Baldur's Gate 3 Walkthrough: Act 1 Part 1, Nautiloid to the Druid Grove

This is part 1 of our full Baldur's Gate 3 walkthrough. It starts on the mind flayer ship in the prologue and follows the main story through the Emerald Grove, the Blighted Village and the Goblin Camp. It ends with the big Act 1 choice: save the grove or raid it.

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1. Prologue: Escape the Nautiloid

You wake up in a pod on a mind flayer ship with a parasite in your head. The quest is Escape the Nautiloid. You need to reach the helm and connect the transponder. Nothing here can be done later, so take your time.

1. Us. Early on you find an injured intellect devourer. Pass the check to help it and it follows you as a temporary ally for the prologue.
2. Lae'zel. After a fight with imps you meet a githyanki warrior. Let her join. If you don't, you can still recruit her later on the surface, but she will like you less.
3. Shadowheart. She is trapped in a pod. Use the controls next to the pod to free her. You need an Eldritch Rune from a dead thrall nearby to open it safely.
4. The helm. Head up to the helm. A mind flayer is holding off Commander Zhalk, a cambion. A turn counter starts: the ship is going to crash.

Boss: Commander Zhalk

You don't have to fight him. The safe choice is to use Dash and run to the transponder. If you want his sword, the Everburn Blade, help the mind flayer and let it do most of the damage. Zhalk is very hard to hit at level 1, so save first. Shadowheart's Command spell can make him lose turns. If the mind flayer dies, Zhalk comes for you: run or reload.

2. Ravaged Beach and your first companions

The ship crashes and you wake on the Ravaged Beach. Act 1 has started. Pick up these companions in the first hour:

• Shadowheart: on the beach if you freed her. If not, she is nearby at a sealed crypt door.
• Astarion: on the trail west of the wreck. He tries a trick on you. Play along or talk him down, then recruit him.
• Gale: use the glowing rune circle near the Roadside Cliffs. A hand reaches out of a portal. Pull him out.
• Lae'zel: if you didn't take her on the ship, she hangs in a cage north of the Roadside Cliffs, guarded by two tieflings. Talk them into letting her down.

Next, explore the ruins north of the wreck. Inside the Dank Crypt you find Withers in a sarcophagus. He moves to your camp and later revives and respecs your companions for gold.

3. The Emerald Grove

Follow the road to the grove. Goblins are attacking the gate. Join the fight. Wyll fights on your side here. Keep him alive, because he is your next companion.

1. Inside, talk to Zevlor, leader of the tiefling refugees. This starts Save the Refugees.
2. Go to the inner grove. Kagha, the acting druid leader, has caught a tiefling girl, Arabella, stealing an idol. Talk her down to save Arabella.
3. Kagha is starting a ritual to seal the grove, which would throw the refugees out. Only the archdruid Halsin can stop it, and he went to the goblin camp and didn't return.
4. Find the healer Nettie about your parasite. Be careful with what you agree to.
5. Recruit Wyll in the tiefling area, where he trains the children.

Kagha is secretly working with the Shadow Druids. If you find proof in the swamp area and confront her, you can turn things around in the grove. This is optional but worth it.

4. Blighted Village, Karlach and the Owlbear

West of the grove is the Blighted Village, full of goblins. Clear it from the high ground. Watch for the well here: it leads to the Whispering Depths, home of a phase spider matriarch and one of the ways down to the Underdark.

Wyll's quest, Hunt the Devil, sends you after a "devil" on the Risen Road. Follow the trail of blood south of the Toll House and you find Karlach. Talk to her before fighting. She is a tiefling running from a hell, and you can recruit her. If Karlach joins first, Wyll may confront her at camp. You can calm him and keep both.

Near the village is the Owlbear Nest. The owlbear hits very hard. Go in rested, or leave it for later.

5. Auntie Ethel and Mayrina

At the Riverside Teahouse by the swamp you meet a kind old woman, Auntie Ethel. She is a hag. She has taken a young woman, Mayrina, to her lair below the teahouse.

Boss: Auntie Ethel

• She turns invisible and makes copies of herself. Each copy disappears after one hit.
• Magic Missile and Scorching Ray are great here: each dart or ray can hit a different copy.
• Free Mayrina from her cage during the fight.
• Shoving Ethel into the chasm in the middle of the room is a strong trick.

When she is beaten she begs for her life. Making a deal gets you a reward, but listen carefully to what she offers. Fighting her to the end has its own rewards.

6. The Goblin Camp and the three leaders

The Goblin Camp is in the west, around the Shattered Sanctum. The parasite makes the goblins think you are one of them, so you can walk in. Inside are the three leaders:

• Priestess Gut: she offers to remove your parasite. It's a trap.
• Dror Ragzlin: a big hobgoblin in the throne room.
• Minthara: a drow paladin. She wants the grove's location.

Rescue the Druid Halsin: Halsin is held in the Worg Pens, through an ornate door in the sanctum. Free him and he fights with you as a bear. He helps a lot against the leaders.

Tip: if you want to recruit Minthara later while still saving the grove, turn on Non-Lethal Attacks in your passives and knock her out with melee hits. If she dies, she is gone for good. She appears again at Moonrise Towers in Act 2.

7. The big choice: save or raid the grove

You can kill the three leaders, or tell Minthara where the grove is and attack it with the goblins. Here is what each path means:

Don't leave for Act 2 before you settle this. If you leave the region without dealing with the grove, the refugees pay for it. On a first run, saving the grove keeps the most companions and quests open.

Tips for this part

• Take a long rest after big events. Many companion scenes only play at camp.
• Keep one character with good Perception in the party to spot traps and hidden levers.
• Throw bottles of explosives, use grease and fire, and push enemies off ledges. The goblin fights get much easier.
• Talk to every companion after each long rest. Their approval opens their personal quests later.
• Save before every boss and every big conversation. Some choices can't be undone.

My take

I love how open Act 1 is, but that's also why people stall in it. My advice: do the grove, the village, Ethel and the goblin leaders, then move on before you burn out. Did you side with the grove or with Minthara on your first run?

FAQ

How long is Act 1 in Baldur's Gate 3?

It's the longest act for many players. Expect around 20 to 30 hours if you explore and do side quests, less if you rush the main story.

Should I fight Commander Zhalk?

Only if you want the Everburn Blade and don't mind reloading. Running to the transponder is safer and costs you nothing important.

Can I get Wyll and Karlach and still recruit Minthara?

Yes. Save the grove, but knock Minthara out with non-lethal melee attacks instead of killing her. You can then recruit her at Moonrise Towers in Act 2.

Where do I find Halsin?

In the Worg Pens inside the Shattered Sanctum at the Goblin Camp. He becomes a full companion later, in Act 2.

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