Baldur's Gate 3 gives you a lot of freedom and very little hand-holding, so Act 1 can feel overwhelming. This guide covers where to find your first companions, the systems the game doesn't explain well, and the mistakes that cost new players the most. Spoilers stay light: only the opening and Act 1 basics.

Where the game is today

  • Released: August 3, 2023 on PC, September 6, 2023 on PS5 and December 8, 2023 on Xbox Series X|S.
  • Patch 8 (April 15, 2025) was the last big update. It added cross-play, Photo Mode and 12 new subclasses, one for each class. Since then, Larian has only released small hotfixes.
  • Difficulty modes: Explorer (the easiest), Balanced (the default), Tactician, Honour and Custom. If you're new to this kind of game, Explorer or Balanced is the way to go.
  • Honour Mode is the hardest: you get just one save that's overwritten automatically, so you can't reload. Don't start there.

The opening

You start on a mind flayer ship called the Nautiloid. On board, you'll meet Lae'zel and find Shadowheart trapped in a pod. Free Shadowheart while you're there. You can't return to the ship after the prologue (though she can still be found later even if you don't).

After the ship crashes, you wake up on the Ravaged Beach, and Act 1 begins.

Your first companions

Your party is 4 characters: you plus 3 companions. Everyone else waits at camp. Here's where to find the six companions you can recruit in Act 1:

  • Shadowheart: on the beach after the crash if you freed her from the pod. If you didn't, she's nearby, trying to get into a crypt.
  • Astarion: close to the crash site, southwest of the Roadside Cliffs waypoint.
  • Gale: interact with a glowing rune near the Roadside Cliffs. A hand reaches out of a portal, so pull him out.
  • Lae'zel: in a hanging cage north of the Roadside Cliffs, guarded by two tieflings. Talk them into letting her down instead of attacking.
  • Wyll: you meet him at the goblin attack on the gate of the Emerald Grove, then recruit him inside. Keep him alive in that fight: if he dies there, you can't bring him back or recruit him.
  • Karlach: on the Risen Road, near the Toll House.
Where to find Baldur's Gate 3 Act 1 companions: Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, Lae'zel, Wyll and Karlach
Where to find all six Act 1 companions.

Resting: the system everyone gets wrong at first

  • You get 2 Short Rests between Long Rests. They're free, so use them before paying for a Long Rest.
  • A Long Rest at camp restores all health, spell slots and abilities. It costs 40 Camp Supplies on Explorer and Balanced, or 80 on Tactician and Honour. Food you pick up counts as supplies.
  • If you don't have enough supplies, you can still take a partial rest, but it only heals you up to half your health.

Meet Withers early

Withers is a strange skeletal figure who ends up living in your camp. He's one of the most useful characters in the game:

  • Resurrection: brings back a dead companion for 200 gold.
  • Respec: rebuilds a character's class, abilities and spells for 100 gold. Made a build you don't like? Fix it.
  • You'll find him in a sarcophagus in the Dank Crypt near the crash site, and he moves into your camp after your next Long Rest. He turns up eventually even if you miss him.
  • Tip: a Scroll of Revivify also brings a companion back without paying Withers.
Baldur's Gate 3 short rests, long rest camp supply costs and Withers' resurrection and respec prices
Resting and Withers at a glance.

Combat tips that make a big difference

  • Take the high ground. Attacking from at least 2.5 m (8 ft) above your target gives you +2 to hit. Attacking from below gives you -2.
  • Jump uses your Bonus Action, and how far you go depends on Strength. Use it to reach rooftops and ledges.
  • Shove enemies off ledges or into hazards. It's often stronger than an attack.
  • Use the environment: explosive barrels, water, grease and other surfaces can win fights for you.
  • Set up your reactions. Each character gets one reaction per round (like an Attack of Opportunity). You can set them to "Ask" or automatic in the Reactions tab.

Dice, checks and Inspiration

  • On ability checks, a natural 20 always succeeds and a natural 1 always fails, no matter your bonuses.
  • Inspiration is earned by making choices that fit your characters' backgrounds. Your party can hold up to 4 points, and each one lets you reroll a failed roll.
  • Spend it. Once you're at 4, new Inspiration turns into XP instead, so hoarding wastes it.
  • Locks and traps: picking locks needs Thieves' Tools, and disarming traps needs a Trap Disarm Toolkit. Both use Sleight of Hand, so give them to your best Dexterity character.

Beginner mistakes to avoid

  • Rushing Act 1. The story feels urgent, but most of it isn't timed. Explore everything. Some quests are time-sensitive, though, so if someone is in immediate danger, deal with it.
  • Siding with the goblins against the Emerald Grove on your first playthrough. It costs you Wyll and Karlach.
  • Hoarding potions and scrolls. Use them in hard fights.
  • Not saving often. Keep several saves, especially before big fights or decisions.
  • Starting on Honour Mode. Learn the game first.

Good to know: the level cap is 12, so every level-up matters.

My take

Baldur's Gate 3 rewards curiosity more than almost any other game. Talk to everyone, climb everything and don't be afraid to try weird solutions. If it goes wrong, that's what saves and Withers are for. Which companion did you recruit first?

Sources