "supplies".

Actually, long rests still take the whole night, so it's clear that they take time. It's just that most of the content isn't time sensitive, so you can take more rests than needed.

 

[MarkB]

A flaming sphere has 20 HP and can die.

Likewise a Spiritual Weapon. On the other hand, it has its own independent initiative and does not require a bonus action to direct once it's been cast.

 

[Vael]

Thrown potions become an AOE effect.
Prepared casters can change their prepared spells anytime out of combat.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

• Cover does not exist. Instead higher ground gives you advantage on ranged attacks, low ground firing on high ground gives you disadvantage.

Technically, full cover exists - its possible in BG3 for a target to be impossible to target because of intervening objects/people.

 

[Ondath]

Technically, full cover exists - its possible in BG3 for a target to be impossible to target because of intervening objects/people.

To add on this, high/low ground does not give dis/advantage but a flat bonus/penalty (I think it gave dis/advantage in EA so that's why the OP might have thought so). You can tell that's the case because attacking from high ground is not enough to trigger Sneak Attack for Rogues.

 

[Vael]

I've done the "Can drink a potion with a bonus action" houserule, but I am considering another one from BG3 ... when a character gets knocked out, they lose their next action after being healed or helped. I think it'll promote more proactive healing, less yo-yoing