Baldur’s Gate 3 player realizes they accidentally nerfed Karlach for 90 hours
Larian StudiosA Baldur’s Gate 3 player learned about proficiency the hard way after inadvertently negating Karlach’s Rage for 90 hours.
Baldur’s Gate 3 incorporates many Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition mechanics, including weapon and armor Proficiency and class skills.
While any character can theoretically be given any weapon or armor, only those with Proficiency in a given category can use it efficiently and without negative consequences. Plus, certain class abilities make using certain equipment more or less appealing.
This is a lesson one Baldur’s Gate 3 player learned the hard way after spending nearly the entire game with a woefully underpowered Karlach.
Larian StudiosBaldur’s Gate 3 player mistakenly ruins Barbarian’s Rage with armor
Reddit user sunshinesubmersible shared their experience on the BaldursGate3 subreddit. After making it through most of the game, the player finally noticed that equipping Karlach in heavy armor “makes her rage nearly useless.”
Karlach had been in heavy armor from early on, meaning they never really got to experience the brutal strength of a fully-powered Barbarian up to that point. They did have their suspicions, though, wondering what the point of Rage was “other than an extra attack.”
By default, Barbarians have proficiency in light and medium armor. They can become proficient with heavy armor with a feat or multiclass build, but their Unarmored Defense passive feature means it’s best to forego armor entirely.
Regardless, wearing heavy armor causes the “Rage Impeded” condition, which negates crucial Rage benefits like extra damage, resistance to physical damage, and advantage on Strength checks and saving throws.
As for what to use instead, it’s usually best to give your Barbarians clothing (not armor) and increase the Constitution stat to boost their Armor Class. You’ll also want to seek out the Bonespike set in Act 3, as these four pieces of Very Rare equipment provide bonuses that are particularly useful for Barbarians.