Look, I get it. You just crashed a giant fleshy nautiloid ship on a beach and some weird squid-person put a parasite in your eye. Your first instinct in this baulders gate 3 walkthrough is probably to sprint toward the nearest healer. You want that thing out. Now.
Stop. Breathe. Honestly, the biggest mistake people make in the early hours is rushing.
The game makes you feel like your head is going to explode in three days. It won't. You actually have all the time in the world, and if you don't take it, you’re going to miss half the game before you even hit Act 2.
The First Rule: Rest Like Your Life Depends on It
Most RPG players hoard their "Long Rests" because they’re afraid of wasting supplies. In Baldur’s Gate 3, that is a recipe for a boring story.
Camp is where the magic happens. Basically, every major companion beat—Astarion trying to bite you, Gale’s "magic mirror" moment, the bizarre dreams—only triggers when you sleep. If you push through three major battles without resting, those scenes queue up. Eventually, they just disappear.
You’ve gotta spam Long Rests. Even if you don't need the health, go to camp. Use the "Partial Rest" feature if you're low on food. It costs zero supplies and still triggers the cutscenes. You'll thank me when you actually understand why Shadowheart is acting so moody.
Act 1 Order of Operations
The Emerald Grove is the hub, but don't feel like you have to solve the "Goblin vs. Druid" crisis in the first hour. Most people head straight for the Goblin Camp at level 3 and get absolutely wrecked.
Try this instead:
- Recruit everyone first. Grab Astarion, Gale, and Shadowheart near the crash. Don't miss Lae'zel in her cage to the north, and find Wyll in the Grove.
- The Dank Crypt. It’s right near the start. Go inside, find the hidden button, and meet Withers. He's the guy who lets you respec your class.
- The Owlbear Cave. It's a rite of passage. Don't kill the cub. Just don't.
- The Blighted Village. Explore the cellars. There is a book called the Necromancy of Thay under a shop. It’s creepy, it's dangerous, and you definitely want it.
Why You Shouldn't Ignore the Underdark
Eventually, you'll need to reach Moonrise Towers. The game gives you a choice: the Mountain Pass or the Underdark.
Do both.
Seriously. You can clear out the entire Underdark, find the Adamantine Forge, and kill the robot protector Grym, then just... walk back and do the Mountain Pass. The XP is too good to pass up. Plus, the Mountain Pass has the Githyanki Creche. If you're a fan of Lae'zel (or just want the best legendary mace in the game, the Blood of Lathander), you have to go there.
Wait until you are at least level 5 or 6 before touching the Creche. The Githyanki don't play fair. They use "Action Surge." They will hit you four times before you can even say "Critical Miss."
Talking to the Dead (and Animals)
If you aren't using "Speak with Animals" or "Speak with Dead," you are playing half a game. There is an amulet in the Dank Crypt (the one with Withers) that gives you "Speak with Dead" for free.
Every single corpse with a green glow has something to say. Sometimes they tell you where they hid their gold. Other times they just complain about how they died. It’s fantastic world-building that most people skip because they’re too busy looking for a +1 sword.
Act 2 and the Shadow-Curse
Act 2 is where the tone shifts. It’s dark. It’s depressing. You need a light source constantly or the shadows will literally eat your soul.
The most common "run-ending" mistake here? Not talking to Isobel at the Last Light Inn. Or, conversely, talking to her and failing to protect her during the ambush. If she gets taken, everyone in that Inn dies. All the side quests? Gone. The vendors? Dead.
If you're playing a "Good" run, save often during that fight.
Also, don't rush to Moonrise Towers to fight Ketheric Thorm immediately. You’re supposed to infiltrate it first. Act like you’re one of the "True Souls." You can buy incredible gear from the vendors there before you eventually decide to burn the place down.
The Point of No Return
There is a moment at the end of the Gauntlet of Shar (where you find the Nightsong). A pop-up will appear telling you to wrap up your business. Listen to it. Once you go into that pool, every unfinished quest in Act 1 and Act 2 is essentially canceled.
- Finish the Tiefling rescue.
- Fix Karlach’s heart at Dammon’s forge.
- Find the missing gnomes.
Act 3: The City is Overwhelming
When you finally reach Baldur’s Gate, the map explodes. There are icons everywhere. It’s easy to get "choice paralysis."
Focus on your companions first. Their personal quests usually lead you to the big boss fights anyway. Astarion’s quest leads to Cazador. Shadowheart’s leads to the House of Grief. These are some of the hardest fights in the game, especially since Larian's 2025 updates tweaked the boss AI to be much more aggressive with legendary actions even on lower difficulties.
One weird tip: Visit the "Elfsong Tavern." You can rent out the top floor and it becomes your permanent camp. No more sleeping in the dirt. It makes the inventory management way less of a headache.
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Practical Steps to Master the Walkthrough
Don't just follow a checklist. This game reacts to your specific brand of chaos. But if you want the "optimal" experience, stick to these rules:
- Respec your companions. Their starting stats are... okay, but not great. Use Withers to give Shadowheart more Dexterity so she actually hits things.
- Examine everything. Right-click an enemy and hit "Examine." It tells you their resistances. Don't fire a fireball at a demon that is immune to fire. You'd be surprised how many people do that.
- Use your consumables. Those speed potions and scrolls are sitting in your bag gathering dust. Use them. A "Haste" potion on a Fighter like Lae'zel makes her a god for three turns.
- Explore the verticality. Can't get through a door? Look up. There’s usually a hole in the roof or a balcony you can "Misty Step" to.
The best part of a baulders gate 3 walkthrough isn't finding the ending—it’s seeing how the game breaks when you do something stupid. Lean into the failure. It's usually funnier that way.
Go back to the Emerald Grove and actually find the "Investigate Kagha" quest line before you kill the goblin leaders. It changes the entire political dynamic of the Druids and gives you a much more satisfying resolution than just "stabbing everyone."
Make sure you've also checked the "Whispering Depths" under the Blighted Village for the Dark Amethyst; you can't open that creepy necromancy book without it, and the permanent buffs you get from reading it are too good to ignore for your end-game build.