Highlights

  • Raising Baldur's Gate 3 level cap to 20 offers more progression and replayability with mod support.
  • Implementing high-level D&D spells and abilities poses significant balancing challenges.
  • A higher level cap would require additional content to maintain game enjoyment and challenge.

It’s been thought that Baldur’s Gate 3 may be the next Skyrim in terms of shelf life, with the recent announcement of mod support exciting players because of its vast possibilities and replayability. Among the mods that essentially create a new gaming experience, a popular addition is one that increases the Baldur’s Gate 3 level cap from 12 to 20.

This change reflects the Dungeons and Dragons level maximum, which gives all classes access to extremely potent abilities and spells. To reach level 20 in the next Baldur’s Gate installment would be like reaching a more truthful heroic status, although the issue with some abilities is it makes players god-like with access to powerful D&D spells like Wish or True Resurrection. With such power placed in players’ hands, there are strong arguments both in favor and in opposition to this change.

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Baldur’s Gate 4 Raising the Level Cap Has Pros and Cons

Reaching Higher Levels Allows Full Progression and Power

Given that any high-level cap adds more progression over the course of the game, it would naturally require added content to meet those demands, both in plot and mechanics. For instance, there is an existing mod that adds legendary items from D&D 5e in the game, and having access to a greater variety of items, especially loot taken from late-game bosses, would be incredibly fun.

Those same additions would also make the end of the game more rewarding. In Baldur’s Gate 3, some of the best armor and weapons come from Act 3 bosses, such as Raphael’s Helldusk Armor, but many players fight them at level 12, so the exciting items might not actually get much use. Raising the level cap and adding content with it would make that progression feel more natural.

Implementing High-Level D&D is a Steep Challenge

Despite the excitement of greater powers, raising the BG3 level cap comes with significant hurdles. Perhaps the most obvious challenge is that high-level spells, and abilities as a whole, get insanely powerful and would be hard to balance. If players have access to a spell like Power Word Kill, for instance, they'd hardly even need to bother fighting — to say nothing of other impressive class features.

It would also be hard just to pull those things off in a game. The 9th-level spell Wish is iconic for obvious reasons, with many a pivotal D&D moment defined by a well-placed wish, but implementing such a loose, story-driven mechanic doesn’t have the same kick to it in a video game. Even Teleport, an exciting development for wizards, doesn’t feel rewarding when Baldur’s Gate 3 already allows fast travel and is limited by what locations developers include. The best high-level spells, let alone spells already missing from BG3, are simply inaccessible in a game format.

Keeping the tight 12-level design of BG3 makes for a smoother combat design, in part for the sheer strength it would take to match a party beyond level 15. Monsters with a significant Challenge Rating in D&D, the only ones to match such parties, are much greater than even an enslaved Netherbrain, ranging from demon lords to ancient dragons. Balancing for high-level D&D is a challenge for dungeon masters as is, and most D&D modules cap out at levels 11-13.

Another side effect of the balancing difficulty is that high-level combat sees both sides hitting so hard that battles might not last more than a few rounds, making the game far less enjoyable. For a game with turn-based combat, which not every player loves, the fights themselves have to go above and beyond. There’s nothing wrong with a power fantasy, but to make the story compelling, a late game that accommodates beyond level 15 would have to get creative to make encounters feel even slightly threatening.

To take on the monumental task of high-level D&D in a video game would be grueling, but it would provide players with thrilling powers and an unforgettable story to match. For all of its rewards and challenges, raising the level cap for a Baldur’s Gate 3 sequel would be quite the accomplishment for its developers — and take the franchise’s legacy to new heights.