I just wrapped up my first honour mode playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3—and whenever I roll those golden dice, I feel a sense of pride. So of course the universe sends someone along to take a greatsword to my sense of self-worth by pulling off an even tougher challenge. Typical.
Bouch on YouTube has set themselves an absurd task: complete Baldur’s Gate 3, on their own, while every single enemy has a +99 to their attack rolls. Oh, also, they can’t have party members. Because obviously.
While they make it all the way to the Githyanki creche on Honour Mode before finally dying and switching to a ‘dishonourable’ playthrough, it’s the strategies they employ that are the real star of the show. I’m just going to highlight one of them here, but it’s a build I hadn’t even considered until now: you hit me, you die.
Bouch switches things up to conquer the final boss of Act 2—”Time for a complete makeover,” they proudly announce. Firstly, they pick up one level in Warlock for Armour of Agathys, which deals cold damage to enemies who hit you in melee while its temporary hit points last.
Then they grab the Warlock invocation Armour of Shadows for infinite casts of Mage Armour. You might be asking yourself why, since Mage Armour boosts your AC—doesn’t that spell do nothing for Bouch? Ah, but you see—Mage Armour’s an abjuration spell, and Bouch will be taking several electives in Wizard for the subclass ability Arcane Ward.
When you cast a levelled abjuration spell, Arcane Ward gets a charge. When you’re hit, Arcane Ward reduces incoming damage by the amount of charges you have. Mage Armour is a levelled abjuration spell. The ward has a maximum of 12 stacks, but that’s still a huge buff.
Just to add insult to non-injury, Bouch also grabs the Heavy Armour feat which reduces all incoming damage from non-magical attacks by 3. This stacks with the adamantine splint armour, which reduces similar damage by 2.
They also grab a level in Cleric’s Tempest Domain for both Create Water and the Channel Divinity: Wrath of the Storm, which strikes foes with lightning damage—something they’ll usually be vulnerable to, because this gnome only fights people when they’re wet. Just as Sun Tzu intended.
Remember that Armour of Agathys spell? Wet enemies are also vulnerable to cold damage. Bouch grabs the Absolute’s Protector from Moonrise Towers, which comes with the Fire Shield: Chill spell to layer on the pain with Armour of Agathys.
So, to summarise: Bouch now deals 20 cold damage from Armour of Agathys, and and roughly 9 damage from Fire Shield: Chill for an average of 29 damage—or 58 damage if the poor sod is wet—whenever someone attacks them. Plus another 9/18 lightning damage while they’ve still got their Channel Divinity. Also, they start off combat reducing damages from all attacks by 17, and 20 temporary hit points.
Suddenly that +99 to attack rolls is less of a threat, and more of a guarantee that any poor sod stupid enough to strike Bouch is going to die a gruesome death—which he can even double-up on by provoking opportunity attacks. Granted, this build won’t last forever—eventually enemies are going to outpace his Arcane Ward. But I’m sure they’ll find something else upon reaching Baldur’s Gate.
