Highlights
- Stack boxes to reach hidden locations or gain a combat advantage by climbing on top or blocking doors.
- Put out fires by throwing water bottles at them, making water bottles a valuable item in the game.
- Examine creature sizes to understand their abilities, as larger creatures are stronger but smaller ones are better at stealth.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a huge RPG inspired by Dungeons and Dragons and as such there is plenty of content, mechanics, and features that many players will miss. As each playthrough can be vastly different, especially with players taking on different classes, some of these features will be obvious to some players, while others could have sunk in dozens of hours without even realizing.
The beauty of a game with as much depth as Baldur's Gate 3 is that perhaps not all of its features are supposed to be discovered. Nevertheless, these are some BG3 features that are either very useful or fun to know.
7 Stack Boxes To Climb On
There are times when Baldur's Gate 3 can feel like a platformer game, and one trick to reach niche locations is to stack boxes and climb on top of them. To do this players can add boxes to their inventory by right-clicking on them while exploring, then when needed they can throw the boxes on top of each other. To climb, simply right-click on the top box and select the climb option.
Another use of stacking and standing on crates is to gain the high ground in combat, which adds a +2 bonus to an attack roll. Boxes can also be stacked in front of doors to block enemies from entering for a few turns.
6 You Can Put Out Fire With Water Bottles
One of the great things about Baldur's Gate 3 is that the game just makes sense and players are encouraged to experiment and try out a bunch of different things. One example that players may or may not have already figured out... is that water can put out fire in the game.
This can be achieved with spells, but one thing that any class can do is simply throw a water bottle at the fire and watch it fizzle out. This makes stocking up on water bottles just as important as collecting the best items in Baldur's Gate 3​​​​.
5 Creature Size Matters
The size of any creature in Baldur's Gate 3 matters and players can find out how big they and their allies are, as well as any enemy in sight. To do this simply right-click on them and select "Examine" and in the list of attributes is the creature's size.
It is important to know exactly what size a creature technically is according to the game, as they may look smaller or larger. Larger creatures will be able to push their smaller counterparts more easily and might move faster, but smaller creatures are better at stealth.
4 Item Slots Show All Possible Options
One simple feature in Baldur's Gate 3 that can be easy to miss is the ability to choose which piece of equipment is best in each slot. For example, instead of trawling through the entire inventory looking for the best helmet to equip, the player can instead click on the helmet slot on the left-hand side of the inventory. This will bring up all the currently owned helmets to choose from.
This neat little feature not only saves time but also prevents the player from missing any equipment they might otherwise have happened to look over. If players click on their melee weapon slot, they may even find a few funny suggestions, such as salami.
3 Trade With Many NPCs
Just as with practically any open-world RPG, Baldur's Gate 3 players will want to find merchants to sell all their loot and buy better gear and consumables. However, what most players don't know is that many NPCs, even if they aren't merchants, have the option to trade.
In dialogue with NPCs, players can locate a button in the bottom left and click on it to initiate a trade deal. While these NPCs won't always have much gold or many items, they may occasionally have something rare and the option to offload bits and pieces for some coin is always welcome.
2 Throw Or Hit Potions To Explode In An AOE Radius
There are many great potions in Baldur's Gate 3, but what players might not know is that they can be thrown to explode, affecting all who are caught in the splash. This is a great option for healing multiple party members at once, as long as players are able to move them close enough.
Another option is to place the healing potion on the ground and then attack it for a bigger splash. Other potions can also be thrown, for example at the enemy for adverse effects.
1 Play Music Together
Anyone who has taken the Bard class will have realized that it is very easy to play music in Baldur's Gate 3 as Bards start with an instrument and can perform music as a basic action. However, anyone with the Performer Feat can also play music if they find and equip a musical instrument.
Interestingly though, if multiple Bards or characters with the Performer Feat start playing at the same time, they will play together, creating the perfect song with all their different instruments.
Baldur's Gate 3 is out now on PC and is set to release on September 6, 2023 for PlayStation 5.