Baldur's Gate 3: Fights, Attack and Spell Rolls
If a group does not have the benefit of surprise, an initiative roll based on dexterity is made at the start of combat for each character or type of creature.
Attack rolls follow the rules explained in the previous pages, a d20 is rolled, modifiers are applied, and it's compared to the target's armor class (AC). If the score obtained is equal or higher, the target is hit. As in the old rules, rolling a 1 with the die (before the modifiers) always misses, and a 20 always hits.
In Baldur's Gate 3, the game will automatically take into account all these parameters and display your chances of hitting with an easily understandable percentage. The roll will ultimately determine whether you hit or not, and even the simplest shot can be missed on a stroke of bad luck.
Different dice are then rolled to determine the damage, for example 1d8 for a sword strike, to which the strength bonus is added.
Strength applies to the majority of melee attacks, dexterity to ranged attacks, and the relevant statistic according to the type of spell (Intelligence for Wizards, Wisdom for Clerics and so on).
In the case of spells, the process is a little different. Unless special effects are applied, the target will necessarily be hit by the spell, but it may be entitled to a saving throw to resist all or part of the spell's effect. The degree of difficulty to resist the spell is 8 + the casting stat modifier + the proficiency bonus + the special modifiers.
- Example: If a level 1 Wizard with 15 Intelligence casts a spell on a monster, he will have to roll: 8 (base) +2 (proficiency) +2 (intelligence bonus) = 12 on his saving throw.
If it's a spell which inflicts damage, as for a physical attack, it will be necessary to throw additional dice to determine the damage inflicted.
Original content by Robin "Raiden" Bouquet.
