Summary of "Baldur's Gate 3 Complete Beginner's Guide - BG3"
Baldur’s Gate 3 Complete Beginner’s Guide - Summary
Overview
This beginner’s guide to Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) is designed to help new players understand the core systems, character creation, gameplay mechanics, and strategies without spoiling the story. It covers everything from choosing difficulty settings to party composition, resting, inventory management, and combat tips.
Game Setup and Difficulty
- Early choice for PC players: DirectX 11 (more stable) vs Vulkan (better performance but less stable).
- Difficulty options:
- Explorer: Story mode, very easy, forgiving.
- Balanced: Mix of story and challenge; poor character builds suffer penalties.
- Tactician: Hard mode, requires min-maxing; not recommended for beginners.
- Difficulty can be changed anytime during gameplay.
Character Creation
- Choose between Origin Characters (predefined backstory, fixed traits) or Custom Characters (blank slate, player defines story and relationships).
- Dark Urge is a customizable origin character with a darker, horror-themed playthrough.
- Appearance customization is best done after choosing race and subrace because these affect looks.
- Race and Subrace: 11 races available, each with unique racial traits, weapon proficiencies, and resistances.
- Use the Inspect tool (press T) to get detailed explanations of terms and abilities.
- Attributes (Abilities):
- Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma.
- Primary attribute depends on class; max this and Constitution for survivability.
- Even numbers above 10 add bonuses to rolls; below 10 subtract.
- Class Selection (12 classes):
- Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard.
- Each class has unique weapon/armor proficiencies, spell/cantrip access, and playstyle.
- Cantrips are unlimited-use spells; spells consume limited spell slots.
- Backgrounds add skills and passive bonuses (e.g., Charlatan adds Deception and Sleight of Hand).
- Recommended to build your character according to preferred playstyle; no wrong choices due to multiple viable builds.
- Multiclassing is possible, splitting total character levels between classes (max 12 levels total). It offers flexibility but delays high-level class features.
Gameplay Mechanics and UI
Combat
- Turn-based with one action and one bonus action per turn.
- Actions include attacks, spells, jumps, hiding, dashing, disengaging, shoving, throwing items.
- Advantage/Disadvantage: Roll two dice, take higher (advantage) or lower (disadvantage).
- Sneak Attacks (Rogue) do extra damage when attacking from stealth.
- Hide puts character in stealth; use shadows/darkness to increase success.
- Throw allows tossing items or potions; height advantage increases damage.
- Dash doubles movement distance; Disengage prevents opportunity attacks while moving away.
- Dip weapon in elements (fire, poison) for extra damage.
- Shove can push enemies off ledges or out of harmful areas; powerful but risky for loot.
- Help action revives downed allies or removes negative conditions.
- Dual wielding uses action + bonus action for attacks.
Inventory
- Manage gear, weapons, armor, potions, and special items.
- Each character has carry weight limits; avoid encumbrance to maintain mobility.
- Use party view to distribute items among characters.
- Can equip armor only if proficient; otherwise, penalties apply.
Map and Exploration
- Use map and waypoints for fast travel.
- Ping system to mark locations for co-op or personal reference.
- Use Alt key to highlight interactable objects (loot, plants, corpses).
- Camera can be moved independently; top-down view (O key) helps with scouting.
Resting
- Short Rest: Resets some abilities and HP.
- Long Rest: Resets all HP and spell slots; consumes camp supplies.
- Camp is also where you interact with companions, manage party, and progress companion quests.
Death and Revival
- Downed characters can be helped up, healed, or revived with scrolls.
- NPCs and some companions can revive fallen allies.
- Save scumming (reloading saves) is a valid option for many players.
Party Composition Tips
- Recommended to have:
- Healer (Cleric, Druid, Bard) for healing and reviving.
- Tank (Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin) to absorb damage and control enemies.
- AOE Damage Dealer (Wizard, Sorcerer, Druid) to handle groups of enemies.
- Single Target Hard Hitter (Rogue, Ranger, Fighter) to quickly eliminate dangerous foes.
- Having a Rogue or stealthy character is highly beneficial for utility (lockpicking, traps, sneak attacks).
- Fighter can also be an effective bow user.
Additional Tips and Features
- Inspiration Points: Earned by fulfilling background goals; can be spent to reroll failed checks. Max 4 points.
- Dialogue choices are influenced by attributes and skills; hovering over options shows chances and bonuses.
- Merchants have limited gold and inventory; restocking requires long rest.
- Game autosaves recommended; quick save (F5) and quick load (F8) are useful.
- Accessibility options include subtitles, nudity toggle, and UI customization.
- Twitch integration allows viewers to influence gameplay.
Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a deep RPG with rich character customization, strategic turn-based combat, and a strong narrative focus. There is no “wrong” build or playstyle; experiment and enjoy. Use the inspect tool, alt key, and map to navigate and interact effectively. Manage resting and resources carefully. Build a balanced party for best results. Save often and don’t hesitate to reload if you want to avoid frustrating outcomes. Engage fully with story and companions for a rewarding experience.
Sources and Featured Gamer
- Guide created and narrated by Lucky Ghost (YouTube and Twitch streamer).
- Mention of Corsair Dark Core RGB/SE Mouse used during gameplay.
- Twitch channel: twitch.tv/luckyghost
This summary covers the key points and gameplay advice from the comprehensive beginner’s guide to Baldur’s Gate 3.
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Gaming
