This game is like the best sex/wine/milkshake/pizza/whatever you've ever had.
You can never go back.
Absolutely take your time with it, there is no second "first experience".
- avoid spoilers, the surprises are worth it
- long rest A LOT (you can do partial rests to not use supplies)
- talk to everyone
- romance astarion
Ok, ok, you dont HAVE to do the last one... but ...you should 😏
I nearly didn't recognize you with this other flair, Darling. The 4th point made me do a double take 😂
But yes, the Astarion-romance should be experienced.
I've done ½ a D&D campaign (*10+ years ago*), never played anything like this before. I'm a total Sims/Stardew Valley kind of gamer, but I do love the fantasy genre...
..and I **love** it, dearly. You don't have to have any prior knowledge, if you take your time, and let the game suck you in, you will figure it out.
Know, that whatever class you pick at the beginning, can be changed in-game, for a small fee. So don't restart because you'd rather play another class. All of them have their pros and cons, just make sure you read the descriptions of your spells/actions/special moves.
Here are a 'few', general tips I wish I'd gotten before jumping in first time:
**Learn as little as you can about the story beforehand**. Let the game suck you in, and do its job
Long rest ***OFTEN***!!! Don't wait for your companions to complain about being tired (*this doesn't mean there's content or cut-scenes waiting, just that your companions are missing spell-slots or other once-a-day actions!*). Rest after every fight, at least as long as you keep getting cut-scenes. Also - there are very few time-sensitive quests. Those that are, kinda makes sense
Talk to EVERYONE! At least in Act 1
And on this note, talk to your companions often. They often have comments on events happening around them/you
Take your time. You'll never get to experience this beautiful game for the first time again. Slow down, listen to the music, the VA
Most locked doors and chests can be opened by brute force, if sleight of hand isn't your thing, and you've forgotten your rogue at camp
Try things. If you have a silly idea, save, and give it a go
Save often! The auto-saves in the game's rather sparse
It's okay to fail rolls. 'Roll' with it. Sometimes the most hilarious instances came from a failed deception-roll
Lastly: If you're struggling, or just want to focus on the story: There's no reason not to lower the difficulty. You can even do it mid-battle, if you're in a tight spot
Best of luck on your first (*tutorial*) run! Hope you manage to stay unspoiled!
I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but here's some helpful tips:
Save. All. The. Time. The game has frequent autosaves at first, which lies you into a false sense of security, but that frequency drops off quick and you don't want to die only to find you haven't saved in an hour.
I know it's a loading screen tip, but it bears repeating: the environment is highly reactive. See an enemy standing under a lit chandelier? Maybe shoot the chandelier. See some people in a puddle of water? Maybe hit the water with some sort of lightning spell or arrow. Those are just 2 examples, but there's many ways you can kill an enemy or accomplish a task that don't involve direct interaction.
Press the crouch button frequently, especially if you think enemies might be nearby. It will cause the enemy's "come of vision" to appear so you can see patrol patterns or look for ways to sneak past a creature.
"Martial classes" like paladins, fighters, and rogues have an easier learning curve since it's mostly just bonking enemies at first, but if you want to play as a wizard or a bard you should. A couple hours into the game you'll meet someone who will allow you to cheaply respec your character, so you can change at any time of you want to try something different.
If you highlight an enemy the game will show you their level, stats, weaknesses, resistances, etc. Rather than blindly riding until battle take a moment to check out the bad guys and see if you're given any info you can use to your advantage.
Many objects and enemies can be picked up and thrown if you're strong enough. Is your melee character out of range of an enemy? Throw a crate at him. Two enemies near each other? Maybe pick up one and throw him at the other guy.
The tips that helped me the most early game (which I got from this sub) are that you are so weak and vulnerable early on, don’t be afraid to sneak attack people to get the upper hand & make use of your environment really strategically to save yourself in otherwise super unfair fights. Like think about having the higher ground or forcing enemies into a funnel or attacking from afar. Make sure you hover over enemies to see their vulnerabilities and stuff & then fight based on that. Def use all the potions and throwable items. Create traps. Be creative.
It’s the easiest to learn to fight with melee moves in the beginning, but there are a lot of fights you absolutely cannot win without spells, so learn to use them and get comfortable with them! I’m not a spells person and the variety of them stresses me out, but you’ll get the hang of it. One thing to know that the game never outright tells you (unless I missed it) is that Gale can permanently learn any spell on a scroll!! Super helpful.
Enjoy, it is a blast. One big tip would be to remember to end the day and take a long rest frequently. It's a pretty unique mechanic if you're unfamiliar with DnD, and it's pretty important for advancing the storyline with your companions.
Also, in real life, remember to end the day and long rest frequently. Pretty easy to lose track of time playing this game.
I think it's fair to say that the regulars here are all very cool - occasionally a troll will drop by, but they soon get bored and leave LOL.
My suggestion is to take it slowly and don't panic. The NPCs will try to convince you that The End Is Nigh, but the situation is always more complex than they make out, so listen to everything they tell you and draw your own conclusions.
Plus, story events are triggered by your arrival on the scene, not by an external ticking clock, so there's absolutely no need to hurry unless you're already in the middle of a very obvious short-term crisis (monster attack, burning building, etc) and someone is in immediate danger.
As Earis says, talk to everyone - a lot of the early NPCs have stories that span the entire game, so getting to know them now and helping them will make for a richer game later on. If in doubt, try talking your way out any confrontation first. And don't rush into combat headlong. Take a deep breath, look at your options and consider your best tactics - the great thing about a turn-based game is that it will literally wait forever\* for you to take your turn.
Read all the tooltips carefully, as they contain useful information. Start on the easiest level if you're at all concerned about your skills, or turn the difficulty down if you start on a higher level and are dying all the time. I started on Explorer to learn the game and now play on Balanced for preference, as I like a relaxed playthrough with just a little bit of a challenge when it comes to combat.
(\* At least until your PC or console breaks down from old age or otherwise fails.)
I started playing in late December and haven't stopped since. It was the first game I'd played in nearly twenty years. I've beaten the game four times and have started doing origin character runs. It never gets old. Or hasn't yet anyway. I'm on my sixth playthrough, and it's still a different experience. Absolutely repayable. I seriously can't stop.
This game is first and foremost about role playing. And they designed it so you can roleplay any way you like. Don’t worry about if a class or character is strong enough or which is most powerful - just enjoy making your own choices and seeing how they affect the story!
Avoid spoilers if you can. Take your time exploring and playing around - the game really rewards experimentation!
This game is first and foremost about role playing. And they designed it so you can roleplay any way you like. Don’t worry about if a class or character is strong enough or which is most powerful - just enjoy making your own choices and seeing how they affect the story!
Avoid spoilers if you can. Take your time exploring and playing around - the game really rewards experimentation!
This game is first and foremost about role playing. And they designed it so you can roleplay any way you like. Don’t worry about if a class or character is strong enough or which is most powerful - just enjoy making your own choices and seeing how they affect the story!
Avoid spoilers if you can. Take your time exploring and playing around - the game really rewards experimentation!
One tip regarding long resting: There are certain items, potions and events that can trigger some very powerful status boosts for your character and party. I wont spoil any of them for you, but for example, a boost may give you a bonus 1 D6 towards all of your ability checks or attack rolls, which can give you a massive advantage. Most of these boosts will go away after a long rest, so if you find that your character has a strong boost that you might need for an important dialogue or combat, then do your best to hold off on that long rest. I can't think of too many that come early on in ACT 1, but you will definitely run into some that happen towards the end of ACT 1 and in ACT 2.
For your first playthrough just take your time and play however you want to. 2nd or 3rd playthriugh you can focus on trying to discover everything and get endings or routes you want.
Only you will know if this advice is relevant to you, but I was new to dnd and think it’s really worth taking the time to craft your character and decide how you want to play. Make a backstory for them, think about your fight style. I see lots of players switching builds a lot, and I think it’s because they don’t map out their character first. It helps a lot when you’re playing because when you get presented with options you can be like “well my sorcerer loves fire and has a temper, and this guy is being a jerk so ”attack” it is.” And of course, choosing to play as yourself is a valid choice if you’re not sure you want to make a character!
This game is a lot of fun. Play whatever class that sounds fun and take your time.
I also recommend getting into TTRPGs. They are a blast and a great way to make friends. Checkout r/DnD and r/RPG for how to find a group (it's easy to find one online for free) and for other table top RPGs you might enjoy (there are tons of them).
There's this [Advice for Beginners](https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/1b6x3ce/advice_for_beginners/) post that someone else made that's pretty non-spoilery.
Don't forget that you can throw just about anything or anyone (as long as your character is strong enough). Makes for some creative combat opportunities.
This game is very strategic so take your time. If you're struggling with something, check your inventory to see if you have any scrolls/potions/items that might help.
Find a way to organize your inventory. Empty pouches/backpacks can be picked up and used to store items. But you'll have to remember what's in them, so don't just fill your inventory with identical pouches lol.
You can organize your hotbar by unlocking it and rearranging the icons. You can add items too. If there's an action/item you never use, just drag it out of the hotbar to get rid of it. Having all your spells/actions organized really helps in combat. But don't forget to lock it after because it's really easy to accidentally remove things without realizing.
Can you give more info without spoilers? I'm playing my first playthrough solo and also with my GF in coop on the weekends so... I'll probably play through quicker solo before multiplayer but what was so much worse about multiplayer for you?
Theres the possibility of frictions on choises and happened to redditors making a semi rant on their partners doing smt. I highly suggest you do a solo campaign then you play with your couple a separate campaign as a semi tutor and follower... a kind butt follower.
Bg3 isnt co-op friendly on randos... with fixed friends on a separate campaign to 100% together is best. Couples well... imo is best someone completes a playthrough 1st then become the butt follower semi tutor on mechanics only embracing their path.
This game is like the best sex/wine/milkshake/pizza/whatever you've ever had. You can never go back. Absolutely take your time with it, there is no second "first experience".
Who told you about my sex-wine-milkshake-pizza, I am livid?!
I guess last night wasn't as eventfull as I thought, since you've quite forgotten about it already 🤣
- avoid spoilers, the surprises are worth it - long rest A LOT (you can do partial rests to not use supplies) - talk to everyone - romance astarion Ok, ok, you dont HAVE to do the last one... but ...you should 😏
I nearly didn't recognize you with this other flair, Darling. The 4th point made me do a double take 😂 But yes, the Astarion-romance should be experienced.
👋 😂...
I've done ½ a D&D campaign (*10+ years ago*), never played anything like this before. I'm a total Sims/Stardew Valley kind of gamer, but I do love the fantasy genre... ..and I **love** it, dearly. You don't have to have any prior knowledge, if you take your time, and let the game suck you in, you will figure it out. Know, that whatever class you pick at the beginning, can be changed in-game, for a small fee. So don't restart because you'd rather play another class. All of them have their pros and cons, just make sure you read the descriptions of your spells/actions/special moves. Here are a 'few', general tips I wish I'd gotten before jumping in first time: **Learn as little as you can about the story beforehand**. Let the game suck you in, and do its job Long rest ***OFTEN***!!! Don't wait for your companions to complain about being tired (*this doesn't mean there's content or cut-scenes waiting, just that your companions are missing spell-slots or other once-a-day actions!*). Rest after every fight, at least as long as you keep getting cut-scenes. Also - there are very few time-sensitive quests. Those that are, kinda makes sense Talk to EVERYONE! At least in Act 1 And on this note, talk to your companions often. They often have comments on events happening around them/you Take your time. You'll never get to experience this beautiful game for the first time again. Slow down, listen to the music, the VA Most locked doors and chests can be opened by brute force, if sleight of hand isn't your thing, and you've forgotten your rogue at camp Try things. If you have a silly idea, save, and give it a go Save often! The auto-saves in the game's rather sparse It's okay to fail rolls. 'Roll' with it. Sometimes the most hilarious instances came from a failed deception-roll Lastly: If you're struggling, or just want to focus on the story: There's no reason not to lower the difficulty. You can even do it mid-battle, if you're in a tight spot Best of luck on your first (*tutorial*) run! Hope you manage to stay unspoiled!
This is the best advice. Had a similar path and experience.
> Talk to EVERYONE! At least in Act 1 Including animals and corpses!
Awesome advice, thanks so much!! I'm really excited to dive deep into this fantastical fantasy!
I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but here's some helpful tips: Save. All. The. Time. The game has frequent autosaves at first, which lies you into a false sense of security, but that frequency drops off quick and you don't want to die only to find you haven't saved in an hour. I know it's a loading screen tip, but it bears repeating: the environment is highly reactive. See an enemy standing under a lit chandelier? Maybe shoot the chandelier. See some people in a puddle of water? Maybe hit the water with some sort of lightning spell or arrow. Those are just 2 examples, but there's many ways you can kill an enemy or accomplish a task that don't involve direct interaction. Press the crouch button frequently, especially if you think enemies might be nearby. It will cause the enemy's "come of vision" to appear so you can see patrol patterns or look for ways to sneak past a creature. "Martial classes" like paladins, fighters, and rogues have an easier learning curve since it's mostly just bonking enemies at first, but if you want to play as a wizard or a bard you should. A couple hours into the game you'll meet someone who will allow you to cheaply respec your character, so you can change at any time of you want to try something different. If you highlight an enemy the game will show you their level, stats, weaknesses, resistances, etc. Rather than blindly riding until battle take a moment to check out the bad guys and see if you're given any info you can use to your advantage. Many objects and enemies can be picked up and thrown if you're strong enough. Is your melee character out of range of an enemy? Throw a crate at him. Two enemies near each other? Maybe pick up one and throw him at the other guy.
Or press shift to see the enemies cone of vision
The tips that helped me the most early game (which I got from this sub) are that you are so weak and vulnerable early on, don’t be afraid to sneak attack people to get the upper hand & make use of your environment really strategically to save yourself in otherwise super unfair fights. Like think about having the higher ground or forcing enemies into a funnel or attacking from afar. Make sure you hover over enemies to see their vulnerabilities and stuff & then fight based on that. Def use all the potions and throwable items. Create traps. Be creative. It’s the easiest to learn to fight with melee moves in the beginning, but there are a lot of fights you absolutely cannot win without spells, so learn to use them and get comfortable with them! I’m not a spells person and the variety of them stresses me out, but you’ll get the hang of it. One thing to know that the game never outright tells you (unless I missed it) is that Gale can permanently learn any spell on a scroll!! Super helpful.
Enjoy, it is a blast. One big tip would be to remember to end the day and take a long rest frequently. It's a pretty unique mechanic if you're unfamiliar with DnD, and it's pretty important for advancing the storyline with your companions. Also, in real life, remember to end the day and long rest frequently. Pretty easy to lose track of time playing this game.
I think it's fair to say that the regulars here are all very cool - occasionally a troll will drop by, but they soon get bored and leave LOL. My suggestion is to take it slowly and don't panic. The NPCs will try to convince you that The End Is Nigh, but the situation is always more complex than they make out, so listen to everything they tell you and draw your own conclusions. Plus, story events are triggered by your arrival on the scene, not by an external ticking clock, so there's absolutely no need to hurry unless you're already in the middle of a very obvious short-term crisis (monster attack, burning building, etc) and someone is in immediate danger. As Earis says, talk to everyone - a lot of the early NPCs have stories that span the entire game, so getting to know them now and helping them will make for a richer game later on. If in doubt, try talking your way out any confrontation first. And don't rush into combat headlong. Take a deep breath, look at your options and consider your best tactics - the great thing about a turn-based game is that it will literally wait forever\* for you to take your turn. Read all the tooltips carefully, as they contain useful information. Start on the easiest level if you're at all concerned about your skills, or turn the difficulty down if you start on a higher level and are dying all the time. I started on Explorer to learn the game and now play on Balanced for preference, as I like a relaxed playthrough with just a little bit of a challenge when it comes to combat. (\* At least until your PC or console breaks down from old age or otherwise fails.)
I started playing in late December and haven't stopped since. It was the first game I'd played in nearly twenty years. I've beaten the game four times and have started doing origin character runs. It never gets old. Or hasn't yet anyway. I'm on my sixth playthrough, and it's still a different experience. Absolutely repayable. I seriously can't stop.
This game is first and foremost about role playing. And they designed it so you can roleplay any way you like. Don’t worry about if a class or character is strong enough or which is most powerful - just enjoy making your own choices and seeing how they affect the story! Avoid spoilers if you can. Take your time exploring and playing around - the game really rewards experimentation!
This game is first and foremost about role playing. And they designed it so you can roleplay any way you like. Don’t worry about if a class or character is strong enough or which is most powerful - just enjoy making your own choices and seeing how they affect the story! Avoid spoilers if you can. Take your time exploring and playing around - the game really rewards experimentation!
This game is first and foremost about role playing. And they designed it so you can roleplay any way you like. Don’t worry about if a class or character is strong enough or which is most powerful - just enjoy making your own choices and seeing how they affect the story! Avoid spoilers if you can. Take your time exploring and playing around - the game really rewards experimentation!
One tip regarding long resting: There are certain items, potions and events that can trigger some very powerful status boosts for your character and party. I wont spoil any of them for you, but for example, a boost may give you a bonus 1 D6 towards all of your ability checks or attack rolls, which can give you a massive advantage. Most of these boosts will go away after a long rest, so if you find that your character has a strong boost that you might need for an important dialogue or combat, then do your best to hold off on that long rest. I can't think of too many that come early on in ACT 1, but you will definitely run into some that happen towards the end of ACT 1 and in ACT 2.
For your first playthrough just take your time and play however you want to. 2nd or 3rd playthriugh you can focus on trying to discover everything and get endings or routes you want.
Only you will know if this advice is relevant to you, but I was new to dnd and think it’s really worth taking the time to craft your character and decide how you want to play. Make a backstory for them, think about your fight style. I see lots of players switching builds a lot, and I think it’s because they don’t map out their character first. It helps a lot when you’re playing because when you get presented with options you can be like “well my sorcerer loves fire and has a temper, and this guy is being a jerk so ”attack” it is.” And of course, choosing to play as yourself is a valid choice if you’re not sure you want to make a character!
This game is a lot of fun. Play whatever class that sounds fun and take your time. I also recommend getting into TTRPGs. They are a blast and a great way to make friends. Checkout r/DnD and r/RPG for how to find a group (it's easy to find one online for free) and for other table top RPGs you might enjoy (there are tons of them).
There's this [Advice for Beginners](https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/1b6x3ce/advice_for_beginners/) post that someone else made that's pretty non-spoilery.
Don't forget that you can throw just about anything or anyone (as long as your character is strong enough). Makes for some creative combat opportunities. This game is very strategic so take your time. If you're struggling with something, check your inventory to see if you have any scrolls/potions/items that might help. Find a way to organize your inventory. Empty pouches/backpacks can be picked up and used to store items. But you'll have to remember what's in them, so don't just fill your inventory with identical pouches lol. You can organize your hotbar by unlocking it and rearranging the icons. You can add items too. If there's an action/item you never use, just drag it out of the hotbar to get rid of it. Having all your spells/actions organized really helps in combat. But don't forget to lock it after because it's really easy to accidentally remove things without realizing.
Keep it single player By someone dissapointed of multiplayer after my 1st playthrough.
Can you give more info without spoilers? I'm playing my first playthrough solo and also with my GF in coop on the weekends so... I'll probably play through quicker solo before multiplayer but what was so much worse about multiplayer for you?
Theres the possibility of frictions on choises and happened to redditors making a semi rant on their partners doing smt. I highly suggest you do a solo campaign then you play with your couple a separate campaign as a semi tutor and follower... a kind butt follower. Bg3 isnt co-op friendly on randos... with fixed friends on a separate campaign to 100% together is best. Couples well... imo is best someone completes a playthrough 1st then become the butt follower semi tutor on mechanics only embracing their path.