While playing through Baldur’s Gate 3, there will come some instances where you need to knock characters out instead of killing them. This can be achieved by delivering the final blow with non-lethal damage. There are many situations in Baldur’s Gate 3 where you may want to save the hostile creature with a non-lethal attack.
Perhaps you angered someone in a town somewhere, and now you have no choice but to fight. Or maybe you are playing through a pacifist run. In any case, non-lethal attacks have their place and use in the game. The question is how you’d do them.
Doing so is simple; you must select the correct actions in the action bar below. The problem is that these actions are not visible in the action bar, and you will need to find them.
How Non-Lethal Attacks Work in Baldur’s Gate 3
To perform a non-lethal attack, you need to find a toggle called “Non-Lethal Attacks” in the action bar. It is represented by a hammer smashing a person and needs to be manually turned on. For PS5/XSX, open the radial menu with R1/RB and select this action with the X/A buttons.
Non-lethal damage can only be done with melee weapons like swords, clubs, maces, and hammers. If you use spells, eldritch invocations, ranged attacks, or cantrips, you will always do lethal damage to the enemies. Once you toggle it on, the whole party will shift to non-lethal damage. A white outline around your party members marks it.
Non-lethal attacks ensure that the target does not die and is instead knocked out. With the option on, get within a 1.5m radius of your opponent, also known as the melee range. Now, you strike your opponent without the fear of killing them.
When to use Non-Lethal attacks
Non-lethal attacks and damage are extremely important if you want to keep a hostile creature alive. It can be for recruitment purposes, keeping a side quest going, or just like their presence around. It also won’t earn you disapproval from your party members.
For example, early in the campaign, when you find Lae’zel after the crash, you may fight her if you roll badly on your checks. If you want her as a companion, use your non-lethal attacks and beat her. She will live, and then you can talk to her and recruit her.
There can also be instances where you’re desperate for equipment and supplies and must loot them from other people. But being a soft-hearted player, you want to spare their life. Using a non-lethal attack on any NPC in the game allows looting them while they’re unconscious.
The other best scenarios where you must use non-lethal damage is to knock out Minthara to recruit her for a good run and Minsc in the Lower City sewers.
The Paladin class may also see this action being put to good use. As paladins, you cannot violate your oath, which means you cannot act out your murder-hobo tendencies. But sometimes, you need to remove an NPC from your path. So, non-lethal attacks in Baldur’s Gate 3 are a good alternative to killing people.
