Baldur’s Gate 3 Karmic Dice is turned on by default when you start the game. However, the tutorials don’t tell you that much about what this option is and whether you should turn karmic dice on or off. Previously known as the weighted die option, the idea is that the game wants to make sure that your experience is more or less balanced in that your dice rolls will never get too cold or too hot. That is, if you roll low on the D20 too many times, the karmic dice system will tilt the next roll toward a success. However, as good as that sounds, there is a heavy downside to this as well. Here are the pros and cons for toggling on the Karmic Dice option in BG3.
Should you turn Baldur’s Gate 3 Karmic Dice on or off?
If you want a generally balanced game experience, then you should turn the Karmic Dice option on to get a feel for both successes and failures. But you should turn it off if you intend to get good rolls as much as possible.
That is, if you plan on quick-saving and quick-loading your way through the game so that you pass the vast majority of skill checks, then you should turn Karmic Dice off.
While it’s true that toggling on Karmic Dice will give you a success if you fail too many rolls in a row, the opposite is also true. If you roll high too often, this system will tilt the next roll into a failure. This means that a hot streak will ultimately be taken away from you, not just for standard skill checks but for attacks rolls too.
As described by the game, the Karmic Dice option will “avoid failure or success streaks, while keeping the results mostly random.” In other words, it’s a double-edged sword. Through testing, there’s also evidence that the system likely impact enemy dice rolls too. This means that combat is generally quicker but also deadlier.
Turning Karmic Dice on or off is a game mechanic that’s akin to a Dungeon Master nudging rolls. It will ultimately be up to you whether you prefer a system that nudges results to make a session more dynamic or one that has the dice fall where they may.
For more Baldur’s Gate 3 guides, here’s whether you should sell or keep gemstones and if it’s possible to get a party size of six members in the game.
