Summary
While turn-based RPGs haven’t necessarily been the most popular side of the genre in recent years,Baldur’s Gate 3challenged this idea through achieving landmark success without compromising its CRPG roots. The effective usage of its turn-based system is due in part to the game’s basis in the rulesDungeons and Dragons, but these haven’t been followed in every element ofBaldur’s Gate 3.
There’s a plethora of powerful abilities available to the player, but these are counter-balanced by various resources which must be replenished by resting. Short Rests are limited and offer partial benefits, whileLong Rests inBG3cost Camp Suppliesand also restore Short Rests. This is a reasonable system which incentivizes the acquisition of food and drink items, even if it’s actually one of the game’s biggest divergences from the gameplay of its tabletop source material.
Resting in Dungeons and Dragons is a Lenient Policy
Long Rests Only Cost Time
It might be surprising to players ofBG3who haven’t ever tried tabletop, buttheDnDversion of Long Restingdoesn’t have the same resource cost associated with it. The party sleeping for the night is generally considered to be free of charge, restoring health and spell slots for the price of mere in-game hours lost. There’s more of a risk of an ambush outside scripted video events, but that ties into the Game Master’s discretion. The contingency on time that Long Rests have in tabletop isn’t even possible withinBaldur’s Gate 3due to its lack of a day and night cycle, so it makes sense that it needed to be redesigned for a modern CRPG.
GMs Can Rule on Short Rests
Similarly to the full variation, Short Rests are quite unregulated within the rules ofDnD. They aren’t even explicitly defined as limited, but use Hit Dice which are rolled to determine how much health is regained. These dice aren’t even fully replenished by a Long Rest, making spending each Hit Die a potentially critical move in dire situations. It could be said thatthe lack of Hit Dice inBG3makes for an easier experience, but it also manages to compensate for this through its own costs.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Reins in the Potency of DnD’s Resting
Quantifying Short Rests and the Success of Camp Supplies
Larian Studios took a risk when it decided to conclusively limit the player’s access to both forms of resting, but it ended up paying off due to the balance it introduced. While someDnDparties might get bogged down by players trying to squeeze them out of the GM,Baldur’s Gate 3has measurable resources which dictate the player’s access to their abilities. Limiting Short Rests not only makes the world tenser, but even meansBG3’s Bards are stronger through Song of Rest. The complete removal of Hit Dice from this mechanic seemed like a potentially troublesome area initially, though the game has ultimately reached players beyond the existing audience ofDungeons and Dragons.
Implementing survival mechanics like hunger systems into RPGs is a tricky area which has yielded mixed results, yet the Camp Supplies used for Long Rests are a relatively non-intrusive way of handling this.Supply Pack items inBaldur’s Gate 3offset the need for rations, but food and drink are important to acquire throughout the journey in a way that elevates them from typical vendor trash. By combining these systems which are usually lackluster within the genre,BG3is able to address problems within the tabletop and video game format simultaneously via its approach to resting.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
