Baldur's Gate 3 fans lament the RPG's best defensive skill is only for NPCs in a classic example of D&D DMs getting all the best toys

gamesradar.com:

Baldur's Gate 3 players are wondering why one of the game's best defensive tools is only available to NPCs - despite it being directly linked to one of the six major characters - and the answer is a classic D&D trope.

In a post on the Baldur's Gate subreddit, user Coroder asked "any reason why AI gets this and Lae'zel doesn't?," highlighting an ability called 'Githyanki Parry'. Available only to Githyanki, as the name suggests, this passive effect allows Vlaakith's chosen people to "parry unarmed and weapon attacks to reduce their damage by 10." It's a potent skill, and it turns the few times that you end up in straight-up fights with Githyanki bounty hunters into some pretty difficult tests of skill.

However, despite very clearly being a Githyanki, as well as a Fighter who would definitely benefit from the ability to mitigate incoming damage, Origin character Lae'zel doesn't get access to Githyanki Parry. A handful of reactions let Lae'zel get her own back in combat, but the only way to drop the damage she takes is to wear better armor and hope that you don't get hit in the first place.

This isn't the first time that players have noticed the lack of what should be considered a signature ability almost as quintessential to Lae'zel as something like Action Surge, but unfortunately, there's no canon answer as to why it's missing. There is a pretty simple, convention-based answer, however, and that's that in D&D, the Dungeon Master gets to do what they want.

As one commenter so eloquently puts it, "the DM can give his toys any ability they want. Players have rules to follow, the DM doesn't." While I don't quite agree with that statement in its entirety, there's definitely truth to it - lots of NPCs have access to tools that