The upcoming eighth and final patch for Baldur’s Gate 3 has the game’s community tingling with anticipation. Larian Studios has already announced the addition of major features like cross-play and a photo mode, as well as a whole host of new subclasses and associated spells. Given Larian’s penchant for over-delivering, there’s every likelihood we’ll get a couple of unannounced goodies too.
The announcement of the game’s new subclasses in November had players speculating on what kind of chaos they could sew, and these theories haven’t slowed down in the interim. An enterprising player, Gen1Swirlix, has identified a devilish possibility. The addition of the Swashbuckler subclass for Rogue will allow the class to access one of the game’s most entertaining spells, Vicious Mockery.
Sticks and Stones
Vicious Mockery is a Bard cantrip that inflicts psychic damage on its victim if they fail a wisdom saving throw. It’s not a particularly powerful spell, but the caster can utter various insults when the spell lands, making for an entertaining time. My personal favourite line is: “Behold! Elminster’s ball-bag.” Strange, I thought that was Gale.
The right honourable Gen1Swirlix wants to embark on a challenge run where they attempt to beat Baldur’s Gate 3 using only damage inflicted by Vicious Mockery. Between the new Swashbuckler subclass, a Sorcerer’s Metamagic class feature and the Magic Initiate: Bard Feat, there are plenty of ways to ensure that every member of one’s party has access to Vicious Mockery.
As the thread’s comments have rightfully pointed out – numerous enemies in Baldur’s Gate 3 are immune to psychic damage, making them near invulnerable to a Vicious Mockery-only run. These psychic immune enemies tend to be automatons that don’t actually have brains so… fair enough. Can you insult something without a heart?
Other commenters have suggested expanding the run’s criteria to include throwing food, tripping people up and other various insulting actions outside Vicious Mockery. It may take a while to defeat a Hellfire Watcher using throwable rotten tomatoes, but we didn’t embark on this run because we thought it would be easy – we did it so we could ask Gortash if his mother mated with a plague rat.
It won’t be an easy task by any means, but when facing down the Netherbrain above the proud city of Baldur’s Gate and emphatically uttering “You cyst. You misshapen flesh lump,” inflicting between 1-4 psychic damage, won’t your trials be justified? Your long struggle rewarded?
Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 doesn’t currently have a release date, but private testing commenced a couple of weeks ago.
- Released
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August 3, 2023
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence