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Robert Sandiford

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Sandiford

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About this mod

A collection of rules and gameplay changes making BG3 more coherent & logical, fixing bugs, and making others changes that I thought would be a good idea.

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Sandi's Ruleset

A collection of rules and gameplay changes to make BG3 more logical & coherent, fix bugs, and create gameplay improvements.

Compatibility

This mod will be incompatible with some mods that changes the same things. I expect this mod to generally be compatible with race and class mods.

Languages

The mod has quite a new of additional or replacement test. Only English is supported for now.

The Changes:

Combat Initiation

  • When combat begins, nearby sneaking characters and pull in to the combat and roll initiative (while remaining hidden). [This ends the BG3 behaviour of those characters remaining in real time mode and being able to move an unlimited amount while those in combat are frozen, and also stops the issue where the enemies roll better initiative and start attacking your characters in combat before you can move the hiding characters to bring them into the fight.] (Credit to osirisofinternet and his Sensible Ambushing mod. My implementation of this is based on his work.)

Weapons Rules

  • Characters can only equip 2 weapons or shield at a time (melee + ranged). If a Ranged weapon and a melee weapon or shield are equipped at the same time, one must be a light weapon. [Allows for believable setups like Bow + Short Swords, but not allow for instantly switching between a full set of melee equipment and a full set of ranged equipment. Prevents gaining free +2 AC by having a shield equipped while using ranged weapons.]
  • Throw range reduced to 9m (from 18m). [Prevents thrown weapons usurping the role of range attacks, and lack of differentiation between Str and Dex characters.]
  • All melee attacks have a +2 hit bonus. All ranged attacks have a -1 hit penalty. [Melee characters suffered the most change changes to weapon equipping and throwing range, plus melee tactics felt a little weak already. These adjustments reward melee characters who commit to close combat with greater effectiveness. Also nicely helps melee spells which were not often used, but now feel like stronger options.]
  • Ranged weapon range tweaks. Longbow/Heavy Crossbow 19.5m, Shortbow/Light Crossbow 16.5m, Hand Crossbow: 13.5m. [Mostly just to bring some of the range variation of weapons from DnD 5e to the game]
  • Crossbows must be loaded (action) before shooting. Damage increase from D8 to D10 for Light Crossbows, from D10 to 2D6 for Heavy Crossbows. Characters autoload when equipping a crossbow out of combat, or at the end of combat. Crossbow Expert updated to allow loading a crossbow with a bonus action instead of an action, in addition to existing effects. [Crossbows were strangely better than bows, due to Larian not implementing the Loading property - I decided to create this new system rather than copying 5e. Crossbows may be a little weak right now, but they have their uses for first strike kills and single shot use.]
  • Hit bonus from height reduced from +2 or +1, and hit penalty for low ground reduced from -2 to -1. I felt that these bonuses were too strong and encourage repetitive snipe-from-the-high-ground gameplay.
  • Spears are now Reach, but one handed damage is reduced to D4. Staffs one handed damage also reduced to D4 to match.
  • Off hand attacks and bonus action weapon skills (Flourish etc) now can only be used after making a full action main hand attack. Might revert this change in future, but it's here for now.
  • Rush Attack range reduced from 9m to 5m. Flourish is now lethal instead of non-lethal. Steady/Brace are now single attacks that apply their damage re-roll only to that attack.

Common Actions

  • Jumping now uses 1.2x jumping distance of movement, does not use a bonus action. Much more logical, and gets rid of the jumping-to-move-further gimmick. A "Jump Down" action with new icon has been added that lets you jump 1m across for a fixed cost of 5m of movement. This is purely a fix for situations where you want to jump down a long distance, but would not be able to because the distance you are jumping down is more than the movement speed your character can have.
  • Shoving costs a full action, as per 5e. Shove success chance has been boosted to compensate, and fall damage is also increased.
  • Performing (with a musical instrument) now costs an action instead of being free.

Carrying Capacity

  • Carrying capacity has been reduced to a more plausible level, similar to DnD 5e. You'll need to choose the gear you bring with you a little selectively now. For an Str 12 char capacity reduces from 160 kg to 70 kg. To offset the change more gold is available throughout the world, so you can gain wealth primarily from picking up gold and gems, instead of having to pick up and sell lower value items.

Fall Damage

  • Being shoved off a ledge and landing unplanned should hurt more than jumping off a ledge deliberately. To achieve this fall damage has been increased, but during the character's turn, their fall damage is reduced by 60%. Ideally would do some cleverer coding that detects fall damage from movement by the character vs fall damage caused by explosions, spells and action, but this works 99% of the time. Good enough for now.

Initiative

  • Initiative roll now uses a D20 (per 5e) instead of a D4. Very important change because D4 initiative die made initiative bonuses, and therefore the Dex stat, super important. With Dex also giving AC, dex saves, and finesse/ranged weapon ability, Dex dominated the others in importance. In turn Heavy Armour was rarely very useful vs Medium Armour. Low Dex builds are viable now.

Stealth

  • Sneaking characters are reduced to 2/3rd movement speed, making their turn based movement similar to their real time movement.

Potion usage

  • Potions no longer apply their affects when breaking near a character!!! Thank god. No more increasing the effectiveness of potions by splashing it on multiple characters' toes instead of drinking it.
  • Potions can be drunk as normal for a bonus action, or can be administered to another character within 1.5m for a full action. To do this click on the potion or use it from the inventory as if to drink it, then target yourself to drink, or target another creature to administer to them. You can administer potions to Neutral characters, even through you probably shouldn't be, to preserve the ability to interact with NPCs in ways that might be important to the game. But for enemies you'll have to fight them in other ways.

Starting Equipment

  • Starting Equipment has been trimmed down a little - you've just been abducted after all. Sadly could not reduce Origin starting equipment much, as the same gear is used for them whether you meet them in the world, or you play as them. Changes are pretty limited.
  • Gave Rangers Hide Armour so that it gets some use, as I don't know if anyone ever buys that stuff. It also fits the nature-based-hunter class very well on the character select screen.

Default Stats

Starting stats for each class have been reworked to give solid newbie-friendly starting points (taking into account rules changes):

                      (Str / Dex / Con / Int / Wis / Cha)
  • Fighter: 16 / 14 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 10
  • Barbarian: 16 / 14 / 16 / 8 / 10 / 10
  • Monk: 10 / 16 / 14 / 10 / 14 / 12
  • Ranger: 10 / 16 / 14 / 10 / 14 / 12
  • Paladin: 16 / 10 / 16 / 8 / 10 / 14
  • Rogue: 10 / 16 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 14
  • Bard: 8 / 16 / 14 / 10 / 10 / 16
  • Cleric: 14 / 10 / 16 / 8 / 16 / 10
  • Cleric Knowledge Domain: 12 / 10 / 14 / 14  / 16 / 10
  • Druid:  10 / 14 / 14 / 10 / 16 / 12
  • Warlock: 10 / 14 / 16 / 8 / 10 / 16
  • Wizard: 8 / 14 / 16 / 16 / 10 / 10
  • Sorcerer: 8 / 14 / 16 / 10 / 10 / 16

Spells - changes and rebalancing

  • Blade Ward duration increase from 2 to 3 turns, making it just possibly useful.
  • Produce Flame has an improved UI. Instead of needing to cast produce them, then cast the free action hurl to throw it at enemies, it is now a container that lets you either produce the flame, or produce & hurl it with a single action. New blue icon for throwing the flame added to match the other blue icons used, instead of throw being orange.
  • Guidance now lasts until long rest (still requires concentration). As it was a free spell, I didn't see much point in the player having to recast it every minute.
  • Resistance (+D4 to saving throws) now lasts until long rest (still requires concentration). As a rarely used cantrip this makes it a bit more interesting, and matches it to Guidance.
  • Magic Missile changed from 3x D4+1 to just 3x D4. Gives a bit of spell while keeping Magic Missile useful as a special utility spell.
  • Chromatic Orb variants now all do 3d8 damage without creating surfaces. Simplifies this spell into an effect damage dealer. The projectile can still ignite/electrify/freeze etc. Description improved.
  • Reworked the effects of Hex: Previously hindered skill checks with the targeted stat, which was rather useless as the only skill checks in battle are shoves. Now has an implementation in line with what players expect: Hexing the target's stat reduces that stat by 2, which will reducing their modifier for all attacks/skill checks and saves with the stat by 1. E.g. Hex Strength to hinder melee attackers, hex Dex to reduce the target's AC or hinder archers. Hex Wis to make an opponent weak to spells with Wis saves. Once the hexed target is dead, the Warlock can move the hex (same stat targeted) to a new target.
  • Spiritual Weapon now requires concentration. Inline with DnD 5.5 changes and just makes more sense. This spell is spell viable, but no longer a super obvious choice vs others.
  • Blink has been refined. A misleading UI message while in Blinked form has been removed, and the 2 actions to return to normal form have been simplified down to 1.
  • Find Familiar range reduced from 18m to 3m to match DnD 5e.

Spell AoE updates:

  • Faerie Fire, radius reduced from 6m to 4m (In DnD it is a square 3m from center, 6m total. Larian probably mistakenly make it 6m radius. Seemed very large for a decently strong level 1 spell).
  • Spike Growth radius reduced from 6m to 5m, better matching Larian's scaling from DnD radii (for big spells Larian usually makes the area a little smaller). 5m is more reasonable for this strong spell. This reduction is also designed to make the higher level Plant Growth spell more impressive.
  • Plant Growth radius increased from 6m to 10m. This has a huge radius in 5e, and felt lacklustre in BG3.
  • Sleet Storm radius reduced from 9m to 8m.
  • Ice Storm radius reduced from 6m to 5m to bring it inline with other spells. Range increased to 24m to reflect that in 5e it has a huge range.
  • Insect Plague radius reduced from 6m to 5m to bring inline with other spells.

Ungroup After Combat

  • Ever had combat end, and your party members decide to run to you through flames/poison/clouds of daggers? Yeah, me too. Now your party is automatically ungrouped at the end of combat so everyone stays right where they are. Remember you can press G to group without having to search for the little button.

Effect Durations

Some effects of spells, actions and potions have reduced durations, to make these effects more exclusive and unique.

When an effect lasts until short rest it will be marked as having a duration of 100000 - this is just a code because I don't know if I can make the UI short "until short rest". Once the effect is applied the duration will be removed and it will last until short rest as promised.

  • Speak with Animals (potions) - Until Short Rest
  • Speak with the Dead (spells/actions) - Until Short Rest
  • Elixir of Hill Giant Strength - 10 turns, now a Potion (can be used at the same time as an Elixir)
  • Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength - 10 turns, now a Potion (can be used at the same time as an Elixir)

Items

  • Spiked Bulb now inflicts bleeding (2 damage per turn) for 2 turns instead of 1. Why so wimpy Larian?
  • Camp Supply Packs now provide only 20 supplies instead of 40, also with half weight and cost. This is simply so they are not annoying when playing with 20/60/100 long rest costs. Supplies will be just a little rarer than before on the same settings.
  • Item value adjustments: The value of books has generally been reduced. The value of goblin weapons has been reduced below regular weapons. The value of some trash items such as bones has been reduced to 0.
  • Tweaks to stats of some armours. Padded armour much heavier - this is the cheaper alternative to Leather armour, should give disadvantage to stealth, but Larian removed this because Astarion starts wearing padded armour. As an alternative just made it heavy. Scale Mail a little heavier, closer to 5e rules. Ring Mail (AC 14 heavy armour) much cheaper, because it sucks and didn't deserve the high price.

Explosions

  • The damage from some explosions has been changed from Force (pure magical energy in DnD) to Bludgeoning.
  • Damage from exploding oil and firewine barrels greatly reduced. I can understand the contents of these things burning, but I don't see them exploding. Some explosion damage has been retained to avoid harming existing level/scenario designs.

Misc

  • Tavern Brawler reworked to set unarmed damage to D4, and allow shoving with a bonus action after making an unarmed attack. Prevents the Tavern Brawler meta build - if you want to be a drunk monk, patch 8 has a subclass for that now.
  • Stepping in Acid now reduces AC for 1 turn, instead of the debuff being lost as soon as the character walks out of the acid. Makes Acid surfaces a little more relevant.
  • Phalar Aluve's Sing/Shriek now only costs a Bonus Action instead of a full action.

Creatures

  • Gave Nautiloid Imps and Hellsboars boars their fire resistance back - it's the tutorial, good time to learn about resistances. Also gave Nautiloid Imps their normal AC (defence is still greatly reduced because they have nerfed Dex). Not sure why Larian nerfed the Nautiloid Imps so much, but not the Nautiloid Hellsboars.
  • Mild reduction on the stats of the Harpies, so they aren't quite so brutal if met at level 2.

Difficulty Defaults Changes

  • Hide NPC Health: On
  • Hide Failed Perception Rolls: On
  • Hide Passive Rolls in Dialogues: On
  • Always Prompt Reaction: On

Turn these off with Custom Mode or difficulty setting mid campaign if you want to.

I recommend using the Honour Ruleset from Custom Mode still (must be chosen at the start of the campaign) as it fixes various gameplay mechanic issues.

Fixes

The mod contains a number fixes for vanilla bugs and poor or incorrect descriptions. Use of Item and Spell Bug Fixes is recommended for many more fixes.

  • Ritual spells say that they are ritual spells in the description, so that you can see this when choosing spells on level up (the UI is bugged and doesn't show that they are ritual spells here)
  • Sneak Attack is better explained, and the invalid target error says you need advantage on ally within 1.5m (instead of wrongly saying you need advantage).
  • Hail of Thorns and Lightning Arrow now use an attack roll for the main roll, showing you the correct hit percentage, and make them work with extra attack (thematically these are spells that affect an ordinary attack).
  • Hellish Rebuke spell now uses a reaction point (per 5e and the description), and the description explains that it lets you react to an attack that hits you, rather than wrongly saying it is a spell that lets you react to the next attack against you.
  • Arms of Hadar description now explains that it damage to targets around you, rather than just showing damage and a 3m range without further explanation.
  • Call Lightning now lists the AoE of its damage in the description, because the spell card for some reason is not displaying the AoE at the bottom.
  • Description of Speak with the Dead Spell corrected to indicate that it gives the ability to speak with the dead for the duration of the spell.
  • Bulette's heal that occurs when it flees a fight is no longer visible as it leaves.
  • Concussive Smash can no longer use the attackers spell casting stat for DC.
  • Bugbears' (very large) morningstars can no longer be used by players

And some others

Credits

Zerd's RAW was a significant influence and technical guide for me, with some changes being based on Zerd's work.

As mentioned, osirisofinternet for his Sensible Ambushing mod.

Radick3050's 5e Potions mod for removal of potion splash effects.

And of course Norbyte for his Script Extender, without which many of these changes would have been a lot harder.