Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5 notes: Thefts bug, Astarion romance fix, Withers epilogue & more

The full Baldur’s Gate 3 patch 5 has been released, bringing tons of new features to the game, from fixes to theft and violence, a Withers epilogue, and so much more. Here are the full patch notes.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been getting steady improvements since its launch with multiple major updates and hotfixes. Larian Studios’ has done a remarkable job at communicating with the game’s fans and it’s earned them a nod for Best Community Support at The Game Awards 2023.

More recently they’ve addressed concerns over some performance issues from Patch 4 that players were claiming had “broken” the game’s third act. More importantly, Baldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 5 has also rectified an important romance bug that has been grating on fans.

Larian has now released a full copy of the changes in Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5, bringing all the changes fans are looking for. Here’s everything we know about Patch 5.

What’s changed in Baldur’s Gate patch 5

As relayed via Larian Studios, a fix to the romance bugs that resulted in an oddly short kissing scene for Astarion has been included in Patch 5. Meanwhile, over on the Larian Studios forum, a Community Manager outlined a major fix to performance.

On top of this, players will now be able to enjoy a Withers Epilogue, with his ‘Party Extravaganza’ announced by Larian on X on November 29. Perhaps they’ll learn more about who he really is and why he’s so pivotal to the story.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5 notes

The full Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 5 notes are below:

Highlights

● Epilogue: An entirely new section at the end of the game after the defeat of the Netherbrain that aims to provide a well-deserved sense of closure with your allies.

● Two new play modes: Honour Mode and Custom Mode.

● Many performance improvements, particularly in Act III.

● Added dynamic resolution for PS5.

● Players playing on machines with low VRAM/RAM should see improved performance.

● The game is now available in Korean!

● While at camp, you can now access and manage the inventories of companions who aren’t in your active party.

● Added a brand new fight in Ramazith’s Tower if you betray Nightsong there.

● Orin’s outfit now drops as loot and is wearable by anyone. We also gave it a suitably disgusting description and name.

Other Highlights

● Shadowheart will always be the owner of the artefact during the tutorial if she is a follower.

● Becoming half-illithid will now also visually affect your eyes.

● Basic Action variations (e.g. a free version of Dash that you can perform because of a class feature) that share a hotkey by default will now gain a hotkey according to a certain priority order.

● A romanced Minthara can now refer to her bond with you using a drow word for deep, unbreakable love.

● Fixed a bug where party members would sometimes not change back into the armour set they were displaying before entering camp.

● You can now talk to Mol more about her contract with Raphael in the Guildhall.

● Withers will sneakily resurrect any dead companions that fell before the final battle so they can join the ending cinematics. What a helpful skeleton.

● Gave Jaheira her own scene with Danthelon if she approaches him alone.

● Improved the physics of characters and walls to prevent NPCs being able to shoot through ceilings inside houses.

● Fixed an issue where Gale’s scene with Mystra after the final combat of the game only played if you had no one else in your party.

● Made cinematic tweaks to restore sections of Astarion’s Act III Ascendant sex scene.

● Improved companion reactivity when making the decision before the Netherbrain.

● The loading screen art now unlocks gradually as you progress through the game.

● Boo will no longer take damage when thrown.

● Fixed the puzzle in Cazador’s Palace.

● Fixed the screen going black during Astarion’s endgame romance scene.

● Added some additional audio and cinematic work to the intimate scene with the drow in Sharess’ Caress.

● Wild Shapes that do not have weapons will now benefit from having the Tavern Brawler feat.

CRASHES AND BLOCKERS

● Fixed crashes that could occur while loading a savegame.

● Fixed a crash for some players upon entering Nine-Fingers’ Guildhall.

● Fixed a crash when dragging an item out of your inventory while your character is dead in another inventory.

● Fixed a texture-related crash and leak.

● Fixed a crash and blocker when interacting with Auntie Ethel in Act III.

● Fixed an issue preventing you from levelling up when there were more slots than spells to choose from.

● Fixed a crash that could occur when entities that don’t support passives join a combat.

● Fixed a possible crash related to dealing damage when the game can’t detect a source for that damage.

● Added fixes for certain random crashes.

● Fixed a rare crash caused by clothing physics in the Level Up screen.

● Fixed a DLSS crash.

COMBAT AND BALANCE

● Fixed the combat AI sometimes not checking if it can use items.

● Fixed the hag sometimes skipping turns.

● Improved a confusing message in the High Hall combat that suggested the nautiloid was targeting itself.

● Fixed the Netherbrain sometimes only being able to cast one spell per round instead of several.

● In Tactician Mode, the hag can no longer be killed by being Shoved into chasms. She can cast magic, after all.

● Fixed Assassin’s Alacrity – assassins get their Action back on the first turn of combat.

● Fixed summon durations starting to tick down too soon while summoned in combat.

● Attacks against a Paralysed or Unconscious target no longer automatically hit – but any hits that do land deal critical damage.

● Flesh to Stone is now considered a harmful spell.

● Fixed the Slowed condition applying a -2 penalty to all Saving Throws instead of just Dexterity.

● Hope from the House of Hope now carries half-plate armour and a light crossbow. She also now carries a more powerful shield.

● Battle Master manoeuvres now correctly add your Proficiency Bonus to the Difficulty Class.

● Raphael’s Inevitable Resolve passive now triggers correctly.

● Half-orcs’ Savage Attacks passive now also applies to off-hand weapons.

● Gave Primal Stampede a Saving Throw to save against being Prone.

● Casting Blade Barrier while under the effects of Sanctuary will cause Sanctuary to end.

● All gathered allies that can be summoned for the final battle in the Upper City will have their resources restored if they’ve used them elsewhere in the adventure.

● In the combat with Raphael, when he transforms into the Ascended Fiend, all surrounding fires will turn into Hellfire.

● No such thing as a free lunch. Consuming the noblestalk mushroom during combat now costs an Action.

● Increased the rarity value of the Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength.

● Karsite Grip now correctly bounces to additional targets and its visual effects should trigger correctly on distant enemies.

● Fixed an issue with the Tavern Brawler feat where damage bonuses were being incorrectly applied multiple times while making a throwing attack.

● Raphael’s Soul Pillar Proximity condition will now activate at the start of combat, rather than on his first turn.

● The Potion of Angelic Slumber now restores War Priests clerics’ Extra Attack charges.

● Dark Urge players should now always have the option to kill the Netherbrain in the game’s final combat.

● Gortash’s Incineration Casters no longer display a danger area once they are destroyed.

● When players start a combat inside the Elfsong Tavern, all the patrons will now cower instead of continuing to drink.

● Fixed an issue where Beorn Wunterbread wouldn’t become hostile towards you if you attacked your allies in High Hall.

● Bernard’s Static Discharge condition now lasts 2 turns instead of 3.

● Fixed Grym’s Reverberating condition clearing at the start of his turn instead of the end, causing the movement speed buff to not work.

GAMEPLAY

● You can now use Luck of the Far Realms while Disguised.

● The reaction pop-up, which shows multiple possible reactions for multiple party members, now allows you to change your mind after picking a reaction for a party member.

● You can no longer use the awesome force of bombs to flip the switch behind the final door in the Gauntlet of Shar to force the door to open.

● Tweaked some code to simplify and improve the camera system.

● Fixed being unable to switch characters if a reaction pop-up opens for a split-screen player that is far away.

● Fixed occasional T-poses and frozen animations related to the Incapacitated condition.

● Fixed combat information (such as Advantage and Disadvantage) not displaying when targeting a specific body part of a larger creature.

● When it’s possible to change the use cost of an item, the modification will now depend on the user of the item rather than its owner.

● Loading a game that was saved on the roll result screen will now keep the results of that roll.

● Dousing a fire will now also extinguish that fire’s ambient light.

● Fixed a bug causing the game to sometimes turn allies (green border) into companions (blue border) when loading a savegame during combat.

● Reduced character animation popping when loading a game that was saved during a dialogue.

● Fixed the combat UI not automatically skipping to the next available party member after a controlled character dies.

● You can no longer loot the entire inventory of unconscious traders – instead you have access to a limited selection, as with dead traders. Nice try, pacifists.

● While using a controller while in camp, camp characters will appear in your Character Sheet for easier swapping in inventories.

● Fixed the Surprised condition being added twice by a Stealth attack.

● Improved the visuals for dropping a dead body out of your inventory (keep your friends close and your enemies closer, we guess?) and for moving living bodies out of Withers’ Wardrobe.

● Dismissing to the Wardrobe an avatar who is carrying the dead body of another avatar will now correctly remove both from the active party.

● Added the intensely satisfying ‘Ahhh’ sound for players who Short Rest using a keybind rather than a UI button.

● Fixed goblins beating the war drums even after getting stopped with the Sentinel feat.

● Fixed an issue with characters wildshaped into Dilophosauruses appearing below the ground upon exiting Wyrm’s Rock Prison via the secret exit.

● Most traps should now crumble on being disarmed.

● Fixed the bodies of characters sometimes floating in the middle of the Underdark entrance pit after being Shoved in.

● Fixed bibberbangs not reacting to summons. Now bibberbangs only ignore creatures that have different weights to Air and Fire Elementals, Mage Hands, Shadows, etc.

● Summoning the flesh golem in the Gauntlet of Shar will now cost one Action and he won’t join if he is already in combat.

● Shadowstep is no longer blocked by Silence.

● Shar is now aware of Shadowheart’s actions even if she is using Disguise Self.

● Aspect of the Chimpanzee will now only blind the target on a failed Dexterity Saving Throw.

● Fixed area spells like Thunderwave revealing invisible cubes.

● Knocking out Auntie Ethel no longer prevents her from changing into hag form.

● Jumping to view the character whose turn it is in combat no longer requires shared initiative.

● DippIng weapons in toxin puddles makes attacks toxic for 10 turns rather than until Long Rest.

● The bandits in the Dank Crypt will have more loot and Trap Disarm Toolkits.

● Tieflings Amek, Rechel, and Xeph will now have loot.

● Akabi in the Circus of the Last Days now has more gold when trading.

● Auntie Ethel’s Charm is now more valuable and has a higher rarity rating.

● Fixed Heat Metal expiring too early.

● Applying Chilled or Wet to a character will no longer cause them to freeze without warning. Very seasonal.

● Poisons and toxins now have the correct gold costs.

● Interacting with Stelmane’s ring at the Elfsong Tavern will no longer immediately equip it.

● Removed a persistent overhead exclamation mark from Wyll.

● Fixed companions losing their custom positions at camp after loading a savegame.

● Fixed DLC rewards not being immediately granted when a new player joins an existing game.

● Spell Rot now updates when changing difficulty.

● Using the lift in the House of Healing when in Turn-Based Mode no longer causes it to loop between floors indefinitely upon exiting Turn-Based Mode.

● Fixed a rare bug where Halsin would decide to turn into a bear whenever you went to talk to him at camp in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

● Donating gold to Manip Nestor now correctly deducts the money from your inventory.

● Lifting the rocks from the dead Flaming Fist at Last Light now requires a Strength check rather than Athletics.

● Flaming Fist reinforcements can now be summoned to deal with criminal activity on the bridge leading to Wyrm’s Rock Fortress.

● The skeleton on the beach outside Wyrm’s Rock Prison no longer triggers a Perception check. Only a skeleton, after all.

● Quartermaster Talli will no longer offer additional supply packs to the same character disguised as another character.

● The creatures summoned with the spell Conjure Woodland Being – the Dryad and Wood Woad – are now capable of jumping.

● Casting Eyebite: Asleep or Eyebite: Sickened on a neutral target should now trigger combat.

● Non-damaging spells no longer remove the Turned condition from characters.

● Outlanders won’t receive an Inspiration point anymore for giving Thulla a noblestalk if they give her an antitoxin. She also won’t keep the potion you give her.

● The Sharrans’ Shadow Ambush ability will now only trigger on Weapon Attacks.

● Lifts and moving platforms are now set in motion immediately upon being activated in Turn-Based Mode.

● Shadow-Cursed Undead companions are no longer able to leave the Shadow-Cursed Lands if you click too rapidly on the region exit.

● Nightsinger’s Favour no longer replaces conditions applied by elixirs.

● Effects that cure poison will now also remove Drow Poison and Crawler Mucus.

● Perma-burning weapons can no longer be coated in other substances. In short: no double-dipping.

● The Emperor can no longer use the Extract Brain ability on Prone creatures. He prefers his food to be fighting fit.

● The Lucky feat now works even while players are polymorphed or wildshaped.

● Fixed Conjure Minor Elemental at Level 6 – it will now correctly summon Ice Mephits instead of making you settle for lowly Mud Mephits.

● The secret button behind the still life painting in Candulhallow’s Tombstones is now uninteractable until the painting is moved.

● Fixed an issue causing valid spellcasting positions to not be allowed when spellcasting.

● Fixed the combat log sometimes showing the incorrect text for rolls and Saving Throws.

● Animated Armours are now immune to Sleep.

● The hag no longer has her passives while disguised as Mayrina.

● Starting combat by spending resources while in Turn-Based Mode will now properly subtract the resources, like in real-time.

● Fixed a bug causing you to get stuck in an animation if you’re in the middle of a lockpicking active roll when Valeria’s chains are destroyed.

● Addressed a bug that prevented you from casting a spell variant when selecting fewer than the maximum number of possible targets.

● Fixed the Resonance Stone losing its aura when you Long Rest with it in your inventory.

FLOW AND SCRIPTING

Act-Agnostic

● Mizora should appear for her judgement of Wyll only when Karlach is actually dead. (Resurrecting her will cancel the moment.)

● If Wyll somehow managed to avoid Mizora’s punishment for keeping Karlach alive, he’ll be punished retroactively.

● The Dark Urge should now be able to attempt to deflect Sceleritas Fel’s suggestion of killing a companion to Karlach or Lae’zel if they have a bad relationship.

● If you connect with Gale during the spell-teaching scene but do not wish to pursue romance with him, you are now able to talk to him about Tara.

● Fixed Astarion accidentally telling the Dark Urge’s future.

● Fixed companions sometimes confusing you for the Dark Urge or Gale.

● Fixed the romance scene with Astarion triggering two Long Rests in a row in certain conditions.

● Fixed the night where Astarion tries to bite you triggering even if you learned about him being a vampire spawn beforehand.

● Shadowheart’s artefact-tinkering scene will now only play once you have been introduced to the artefact.

● Fixed speaker prioritisation in the Magic Mirror and Underdark raft dialogues.

● If you choose to help Yurgir in Act II then you will no longer need to persuade him to help you in the fight against Raphael in the House of Hope.

● Astarion no longer asks the Dark Urge about killing Isobel even if they didn’t.

● You no longer comment on Mol if you haven’t met her before.

● Locke no longer blames Zevlor for his death if Zevlor died in Act I.

● If you are romancing Lae’zel or are in good standing with her, she’ll be less abrasive if you suggest she hang out at camp.

● Fixed a multiplayer issue where the client’s companion would react to the host Astarion avatar’s vampirism instead of the host’s own companion.

● Gale will no longer repeatedly say the same line about dying in the follow-up to rescuing him with the magic flute’s protocol.

● Karlach will no longer disapprove when the player resurrects a companion with Withers’ help.

● Karlach’s camp reflection upon leaving Act II will also trigger, if needed, during the transition into Act III.

● Lae’zel will no longer become uninteractive after you dismiss her to camp if the romance duel at camp failed to resolve properly. She will also now be fixed if she was stuck in this state.Act I

● Wyll should now trigger a proper dialogue when spotting avatar Karlach after the goblin raid on the Grove.

● Your character will now make a comment when using the secret lever in the Arcane Tower in the Underdark.

● Fixed Crusher sometimes making a comment at the same time as he enters the ‘fist fight’ with you.

● Fixed a bug where knocking out Crusher during the ‘fist fight’ causes his friends to treat him as dead and causes him to lose his dialogue till you take a Long Rest.

● Fixed a bug where knocking out one of Crusher’s friends counts as killing them and causes them to lose their dialogue permanently.

● Fixed Gekh Coal repeating himself and ending his dialogue early.

● Fixed several instances of sleeping goblins waking up wanting a chat when they should have been hostile.

● Fixed an issue where Baelen could sprint away and disappear if you tried to hit him while he was in the bibberbang field.

● Removed some lines from Maggran that were lacking bear form lip sync – who needs to chat when you can roar?

Act II

● You can no longer tell Barcus about Wulbren at Last Light if they’ve already reunited.

● Cerys will now remember you in Act II if you met her in Act I.

● Fixed an issue in Moonrise Towers docks where you’d be stopped by guards several times despite having permission to go about your business.

● Made sure the Moonrise Towers waypoint unlocks when you enter the main floor.

● Fixed an issue where your allies would get angry if you committed crimes against your enemies during the Moonrise Towers raid.

● Halsin will no longer forget about saving Thaniel if you travel back to Act I while he’s waiting at the lakeside. Focus, Halsin.

● Dame Aylin won’t mention that she wants to talk to Shadowheart anymore when she knows Shadowheart has permanently left the party for any reason.

● Fixed a flow where a background goal regarding recounting Ketheric’s past to him was not triggering.

● Latecomers to the Ketheric showdown fight (on the rooftop and in the mind flayer colony) will now have their summons and followers teleported into the boss room.

● Players who arrive to the Ketheric showdown shape-shifted will have to face him person-to-person, not apostle-to-badger.

● Your Dream Visitor will now pipe up at the correct time (not a little late) while exploring Moonrise Towers.

● Halsin now deigns to pitch in against the Absolute’s ghouls if they attack the Last Light Inn.

● Warlocks can now tell Yurgir to kill himself to be freed from his contract. Diabolical.

● You should no longer be able to refer to Nightsong when talking to Gale as if you haven’t yet met her.

● Minthara now dies when left alive in the prison after Ketheric has been killed.

● The guards at Moonrise only question you about Minthara once now.

● If Nightsong is Downed when the Apostle of Myrkul is defeated, she will get up in time to participate in the ensuing cinematic.

● Minthara now cannot be stuck as a ‘follower’ rather than a recruitable companion at Moonrise Towers.

● Minthara will still appear at Moonrise Towers if she was knocked out in Act I.

● Squire the skeletal hound in Moonrise will no longer try to call for guards once the assault has started.

● If Isobel is thrown off her balcony, she’ll make more of an effort to get back upstairs again.

● Kressa Bonedaughter will now recognise the Dark Urge even if she spots another party member first.Act III

● Players will no longer be able to join an active game where the characters have reached the Morphic Pool or beyond.

● Fixed Ravengard repeatedly asking you to help free Florrick.

● Fixed Voss sometimes not moving to the taproom when he says he will.

● The wine festival attendants will now be in the right position after the crime.

● The Flaming Fist will appear at the wine festival crime scene if Cora and Roger were killed during a Long Rest.

● The mind flayer at the Wyrm’s Crossing windmill will now take the body you offer it.

● Fixed a barricaded door in the Lower City causing player characters to comment about it not working when opening it.

● Yurgir should correctly react in the House of Hope to the fact that he was tricked and killed himself in the Gauntlet of Shar.

● Removed Victoria’s Speak with Dead dialogue in Cazador’s Palace as it didn’t match the story that you can learn about her from different diaries within the palace.

● Fixed a bug where the ghost of the murder victim in the Murder Tribunal would not fade out and join combat if you rush through the trial.

● Fixed some beggars in the Brampton District facing the wrong way when asking for coin.

● Fixed the Emperor sometimes saying the wrong lines during combat in High Hall.

● Dame Aylin no longer waits tendays to bring up the time she killed Ketheric Thorm.

● We have convinced Shadowheart not to join the final nautiloid combat if she is already dead.

● The party will no longer talk about Astarion choosing to remain a vampire spawn if Cazador’s ritual was interrupted before he could choose.

● Players can now start the Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders quest after finding the murderer’s dagger and room key underneath the Open Hand Temple.

● Refugee Khathi of the Lower City sewers is now willing to engage in conversation.

● Umberlee’s worshippers are now considerably more security-conscious about the donations in the Water Queen’s House.

● After intimidating or persuading Nubaldin, the dialogue will now let you choose from the list of initial questions.

● Fixed a state where the Chamber of Insight trial could be both succeeded and failed.

● Fixed Dame Aylin becoming hostile in Ramazith’s Tower after the combat with Lorroakan if a player summon was killed.

● Fixed an issue where Steel Watchers would interrogate and attack avatars who were already in prison.

● Minthara no longer repeats herself in support of Astarion becoming a Vampire Ascendant.

● Sarevok calling you an interloper no longer causes all your allies to attack you.

● The owlbear no longer shows up as an ally if Dammon is dead.

● Edited the Gazette headline about Ravengard to mention his disappearance rather than his death.

● Minthara is talkative again after the scene with ‘Dribbles’.

● The Bhaal cultists in the sewers will now react in dialogue if an Unholy Assassin avatar kills the refugees they were tormenting.

● Apprentice Laridda will no longer assume you to be the bearer of bad (break-up) news if you didn’t bring her the break-up message.

● Ravengard should now use the correct pronouns when addressing you during the ceremony in Wyrm’s Rock.

● If you use the pixie’s bell after leaving Act II, the Pixie Blessing effect will now be cleared after you Long Rest.

● Karlach no longer thinks she’s left the Hells when you explore the rocky outcrop near Hope’s prison.

● If Honk appeared during the date with Karlach in Baldur’s Gate, he will appear at the tavern the day after.

● The vampire spawn Yousen’s dialogue should now trigger correctly.

● It is now possible to tell Thrumbo that Carrion’s heart has been given to him instead of destroyed.

● Fixed some in-game events not correctly reacting to Long Rests in the Lower City.

● Added further correspondence between Mystic Carrion and his clients, giving you additional opportunities to learn how to access his mansion.

For the rest of the patch, check out Larian’s full notes.