Picture this: you've just cleared a hellish dungeon, your once-pristine adventuring garb is now adorned with monster gore, and you've battled your way through hoards of enemies with just a gnarly spell and your unstoppable wit. However, instead of basking in hard-earned glory, you're griping about Baldur's Gate 3's level cap of 12 that prevents you from unlocking unimaginable power. A wildly amusing Baldur's Gate 3 player recently illustrated why this cap is essential for protecting the very fabric of the game's universe.
Early this year, the game's director, Swen Vincke, preempted these gripes. He pointed out that if mischief-makers were able to level up beyond 12 - say, all the wafty way up to 20 - developers would have to add spells that uncovered new dimensions of existence. The unfortunate side effect of this? The game studio's workload could increase twofold over a staggering six-year period.
But one player wasn't so easily deterred and managed to sum up the conundrum perfectly: why can't we just cast a 'Regenerate' spell on Karlach - one of the game's characters - at the game's conclusion and heal her Infernal Heart ourselves?
This isn't just some random question from an overcaffeinated gamer at 2 AM, no-no-no! It's based on the logic that by game's conclusion, the majority of players will be perched precariously on the pinnacle of level 12. Theoretically, they should be allowed to nudge nose-first into level 13, providing any Druid, Bard, or Cleric characters the power of the seventh-level spell, Regenerate.
Regenerate gives characters healing every turn and magically regrows severed limbs. According to D&D lore, it can restore damaged organs - a feature that apparently fled from the 5th edition version that Baldur's Gate 3 uses. So why not let loose a little, toss the rulebook to the wind, and play around with the 3.5e and 5e borders?
Well, just picture Band-Aiding serious health issues like a tadpole infection or missing organs with a simple high-level spell. Hmmm… It's just not cricket!
Keeping the game grounded to the 5th edition version of D&D puts everything back into perspective. If Regenerate would fix Karlach's Infernal Heart in a traditional D&D game, then the same logic should apply in Baldur's Gate 3.
This essentially serves to highlight Vincke's firm stance: there are far too many spells with abundant power beyond level 12, and exploiting these would run the risk of thoroughly unbalancing the game. Hence, the level 12 cap is a simple remedy for an overly complex issue.
But let's not forget about the hardworking game developers - putting a lid on the level cap also eases their project management and workloads. It's a win-win!
So, next time you're banging on about the 'unfair' level cap, remember how this smarty-pants Baldur’s Gate fan demonstrated that it's all for the greater good of the game world. Enjoy your sandbox, adventurers, and remember: with great power, comes the potential for absolute mayhem!
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