 Pillars of Eternity is a role @-@ playing game that features a party @-@ based real @-@ time @-@ with @-@ pause tactical gameplay , fixed isometric user interface for the game @-@ world with two @-@ dimensional pre @-@ rendered backdrops , in a similar vein as its spiritual predecessors Baldur 's Gate , Icewind Dale series and Planescape : Torment . As the player 's characters explore an area map , it is unveiled . There is a fog of war effect on areas the player has already explored and has moved away from . The character classes and game mechanics are similar to Dungeons & Dragons , but are a proprietary system created for the game . The game does not reward experience points for killing enemies , but for completing quests and discovering new areas . 
