10 Tricks For Baldur's Gate 3 Beginner Players (2024)

You don’t need a Dungeon Master on your side to help you understand Baldur’s Gate 3. The incredibly popular RPG does well at keeping fans entertained and making it welcoming for newcomers. Despite that, some things often appear while you’re playing, or after you finish your first campaign, that you wished you realized before.

And we’re not talking about strategies for tough boss fights. We’re talking about the little things. Things that would make playing a bit easier but no less exciting. These are some of the best key tips that would have been nice to know ahead of time.

1 Use The Environment

Manipulate The World To Suit Your Needs

When first jumping into Baldur’s Gate 3, learning how combat plays out is vital. But the turn-based model is not the only way you can deal with an enemy. The environment comes into play just as much, and it can honestly make for more entertaining kills.

The scenery isn’t just something to admire. There are treats everywhere like explosive barrels or perfect cliffs begging you to drop-kick an enemy off. Use them to make quick work of what would otherwise be a tough fight. Or use them to make them fun. Either way works.

2 Don’t Be Afraid To Save Often

There’s No Shame In Save Scumming

One person says “save scumming,” but we say “being smart.” Baldur’s Gate 3 has an autosave function, but don’t rely on it. Rely on yourself with a manual save.

Do it before a big fight, but especially do it before a conversation. Dice rolls will become standard, and unless you have enough support behind you, there’s no guarantee the roll will wind up in your favor. It’s luck-based, so if it doesn’t work the first time, a good save can help you redo it until it does.

3 Recruit A Full Party ASAP

Get Your Team As Soon As You Can

There’s a lot thrown at you when you first start BG3, but don’t let everything you can investigate and explore distract you. You want access to a full team as soon as you can. Of course, who you find depends on who you start the game as.

You can find Lae’zel rather quickly near Druid’s Grove. The same goes for Shadowheart, Astarion, and Gale. In no time, you’ll have a loaded party ready to tackle the early enemies.

4 Utilize Withers As Much As You Can

Adapt Your Abilities As Needed

Sometimes, it’s not until you go through a few battles that you realize maybe your character isn’t going in the direction you want. Thankfully, nothing is set in stone. Not when you have gold and you have Withers in your camp. He’ll let you Respec, or otherwise start fresh with a new build.

Beyond that, Withers lets you get Hirelings. These are essentially extra party members that just cost a little bit of gold. And don’t panic if your party falls in battle. Withers will revive them for you if you pay.

5 Clear Out Inventory Space

Don’t Get Overwhelmed With Loot

Looting is a regular part of any RPG. And in the beginning, you’ll especially want to loot anything and everything. But before you know it, your inventory is overloaded, and it’s not even with things you need at the time. So, what do you do with the extra loot? Send it away.

More specifically, send it to camp. It’s not talked about too much as there’s nothing flashy about it, but sending items to camp whenever you need to shouldn’t be understated. Simply click on the item in your inventory, and you will see the option.

6 There Are No Guarantees With Traps

A Trap Is Detected, But Often Too Late

Even with perception, sometimes you or your party won’t detect a trap until you are a breath away from it. If that happens, there’s little you can do beyond disarming it. So, be sure you have a Rogue in your party with a solid Sleight of Hand. This can save you from an annoying injury.

Just remember that your party isn’t the only thing at risk. If loot is too close to traps, the results can absolutely destroy it. So, do your best to move around traps that you can’t disarm or safely trigger. Group Mode can help with that.

7 Overutilize The Sleep Spell

Some Enemies Need A Nap Time

Sleep is a Level 1 spell, but it is incredibly useful in the early game. Sleep weakens the enemy, auto makes them fail some checks, and even gives you an advantage with your Attack Rolls. Thankfully, several classes can learn this (Wizard, Bard, Sorcerer, etc.).

You may think to overlook such a simple Level 1 ability, but it is perfect to give you some breathing room in the beginning. For those of you still trying to learn how things work, slowing down the enemy is a good first step.

8 Use Your Movement Abilities

Your Moves Can Get You Anywhere

There’s plenty of freedom in Baldur’s Gate 3, but you can’t just walk anywhere you want. Some areas require moves like Jump. Doing so can let you explore more of the map, and it often leads to useful loot. Dash is another move you don’t want to ignore. It can help you quickly get into position while in combat.

Additionally, there are some potions and spells that help you fly. You can reach more areas that way or set up strategic positioning to attack enemies from the high ground.

9 Slow Things Down To Examine Everything

An Effective Way To Pause The Game

Sometimes clicking smaller objects can be a pain. And sometimes when you see a trap, you can’t stop your party from walking into it. Thankfully, there is a workaround. That comes with Turn-Based Mode. Usually it only kicks in during combat, but you can use it out of combat too.

On keyboard, press Shift + Space, and use the right trigger for controllers. Get into Turn-Based Mode and you have all the time in the world to set up your plan.

10 Stealth Is Better As A Group

There’s No Need To Hide Alone

As you journey in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll learn that you don’t always have to rush into a fight. If you see the enemy ahead, you can set up an ambush. All it takes is getting your entire party to dip into stealth mode at the same time.

Keyboard/mouse users can press Shift + C, while controller users can hold down on the D-pad. Sneak your way into a stronger position, or sneak out of harm’s way in general.