Alright, let’s talk about breaking stuff in Baldur’s Gate 3. Specifically, those pesky things labeled “Medium Toughness”. I kept bumping into cracked walls or sturdy doors that just laughed off my normal attacks.
So, first thing I did was just try hitting them. Had my main character swing their longsword. Ping! Maybe 1 damage. Okay, not great. Then I switched to my ranger, tried shooting arrows. Same thing, barely made a dent. It was taking forever, and sometimes you just need to get through now, you know?
I figured maybe the type of weapon mattered. Gave Shadowheart a mace. Bludgeoning damage! That seemed to work a bit better than swords (slashing) or arrows (piercing). Still slow, but noticeably better. So, lesson one: heavy, blunt things are generally better for smashing structures than sharp things.
Then I started thinking about magic. My wizard, Gale, tossed a Fire Bolt. Okay, that did decent damage, especially if it was a wooden barricade or something. Seemed like fire was a good bet against wood. Ray of Frost? Not so much, barely did anything to stone or wood.
Trying Stronger Methods
Okay, basic hits and cantrips were slow. Time to bring out bigger guns. What hits hard?
- Stronger Melee: Got Karlach raging and swinging her axe. More damage per hit helps, definitely faster than my weaker characters. Fighters with Action Surge can get extra hits in too. Paladin smites? Yeah, they add damage, but felt like a waste of a spell slot just to break a door unless I was really stuck.
- Spells with Punch: I looked through my spellbook. What about area damage? Shatter! Cast that near a cracked wall. Boom! Big chunk of damage, much faster. Seems like Thunder damage works pretty well. Force damage, like Eldritch Blast from Wyll, was also pretty reliable. It just consistently chipped away decent health each hit.
- Consumables: I started looking at my inventory. Alchemist’s Fire? Tossed one. Good damage, especially on wood, and it burns for a bit. Acid Vials? Also decent, seemed to work well on stone and metal doors sometimes.
But the real game changer? Explosives! I’d picked up a bunch of Smokepowder Barrels and Satchels. I was always hesitant to use them, thinking I’d need them for a big fight.
Finally got frustrated enough with a tough door. Dropped a Smokepowder Barrel right next to it. Backed everyone way up. Plinked it with a Fire Bolt from distance. KABOOM! Door instantly gone. Pieces everywhere. Okay, NOW we’re talking! This became my go-to method if I had explosives to spare and just wanted the obstacle gone immediately.
So What Works Best?
After messing around for a while, here’s what I found works best for me when I hit those “Medium Toughness” walls:
- Bludgeoning Weapons: Maces, warhammers. Generally better than swords or bows.
- Force Damage: Reliable, consistent damage. Eldritch Blast is great if you have a Warlock.
- Fire Damage: Especially good against anything wooden. Fire Bolt, Alchemist’s Fire, or even dipping weapons in fire helps.
- Thunder Damage: Spells like Shatter are excellent for a quick burst of damage.
- Explosives: Smokepowder Barrels/Satchels are the fastest way. Just place, ignite from safety, and boom. Problem solved. Use sparingly though!
- High Strength Characters / Multiple Attacks: If you have to rely on melee, use your strongest character who can hit multiple times.
So yeah, started off just whacking things uselessly, but after trying a bunch of different stuff, I feel like I’ve got a good handle on how to break through those medium toughness barriers now. Usually keep a hammer handy and save those smokepowder barrels for when I’m really impatient!
