Saving throws are another dice mechanic players will want to understand, and our Baldur’s Gate 3: Saving Throws Explained guide is here to help you get started.
As adventurers traversing the perilous landscapes of this epic role-playing game, you are bound to face a myriad of dangerous situations. From dodging lethal spells to resisting debilitating effects, mastering the art of Saving Throws is crucial for survival. In this guide, we will delve into the mechanics of Saving Throws, explain the different types of saves, offer tips on how to improve your chances of success, and provide strategic insights to help you overcome the toughest challenges that lurk in the dark corners of this mystical world.
The Basics of Saving Throws in Baldur’s Gate 3
In Baldur’s Gate 3, a saving throw is a roll that your character makes to resist a harmful effect. These generally happen automatically in the game. For example, if there is a trap nearby while you’re walking through the environment, you’ll see a small dice icon start to ‘roll’ above your character’s head. If they are successful in discovering it, then the trap will appear on screen, and you can then choose to attempt to disarm it, or avoid it. A similar mechanic happens in combat, for example when your character is hit by a spell that can also cause fire damage. A dice icon will appear and your character will either be successful in resisting the extra damage or not.
Saving throws are based on your character’s ability scores, and they are used to resist a wide variety of effects, including:
- Spells
- Traps
- Poisons
- Diseases
- Environmental hazards
When you make a saving throw, you roll a d20 and add your character’s ability modifier for the relevant saving throw. The Difficulty Class (DC) for the saving throw is determined by the effect that is causing it.
For example, if you are hit by a fireball spell, you will need to make a Dexterity saving throw. The Difficulty Class for the saving throw will be equal to 8 + the caster’s spellcasting ability modifier + the caster’s proficiency bonus.
If you roll equal to or higher than the DC, you succeed on the saving throw and resist the effect. If you roll lower than the DC, you fail the saving throw and suffer the effect.
Types of Saving Throws in Baldur’s Gate 3
There are six different types of saving throws in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Strength saving throw
- Dexterity saving throw
- Constitution saving throw
- Intelligence saving throw
- Wisdom saving throw
- Charisma saving throw
The saving throw that you use depends on the type of effect that you are resisting. For example, you would use a Strength saving throw to resist a grapple attempt, a Dexterity saving throw to resist a fireball spell, and a Constitution saving throw to resist poison.
Your character’s ability scores determine your base saving throw bonus for each saving throw. You can also gain a proficiency bonus in one or more saving throws depending on your class and background.
For example, the Fighter class is proficient in Strength saving throws, so a fighter would have a +2 bonus to their Strength saving throw.
These are the Saving Throw Proficiencies of all classes in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Barbarian: Strength and Constitution
- Bard: Dexterity and Charisma
- Cleric: Wisdom and Charisma
- Druid: Wisdom and Intelligence
- Fighter: Strength and Constitution
- Monk: Strength and Dexterity
- Paladin: Wisdom and Charisma
- Ranger: Strength and Dexterity
- Rogue: Dexterity and Intelligence
- Sorcerer: Constitution and Charisma
- Warlock: Wisdom and Charisma
- Wizard: Intelligence and Wisdom
Saving throws are an important part of combat and exploration in Baldur’s Gate 3. By understanding how saving throws work, you can improve your chances of success and avoid harmful effects.
Spellcasters and Saving Throws
As spellcasters unleash their magical prowess in Baldur’s Gate 3, they must navigate the intricate mechanics of spellcasting and enemy saving throws. When casting spells, players must consider various factors like range, area of effect, and spell level. Once a spell is unleashed, enemies may attempt Saving Throws to resist its effects. The success or failure of these saving throws can drastically alter the flow of battle, turning the tide in favor of either the caster or the foes.
These are the primary Abilities each spellcasting classes uses when casting spells:
The Difficulty Class to resist one of your spells is always calculated as 10 + Spellcasting Ability Modifier.
As the attacker in this situation, you will want your character to have the highest Difficulty Class possible on your Spells so that enemies have a harder time with their saving throws. The less successful the enemy is, the more effective your spells are, obviously.
Conclusion
Understanding and mastering Saving Throws in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a fundamental aspect of becoming a formidable adventurer in this enchanting world. From fortifying your character’s attributes to making strategic decisions during combat, every choice you make can have a significant impact on your success in resisting various hazards and dangers.
By familiarizing yourself with the different types of Saving Throws, enhancing your character’s abilities, and equipping them with appropriate gear, you’ll be better prepared to face the countless challenges that await you.
Here are some tips for making saving throws:
- Increase your ability scores. This will give you a higher base saving throw bonus.
- Gain proficiency in saving throws. This will give you a +2 bonus to your saving throws.
- Use spells and abilities that can improve your saving throws.
- Be aware of the effects that you are likely to encounter. This will help you to choose the appropriate saving throws to focus on.
By following these tips, you can improve your chances of success on saving throws and avoid harmful effects.
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