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 30%.
  • 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.
  • Iron Throne is an example of this where you'll be given 6 rounds to solve the problem rather than 5 rounds at the other difficulty settings.
• 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 30%.
  • Note: Some temporary companions seems to be affected by this rule too.
• Almost all Bosses Maximum Health increased by 50%.

• More aggressive enemy NPC behavior, such as targeting spellcasters more often and attempting to finish off downed characters.
  • This could also be somewhat beneficial as they end up triggering attack of opportunity reactions more frequently.
• 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.
  • All enemies gain +2 to attack rolls.
  • Other modifiers can be additional attack rolls, AC, resistances, better saving throws and sometimes unique modifiers that are not present in the other difficulties.
• Camp Supplies requirements for a Long Rest increased from 40 to 80. Insufficient camp supplies rules remain the same (restore half HP and half your spell slots rounded down).
• 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.