Baldur’s Gate 3 is certainly not a platformer, but jumping is a key element to rewarding gameplay within the Sword Coast. Jumping is invaluable in combat and exploration: you can reach secluded areas, avoid hazards and traps, escape encounters, and discover secret pathways perfect for sneaking around.
Though the map of the Sword Coast’s beaches, forests, cities, and caves appears flat, the terrain is anything but. There are plenty of hidden trails and tunnels to find by jumping. Jumping is worth pushing to its boundaries as a game mechanic — you’ll be greatly rewarded for creative thinking.
How To Jump In Baldur’s Gate 3
Jumping is a bonus action and can be triggered with the hotkey Z on PC or up on the directional pad with a controller. Alternatively, you can click the jump icon in your character’s hotbar at the bottom of the screen. Jumping costs 10 feet of movement speed, but all characters are able to jump at least 15 feet. Jumping distance is determined by a character’s Strength score. After selecting the jump action, a white circle will appear around your character. This is the perimeter of area your character can jump to. If a character has to move before being able to jump to a location, you will see an outline of them appear and an arc between the starting and landing points. The area between starting and landing locations has to be clear of obstacles.
While you can click a location outside the perimeter circle, be aware that this will cause your character to move and then jump, potentially even running into hazards and traps to try and complete the bonus action. Characters will try to avoid hazards but will ignore their danger if given a direct order by a player.
How To Increase Jump Distance
There are a few ways to increase your jump distance, such as spells, potions, items, and abilities. But, some of these methods can be time-consuming, expensive, or tricky.
Increase Your Strength Score
Because jump distance is based on a character’s Strength score, increasing this can result in wild distances that become easily jumped. For example, a Strength score of 20 grants you a 30-foot jump. This can be time-consuming to increase as you only get to increase your ability scores a few times upon leveling up. You can use Withers to re-class your character or change their stats, but it does cost 100 gold. Some potions like the Potion of Strength, Potion of Hill Giant Strength, or Potion of Cloud Giant Strength can temporarily boost your Strength score, but they may be expensive or rare to find. If you are able to cast spells, the Enhance Ability spell can also boost Strength temporarily.
Cast A Strength-Enhancing Spell
Fortunately for magic users who may not be naturally gifted with Strength, the Jump spell may be good to keep on hand. It is a level 1 spell and available early in the game. Druids, Eldritch Knight Fighters, Rangers, Sorcerers, and Wizards all are able to use the Jump spell. Enhanced Leap is a level 1 spell that can be used as a ritual spell outside of combat without expending a spell slot.
Monk’s Step Of The Wind: Disengage
The Monk’s action Step of the Wind: Disengage allows you to escape combat while also increasing your jump distance temporarily.
Drink a Potion
The Potion of Glorious Vaulting can be used to temporarily triple your jump distance. It’s a common item that is even craftable with alchemy using a Sublimate of Wispweed and any ashes. Get the recipe for this potion by extracting Wispweed in the alchemy menu, opened with hotkey H.
Gain Proficiency & Feats
Proficiency with the Athletics skill increases jumping, as well as improving your shove ability. Fighters, Barbarians, Bards, Monks, Paladins, Rangers, and Rogues can select Athletics as a class skill. You could also take the Athlete feat at level 4, which reduces the movement required to stand up from being prone and increases your jump distance by 50%.
Beware Falling Damage
While you technically can jump to just about any location on the map, jumping from great heights will deal falling damage, which can even be fatal. Jumping up or down is based on a character’s Strength score, just like jumping forward. Just like real life, it’s a lot easier to jump down from a location than up to one. Without spells or items to mitigate falling damage, your best defense against the unforgiving ground is a good Acrobatics score.
How To Reduce Or Negate Fall Damage
|
Method |
Type |
Prerequisite |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Feather Fall |
Spell |
Scroll, potion, spellcaster |
Affected creatures ignore falling damage for 1 minute |
|
Slow Fall |
Ability |
Monk class |
Monk character reduces falling damage to themselves |
|
Second Story Work |
Ability |
Rogue class |
Rogue has resistance to falling damage |
|
Corvid Token |
Magic Item |
Keep Mattis alive in Acts 1 and 2, buy in Rivington |
Character can Polymorph into a dire raven and gain Feather Fall |
|
Mystra’s Grace |
Magic Item |
Find in the Arcane Tower in the Underdark, Act 1 |
Cast Feather Fall as a bonus action |
Falling from high up may also leave your character prone, penalizing your Strength and Dexterity Saving Throws until you’re able to get back up.
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
