Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Minthara chatting to a character in Baldur's Gate 3
Image via Larian Studios

There’s a hidden Baldur’s Gate 3 feature you need to turn on right now

This changed our fights for the better.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of unique features, though, not all of them are explained to you at the start of the game. As a result, some of them remain hidden until you stumble upon them, despite being extremely useful, like reactions.

Recommended Videos

If you played the game for a while, you probably realized some characters react to enemy actions in certain ways. It’s automatic by default, though it’s best to have it on manual since sometimes a reaction or two may tip a difficult fight in your favor.

There are a variety of reactions, and the most common one, which you’ve probably seen in a few fights, is an Opportunity Attack. They have different effects and respond to different moves from your enemies. While they’re mostly useful, we believe it’s better to have them on manual to have better control of each combat encounter.

Reactions menu in Baldur's Gate 3.
You can turn reactions on and off in their dedicated menu. Screenshot by Dot Esports via Larian Studios

To control your reactions, open your character’s spellbook, and hover over the “reactions” menu on the far right. Each of your party members has one, and each already-learned reaction has two tick boxes: on the left and the right.

The left box must be always checked. It allows the reaction to trigger, and without it, your character won’t be able to perform them. The second box on the right allows you to manually decide whether your character should use a reaction when triggered or not, so we advise you to select it as well.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 players agree one Divinity: Original Sin feature desperately needs to be added

Every character in Baldur’s Gate 3 has one reaction per round of combat. Although keep in mind you need a specific trigger for each of them. For example, Opportunity Attack allows you to hit an enemy if they leave your melee zone. As you progress through the story, you will learn more and more reactions for each of your party members, so be sure to check back in that menu frequently.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Mateusz Miter
Mateusz Miter
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. Mateusz previously worked for numerous outlets and gaming-adjacent companies, including ESL. League of Legends or CS:GO? He loves them both. In fact, he wonders which game he loves more every day. He wanted to go pro years ago, but somewhere along the way decided journalism was the more sensible option—and he was right.