One Of BG3's Smallest Features Has The Biggest Impact

screenrant.com:

adapts many rules and mechanics from s flawlessly into the video game world. But it's a different medium for storytelling, and as such, there are certain things that just can't do like players could in a TTRPG — and conversely, there are several parts of the video game thatcould never really include.

One of the most interesting examples of this is the way thathandles floor hazards. A good number of spells, items, and attacks in the game can create puddles or piles of stuff that alter the map, either temporarily or permanently. From setting a pool of oil ablaze to freezing over a shallow pond, presents some very fun ways for players to interact with their environment that would be hard to replicate in a tabletop setting.

Many of the environmental hazards in the game come from various forms of elemental damage. Fire damage can cause flammable objects to ignite, lightning damage can electrocute wet surfaces, and so on. The best spell to showcase all of these is actually a first-level option called chromatic orb. Characters can cast this spell to deal any one of the six types of elemental damage: fire, cold, acid, poison, lightning, or thunder.

Baldur's Gate 3 has an overwhelming number of spells that I largely ignored on my first playthrough before the game finally forced me to learn them.

On top of possibly hitting an enemy with a projectile, this spell creates a surface pertaining to the damage type it deals. It can make a floor icy, covered in poison, and more. This spell does a good job of showcasing these elemental hazards, but it is hardly alone. Pretty much any spell that deals fire damage will ignite flammable objects or surfaces it hits or that the creature it hits is standing on. Spells like ice storm can create enormous circles of ice, which can melt into water later on.

And spells aren't the only things that can create these hazards. Water and brine barrels can be thrown or attacked to create large puddles of water or acid. Acid vials can have a similar,