Baldurs Gate 3 Feats

Introduction

Baldur’s Gate 3 has included a selection of 30+ feats from 5e’s ruleset, largely representing an exact copy of the list in the PHB but with a few removed due to not making sense with how the video game functions. Several of the feats have some changes from the tabletop version, but even for those that don’t, differences in the base framework of the game mean that many feats are more or less powerful than someone who is very familiar with the tabletop game (i.e. many of our readers) might expect.

This article then aims to present accurate ratings for each of these feats in the context of the video game. Please note that, unless stated in the entry for the feat, ratings will be assumed to be for characters on whom it is already an optimal choice in the TTRPG. As an example, Elemental Adept will not be rated based on the fact that Astarion will always have the Firebolt cantrip because, even though his default subclass of Arcane Trickster can cast additional spells, Rogue is not optimal for frequently dealing spell damage.

Table of Contents

Ability Improvement

Increase one Ability Score by 2, or two Ability Scores by 1.

You can’t increase an Ability Score above 20 using this feature.

Not technically a feat, but I included it here since it’s in the feat selection menu. These are less important than they are in the base game due to the abundance of magic items that provide you things like bonuses to attack rolls, damage rolls, and spell save DC. Consider not maxing out your primary stat if there are several feats that seem like good choices for your character.

Actor

Your Charisma increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Your Proficiency Bonus is also doubled for Deception and Performance checks.

While this feat is borderline useless in the TTRPG, this is both one of the only hybrid feats and gives an incredible benefit for social situations. Not mentioned in the feat is that it also gives you proficiency for those skills if you don’t have them already, so this is two proficiencies, two expertises, and a +1 to the relevant score in one feat. If you’re someone who likes lying to people about why you’re being sketchy, this is an incredible selection. I only wouldn’t take it on most paladins because lying frequently is a good way to break your oath (unless you’re into that sort of thing).

Alert

You gain a +5 bonus to Initiative and can’t be Surprised.

This feat is broken, but you have to understand the game mechanics to get why. If you haven’t trolled through online discussions or game files, you’ll have no way to know that initiative is rolled with d4+mod in this game instead of the d20 used in the TTRPG. This means that the Alert feat basically guarantees the character will go first, which is extremely powerful for spellcasters who want to set up their big concentration tool for the encounter and melee defenders who want to get right up in the action before enemies act.

Athlete

Your Strength or Dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.

When you are Prone, standing up uses significantly less movement. Your Jump distance also increases by 50%.

Again, one of the few hybrid feats but also surprisingly useful. There are many hidden areas and/or puzzles in the game that reward the ability to jump long distances, and combining this with the jump potion, the characters who get Jump as a ritual, or the other items that increase jump distance can make those much easier. Additionally, jump is coded with a flat movement cost and can get you much more distance than that cost, making it very useful for positioning in combat. Highly recommended on any Strength or Dex-based character that attacks in melee.

Charger

Gain the following weapon attacks:

  • Charger
  • Shove

Because positioning is so critical in this game, we talk about several tools to help you do it better (optimizing for jump distance, wearing items that give casts of Misty Step, etc). If you managed to have none of those, this would still be bad. It means that, on a turn you have to dash, you can maybe still get one attack in you couldn’t otherwise, but honestly, any character wanting that can just make a ranged attack on the way instead because swapping between melee and ranged weapons is free, as is drawing weapons to throw. That’s not worth a feat, even though the movement doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. 

Crossbow Expert

When you make crossbow attacks within melee range, the Attack Rolls do not have Disadvantage.

Your Piercing Shot also inflicts Gaping Wounds (Condition) for twice as long.

We often rate this feat blue and call it basically a requirement for anyone using crossbows. In the video game, however, the loading property doesn’t exist, which turns this feat into largely just one line about removing disadvantage. Given that there’s also no penalty or cost for swapping from your ranged to melee weapons (even multiple times in the same turn), this feat is only good if you have a crossbow that you think is vastly superior to your melee weapon(s).

Defensive Duelist

When you are attacked with a melee attack while wielding a Finesse Weapon you are Proficient in, you can use a Reaction to increase your Armour Class by your Proficiency Bonus, possibly causing the attack to miss.

Identical to the TTRPG version, and just as useful.

Dual Wielder

You can use two-weapon fighting even if your weapons aren’t Light, and you gain a +1 bonus to Armour Class while wielding a melee weapon in each hand. You cannot dual-wield Heavy weapons.

While this has the standard use cases like the TTRPG version which generally amount to being “fine,” I need to call out something here: This game has quarterstaves intended for casters. This game does not have an attunement mechanic, so a primary balancing mechanic is item slots. This feat lets you dual wield caster staves because they are Versatile. This feat should be what you take on every ranged caster at level 12 because you will presumably have at least two good staves by then. I have confirmed that you get the stats of both on Gale in my own playthrough.

Dungeon Delver

You gain Advantage on Perception checks made to detect hidden objects and on Saving Throws made to avoid or resist traps.

You gain Resistance to the damage dealt by traps.

Functionally identical to the TTRPG version given that speed doesn’t factor into passive checks in the video game version. Not especially helpful in either case. Every member of your party automatically gets to roll Perception to detect hidden objects, so by the sheer volume of rolls you’re likely to detect most things.

Durable

Constitution increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Regain full Hit Points every time you take a Short Rest.

Better in the video game version, but still not great. If you have a short rest-focused party, it can be very good as a way to reduce the healing load. On the other hand, you only get two short rests per long rest, so it won’t be as impactful as often as it could be in the TTRPG where 2 short rests per long rests is a vague suggestion rather than a firm rule.

Elemental Adept

Your spells ignore Resistance to a damage type of your choice. When you cast Spells of that type, you cannot roll a 1.

Damage resistance options are one of the following:

  • Acid
  • Cold
  • Lightning
  • Fire
  • Thunder

This feat is very good late game for a number of reasons. The game mechanics reward damage output much more than any save-or-suck, because there aren’t any good spells that just kill people. Given that, doing more damage is powerful for casters, and, given itemization, there’s a couple possibilities for being very strong while being specialized into one damage type. This is even better for people wanting to deal Acid damage as the smaller die is more valuable for the “cannot roll a 1” clause which is better than just the reroll in the TTRPG version.

Great Weapon Master

When an attack with a melee weapon lands a Critical Hit or kills a creature, you can make another melee weapon attack as a Bonus Action that turn.

When attacking with a Two-Handed or Versatile melee weapon (in both hands) that you are Proficient with, Attack Rolls take a -5 penalty, but their damage increases by 10.

Just as good and build-defining as it is in the TTRPG. Arguably even better since there are more ways to increase your attack bonus, meaning the increased damage is easier to apply and results in a higher DPR increase than your pen and paper character would get.

Heavily Armoured

(Requires Medium Armour Proficiency)

Increase your Strength by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Gain Proficiency with Heavy Armour.

Somehow even worse. With respecs being mostly free, multiclassing not having stat requirements, heavy armor having no speed penalty, and with the limited number of feats due to the level cap being 12, your best bet is to just take your first level in one of the Clerics that gets heavy armor, or Fighter if you want proficiency in Constitution saves. No class gets anything impactful at level 12, so all you’re missing out on is a feat, which if you’re spending on proficiencies, is wasted when you could also be getting all the level 1 features of some other class.

Heavy Armour Master

(Requires Heavy Armour Proficiency)

Increase your Strength by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Incoming damage from non-magical attacks also decreases by 3 while you’re wearing heavy armour.

Identical to the TTRPG version, but possibly more useful. When combined with armor acquirable in act 1 that reduces all incoming damage by 2, this can become a dramatic expansion of your health pool.

Lightly Armoured

Increase your Strength or Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Gain Proficiency with Light Armour.

Same notes as Medium Armour Proficiency.

Lucky

You gain 3 Luck Points. These can be used to gain Advantage on Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, Saving Throws, or to make an enemy reroll their Attack Roll.

If you take this feat, your gameplay will suddenly be much slower as you’re forced to pause on every roll that happens near your character to determine if you want it to proceed normally or not. Mechanically it’s still good, but dear god it’s annoying.

Mage Slayer

When a creature casts a Spell within melee range of you, you have Advantage on any Saving Throws against it, and you can use a Reaction to immediately make an attack against the caster.

Enemies you hit have Disadvantage on Concentration Saving Throws.

There are a decent number of spellcasting enemies in the game, but honestly, you should fix that with a Sussur weapon rather than a feat. Admittedly swapping weapons in combat takes a painful action, but keeping it in your bag, saving before every fight, and reloading when you find out this one has a scary caster is free.

Magic Initiate: Bard

Learn 2 Cantrips and a 1st-level Spell from the Bard spell list.

You can cast the 1st-level Spell once per Long Rest. Your Spellcasting Ability for all three spells is Charisma.

Because of how spellcasting and multiclassing work in this game, there is never a reason to take this feat instead of taking a level in Bard.

Magic Initiate: Cleric

Learn 2 Cantrips and a 1st-level Spell from the Cleric spell list.

You can cast the 1st-level Spell once per Long Rest. Your Spellcasting Ability for all three spells is Wisdom.

Because of how spellcasting and multiclassing work in this game, there is never a reason to take this feat instead of taking a level in Cleric.

Magic Initiate: Druid

Learn 2 Cantrips and a 1st-level Spell from the Druid spell list.

You can cast the 1st-level Spell once per Long Rest. Your Spellcasting Ability for all three spells is Wisdom.

Because of how spellcasting and multiclassing work in this game, there is never a reason to take this feat instead of taking a level in Druid.

Magic Initiate: Sorcerer

Learn 2 Cantrips and a 1st-level Spell from the Sorcerer spell list.

You can cast the 1st-level Spell once per Long Rest. Your Spellcasting Ability for all three spells is Charisma.

Because of how spellcasting and multiclassing work in this game, there is never a reason to take this feat instead of taking a level in Sorcerer.

Magic Initiate: Warlock

Learn 2 Cantrips and a 1st-level Spell from the Warlock spell list.

You can cast the 1st-level Spell once per Long Rest. Your Spellcasting Ability for all three spells is Charisma.

Because of how spellcasting and multiclassing work in this game, there is never a reason to take this feat instead of taking a level in Warlock.

Magic Initiate: Wizard

Learn 2 Cantrips and a 1st-level Spell from the Wizard spell list.

You can cast the 1st-level Spell once per Long Rest. Your Spellcasting Ability for all three spells is Intelligence.

Because of how spellcasting and multiclassing work in this game, there is never a reason to take this feat instead of taking a level in Wizard.

Martial Adept

Learn two maneuvers from the Battle Master archetype and receive 1 (additional) Superiority Die to fuel them.

You regain expended Superiority Dice after a Short or Long Rest.

While it’s a decent feat on some characters, the fact that you only get two short rests per long rest (and long rests have a resource cost) means that this is less interesting. It’s still decent on characters that have no other way to accomplish some defender effects but still want defender tactics (putting Menacing Strike on a low-charisma paladin, for instance).

Medium Armor Master

(Requires Medium Armour Proficiency)

When you wear medium armour, it doesn’t impose Disadvantage on Stealth checks. The bonus to Armour Class you can gain from your Dexterity modifier also becomes +3 instead of +2.

Swapping armor to be more stealthy when you need to only costs an action, and there are not one but two sets of medium armor you can buy that have no max dex. Don’t take this feat.

Mobile

Your Movement Speed increases by 3 m / 10 ft.

When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t slow you down.

If you move after making a melee attack, you don’t provoke an Opportunity Attack from that target.

Until I respecced Astarion to be a more optimal character as close to Tam Bush as I could get him, this was his capstone feat because Rogues like Dashing as a bonus action and running away from things they’ve stabbed. I wouldn’t take it on any seriously optimized character though.

Moderately Armoured

(Requires Light Armour Proficiency)

Increase your Strength or Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Gain Proficiency with Medium Armour and Shields.

Same notes as Medium Armour Proficiency.

Performer

Increase your Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Gain Musical Instrument Proficiency.

Either grab a level of Bard or take Actor, depending on which half of this feat you were interested in.

Polearm Master

When attacking with a Glaive, Halberd, Quarterstaff, or Spear, you can use a Bonus Action to attack with the butt of your weapon.This attack uses the same ability modifier as the primary attack. The weapon’s damage die for this attack is a d4, and it deals bludgeoning damage.

You can also make an Opportunity Attack when a target comes within range.

While this is often rated blue for martial characters that can use polearms (and is, indeed, the basis for the famous controller battlemaster that uses PAM+sentinel and trip attack), it’s less good in the context of BG3 because there are already many sources of good uses for your bonus action including shove, which is something that any polearm user is going to excel at by default and which can be a primary source of damage if the environment is utilized in the way that enemies love to use it on Tactician difficulty.

Resilient

You increase an Ability by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Gain Proficiency in that ability’s Saving Throws.

Ability choices are 1 of the following:

  • Strength
  • Dexterity
  • Constitution
  • Intelligence
  • Wisdom
  • Charisma

Never a bad choice, but never an exciting choice.

Ritual Caster

You learn two ritual Spells of your choice.

Ritual spells can be cast once for free per short or long rest, meaning that you can cast them a total of 3 times between each long rest. They can provide a great deal of utility, as well as useful options like a familiar. However, unlike the tabletop version, the number of rituals available is very small, and you can’t gain more of them by adding them to your ritual book.

If you’re a spellcaster, take a level of wizard instead and you’ll be able to learn all of the Wizard’s ritual spells as you gain levels. Even if you aren’t, one level of Wizard is likely better than anything you’re trying to accomplish with this feat.

Savage Attacker

When making weapon attacks, you roll your damage dice twice and use the highest result.

Incredibly better than the TTRPG version (reroll a single die once per turn), and it applies on every attack. This will be an excellent way to normalize your Sneak Attack damage to help with making sure you’re executing people and plans correctly.

Sentinel

When an enemy in melee range attacks an ally, you can use a Reaction to make a weapon attack against that enemy. Target ally must not have the Sentinel feat.

You gain Advantage on Opportunity Attacks, and when you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, it can no longer move for the rest of its turn.

Still good, but less good than the TTRPG version. This lets people disengage and walk away from you, something that enemies will be all too keen to do if you’re being that battlemaster controller monster I mentioned a moment ago.

Sharpshooter

Your ranged weapon attacks are not penalized for High Ground Rules.

Ranged weapon attacks with weapons you are Proficient with have a -5 penalty to their Attack Roll, but deal an additional 10 damage. (This is a toggleable passive effect).

Since cover doesn’t exist in BG3, there’s no need to let you ignore it. Instead, there’s an elevation mechanic that penalizes you with a -2 to attack if the target is at least 2.5m higher than you. This feat removes that penalty, and provides the signature power attack feature it’s known for. Also missing, however, is the fact that the TTRPG version removes the disadvantage you get for attacking at long range, which is painful because that mechanic exists in the video game, weapon ranges are reduced compared to the TTRPG rules, and Disadvantage can prevent sneak attacks from a distance. Now, they also made standard and long ranges generously close together so it matters less, but it still hurts to see and downgrades this feat to green.

Shield Master

Gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity Saving Throws when wielding a Shield.

If a Spell forces you to make a Dexterity Saving Throw, you can use your Reaction to shield yourself and diminish the effect’s damage.On a failed save, you only take half damage.

On a successful save, you don’t take any damage, even if you normally would.

They buffed the defensive part of the feat to counter the fact that they removed the feature everyone took it for. On the other hand, literally every character has access to the Bonus Action Shove ability in BG3 so it matters less, but it means this isn’t required on a sword and board defender build and is, instead, a possible defensive option if you feel like you’re dying to area-of-effect damage a lot.

Skilled

You gain Proficiency in 3 Skills of your choice.

Identical to the TTRPG version, and just as useful.

Spell Sniper

You learn a cantrip, and the number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking with a Spell is reduced by 1. This effect can stack.

Applies to targeted projectile spells with a range greater than 1.5 m / 5 ft and no area of effect.

The removal of cover means that part of the TTRPG version of this feat needed to be transformed, so they made it a crit range increase. I could see this as part of a crit stacking caster (eldritch blast warlock), but otherwise there’s not much value to the feat. They also removed the range doubling, which was a not-insubstantial part of the value of the TTRPG version, allowing you safety through distance.

Tavern Brawler

Increase your Strength or Constitution by 1, to a maximum of 20.

When you make an unarmed attack, use an improvised weapon, or throw something, your strength modifier is added twice to the damage and Attack Rolls.

This feat is nothing like the TTRPG version which, perhaps unsurprisingly, means it’s incredibly broken and is part of the meta for most high-end martial damage-focused builds. There are a few weapons in the game (including the incredible Legendary trident Nyrulna) which will return to your hand when thrown. This feat just lets you double your strength modifier for attack and damage, ensuring you’ll basically always hit and do a ton of damage while doing so. Feel free to throw a huge pile of javelins instead if you like. The other big benefit is that strength-based monks can get the same preposterous bonus to damage (and can do so many times a round thanks to flurry of blows), turning a Monk/Thief Rogue into an incredible DPR machine by putting out a staggering number of high-damage attacks per turn.

Tough

Hit Point maximum increased by 2 for each level.

Just go raid the House of Hope.

War Caster

You gain Advantage on Saving Throws to maintain Concentration on a Spell.

You can also use a Reaction to cast Shocking Grasp at a target moving out of melee range.

They’ve removed one of the most important parts of this feat and given it to everyone (not caring about somatic components), and nerfed the “attack of opportunity with a cantrip” into the ground by only allowing you to use one preset cantrip instead of any single-target spell. Always take Resilient (Con) instead of Warcaster now.

Weapon Master

Increase your Strength or Dexterity by 1, to a maximum of 20.

Gain Proficiency with four Weapon types of your choice.

It’s still terrible.