Should you use Karmic Dice in Baldur’s Gate 3

Players have been scouring the Forgotten Realms for secrets in Baldur’s Gate 3 and dice rolls are a key part of this pursuit. From interacting with friends to duelling foes or examining the world, skill checks are an essential part of BG3. Karmic Dice ties into this feature and impacts how classes interact with the world of Faerun. Dice can impact everything from dialogue to the chances of getting your very own Owlbear cub. Read on to know more about how Karmic Dice tinkers with the very lifelines of the game.

What are Karmic Dice in Baldur’s Gate 3?

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Karmic Dice are an option for players to balance out good and bad dice rolls. This affects every facet of the game, from Perception and Performance skill checks to attack rolls and spell saving throws. And Karmic Dice affect more than just your main character. It impacts companions, other characters, and even enemies as you fight them. 

They aim to bring some degree of rhythm to the madness of rolls in Baldur’s Gate 3. While bizarre outcomes are guaranteed either way, this feature ensures that things don’t get too boring or difficult for players. Controlling the odds this way is an option in the settings menu which is switched on by default.

You don’t need to lean on Karmic Dice, though. Gaining an advantage over an enemy by playing smart will let you roll two dice instead of one. Increasing your chances when rolling makes the game lean in your favour. This minimizes the uncertainty and makes it a somewhat fair experience. DnD isn’t known “to smooth things out”. But if you’d like a balanced option, Karmic Dice is a good bet.

How to enable Karmic Dice in BG3

You can enable or disable this checkbox in the main menu via the gameplay tab. Karmic Dice might be beneficial for newer players and even DnD veterans who don’t want the game to become a chore. But those looking for a more randomized experience should consider turning the option off. Remember that bad luck and a poor dice streaks can spell doom in a Dungeons and Dragons playthrough. But that’s part of its charm. The game does its best to ensure that alternate paths exist for most mistakes.

Should you use Karmic Dice in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Players looking for a more authentic and real-to-tabletop experience should disable Karmic Dice in Baldur’s Gate 3. While the system might seem like an easy way out, Reddit users have discovered that this isn’t the case. 

Reddit user axdavidxy used over 1300 rolls to determine that Karmic Dice actually led to up to 400% more damage from an encounter with enemies back in Early Access. The hit modifier of the enemy creatures and their attack modifier were both raised. Things apparently got worse when high AC (Armour class) characters entered the picture. Players were surprised when they learned of this AC penalty, especially those running a melee tank build. Non-Karmic Dice fared better here, with normal dice keeping things randomized across any scenario.

While Larian Studios has clarified that this number was due to a bug (now fixed), it’s still reason enough to consider disabling the Karmic Dice option. You can choose to save right before crucial checks instead. Karmic Dice improve your damage and chances of hitting enemies. But it also lets enemies make up for moments where they fail to hit you.

That’s everything you need to know about Karmic Dice in Baldur’s Gate 3. Either way, abilities influence your skills to the point where they can save you from most nasty rolls of the dice. Stats like Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis) and Charisma (Cha) can add bonuses or debuffs to these rolls. And if you’re looking to improve your character outside of dice rolls, check out our best Baldur’s Gate 3 ranger build guide.