Baldur’s Gate 3 Complete Guide – Classes, Quests, Puzzles, Mechanics, & Beginner Tips

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massive adventure, and there are several things you’ll want to know and keep track of while you play the game.

Zack Palm Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp Matthew Fuller
August 18, 2023
Baldur's Gate 3 Guides

Shadowheart standing before ancient ruins in Baldur's Gate 3

Image By Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3: A Complete Guide

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a top-down RPG using the mechanics of the 5E D&D. For those familiar with 5E D&D, some of the mechanics and intricate details of the game have been changed to better fit a wider audience. Many fans have been over the moon about these, such as making Monk’s Four Elements subclass being much better about its Ki Point management or the Ranger class gaining more usefulness with its subclasses.

The size of Baldur’s Gate 3 is huge. You can unlock dozens of story quests, side stories, and little things throughout your time playing this game. There are multiple ways you can approach these tasks, and how you do it is entirely up to you. The replayability is enormous, and I recommend exploring every route you can find.

All Baldur’s Gate 3 Mechanics

There are multiple unique mechanics you need to keep track of while playing Baldur’s Gate 3. You need to know how short and long rests work, what armor your characters can, what weapons they can use, how to keep track of skill checks, how to consider who should be talking to specific characters, keeping track of actions, bonus actions, and spells.

For those who have played 5E D&D before, much of this is familiar. However, no DM is running Baldur’s Gate 3 to tell you what you can and cannot do, and it’s easy to get messed up. These are some of the more basic mechanics you might encounter while playing Baldur’s Gate 3.

All Quests in Baldur’s Gate 3

You can complete numerous quests and tasks while working through Baldur’s Gate 3. Similar to Larian Studios’ previous title, Divinity: Original Sin 2, the way you go about completing these quests is entirely up to you, and you may even find yourself switching sides from the previous quest giver based on what you learn while working through these tasks.

These are some of the many quests you can complete in Baldur’s Gate 3.

All Puzzles in Baldur’s Gate 3

Several puzzles will be blocking your path throughout Baldur’s Gate 3. Some of these puzzles might be used to block your path to special loot or prevent you from stealing a powerful, magical object from someone. Like the quests, you can tackle many of these puzzles in a particular way, but some have specific outcomes and solutions.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Beginner Tips

Auntie Ethel Baldur's Gate 3 — Screenshot by Gamepur

You should know a handful of things before diving into Baldur’s Gate 3. These are minor details that the games tell you, but they’re easy to forget, and you might lose track of them as you progress further into the game.

Save as often as possible. I cannot stress this part enough. You always want to be saving, whenever possible. For those playing on PC, clicking the F5 button will automatically save your game, creating a quick save file, and you load that back in any time, even if it’s a few seconds away from making a critical decision. I’ve saved over 50 times so far in my game, and I have never regretted doing it once. Always save, and do it frequently.

Check your character’s equipment, loadout, and don’t be afraid to change classes. You might start your game with a particular class, but for a small fee, you can swap your class at any time during your playthrough. Don’t be afraid to want to try something else, or remain flexible with your party to ensure you have everything covered, especially if you’re struggling with particular encounters.

Stealth is your best friend. If you think you’re about to get into a fight, stealth is the key to everything. Breaking up party members so they can hide in a corner, away from enemy eyesight, is a great way to get a surprise round against foes, and you can do a massive amount of damage to an enemy in the first round before they can react to you. Do this tactic often, especially if you’re struggling to fight against a formidable foe.

Sell everything, and save your money. Avoid stealing. One thing I’ve noticed that carries over into Baldur’s Gate 3 from Divinity: Original Sin 2 is that when you steal from someone, they typically learn about it relatively quickly and go straight to you. I find this tactic rather tiresome from Larian Studios, but they probably do it to prevent characters with perfect stealth from stealing everything off a trader. I find selling all my junk items far more valuable and saving up for what I need, leaving stealing and pickpocketing as a final option.

Things You Might Want to Know About Baldur’s Gate 3

intellect-devourer-in-baldurs-gate-3 — Screenshot by Gamepur

Below, we’ve collected all the miscellaneous facts and questions that plagued us while we eagerly awaited Baldur’s Gate 3 or during out time playing it. This information is for those players that have already invested hundreds of hours in the game and plan to invest hundreds more.

About the author

Zack Palm

Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.