Don't Bother Looking For These BG3 Items In D&D

Some lore-critical items from Larian’s latest foray into the world of The Forgotten Realms are simply nowhere to be found in the tabletop counterpart. As wide and deep as D&D lore is, some items bear the same namesake but operate in a vastly different manner. This perhaps shines a light on the true depths of Baldur’s Gate 3, in that it must generate numerous new and original items for a franchise whose history already spans more than 5 decades.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Hidden Secrets That Are Hard To Find In Act 1

Baldur’s Gate 3 holds many secrets within its Act 1, if players know where to look.

Baldur’s Gate 3 does a pretty solid job of faithfully adapting Dungeons & Dragons into video game form, but, of course, some things are tweaked and adapted to better suit the format. Players jumping from screen to tabletop may find themselves at a dead end when searching for items they coveted on their Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough, but which items are a fool’s errand?

Boots of Speed

The two items have very different abilities, of the same flavor to be sure, but the tabletop version can vastly change the landscape of an encounter, whilst the video game version leaves a little to be desired.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Boots of Speed grant double movement speed at the cost of a bonus action and ensure enemies have disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you. They are given as a quest reward for curing Thulla of poisoning. Meanwhile, the tabletop Boots of Speed cost a bonus action to use and allow the wearer to dismiss the effect at will, pulling from a pool that lasts 10 minutes of use time. That’s 100 turns of combat, per long rest.

The Blood of Lathander

The Legendary Mace, Absent In The Fifth Edition Of D&D

The Blood of Lathander is found in Act One in Crèche Y’llek. It comes with a deep lore. Lathanderian monks kept this item secure amongst relics like the blood of the god Lathander himself. The item manages to stay hidden throughout the Githyanki’s sacking of the monastery, but players can retrieve it.

It boasts a +3 bonus and allows the wielder to cast Sunbeam, making it a formidable weapon that would go down a treat on the tabletop. Sadly, however, players searching for this item will come up short, finding that it does not exist in the tabletop version of the game, at least as a usable weapon.

Gloves of Dexterity

Technically, You May Find These At Old Tables

Anyone still playing version 3.5 of Dungeons & Dragons will recognize the Gloves of Dexterity, though, as with the Boots of Speed, each version is markedly different from its counterpart. In 3.5, the Gloves of Dexterity are a Wondrous item that improves the wearer’s inherent dexterity, provided they have both gloves.

The video game Gloves of Dexterity is very rare in comparison, and sets a character’s dexterity to 18, and grants a +1 bonus to attack rolls. This can turn any character that slacks in the initiative order to a top roller in no time, and ensures fewer wasted turns with missed attacks.

Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen

Major Plot Device Left Unexplored In The Tabletop Game

The tadpoles are one of the most significant items in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s hard to resist the temptation to homebrew a bespoke version for a lot of DMs, but sadly, this game mechanic is not one that survives the transition to tabletop. The tadpoles grant players access to a psionic-based skill tree for their character, irrespective of class or species, which is a fantastic new layer for characters to explore.

If encountering any Mind Flayers, players may be at risk of receiving a tadpole and having their character converted, but it’s advisable to avoid consuming them, as characters do in Baldur’s Gate 3. In the tabletop version, there’s much more risk that it ends with the ceremorphosis of the player character.

Amulet of Misty Step

Amulets Work Very Differently In Baldur’s Gate 3

There’s no shortage of amulets in Baldur’s Gate 3, just like the Amulet of Misty Step. Amulets in the video game Forgotten Realms often grant the user the ability to cast a single spell, once per long rest. This is not such a common feature on the tabletop version, and players may be swiftly disappointed to find that the flexibility and freedom that the wearable apparel offered in video game form are often much shinier and more attractive than the tabletop version, at least on the surface.

Comparable amulets on a tabletop, such as the Amulet of Health, set the user’s constitution score to 19, and the Amulet of the Planes gives the user the chance to cast a spell, causing a catastrophic failure if it doesn’t work. In general, Baldur’s Gate 3 is much more generous with magic items than the tabletop version.

Helldusk Armour

Iconic Loot That’s Sorely Missed

Raphael will drop this set of armour if players manage to slay him in the House of Hope. It’s one of the fan-favorite encounters for the game, and deservedly so; it features a tough challenge with impeccable set dressing and voice acting, with Andrew Winscott lending his voice to Raphael in both speech and singing. As one of the most praised sequences in the game, it’s a shame no official module exists that adapts it for tabletop.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s House of Hope is a Gold Mine of Loot

There is a lot of powerful loot scattered throughout Faerun in Baldur’s Gate 3, but there is one place in Act 3 that is a gold mine of loot.

Nevertheless, any player who gets their hands on this armor will enjoy a variety of powerful buffs. This includes the ability to fly at will once per long rest, proficiency with the armour whilst they wear it, inflict damage on enemies who target you with spell saving throws, and resistance to fire damage.

Silver Sword of the Astral Plane

The Legendary Githyanki Artifact That Every Fighter Could (But Maybe Shouldn’t) Use

This sword is a +3 legendary greatsword that allows the wielder to rend an enemy’s body and soul, dealing additional damage and potentially stunning them. It’s a staple item that most players will encounter at least once and usually give to Lae’zel.

It does 2d3 + 3 + strength modifier damage, which can be devastating in the right hands. It’s awarded to players by Kith’rak Voss in Act Three of the game, though players can write their own fate on if Voss leaves the interaction alive. Players with flexible morals can get this weapon as early as Act One, if they’re willing to think flexibly…

This sword does have a small drawback, however, in that it grants an additional bonus if wielded by a Githyanki, handing out an extra 1d6 of psychic damage per hit, which, of course, stacks with the already fearsome damage. This is a weapon that can take Lae’zel to the end of the game, if need be. But alas, players will not find it in their tabletop travels.

Hellfire Greataxe

A Commonly Used Karlach Weapon That Should Be In D&D

Much like Lae’zel and her sword, the Hellfire Greataxe is a two-handed weapon that most Karlachs will wield once, and it’s definitely not one you can forget quickly. It’s a striking-looking axe, with a +2 hit bonus, and allows the user to gain the Heat condition when fighting (which can be used to dish out extra fire damage). Additionally, players can Cleave and Lacerate their enemies, which attack multiple people at once and cause a target to bleed, respectively.

It also grants the user the ability to cast Hellflame Cleave as a cantrip, dealing normal weapon damage with an additional 2d6 fire damage, recharging once per short rest. This is a great bonus to add a little extra flexibility to the melee characters who might be lacking a spell in their arsenal.

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Risky Ring

The Perfect Item For Chaotic Characters

The Risky Ring is one item that feels like it belongs the most to the tabletop, perfect for wild magic sorcerers or a rogue assassin. It grants the wearer advantage on attack rolls, but they also receive disadvantage on saving throws. Risky Ring is an apt name for this item, but currently, that risk is all in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Weapons In Act 1 & How To Get Them

Rise above the competition in Baldur’s Gate 3 by acquiring some of the best weapons early in Act 1.

Unlike a lot of items in the game, the Risky Ring introduces a lot of uncertainty and chaos into battle. Maybe you’ll have to heal the sorcerer more, but who can argue against a power word kill WITH advantage? It feels much more suited to the tabletop edition of the game, but it’s a worthy addition to Baldur’s Gate 3 nonetheless.

Orphic Hammer

Playthrough Defining Item, Original To Baldur’s Gate 3

The Orphic Hammer is perhaps the most important item in the plot of Baldur’s Gate 3, and given that it’s not the most remarkable for offensive combat, players would be forgiven for thinking a similar macguffin existed in tabletop. In fact, the Orphic Hammer is completely original to Baldur’s Gate 3 and is crucial in freeing (or not) Orpheus in the final act of the game.

It’s so important that the game will go to extra lengths to make sure that the player can’t accidentally lose it, yet this importance has yet to cross over into other Forgotten Realms media in any capacity. It grants the wielder a few extra attack types, including Backbreaker, Concussive Smash, and Weakening Strike, which are perhaps a little below the station of such a legendary item.