Topic: Baldur's Gate 3

@HallowMoonshadow I seem to remember you can change it so counterspell doesn’t get used automatically; I think it was called “reactions” so you can choose when you want to use the ability just so it doesn’t get wasted on low level attacks.

Good to hear you’re having fun though @Th3solution and well done on finding the spiders as I never did! It’s crazy how much missable content there is though (I also never found who I think is Shovel in one of the pics from @ravix on the previous page either) and I find it impressive that Larian were more than happy to not let you find things in the game.

@Th3solution indeed. A game that burrows into the mind, if you will 😁

If you're a good guy, well, don't pickpocket... but you can't really stop Astarion if he wants to pickpocket people my go to play, as a kind of rogueish Bard who encouraged his thievery, was to play music to distract people while Astarion took advantage of the situation. We may have poisoned a bunch of 'people' that way too. But, if mean if you're chatting to a character and a split off Asatrion happens to pickpocket the person you're talking to, hardly your fault, is it (hint hint)

It can be hard, I got wiped out a bunch of times as a newbie to turn based rpgs like this, and probably still sometimes forget some of the tools and tactics at my disposal. I think the absolute main thing in my opinion was getting AC high, and your attack bonus as + as possible, and then using the high percentage attacks off the back of it. It took me a while to understand the real benefit of buffs and control/support spells too. I perfected getting Astarion as an assassin to always have advantage for great damage and 99% attacks with various support spells. I used Gale as an absolute spell cannon at times. But it is the intricacies of the Shadowheart, Gale or any other support spell characters that is really important for getting better. Anything that gives you as much advantage as possible and debuffs as many opponents as possible.

Also: Scrolls. Scrolls don't require spells slots and they are absolutely everywhere and are a good way to test spells out (wizard types can also permanently learn those spell scrolls via the menu somehwhere, the menu where you can swap out some characters spells at any time) And I still forgot to use those scrolls in so many battles 🤦‍♂️ same as potions.

You can also hurl healing potions at your team mates, rather than using healing spells, which can be useful.

The creepy lady? Don't let her hear you say that, laddy. Poor old Ethel.

Next time you're on screenshot your character and their stats sheet if you will, I can have a nosey to check if there's any simple tweaks to make it less hard for you. Plus I'm sure everyone would like to see your Tav (you're probably right on track though, as I think mine was reaching lv5 at the point you are at. And I've still not gone to visit Ethel pr discover everything you've yet to discover on this run)

Edit: I'd take the north/east path, and ignore the west one, in terms of the mountain path route, when you're ready (which will be ages from now haha) but then again, it might loop round to where the content is anyway. Needless to say, you are not 75% done with the map

@Thrillho yes, Shovel is an absolute legend too. I'm still annoyed at myself that I f***ed up on my Dark Urge run and now no longer have access to them 😭 on my first run, I think I was in Act 3 when I noticed I actually had the scroll and managed to keep the summons permanently at that point. But, damn, Shovel would fit my Durge so well, and now it's too late and they are gone into the ether as I'd summoned them and was just strolling round the place pleased with myself that I had them for the whole game this time, and then realised... I did not. Some hyenas ate it before I remembered what I had to do 😭😭😭😭😭

@Ravix Ideally throw potions near people and not at them as they can actually cause damage (splash effect can also heal multiple people if close together)

I appreciate the tip @Thrillho I'll be sure to give it a looksee.

It's Karlach and she's mine Sol hands off! (Kidding lol)

I'm at 60+ hours now having finally made my way in Act 2 proper.

That's with me doing pretty much everything Act 1 has to offer for a good aligned character. But that number of hours is also thanks to me leaving the game running as I've gone and done other things multiple times so I'd definitely shave a few hours off of it for my real runtime.

I think I was level 5 by the time I did the Goblin camp? (It was actually one of the last things I did on the map). The first encounter I had towards the start of Act 2 were around level 5 so even if you miss some quests/fights in Act 1 you should be okay.

I've only died once so far with the combat myself from what I recall. Against the spiders under the village actually! I think I also restarted one encounter in the goblin camp but that's it otherwise.

Not sure what advice I could give you honestly combat wise... Hopefully you'll get the hang of it a bit more soon!

I'm currently in Act 3 of a second playthrough and was planning on adding some stuff afterwards. I'm taking a second from a tricky fight to just comment on how annoying the NPC allies AI can be. It feels like they are moving to get themselves hit by as many reaction attacks as possible before doing something. Also everyone seems completely oblivious to ground obstacles. Just had a mage ally decide to walk up to an enemy to do something but fall flat on their ass on the ice patch there and lose their turn. Absolutely love this game but it does have some silly annoyances.

@Thrillho ah yes, I have only been doing it to downed party members so far to revive, but the potion puddle splash technique I remember now from first playthrough.

Having checked last night, @Th3solution you are very much on track level wise

This is my Dark Urge having arrived at the Goblin Camp, and knowing how much more I can yet do, including Ethel, the same as you, Level 5-ish seems about right, maybe even a bit overlevelled by the end of it, although I don't think it is really possible to be too OP on levels alone. (You can go back to Ethel later by the way, first time I came back from a later act to clear that quest up. I know you were wondering)

On my own current run I'm trying out different Druid types to see what spells my Monk can have in reserve (Druid will mostly be my support class, despite putting 3 levels in early. That was the plan, anyway, but its been fun casting spells and I haven't explored beyond lv1 Monk yet)

I've found Land perhaps has a bit more for my Monk multiclass than Moon, as misty step is a perfect ability to have at hand, especially as I don't really look to use wild shape in combat much. Can't wait to try out the Mushroom Monk though 😅 my gear is poison based too, so it might be quite tasty.

@Thrillho Indeed, the game is extremely deep and I’m sure I’m missing loads of content. I’m trying to control my FOMO because trying to do everything seems to be impossible. The game was clearly made with the intent to be replayed ad infinitum, but the issue is that it’s so huge and long that most of us won’t ever have the time to play it more than once or twice. Unless we choose to ignore all the other pile of games that are constantly coming out.

@Ravix @HallowMoonshadow Cheers for the info. There’s a steep learning curve, for sure. Not sure when I’ll get my next extended time with the PS5, but if I think of it I’ll post some screenshots.

And my apologies to Karlach for botching her name, but I just always call her “Sweetheart” or “Cupcake” anyways. 😛

@Th3solution how's the playthrough going?

I've paused mine for a while, but I did have a couple of sessions where I pushed quite a way further into Act 1 so it will all be fresh in my mind. A little underground, a little overground, so to speak.

@Ravix Unfortunately I haven’t had time to make significant progress. I guess I’m sort of paused right now also and may not have time this weekend, much to my chagrin.

I've just stopped my playthrough for the evening after failing 2 attempts at the 'Save the Gondians' quest. I forgot how tricky this one is from the first playthrough.
Late Act 3 comment below
My second attempt was going really well but I failed to get to one of the 'devices' in time and it wiped them. if only the npcs you are trying to save actually could think to grab it themselves instead of running right by them. Oh well I managed it the first time so will keep trying. I'm grateful that I'm going to play as evil when attempting a Tactician playthrough so they can just die. Plus I can let Shadowheart stay Shar to skip the House of Hope fight which is another painful one.

I wish there was a warning for idiots like me when for when you are about to concentrate on a spell whilst already concentrating on one. A couple of times this playthrough I have fatigued myself because I forgot I was concentrating on Haste and activated another spell.

Anyway, nearing the end of my second playthough. I'm pondering whether to jump into my Tactician/Evil run for the Platinum whilst my knowledge of everything is fresh, to make it easier, or to take a break with something else first. There are very few games I'd consider another playthrough as soon as I'd finished but this is one.

Unfortunately I haven't made much progress with BGIII's second act either.

Got distracted by Deltarune's official release and have been chipping away at that whilst dealing with the increased workload I have before the school year is over once again.

I'll be back to it soon hopefully... Long as I don't melt from this ghastly summer heat 🫠

@BearsEatBeets yeah, the amount of times I broke concentration for a spell was ridiculous. I did at least learn that was a way to cancel your spells after battle so your party don’t keep running through Cloud of Daggers..

@Thrillho Yeah I discovered the cancel concentration button this playthrough. I was hoping one of the updates since my first playthrough might have fixed the AI of companions/npcs blindly walking into fire/acid/traps etc but no. You have to be quick with the cancel though.

Getting near the end now. I've not played out many different choices this time but still eager to the bits I have.

Have spent some quality time “Down, down, down by the river” 🎶 and so I finally have some thoughts, which I’ll share soon, but I want to formulate them because I’ve done and seen quite a bit since my last update.

So, more to come. Suffice it to say that the game is living up to all expectations and it’s a great journey. I do fine myself doing a few reloads every once in a while, which I know is sacrilege to the BG purists. It’s just when I make a decision that kills off a main character or ruins my “good” playthrough then I have gone back to a former save a few times to correct my mistakes.

Tagging @Ravix since you’ve been wondering about my BG3 run. I’m still making my way through! I’m in the Underdark and feel comfortable leaving behind everything now on my way to Moonrise. I’m sure i haven’t done everything in the first map, but it’s time. I’m ready to progress the sorry. I’m level 6.

@Th3solution nice. Glad to hear you've been able to get stuck in a bit. If you do want to see a bit more, it is possible to do both the underdark and the mountain pass concurrently, but if you're going along nicely in one, it is probably best to stick with it for your own sake and then deviate if you naturally feel like you want to see the light once more later on 😛

I agree, some games are best left to absorb into the mind, let them seep in as you evaluate everything you've done before moving on to the next stage. I'll keep a look out for your actual write up anyway to see what you've been up to 🍻

Although I’m late with my promised update, I’ve got more evolving thoughts after a bunch more hours of BG3.

For context I’m about 70 hrs invested and probably almost through with the Underdark. I basically just have a couple areas to clear out there and then hopefully will be on to Moonrise soon. That is, unless I choose to go back to the Mountain Pass and clear that out also.

The depth of the game continues to impress and I am still finding so many gameplay aspects and hidden strategies even many hours into it. In fact, although I feel like I’m leagues better at the game and more adept at understanding it’s systems than I was at first, I still feel very much like a newbie and am still in a tutorial phase. Actually in returning to this thread and re-reading some of the comments back, I realize that I had forgotten some of the advice already given here and/or underutilized said advice. For me it’s easy to just get into a routine of my combat, exploration, and conversation approach and completely fail to experiment with all the detailed side mechanics. For example, I’ve completely neglected the scrolls and so I need to remember to use those. Also the throw option for potions and other objects. Often I forget to use dash and jump during combat when trying to move about and position myself and I frequently end up wasting turns. It’s just so easy to charge in, attack, rinse and repeat. I have tried to use the support spells and skills with some mixed success. I find that I learn quite a bit from my enemies, and when they hit me with a spell that turns the tide of battle in their favor, I sometimes realize that I have that spell too and why haven’t been using it! Also, I’ve learned a lot from them on how they move around on the battle area, and so I’m trying to get better about doing the “ranged attack, followed by retreat far away or behind cover” tactic that I see their ranged fighters do to me. So frustrating. 😅

For some reason my playstyle hasn’t been all that stealth focused. I try to stealth in for one early free hit, but sometimes I completely forget, or I traipse right in without knowing a battle is coming.

I also have been completely forgetting to use the summons. I only recently discovered what ‘mage hand’ is, even though I’ve had it on Gale for a long time. I also have access to the magical weapon spell, Scratch, and the zombie guy that I inadvertently recruited with that old hag’s wand! I discovered that recently too! And I think actually I have that Shovel creature too but haven’t tried to use it. There’s a scroll in my inventory that I’ve been reluctant to do anything with and I think maybe it summons it…? I don’t want to misuse these scrolls when maybe I might need them later but now I have dozens of scrolls and so I should experiment more.

I also have not been good with using the environment during combat and the game keeps putting that as a tip on the load screen so I need to be better about looking for those opportunities. Hitting an explosive barrel from time to time accidentally has been a good reminder.

I also end up playing for hours and hours not realizing I’m using an inferior weapon or armor to what I have in my inventory. I have gloves, boots, shields, etc. that could have helped me that have been sitting unused. Trying to be better about that too.

Oh, and here’s the last screenshot I took of my Tav. It’s actually slightly outdated already as I have my AC up to 18 now I think, due to some armor piece I equipped to give it a little more boost.

I also have been rocking my preferred team (Karlach, Gale, Shadowheart) for the majority of the game, only to find that when I switched out and used Astarion and Lae’Zel lately due to situational needs and story points, that I actually really like them in combat! I wish I could have them all! I’ve mainly neglected Wyll and I have the bear guy Halsin at camp, but for some reason he’s not an option to use in my party (yet?)

I do wonder if I should also be changing and re-spec’ing the companion characters. There’s a lot of depth to the character building that I just haven’t engaged in and don’t know if I want/need to. Honestly, I’m not sure I understand the game systems enough and would definitely have to use build guides. I fear that if I tried to re-spec an origin character that I might break them. Perhaps if I come up against some combat scenarios I can’t get past then I’ll have to dive into re-spec and re-classing. I’m caught between this middle ground where I am trying to just enjoy the ride passively (make choices, explore, and soak up the story) and then also try to be proficient with combat and not constantly die and fail. So far I’m having a great time without being super-powered and so I’ll just keep playing it by ear.

A word on the technical performance - at first I was quite impressed that the game could do so much, with all its moving parts, and still function perfectly. Well, now I’m starting to have some slow-down and the game hangs when changing menus sometimes, or when poring over my congested inventory. Occasionally it get a stutter even during gameplay, which hadn’t been a problem. I know these huge open world games get more and more complex in their computing requirements as you continually change the world and it has to “remember” all the things you did and all the little items you picked up, dropped, used, and sold. As I’m not even halfway through, hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come, as I don’t want the late game to be a glitchy stuttering mess. Did anyone else have problems with performance late game? I wonder if doing some spring cleaning of my inventory will help the menus not be so laggy.

Overall, great game and one I still think about when not playing. Oh, and I’m coming around on Shadowheart, although Karlach is still my fav.

Tagging @Ravix and anyone else who might have interest in my progress. 😄

@Th3solution You definitely want to do the mountain pass! I think it’s fair to say that there aren’t any areas that you should consider optional in this game..

I think it’s pretty common that Wyll becomes the forgotten companion but others really love his Eldrich blast move as you can power it up in so many ways.

I kept everyone as their origin class though and didn’t really tinker with multiclassing either as it sounded too complicated. There are loads of Reddit threads that can suggest easy multiclassing options and open hand monk is a popular class on there so you’ve probably got lots of options. I think the new barbarian subclass can mix well.

@Thrillho I’ll plan to try the Mountain Pass too then. I went that way briefly before I fully entered the Underdark and I got waxed pretty cleanly by that first encounter with some big dudes that had a group of zombies that rush you and they kept raising them back from the dead everytime I killed them. I think I’m better prepared to give it another go now though.

I have to clear the village of the duergar and explore that area and I think that’s about all I have left of the Underdark. I’ve kept it to the end because I love having the Sovereign Glut as a companion. Wish I could take him with me throughout the campaign.

Oh and I think maybe I need to find some kind of forge down here too that I keep hearing about.

And yeah, I’m not sure why Wyll is such a forgotten companion. I think it’s because that outside of Eldritch Blast, he’s a less powerful version of other characters. At least that’s how I found him to be when I played around with him. His story actually seems kind of interesting though.

@Th3solution one two-word phrase... Turn Undead. It is more than that, but really focus on Shadowheart and learn to see what she has available as a Cleric (can change her spells for each encounter if needs be) as Clerics are undead specialists and theres a bunch of spells where you can choose radiant or necrotic, like Spirit Guardians, and Radiant spells are usually good for fighting anything necrotic or evil looking.

I also read your big write up the other day, and I see you are fully going the open hand path. How are you finding the class? I know people are known to use that class to almost break the game with OP builds, but it doesn't seem like you are doing that.

Also, snap:
As i'm heading more into Monk, now I've got a few mushroom spells, we have the same outfit at the moment haha. But I tend to carry round a weapon despite being open hand for the bonuses, this big stick gives me 19 strength, the staff I carry most of the time gives some bonus relating to not wearing armour or something like that. I Currently have gloves that burn people I punch too, because why not 😁 but that can be swapped with the +2 AC gloves.

As for party make up, I'd keep most single class for now. I definitely keep Shadowheart as a pure cleric because they are great, but I always multiclass my Tav, and Astarion and maybe Karlach can benefit from a few levels in complimentary classes. But for now i'm keeping everyone but Tav as a single class. I am experimenting with a Giant Karlach (I have no doubt there's probably a group of people that would love a giant Karlach too, but I digress 😅) as that is a new feature. And also making Shadowheart a Death Domain cleric that can burst corpses and explode the living with cantrip quite effectively too. She carries a very naughty necrotic bdsm mace, but she is totally non melee in combat, it is more for her private life that she carries that (RIP domme dude. You will know who I mean, hopefully 😂)

There's the family, anyway:

It seems you are getting on nicely anyway, despite forgetting some things (we all do, as it is so massively intricate) and it is inspiring me to pick up where I left off, once more, so I can relive these moments and experiment with other things. Which is why I loaded it up yesterday to see where I was at and how my party looked. I'm currently on the way to the something something on the mountain pass, but I didnt fight the zombies yet, as I turned off to the right before triggering that fight.

As for performance, I think it can (at least when I first played) get a little chuggy at times, but its something I easily forgave. No idea if moving items out of the inventory helps, as I am notoriously bad at carrying everything I will never even use... just in case 😅 but there is a storage chest at camp that stays with you if you want to clear out the inventory a little.

You probably do have the little pet Shovel btw, but if you want to keep her it might require looking it up, I know I messed up this time around and they are gone now. I was too excited to summon them and forgot how I did it properly the first time 🤦‍♂️