Baldur’s Gate 3 mod makes real-time combat possible for first time and it’s hectic

If you’ve ever wondered what a real-time combat experience in Baldur’s Gate 3 would look like, one modder has managed to make it a reality.

Since Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7 dropped for PC, we’ve seen talented modders go all the way to create new maps and even introduce a new scene in the game – and while it’s still in the early days, the future is already looking exciting as the possibilities seem endless.

As part of this boom in Baldur’s Gate 3 mods, modder tinybike has managed to alter the way combat works in the game. Instead of the usual D&D-inspired turn-based combat, their mod allows a real-time combat experience where the action is playing out uninterrupted, as shown in a clip published on YouTube.

The preview shows them exploring the Dank Crypt in Act 1, where you can find Withers. As you’d expect from real-time combat, their character was seen constantly moving, attacking, and repositioning however they wanted. They could also heal even when they were shot by an arrow simultaneously.

Granted, the user was only controlling one character, but given the nature of real-time combat, it’s a lot more chaotic-looking as everything happens so fast. You can imagine the battles could be even more hectic when multiple companions are involved with more enemies around.

That said, the modder is aware of this, saying that the attack speed “is a bit much right now” and there are “lots of details to iron out to make” it an “actually functioning combat mode.”

At the time of writing, the author mentioned in the comments that this mod is still a “very rough draft” and said a pause button is coming if they can “figure out a good way” to do it.

While that’s the case, it’ll be interesting to see how things go in-game once the mod is fully fleshed out. Baldur’s Gate 3 already has a mod that lets you play the game like a roguelike, purely focusing on combat and leveling up. 

Combining this real-time mod with that, along with the more companions mod, could turn the game into a whole new experience.