Baldur’s Gate 3 combat is challenging. It’s based on the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and while those rules are quite streamlined compared to previous editions, there is still a lot to wrap your head around.
This article series aims to teach BG3 combat from the ground up. Ability scores is one key aspect of combat. These scores affect everything in and out of combat from swinging a sword at a goblin to making a pass at Shadowheart. Ability scores determine success and failure and in this article, you’ll learn all about them.
Understanding ability scores
Character ability scores are one of the most important aspects in D&D. Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) is no exception. Characters ability scores are used with each roll of the dice. This happens for manual rolls or when the game makes rolls for you in the background. Your ability score can improve your roll or make it worse.
Being based on D&D, BG3 uses the same six core abilities: strength, dexterity, constitution, wisdom, intelligence, and charisma.
Each class makes use of one core ability and then makes use a secondary ability. A fighter uses strength as their primary ability, but they also use constitution and dexterity. Each class also has a “dump” stat. For instance, fighters don’t need wisdom so it’s a good ability to ignore.
Ability score numbers
In traditional D&D, starting ability scores range from 3 to 18 with a max cap of 20. In the first few editions of D&D, players rolled three six-sided dice and assigned them from the top down. This made for some wild albeit disposable characters.
BG3 uses a “point-buy” system that creates well rounded characters. BG3 also optimizes the initial distribution of scores based on the selected character class. There’s no reason to change those scores unless you later plan on multi-classing or doing something different.
The actual ability score number is not important. Rather, it represents a modifier that is applied to a die roll. When a player swings a sword at a goblin, they roll a 20 sided die. They then take the result of that roll and add their strength modifier to it. If another player shoots an arrow at the goblin, they use the dexterity modifier instead. Do you want to flirt with an armor-smith? Add your charisma modifier to the roll.
Here is the breakdown from the Player’s Handbook:
Just plug in your ability score into this chart, and you get your modifier. You add (or subtract) this modifier to every roll that uses that ability.
In D&D, players track their modifiers in a large box while recording the actual ability score in a smaller box. This makes it easy to “look up” the modifier when rolling.
Proficiency bonus
A proficiency bonus is a modifier that may or may not be added to your rolls. If your character is proficient with their current weapon, the bonus is included with the roll. If a character is not proficient with their weapon, the proficiency bonus is ignored. For instance, if Gale the wizard attacks with a great sword, there is no proficiency bonus included since Gale is not proficient with martial weapons.
The bonus number is solely based on the character’s level. Every new character starts with a proficiency bonus of 2. It adjusts to 3 at level five and to 4 at level ten. It goes higher in D&D since there are 20 levels versus the 12 in BG3.
The bonus is also added to spell attacks. When Gale casts a Firebolt at a goblin, he rolls a 20 sided die. He adds his intelligence modifier along with proficiency bonus to the die roll. If on a new playthrough Gale has a 17 intelligence, he adds +5 for each of his Firebolts. Not bad for a first level character.
Ability types
Here is a breakdown of the six core abilities.
Strength. This is used to hit things. Whenever you make a melee attack, you use the strength ability. It also determines how much you can carry and how far you can jump. Strength is also used for pushing enemies.
Strength based classes: fighter, paladin and barbarian.
Dexterity. Dexterity is often used when attacking with a bow or similar long ranged non-magical attack. It is also used for all thief related skills such as picking locks or disarming traps. Monks make special use of dexterity for their hand to hand attacks. It’s also used to determine your armor class in some situations.
Dexterity based classes: monk, rogue and ranger.
Constitution. Constitution is all about health. Each time you level up, you receive hit points based on your class with your constitution modifier added to it. Constitution is also critical for spell casters. There are many concentration based spells like Spirit Guardians or Hypnotic Pattern. If the caster takes damage, they must make a concentration save based on the amount of damage taken. Your constitution modifier is added to the save so you always want your casters to have a good constitution.
Constitution based classes: none.
Intelligence. This is often used for “nerdy” skills like history or arcana. Needless to say, it’s the prime ability for wizards. Also, some of the “scariest” monsters force you to make intelligence saves. For example, a mind flayer can use Mind Blast that can stun you for a turn. It often does this to use the Extract Brain action that can insta-kill you. A high intelligence modifier helps you survive this attack.
Intelligence based classes: wizard
Wisdom. Whereas intelligence is about book knowledge, wisdom is about human nature. This is used with insight, perception and survival. Clerics, druids, and rangers makes use of wisdom for their spell casting.
Wisdom based classes: cleric and druid.
Charisma. Charisma is the core roleplay ability. It allows you to talk yourself into and out of situations. Needless to say, a high charisma will get your far in BG3. It also is used as the basis for magic by sorcerers, paladins, and warlocks.
Charisma based classes: bard, sorcerer and warlock.
Secondary abilities
The prior section should have provided a nice overview of your ability priority. You may have also identified secondary abilities.
For example, the paladin uses strength as the basis of their melee attacks. The paladin also uses charisma to cast spells on opponents. Those spells use charisma for their ability to hit and make saves against. If you dig even deeper, you’ll discover these spells are often concentration based. This means, constitution is another good ability.
Yet, you may not use your spells and instead, use divine smite instead. In that case, you can forgo charisma as your secondary. It’s really up to you and your play style, but it does require you know a little about the class. Thankfully, there’s a great resource over here.
Subclasses can also influence your secondary ability. A fighter may choose to focus on strength and constitution, but should you play with an Eldritch Knight (a wizard fighter), then intelligence should be your secondary.
Optimizing your character
Some of you may be raising an eyebrow at the thought of character optimization otherwise known as min-maxing. People generally don’t like min-maxing because it emphasizes mechanics over story-telling.
BG3 is a very different beast from the D&D’s tabletop version. In a typical table top session, a good Dungeon Master (DM) creates hard encounters and tries to balance those encounters to make it fun and exciting.
BG3 does not pull its punches, especially at harder difficulty levels. The game will not hesitate to stun-lock you multiple turns in row, then insta-kill you. It will not flinch from casting hold person on your character, then critical hit you twice in row, before using action surge to do it again. It uses tactics in such a way that will make you rage. Yet, when you overcome a difficult encounter, it’s a great feeling (save scumming, be damned).
In summation, BG3 loves to play in the mud so it’s your job to put aside your feelings of min-maxing, and prepare to get dirty.
What’s next?
I hope this helped you. In the next article, you’ll learn how your proficiency bonus and skills come into play. After which, you’ll take a deep dive in the magic system. So there’s a lot more coming down the road.
Do you have a favorite stat? Did this article illuminate any of the game systems? If so, leave me comment below and keep checking back for more Baldur’s Gate 3 articles.
