The environment remains a crucial element in a tactical RPG like Baldur’s Gate 3, especially when a properly-placed oil barrel can spell the difference between an easy encounter and a tough fight. However, environmental shenanigans in Baldur’s Gate 3 don’t just start and end with setting up flammable barrels in locations near enemies.

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With the right planning and observation, players can find an assortment of objects and interactive components in the game world that they can use to their advantage. Instead of bothering to use most of their Spell Slots and resources, just the right combination of throwables, surfaces, and shots should eliminate enemies much faster than enemies anticipate.

10 The Art Of The Setup

One of the most popular ways of using environments in Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay often relies on making barrels explode and dish out heavy damage against opponents in a single hit. Combat presents the best opportunity to make this happen, but players don’t always have to get into combat first just to make this work.

In situations where they know they might head into conflict, players have the option to position these barrels and environmental hazards in advance. That way, they can launch an environmental attack as soon as, or even before, combat begins.

9 Dipping Surfaces Add Damage Versatility

While most attacks in Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay offer varying degrees of damage, players can enhance their damage output through extra sources. The Dip Bonus Action exists precisely to take advantage of dangerous surfaces such as fire and poisons, as coating arrows for Ranged Weapons and blades for the likes of Versatile Weapons with these substances can add additional damage to attacks.

Players can add these environmental elements easily in their fights as well. On top of finding these sources regularly in the form of torches, campfires, and braziers, players can also drop torches, candles, and poison vials to create similar surfaces.

8 Throw Potions For Long-Distance Heals

When players don’t have access to long-distance spells, they can still maximize their Baldur’s Gate 3 character with ranged weapons. And if their ranged weapons don’t seem to work, they can still turn the tide of combat by throwing objects at foes. However, just like how spells can work against opponents at a distance, certain support spells also work on faraway allies. And by this logic, certain throwables can also aid allies when hit from afar.

This is largely the case with Potions. While most Potions work when their possessor uses them from their inventory, they can actually throw them toward an ally who needs them. Not only that, throwing them toward a cluster of allies can have multiple friendlies healed by a single Potion, maximizing its use.

7 Use Improvised Weapons

Using an improvised weapon has become the D&D gameplay version of a character grabbing whatever they can in their surroundings to defend themselves. This is usually reserved for the usual tavern brawl with a chair leg as a weapon, or in a desperate struggle to find a weapon after being disarmed. Baldur’s Gate 3 mechanics also lets characters grab an improvised weapon close by, allowing them to deal lower damage.

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While this option doesn’t seem popular for characters who already have weapons, situations may have skills disarm players. Instead of relying on weak fists, an improvised weapon can give players a better advantage in melee fights.

6 Shove Enemies Off High Surfaces

The Shove remains one of the most useful Bonus Actions introduced in Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay, giving characters a means of generating distance by pushing a target within melee range. However, where Shove shines is when they’re used to targets close to the edges of high surfaces.

If successful, a character can push them off that surface so they land on the ground. At best, this allows allies from above to score Advantage when targeting the enemy at a lower surface. At worse, the area is high enough that the target suffers falling damage. At worst, the target falls off a chasm and dies. A great way to use this tactic is against Dror Ragzlin in Act 1, as his throne is adjacent to a chasm.

5 Destroy Bridges, Boxes

Most inanimate objects players encounter in their Baldur’s Gate 3 experience are destructible, with sturdier walls and doors either boasting higher HP or resilience against attacks. However, players may soon realize that certain destructible objects such as boxes could be compiled together to create climbable surfaces. Larger destructible objects such as bridges also exist that connect areas together despite their vulnerability.

When used correctly, players can dismantle bridges by cutting the rope connecting them to the surface or destroying their foundations entirely. This becomes a delight to use when opponents are conveniently standing on those bridges upon destruction, as they fall onto the ground. When used in the bridge to Minthara’s room in the Goblin Camp, the Drow Paladin could be lured to stay in the middle of the bridge before players make the winning cut, plunging her to oblivion.

4 Create Hazards

In most games with interactive elements, players are expected to make do with what they have. However, gameplay in Baldur’s Gate 3 offers players the flexibility of creating the very environments they can use for mayhem. For instance, players can freely reposition, get, or drop crates with oil and other hazardous substances around potential enemies as long as they aren’t hit. In combat, players can do the same, only this time they can throw these substances with little to no consequence.

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An example of such a situation would be the fights with the Goblin Leaders in Act 1. While players can fight True Soul Gut in her chambers, players can easily end the fight in a turn with the right preparation. Gathering smoke barrels around the Goblin Camp won’t trigger alarms, and dropping them along her path can make a nasty explosive blast that her Hit Points can’t endure.

3 Get Defensive

Players who know they’re at a disadvantage in Baldur’s Gate 3 combat can also try using the environment more defensively instead of aggressively. Depending on the location, players can try making getting hit much harder for opponents, ensuring that they expend more effort in trying to reach them. That way, enemies end up using actions to secure distance instead of attacks.

Alternative approaches to this strategy include relying on cover to avoid getting in an enemy’s line of sight. This strategy can do wonders for players, especially since this gives them room to strike counters.

2 Use A Trail

One of the most popular ways of using traps in games like Baldur’s Gate 3 is to position them as close to enemies as possible before activating them as a cluster, detonating explosives and other substances all at once to wreak the most havoc.

However, players may be able to make things more interesting if they use a trail instead of a large trap. Simply put, players can affect a much larger area if they position flammable potions and deadly barrels just meters apart from each other and lining them up toward the general direction of the target enemies. When used properly, players can trigger a trail of explosives or deadly effects that scale a large area with no need for players to move around at all.

1 Lure Enemies To Traps

While players are free to set up traps near enemies before they begin their combat encounters in Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay, it’s perfectly possible to do the complete opposite. In situations where players have private access to areas, they can set up traps there before luring enemies toward the said area.

To do this, players can set up traps such as barrels and lethal surfaces before casting a spell like Minor Illusion to lure groups of enemies. When enemies start investigating, they can switch to turn-based mode to minutely control the situation. As soon as an enemy or two walks into the room, players can trigger their trap.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently available on PC and is slated for a September 6, 2023 release for PlayStation 5.

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