Patch 5 can make your next Baldur’s Gate 3 run much more difficult
The new patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 is significant enough that Larian Studios recommends uninstalling and reinstalling the game because downloading the update takes up a significant amount of storage space. Patch 5 for Baldur’s Gate 3 includes playable epilogues with “some of the most complex writing in the game thus far,” the option to play “a more realistic D&D experience,” and a brand-new anti-save scumming difficulty option.
While some players may prefer to save scum, that is, save excessively, optimizing every dice roll and interaction, others may prefer to explore Baldur’s Gate 3’s new Honour Mode. According to Larian, the new difficulty option “ups the intensity of what was previously our most challenging mode — Tactician — and not only makes the game more difficult in and out of combat but also introduces over 30 new tweaks to all of Baldur’s Gate 3’s boss-fights, with a new Legendary Action system designed to catch players off-guard and increase the challenge.”
Throughout its “fraught and deadly campaign,” Honour Mode only allows for a single save file. It’s essentially hardcore mode, with death ending your Honour Mode run. But completing it earns you a very nice reward: a golden D20. There’s also the matter of bragging rights.
Another new difficulty option, Custom Mode, allows players to choose their own level of difficulty. In Custom, you can also select a single save file restriction or tailor your experience to a more realistic Dungeons & Dragons tabletop experience. You can, among other things, hide the required roll to succeed dice checks, and enemy hit points in battle, disable Death Saving Throws, and hide failed Perception Checks.
Baldur’s Gate is a video game. 3 players nearing the end of the game (or replaying) can also enjoy new playable epilogues, which Larian describes as the “culmination of every choice and consequence that you’ve made since the very start of your adventure, a gigantic tree of permutations that leads to an opportunity to reflect on that journey before you say goodbye.”
There’s also Orin’s revealing outfit as loot, various Act III performance improvements, and more convenient inventory management for characters who aren’t in your active party. More (spoiler-free) information about Baldur’s Gate 3 patch 5 can be found in Larian’s patch highlights and full patch notes.