GOOD ADVENTURING

Baldur's Gate 3 Walkthroughs, tips and guides

Make the most out of your epic adventure with these BG3 walkthroughs, character guides and tips!

Image credit: Larian/VG247

Guide by James Billcliffe Guides Editor

Additional contributions by Rebecca Jones

Updated on Nov. 22, 2023

Update: We're still eagerly uncovering secrets and new paths in our playthroughs of Baldur's Gate 3! So we're regularly adding to our walkthrough, as well as updating our general BG3 advice, such as our recently-added build guides for the six origin/companion characters.

The beautiful and mysterious world of Baldur’s Gate 3 stretches from the rolling peaks of the mountain pass to the deepest reaches of the inscrutable Underdark. Its caves, crags and settlements are filled with hidden secrets to find, and its many quests are littered with alternate solutions and morally difficult decisions to make, not to mention different permutations that can arise from luck-based dice-rolls during conversation.

To help you get the most out of your enduring adventure, our Baldur’s Gate 3 walkthrough guides will cover the intricacies of building your character, how to make sense of specific systems, where to find vital items and how to bring different quests to the most satisfying conclusion based on your choices.

We’ve also collected some useful tips from our experience with the game to get you started!

Baldur's Gate 3 Beginner's Guide
Baldur's Gate 3 Quest Walkthrough
Baldur's Gate 3 Character Guides
Baldur's Gate 3 Relationship Guides
Baldur's Gate 3 Item and System Guides

Baldur’s Gate 3 Beginner’s Guide

Your characters have different skills, switch between them for better bonuses

In Baldur’s Gate 3 a standard party has four characters. Each of these characters have different skills and abilities, and it matters who you choose to take on an action.

For example, if your created character is a fighter with low Charisma, they will have difficulty passing many quest-related dialogue checks. However, they’ll likely have a much better time intimidating people.

If you anticipate that someone might need sweet talking, consider switching to the character in your party with the highest Charisma by clicking on their portrait, so they will have a better chance at the dice roll.

This is true for other interactions as well. For example, if you’re trying to lockpick a chest or door, more dextrous characters proficient in Sleight of Hand will have an easier time completing the task. Rather than fumbling with a lock with your sausage-fingered create-a-character, get Astarion to take a go at it by clicking on his character portrait first and you will be surprised how much easier it is.

On the flip side of this though, it also matters who’s talking in a story conversation. Different characters will have different interactions with the people they’re talking to and you often get unique options if you use your created character in story-based dialogues.

Learn to use your Actions and Bonus Actions wisely - especially jump

You can almost always jump further than the movement cost you give up in Baldur’s Gate 3. Before you commit to movement during combat, try having a look at if you can jump to where you want to go instead.

This can help you to close large gaps more easily. You’d be surprised how often enemies get positioned just outside of your melee reach. Jumping can get you in the fight and ready to attack without falling short.

Remember, this takes up a Bonus Action though, so you won’t be able to do as much once you actually reach the location, compared to if you just ran there - that’s the tradeoff.

Get into the habit of quicksaving

In true Dungeons and Dragons tradition, things are supposed to go wrong in Baldur’s Gate 3 - it’s all part of the adventure.

However, in the real world - especially when you’re playing on your own - it can be frustrating to get invested in how a quest is playing out only to fail a dialogue check and be thrust down a path you’re not as happy with.

If you’re not content to be swept along by the whims of fate as you venture into the unknown with your party, get into the habit of quicksaving before conversations with pretty much every character. This will let you “save scum” (reload your save to try again) until you get the outcome you like.

You can split your party for difficult manoeuvres

There are times where your party will have to tiptoe through heavily-trapped tombs and avoid damaging obstacles.

This can be tough while in group mode, since you’ll plot a path with your main character, only to have another traipse along behind you and set everything off.

In these situations, toggle group mode off and you will be able to move each character individually by switching between them. You can then avoid traps and grab whatever you need without having an AI-controlled party member ruin the whole thing.

If you’re trying to set up an ambush before combat, click the “toggle group hide button”. This will let you stay as one party, but when you click to move one character the rest won’t follow - allowing you to set them up in an opportune position.

Set up advantages

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the surface that you’re fighting on matters. If the ground is on fire it will hurt you. If it’s greasy you will fall over. Don’t run willy-nilly over hazards unless you want a bad time.

Pay attention to your surroundings and you can create “advantages” against enemies which let you do bonus damage.

This could be attacking from higher ground, which is always recommended if possible. Or you could do it by using a consumable or spell to put your foes on difficult terrain.

Also, stealth isn’t just for the Rogue class. You can also gain an advantage from hiding, so make use of that Bonus Action to elude harm as well.

Why do they keep attacking me?

We’ve all done it, and have all been confused by it. When you click to run away from an enemy, they get a free swing for heavy damage against you.

This is called an “attack of opportunity”. To avoid them, you need to “disengage” from your action bar before you commit to moving.

The Thief subclass is special, because it can disengage as a bonus action. But as a rule of thumb, you should either stand and fight an enemy that’s next to you, or be ready for them to take a free swing at your character.