Fog Cloud Suggestions (Give Feedback Important!!!)

[JiruoXD]

This post is hoping to spark discussion about the way BG3 has implemented Fog Cloud. I feel its current design does not allow the spell to perform it function. It needs reworked.

Fog Cloud should break line of sight preventing the targeting most range attacks and abilities through the cloud. It currently, only limits range attacks from and in the cloud and not give Fog Cloud it proper tactical advantages.

This can be explained with a scenario.
Let say we are in a battle and 4 or more archers are among the enemy forces. We want to reduce the danger of these archers by reducing their number of attacks while we deal with the melee enemies. Super bonus points if we can get the archers to "choose" to get next to our melee teammates.

In 5e tabletop, this simply requires placing a fog cloud between where our forces will confront the close range enemies and the archers. Typically, you place the cloud close to the skirmish for greater disruption (force the archers to basically inner melee range to assist in the fight because we like bonus points). This can cause many rounds where the archers do nothing and gets them in range of your melee units. Objective complete!

In BG3, the cloud must get placed on top of your own forces to prevent the ranged attacks or on top of the archers. The first situation is problematic because you are blinding your whole team for the intended effect. This is bad tactics, we don't want to give our whole team disadvantage to reach the goal. The second option pans out like this...

We place the cloud on top of the archers. The archers move in a little closer just outside the Fog Cloud and get their attacks with little positional loss. Or worse, they move further away into a better position and simply get to shoot through the Fog Cloud at enemies they can't see. The spell is wasted in both cases and our goal unachieved.

Fog Cloud is one of my favorite low level spells. I really wish to see it retain its tactics in BG3. The spell currently is extremely situational requiring very particular environment for use.


Has anyone else found general use for Fog Cloud they can share?
If you agree, please send feedback through Larian's Game Launcher. So we can get the spell we love!

[Indure]

I agree, fogcloud needs to totally block vision.

Currently is works even worse than you suggested; because although you get disadvantage from shooting into the area, it doesn't matter because the enemy is blinded and the advantage cancels out the disadvantage.

The only value gained from fogcloud currently is to use it to abuse stealth or if you want to cast it on the enemy's high ground to at least lose them advantage.

[guard65]

i suspect they are treating fog cloud like a surface event and not as an obstruction in the path with the targeting script.

As a surface it affects those standing in it and applies the blind debuff. It may be easier to manage it code wise as a surface but it is not the nature of the beast and I hope they change it.

[TripSin]

Would be nice if it blocked LOS (but actually, maybe that would be too strong?). Was this spell in previous BG games? How did it work there?

[JiruoXD]

TripSin님이 먼저 게시:

Would be nice if it blocked LOS. Was this spell in previous BG games? How did it work there?

I double checked BG1/BG2 didn't have fog cloud. So there isn't a legacy example for it functioning this way.

Guard65 theory about it coded as a surface makes sense. Hopefully they will change it.

Does anyone know if posting feedback through the feedback form or in the feedback forums has better results?

[Metallicus]

I definitely agree with the OP about how the spell can be used in actual 5e, but I don’t really mind adjusting my play style to the way things are implemented in the game. I have rarely played or ran a DND PnP game where the RAW are followed exactly.