Fallout creator Tim Cain does the impossible, makes me shift my opinion on respecs just a little bit, because fine, I guess it does sometimes turn bad design 'into a player problem'

Baldur's Gate 3 revive characters - Talking to Withers.

I don't like paid respecs. In fact, I think respecs should be straightforward, unlimited, and free. A bright future for all respecs! Allow me to explore and adore your game's many intricacies without starting multiple playthroughs! Viva la build! Unfortunately, Tim Cain, the OG lead on Fallout and a longtime CRPG (and MMORPG) developer besides, has ruined me.

The weapon? A perfectly reasonable argument from a seasoned developer explaining the pitfalls of free respec systems. Curses. That's per a recent video on his YouTube channel, where he fields questions from budding game developers.