An Often Overlooked Baldur's Gate 3 Item Could Save Your Weakest Companions (2024)

Don't skip the most underrated kind of equipment in Baldur's Gate 3 - when used properly, it can save even the weakest companion's life. Following Dungeons & Dragons' fifth edition rules, companions live and die by their equipment in BG3. Somewhat uniquely, a character's Armor Class (AC) doesn't determine how much damage they take; it's a deciding factor in whether every attack targeting them successfully hits. That means that an under-armored character is at a much greater risk, and needs to be kept strategically far away from any enemies who might pose a threat.

The thing is, not every companion can equip every piece of armor. Baldur's Gate 3 armor is divided into three classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy. A character must have proficiency in the relevant armor type in order to wear it without gaining disadvantage on all checks, attacks, and saving throws pertaining to Strength and Dexterity, and losing the ability to cast spells. Suffice it to say that the risks of equipping armor a character isn't proficient in greatly outweigh the benefits. But there is an overlooked item that any character can equip, greatly boosting their defense without any negative consequences.

Don't Forget To Equip Shields On Your Baldur's Gate 3 Party Members

Shields Boost AC Without Armor

Even the weakest, lowest-HP, magic-only characters can equip shields in Baldur's Gate 3, increasing their Armor Class without the need for armor proficiencies. Most shields increase the equipper's AC by two points. It's a slight change, but one that can certainly come in clutch, potentially preventing an otherwise fatal strike. It's easy to forget that shields aren't exclusive to certain melee classes, and the game never explicitly explains that. As a result, many characters like Gale, who certainly don't fit the hardened warrior archetype, may be left in the lurch.

Using a shield does require proficiency, but most BG3 companions have it naturally. Humans and elves can wield shields by default, and even some low-HP classes, like clerics, druids, and College of Valor bards, get shield proficiency from their classes. That combination means that the entire recruitable party is proficient in shields automatically. The only caveat is that shields can only be equipped alongside one-handed weapons. Thankfully, though, most of the squishiest characters in Baldur's Gate 3 prefer one-handed arms: think Gale's staves, Astarion's daggers, et cetera.

Some BG3 Shields Have Extra Bonuses

Shields Are Good For More Than Just AC

Regular old wooden shields can carry weaker party members through Act One, but there are also some shields in Baldur's Gate 3 that actually provide extra bonuses to the characters who equip them. Most common is the ability Shield Bash, which allows the wielder to knock anyone that attacks them prone as a reaction. Others, like the Shield of Scorching Reprisal and Viconia's Walking Fortress, add extra damage to Shield Bash.

But some of these shield bonuses are especially useful for weaker, spellcasting characters. For example, the Shield of Devotion grants a character an extra spell slot, which is perfect for a low-AC wizard like Gale. Others, like The Real Sparky Sparkswall, can be combined with equipment that grants Lightning Charges in order to deliver powerful area-of-effect strikes to enemies who get too close. These open up the potential to center an entire spellcaster's build around a single shield.

So while basic shields are useful for giving weaker characters an AC boost, more thoughtful shield equipping can make for much more powerful builds. But whether they just slap a wooden shield on Gale and call it a day, or curate an overpowered build based around an incredible legendary shield, no player should ignore the benefits of shields in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3

Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur's Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.

RPG

Systems

Franchise

Baldur's Gate

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Publisher(s)

Larian Studios

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

How Long To Beat

100+ Hours

Metascore

96

Split Screen Orientation

Vertical Only

Number of Players

1-4

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Local Co-Op Support

1-2 Players