Combat Guide: Basics of Combat Explained

This is a beginner's guide to combat in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG 3)! Read on to know everything you need to know about mechanics in combat like turns, actions, movement, dice rolls, and more!

Combat Guide: Mechanics Explained

Turns and Initiative

The red bar overlay on a unit's portrait signifies how much damage it has taken.

Combat in Baldur's Gate 3 uses a turn-based system in contrast to the realtime action state of exploration. Entering combat will force the game into a turn-based mode.

Every decision made during combat is influenced by pre-determined stats and dice rolls. When expecting a combat situation, stats of visible enemies can be checked by selecting them and choosing Examine. Use this feature to check for enemy stats and plan accordingly.

There are two ways to enter combat: either combat is initiated by being within an enemy's line of sight or using the element of Surprise.

Initiative Influences Turn Order

When combat begins, each involved unit rolls an Initiative. An Initiative Roll is determined by a 20-sided die plus the unit's respective Dexterity modifier.

The unit with the highest dice roll result will be the first to act in a turn. Similarly, the unit with the lowest result will be the last.

The higher the unit's Dexterity, the higher the chances that unit will be placed in the first turn of combat.

What is Dexterity?

Adjacent Members Fight Together

Unit members who are positioned side-by-side in the order can all act in the same turn.

For your party members, this means you can cycle between them while giving them orders if they are beside each other in the Turn Order.

Use this to your advantage when making decisions that require synergy among members of your party.

Surprise Gives a Free Turn

Unsuspecting enemies can be robbed of their first turn through a mechanic called Surprise.

Surprise occurs when making an action on an unsuspecting enemy outside of combat. This means, for example, attacking an unaware enemy from behind while Hidden or Invisible.

When an enemy has been surprised, Initiative is rolled for all involved units in the area and turn order is calculated normally. But enemies will be unable to act during the first round. This gives all party members who entered combat a free turn. After the first round, combat will proceed normally.

Actions and Movement

All actions a unit can make is found at the bottom of the screen.

During a turn in combat, an active unit can make various actions from attacking and casting spells to moving and using items. In addition, Passive moves like Opportunity Attacks can also be set. All available actions can be made until End Turn is chosen.

What are Opportunity Attacks

Actions: Primary Moves

Actions, symbolized by a green circle, are primary moves that can be made in combat such as Main Hand Attacks and Throws.

This is a unit's main tool kit. Basic attacks and spells can be found here.

Bonus Actions: Secondary Moves

Bonus Actions, symbolized by an orange triangle, are secondary moves that can be used on top of regular actions. These are often indicated as icons with a bluish hue background, some examples being Jump and Hide.

Some Bonus Actions are useful in and out of combat. Shove can be used to push objects and enemies off a cliff. Throw can be used as a ranged alternative in attacking an enemy without a bow.

Movement: Unit Traversal

Movement is symbolized by the path drawn from one point to the character, and the bluish ring around the End Turn icon. Movement is influenced by unit's Movement Speed stat and a metre resource.

How much distance is covered by movement depends on various factors such as the remaining metre resource plus any range demands of Bonus Actions like Jump.

Combat Dice Rolls

Important Dice Rolls
Attack Roll	Roll 1d20 + Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus
Saving Throw	Roll 1d20 + Ability Modifier Spell Ability Modifiers: Wisdom, Intelligence, Charisma
Advantage	Roll 2d20. Dice with the highest result is picked.
Disadvantage	Roll 2d20. Dice with the lowest result is picked.

Dice Rolls are notated as (x)d(y), where x = number of dice and y = sides on a die. In-game, they are, in most cases, interpreted as the percentage chance.

Dice Rolls are heavily involved in the success and failures on an action in combat. Some dice rolls are better than others thanks to extra points from the likes of Proficiency Bonuses.

What is Proficiency Bonus?

Attack Rolls and Saving Throws

Attack Rolls determine the chance of a physical attack or spell succeeding. The success of this roll is all depends on receiving target's Armor Class. Failed attack rolls constitute a miss.

Saving Throws determine a unit's chances of being unaffected by spells, traps, ailments, and similar status effects. These are often caused by spells and are affected by a Difficulty Class.

What is Saving Throw?

Critical Hits and Critical Misses

Critical Hits occur when an Attack Roll result is 20. When this happens, the attack is always a guaranteed hit and damage is doubled.

Critical Misses are made when an Attack Roll result is 1. This will always result in a miss even when additional modifiers like proficiency will pass the armor class of the receiving target.

Advantage and Disadvantage

On top of Ability Modifiers, Advantage and Disadvantage are major influences to combat. Unlike modifiers which add or subtract roll results, these add an extra dice roll.

Advantage occurs in situations like stealth attacks, perception checks, and similar actions. Dice is rolled twice and the higher value of the two are chosen.

Disadvantage happens in cases such as attacking with weapons where a unit is not proficient in, attacking in the dark without Darkvision, or similar. Dice is rolled twice but the lowest value of two is chosen.

Advantage and Disadvantage Guide

End of Combat

Combat ends when either all enemies have been defeated by reducing their HP to zero, or all members have managed to flee from the combat area after a set distance.

Unfortunately, combat cannot be ended by waiting out on active enemies in situations such as stealth.

Once combat has ended, the game will exit out of turn-based mode. Use this opportunity to pick up any unchecked loot!

Is Combat Always the Answer?

Know Your Enemies

While combat is a huge part of Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay, it is not always the solution to every situation.

Adventurers will come face to face with enemies or odds that may not be in their favor. Furthermore, some clever or diplomatic methods that do not involve long, drawn-out fights may offer better rewards in the long run.

Make sure to check every possibility in a situation before engaging in combat since repeated combat encounters can wear down an unprepared party.

All Beginner Guides

All Beginner Guides
Class Tier List	DX11 vs Vulkan
Scuffed Rock Location: Hidden Cache Rewards	Difficulty Setting Differences
Fall Damage Guide	Guardian Explained
Where to Get the Wolf Rune	All Companions and Types
All Illithid Parasite Locations	Soul Coin Guide
All Infernal Iron Locations	Best Adamantine Item
Noblestalk Location	What to Do With the Iron Flask
Crafting Guide	How to Use the Flower Key
Honor Mode Changes and Rewards	Custom Mode Options
Glossary Guides
Proficiency Bonus Guide	Advantage and Disadvantage Guide
Difficulty Class Guide	Armor Class Guide
High Ground Guide	HP and Hit Dice Guide
Bonus Action Guide	Alchemy Guide
FAQ and How-To Guides
What is Concentration?	What is the Max Level?
Is BG3 Multiplayer?	Is There a Split-Screen Feature?
Should You Enable Karmic Dice?	What is Opportunity Attack?
How Many Party Members Can You Have?	Should You Sell or Keep the Owlbear Egg?
Do Illithid Powers Have Consequences?	What Does Add to Wares Do?
What is Saving Throw?	How to Mod BG3
How to Pause the Game	Is There a Bag of Holding?
How to Shove	How to Go to the Camp
How to Highlight Objects	How to Get to the Underdark
How to Solve the Silent Library Puzzle	How to Multiclass and Best Class Combos
How to Jump and Increase Jump Distance	How to Destroy Destructible Objects
How to Turn Off the Arcane Turrets	Death Saving Throws: How to Help Incapacitated Allies
How to Use and Cast Spells	How to Sneak: Stealing and Pickpocket Guide
How to Respec Your Character	How to Get to Last Light Inn
How to Fix Top Down Camera View	How to Use a Torch
How to Get to the Grymforge	How to Recruit Hirelings
How to Buy and Sell Items from NPCs	How to Get to the Shadow-Cursed Lands
How to Revive Fallen Allies	How to Adjust the Camera
How to Get a Sussur Tree Bark	How to Use Non-Lethal Attacks
How to Farm Gold Fast	How to Get to Moonrise Towers
How to Learn New Spells	How to Stack Objects
How to Infiltrate Shattered Sanctum	How to Save / Quick Save
How to Find and Dig Up Dirt Mounds	Should You Invite Yenna to Your Camp?
Where to Find Dammon	How to Get to the Last Light Inn Basement
How to Use the Strange Chunk of Amber	How to Get to Thorm Mausoleum

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