Sample Equipment Mod

Sample Equipment Mod

This mod is sample of what is possible with Baldur's Gate 3 modding. It serves as a template mod and a modder's resource for creating Weapon and Armor mods. It contains 3 armors, 1 weapon and 1 backpack showcasing the most common equipment mod types. This mod contains the minimum amount of files and complexity to create feature complete weapons and armors, with custom inventory icons and tooltip icons.

Custom Icons

This mod contains examples and files to make custom icons. The same method is used for spells and abilities, not just items, so this mod also serves as a resource for anyone interested in making custom icons.

Learning icon implementation from BG3 vanilla assets can be quite confusing. So this mod offers simple examples and ready made DDS files for any mod containing icons. Check out this short overview on different armor icon methods.

The 380x380 tooltip DDS icons need to have a DDS file extension. These files are now case-sensitive, so dds extensions will not be displayed in game.

Four Types of Modded Equipment

This mod contains the following examples of new modded equipment.

Vanilla visuals, but with custom stats: Fire Longsword +1.

Vanilla visual assets, but with custom colors: Gale's Robe In Stylish Black.

Mainly vanilla visual assets, but with some parts replaced with other visuals: Shadowheart's Chain shirt With One Sleeve.

Totally custom outfit, made from datamined assets, with visuals only for some races and genders: Custom Outfit 1.

These four types of modded equipment are the easiest to make, but there is still a great amount of potential for all sorts of new pieces of equipment.

Level of Difficulty 

I would consider this level of BG3 equipment modding to be level 2. Level 1 would be creating these types of equipment with custom stats and/or custom visuals, but with vanilla icons. Sample Magic Ring Mod is an example of Level 1 mod. Creating custom icons takes quite a bit of extra time, and requires some photo editing skill, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't all that difficult. Level 3 would be modifying existing 3D models and textures to create even more extensively customized outfits.

My Basket Full of Equipment mod would be an example of a level 3 mod on this hypothetical level scale. With more advanced skills and proper tools it is possible to create 100% new 3D models and new textures for entirely new pieces of equipment, but there are several limitations in current Early Access BG3, and speaking for myself, creating new 3D models and textures isn't something that I know anything about.

This mod also showcases the current limits of BG3 Early Access modding, and BG