Baldur’s Gate 3 Difficulty Settings: Explorer, Balanced, or Tactician
Screenshot by PC Invasion
When starting your journey in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll have three difficulty options to choose from: Explorer, Balanced, or Tactician. Each of these settings offers a unique gameplay experience with varying levels of challenge. In this article, we will discuss the details of each difficulty setting to help you decide which one is best suited for your playstyle.
Explorer
If you are new to Baldur’s Gate or RPGs in general, the Explorer difficulty setting is recommended. This is the beginner mode, also known as the story mode, where combat is less challenging. It allows you to enjoy the game as if you were watching a long-running television series. In Explorer mode, enemies are easier to defeat, and Trader prices are more favorable. Additionally, your Proficiency bonus will be doubled, making dice rolling easier both in and out of combat.
Screenshot via Larian Studios
Balanced
The Balanced difficulty setting offers a medium level of challenge and provides a typical Baldur’s Gate 3 experience. Combat is still tactical, but enemies cannot be defeated easily in one round. This mode strikes a balance between easy and hard difficulty and is a popular choice among players. If you enjoyed the difficulty level during the Early Access period, sticking with Balanced is a good option. It’s important to note that Explorer and Tactician are two newly introduced difficulty settings in the full version of the game.
Screenshot via Larian Studios
Tactician
If you are looking for a challenging experience, Tactician mode is the way to go. This is the hard difficulty setting and is recommended for players familiar with D&D or those who have played previous Baldur’s Gate games. Tactician mode features tougher enemies with higher health and AC (Armor Class), as well as smarter enemy AI that adapts to combat situations. Environmental interactions also play a crucial role. Beware, as enemies will utilize the environment to their advantage, making battles even more difficult. Prepare to strategize and save your progress frequently.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on Steam.