Honour Mode is Baldur’s Gate 3’s take on the classic Ironman Mode found in many other RPGs. All aspects of the game are more difficult in this mode, and a form of permadeath has been introduced. Additionally, save scumming is no longer allowed, and some exploits have been removed to keep players from cheesing their way through sticky situations.
How does Honour Mode work in Baldur’s Gate 3?
If you’ve played Ironman Mode in a game before, you’ll know how Honour Mode works in Baldur’s Gate 3. According to the official blog post, there are three major differences between it and the other difficulty modes to keep in mind:
- All aspects of the game are more difficult (compared to Tactician).
- Saves are deleted on load, preventing save scumming.
- If you die, your run will end.
Alongside these general rules are some specific tweaks that make Honour Mode much more challenging than the other difficulties in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Stronger Bosses: Each of the game’s boss fights has been tweaked. They now have new Legendary Actions, which can be devastating to a party, and they have new abilities to catch you off guard.
Stricter Rules: You’ll find that you won’t be able to take actions as freely in Honour Mode. Additionally, damage bonus rules are tightened up so that you aren’t overwhelmingly powerful by the end of the game.
Single Save File: You only get one save in Honour Mode, and it’s deleted each time you load the game. So, you can only save when you quit the game.
Permadeath: Baldur’s Gate 3’s Honour Mode is a bit more forgiving than most Ironman Modes. If your party is killed, your Honour Mode run will end. However, you can continue playing in Custom Mode if this occurs. Given how long a playthrough is, this is a small mercy for those who want to see how their choices play out.
Those who manage to beat Honour Mode will receive a Golden D20 skin for use in future playthroughs as proof of their prowess.
