Difficulty

Baldur's Gate 3 has three difficulty settings to choose from, in increasing difficulty order: Explorer, Balanced, Tactician.

Selecting A Difficulty

When you start a new game, you will be prompted to select a difficulty.

You also may change the difficulty after starting a game by using the menu and clicking on 'Difficulty'. The changes to statistics by modifying the difficulty are immediate.

Explorer

Explorer is the least difficult setting. In comparison to the Balanced difficulty setting, Explorer has:

• All Enemies Maximum Health decreased by 33% (rounded nearest - 1).
  • In comparison to Tactician, Tactician enemies max HP is twice as much as Explorer enemies max HP.

• Party characters receive a 100% bonus to hit points.
• Items purchased from a merchant are at a 20% discount.
• All characters (including enemies) proficiency bonuses are increased by 2.
• Some turn-limited combat gives you additional turns making the encounter easier.
• Multiclassing is not allowed on Explorer difficulty. Multiclass levels previously gained will stay if the difficulty is lowered to Explorer.
  • This makes the Jack of All Trades achievement (multiclass into all the 12 classes on a single character) unobtainable.

Balanced

This middle ground of the other two difficulties, see the other difficulties to see the differences.

Tactician

Tactician is the highest difficulty setting. In comparison to the Balanced difficulty setting, Tactician has:

• All Enemies Maximum Health increased by 33% (rounded nearest + 1).
  • Some enemies may have more health. (Example: Grym has 50% more HP, 300 -> 450).

• More aggressive enemy NPC behavior, such as targeting spellcasters more often and attempting to finish off downed characters.
• Some enemies will gain special attacks that are not present in the other difficulties.
  • Examples from the Prologue: Intellect Devourers gain a ranged psychic attack, Cambions can cast Fire Bolt, Commander Zhalk can attack twice.
• All non-party characters receive modifiers that when examined are noted as "Difficulty: Tactician" in the combat log.
  • These modifiers can be additional attack rolls, to extra AC, resistance, better saving throws and sometimes unique modifiers.
• Taking a Long Rest requires 80 Camp Supplies instead of the normal 40 on the other difficulties.
  • Insufficient camp rules remain the same (restore half HP and half your spell slots).
• At stores, items cost more to purchase and sell for less.

Example of Difficulty Changes

One named 4th level enemy in Act 1's statistics change the following across the three difficulties:

• Explorer Difficulty: 46hp, +4 Proficiency Bonus
• Balanced Difficulty: 67hp, +2 Proficiency Bonus
• Tactician Difficulty: 87hp, +2 Proficiency Bonus, additional +2 Difficulty: Tactician bonus to attack rolls.