Pillars of Eternity Gets Turn-Based Mode
Months of tinkering ended when Obsidian Entertainment finally released a patch for the original Pillars of Eternity; the headline change is a new turn-based mode, and yes — there are plenty of other fixes bundled in.
Combat used to be strictly real-time (pause-as-you-think was the compromise). Now, fights have been reworked to "match the new pace and flexibility" that turn-based play brings. The designers didn’t just slap in turns; they adjusted systems to suit a slower, more deliberate rhythm.
Turns within a round are governed by initiative — faster characters can act multiple times, slower ones may act less often or even skip a round. This is influenced by stats (e.g., dexterity), armor type and any effects that alter movement speed. In short: speed matters, and it’s multi-factorial.
Some actions are classed as free: drinking potions or switching weapons, for instance. Note the caveat — only one free action per category can be used at a time, so don’t expect to slam two potions at once. Also, all damage numbers received a 35% bump, apparently to shorten encounters and keep the flow moving.
You can pick turn-based mode when starting a new playthrough, or toggle between real-time and turn-based later via a hotkey or a UI button in settings.
The patch also cleans up a bunch of bugs and adds the option to swap to the original Pillars of Eternity background in the menu — click the base game icon (to revert to the DLC art—click the corresponding icon). Personally, that 35% damage tweak stands out; some players will welcome brisker fights, others will miss the longer, tactical exchanges.