With the release of Patch 5, Baldur’s Gate 3 now has a brand new difficulty setting in the form of Custom Mode, allowing players to enjoy the game however they please. Here’s everything you need to know about how Custom Mode works in Baldur’s Gate 3.
How to Start Custom Mode in Baldur’s Gate 3
Starting a game in Custom Mode is as simple as booting up Baldur’s Gate 3, starting a new campaign, then scrolling all the way to the right to select Custom Mode.
You’ll be able to start a new game this way, and the option will also become available to players who fail an Honour Mode run. If you happen to fail in Honour Mode, you can restart from your last save point in Custom Mode to keep going. However, do keep in mind that doing so will lock you out of any Honour Mode-related rewards or achievements.
All Settings in Custom Mode
As the name suggests, Custom Mode allows you to tweak a whole bunch of different sliders in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can make it as difficult or as easy as you’d like, or find a balance in-between. Here are all the options available to you:
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Single Save | Determines whether you can have multiple save files in the playthrough. |
| Enemy Aggression | Your options are Explorer, Balanced, and Tactician, based on the game’s default difficulty settings. |
| Proficiency Bonus | Determines how big of a stat bonus is added to your skill checks. |
| Enemy Critical Hits | Determines whether enemies can land crits on your party. |
| No Death Saving Throws | When enabled, your party will not be at risk of dying when downed. |
| Disable Free First Strikes | When enabled, attacking before a battle begins will cost that character their turn. |
| Camp Cost Multiplier | Determines how much supplies you need to deplete for a Long Rest. |
| Short Rest Full Heal | Restores all HP when Short Resting. |
| Trade Price Modifier | Determines the prices and value of goods when trading with vendors. |
| Multiclassing | Allows you to pick an additional class when you hit level 2. |
| Always Prompt Reactions | Reactions in combat will pause the game. |
| Hide NPC Health | All NPC health bars will be hidden when enabled. |
| Hide Failed Perception Rolls | When enabled, you will not know when you have failed a perception dice roll in the environment. |
| Hide Passive Rolls in Dialogue | When enabled, you will not know if you failed a skill check in the middle of a conversation. |
| Preview Dialogue Check Difficulty Before Rolling | When enabled, you can see the difficulty of a skill check in conversation before rolling. |
| Hide Difficulty Class During Rolls | When enabled, you cannot see the number required in order to pass a check. |
All of these settings can be tweaked even in the middle of a playthrough, with the exception of two: Single Save and Multiclassing. Make sure you know how you want to handle either of these options before proceeding with the run.
That’s all you need to know about how Custom Mode works in Baldur’s Gate 3. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more tips and information on the game, including how to start a fresh game with a full party of custom characters.
