By gamingepicenter.com 
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a sprawling, complex RPG that can be daunting for new players unfamiliar with the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ruleset it is based on.
However, with a solid understanding of the game’s core mechanics and systems, new players can quickly get up to speed and begin crafting their own epic adventures in the Forgotten Realms.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an expansive role-playing game filled with rich lore, complex mechanics, and strategic gameplay. For new players, making the right decisions from the start can greatly enhance your gaming experience.
This guide covers crucial aspects such as character creation, class selection, and strategic gameplay elements to help you get started. We will walk you through the essential elements of character creation, exploration, combat, and progression, providing tips and strategies to help you navigate the challenges that lie ahead. So lets dive into Comprehensive Guide for New Players in Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 offers an incredibly deep and flexible character creation system that allows players to craft a protagonist truly unique to their playstyle. As a new player, you’ll start by selecting from a diverse array of playable races, each with their own innate abilities, traits, and roleplaying opportunities.
Next, you’ll choose a class that defines your character’s core combat and magical abilities, with options ranging from the arcane might of the Wizard to the savage fury of the Barbarian. Delving deeper, you can customize your character’s background, which grants additional skills and narrative hooks.
Finally, you’ll distribute ability score increases across key attributes like Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence to fine-tune your character’s strengths. This level of customization allows new players to create a protagonist that feels truly their own, whether they envision a noble Paladin, a stealthy Rogue, or a battle-hardened Fighter.
With so many possibilities, the character creation process in Baldur’s Gate 3 empowers new players to bring their vision to life and embark on an epic adventure tailored to their preferred playstyle.
Choosing Between Origin and Custom Characters
The first decision you’ll face in Baldur’s Gate 3 is choosing between an Origin character and a custom character.
Origin Characters
Origin characters come with predetermined race, subrace, class, and background, offering a guided experience suitable for beginners.
Custom Characters
Opting for a custom character allows players to personalize every aspect of their avatar, except for the Dark Urge origin, which imposes violent tendencies. Read more such articles Gamingepicenter.com
Baldur's Gate 3 Race Choice and Gameplay Impact
Race choice impacts gameplay mechanics such as movement speed and racial features; considerations include role-playing opportunities and min-maxing strategies.
When creating your character in Baldur’s Gate 3, race selection is a crucial first step that can significantly influence your gameplay experience. Each of the game’s playable races, such as Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Tiefling, offers unique abilities, traits, and roleplaying opportunities. For example, choosing a Half-Orc grants powerful racial abilities like Savage Attacks and Relentless Endurance, making them well-suited for melee combat. In contrast, High Elves gain proficiency in a skill of their choice and the ability to cast a cantrip, synergizing well with spellcasting classes.
Races also have distinct appearances, backgrounds, and relationships with other characters in the world. A Drow Elf may face prejudice from surface-dwelling races, while a Githyanki has a special connection to the mind flayers.
Understanding how your chosen race fits into the world and complements your desired playstyle is key to creating a character you’ll enjoy roleplaying. Whether you envision a stealthy Halfling Rogue, a pious Half-Elf Cleric, or a hardy Mountain Dwarf Fighter, race selection in Baldur’s Gate 3 allows you to tailor your character’s identity and abilities from the very start of your epic adventure.
Unique Race Interactions
Certain races like Githyanki offer unique interactions in the game world based on player choices. Dark vision can be crucial for ranged characters in dark areas.
Baldur's Gate 3 Class Selection and Spell Choices
Players are introduced to the variety of classes available in Baldur’s Gate 3 and the subsequent decisions regarding spells or abilities associated with each class.
New players should carefully consider which class best suits their preferred approach to RPGs. Fighters and Barbarians excel at melee combat, leveraging powerful attacks and defensive maneuvers.
Wizards and Sorcerers, on the other hand, focus on casting a wide array of offensive and utility spells, but must manage their limited spell slots. Clerics and Druids blend martial prowess with divine magic, able to both heal allies and smite foes.
Rogues and Rangers specialize in ranged combat, stealth, and skill-based abilities. Regardless of class, spell selection is crucial, as each spell has unique effects, ranges, and resource costs.
New players should experiment with different spell combinations, favoring versatile options like Fireball and Healing Word early on. As you level up, you’ll unlock more powerful spells, allowing you to further customize your character’s capabilities.
By thoughtfully choosing your class and carefully managing your spell selection, new players in Baldur’s Gate 3 can create a character tailored to their preferred playstyle and effectively navigate the game’s challenging encounters.
Baldur's Gate 3 Overview of Classes
Baldur’s Gate 3 offers twelve classes including Monk. Players are advised to align their class choice with preferred playstyles such as magic-focused, melee combat-oriented, or support roles.
Here’s an overview of the 12 classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 and how they align with different playstyles:
Melee Combat-Oriented Classes:
Barbarian
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Primary Ability: Strength
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Proficiencies: Light/Medium Armor, Shields, Simple/Martial Weapons
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Playstyle: Rage-fueled, high-damage melee combatant
Fighter
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Primary Ability: Strength or Dexterity
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Proficiencies: Light/Medium/Heavy Armor, Shields, Simple/Martial Weapons
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Playstyle: Skilled, versatile melee fighter
Paladin
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Primary Ability: Strength, Charisma
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Proficiencies: Light/Medium Armor, Shields, Simple/Martial Weapons
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Playstyle: Righteous, divine-powered melee combatant
Monk
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Primary Ability: Dexterity, Wisdom
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Proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Shortswords
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Playstyle: Agile, unarmed/light weapon specialist
Magic-Focused Classes:
Wizard
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Primary Ability: Intelligence
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Proficiencies: Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows
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Playstyle: Arcane spellcaster, specializes in schools of magic
Sorcerer
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Primary Ability: Charisma
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Proficiencies: Daggers, Darts, Slings, Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows
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Playstyle: Innate spellcaster, can cast spells spontaneously
Warlock
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Primary Ability: Charisma
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Proficiencies: Light Armor, Simple Weapons
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Playstyle: Pact-bound spellcaster, eldritch powers from patron
Cleric
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Primary Ability: Wisdom
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Proficiencies: Light/Medium Armor, Shields, Simple Weapons
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Playstyle: Divine spellcaster, channels power of chosen deity
Druid
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Primary Ability: Wisdom
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Proficiencies: Light/Medium Armor, Shields, Simple/Martial Weapons
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Playstyle: Nature-based spellcaster, can shapeshift into beasts
Support/Utility Classes:
Bard
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Primary Ability: Charisma
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Proficiencies: Light Armor, Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords, Musical Instruments
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Playstyle: Skill-focused support, uses music/performance for buffs/debuffs
Ranger
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Primary Ability: Dexterity, Wisdom
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Proficiencies: Light/Medium Armor, Shields, Simple/Martial Weapons
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Playstyle: Ranged combatant, skilled tracker and explorer
Rogue
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Primary Ability: Dexterity
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Proficiencies: Light Armor, Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords
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Playstyle: Stealthy, high-damage sneak attacker
This covers the key attributes and playstyles of each class in Baldur’s Gate 3. Players should consider their preferred combat style, magical inclinations, and support abilities when selecting a class that best fits their desired role in the party.
Baldur's Gate 3 Important Decision Making for Classes
Selecting the right class is a crucial early decision in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can significantly impact your overall gameplay experience. As a new player, it’s important to carefully consider your preferred playstyle and how different classes align with your desired role within the party.
Do you envision your character as a stalwart melee combatant, unleashing devastating attacks as a Barbarian or Paladin? Or perhaps you’re drawn to the arcane power of a Wizard or Sorcerer, raining down spells from a safe distance?
Alternatively, you may wish to fill a more supportive role, using the Bard’s inspiring music and crowd control abilities or the Cleric’s divine healing and protective magic.
Each class offers a unique set of abilities, proficiencies, and roleplaying opportunities that can dramatically shape your journey through the Forgotten Realms.
Thoughtfully weighing the pros and cons of each option, while also considering how they synergize with potential party members, will ensure you create a character you’re excited to adventure with for hundreds of hours.
The decision-making process may seem daunting, but with a clear understanding of your preferred playstyle, new players in Baldur’s Gate 3 can confidently select the class that will lead them to victory.
The importance of decision-making when choosing classes is emphasized, highlighting the ability to respec classes and specific considerations for Paladins.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Class Selection Considerations
Paladins and Oaths
Paladins have unique subclasses known as Oaths that impact role-playing aspects.
Oaths and Tenets
Different Oaths like Ancients, Devotion, or Vengeance require adherence to specific tenets affecting gameplay. Breaking Oaths leads to consequences such as changing subclass features to an “oath breaker.”
Roleplay Implications
Roleplay implications are significant for Paladins compared to other classes with more freedom.
Baldur's Gate 3 Background Influence on Gameplay
In Baldur’s Gate 3, a character’s background is more than just flavor text – it can have a tangible impact on their gameplay experience. The background you choose for your protagonist, such as Acolyte, Charlatan, or Soldier, grants unique proficiencies, skills, and even special abilities that can open up new dialogue options, provide access to restricted areas, or offer creative solutions to challenges.
For example, a character with the Urchin background may have an easier time picking locks or sneaking past guards, while a Noble could leverage their social status to gain influence with certain NPCs. Backgrounds can also shape your character’s personality, relationships, and roleplaying opportunities, allowing you to further customize your protagonist’s identity.
As a new player, carefully considering how your chosen background synergizes with your class and desired playstyle can give you a significant advantage, both in combat and in navigating the complex narrative of Baldur’s Gate 3.
By understanding how your background informs your character’s capabilities and worldview, you can create a protagonist that feels truly your own and tailor your experience to your preferred style of play.
Earning Inspiration Points
A character’s background influences skills, inspiration points, and skill checks within the game. Earning Inspiration Points by aligning actions with one’s background allows for rerolling dice during skill checks.
Importance of Skills
The importance of skills is highlighted due to numerous skill checks in the game impacting gameplay significantly.
Skill Specialization Based on Character Attributes
Discussion on selecting skills based on primary stats or abilities of characters to optimize gameplay effectiveness.
Skill Specialization Strategies
Emphasizing specialization in skills matching primary stats (e.g., Charisma for Bards).
Tailoring Skills
Tailoring skills based on character roles like stealth for Rogues or strength-based tasks for Barbarians.
Choosing Skills Aligned with Character Traits
Exploring how character traits influence skill selection and gameplay outcomes in various scenarios.
Baldur's Gate 3 Character Creation and Ability Points
When creating a new character in Baldur’s Gate 3, the character creation process allows for a high degree of customization that can significantly impact your gameplay experience.
After selecting your race, which grants innate abilities and roleplaying opportunities, you’ll distribute ability points across key attributes like Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These scores not only determine your character’s raw capabilities, but also unlock access to certain skills, spells, and dialogue options.
Carefully balancing your ability scores to complement your chosen class is crucial, as a Wizard, for example, will want to prioritize Intelligence, while a Barbarian should focus on Strength. Beyond ability scores, you’ll also choose a background that provides additional proficiencies and narrative hooks.
The depth of Baldur’s Gate 3’s character creation system allows new players to craft a protagonist that feels truly their own, with the ability to fine-tune their strengths and weaknesses to suit their preferred playstyle.
By understanding how these foundational choices impact your character’s development, new players can create a strong, well-rounded adventurer poised for success in the Forgotten Realms.
Prioritizing Ability Points
In character creation, it’s crucial to aim for even numbers in all abilities as odd numbers do not provide additional benefits. Focus on ensuring positive ability scores, with emphasis on primary abilities marked with a star.
Class-Specific Modifiers
Consider class-specific modifiers like Charisma for Paladins’ spellcasting despite their primary stat being Strength. Verify your class’s spellcasting modifier (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) and allocate points accordingly.
World Exploration and Skill Checks
Navigating the expansive and richly detailed world of Baldur’s Gate 3 is a crucial skill for new players to master. As you explore the game’s environments, be on the lookout for interactive objects, hidden paths, and environmental clues that can be investigated using a variety of skills.
When approaching a locked door, chest, or other obstacle, try using your character’s Perception, Lockpicking, or Persuasion abilities to bypass it. Successful skill checks not only grant access to valuable loot or new areas, but can also unlock alternative dialogue options and narrative paths. However, failure is always a possibility, so new players should save frequently and experiment with different approaches.
Additionally, the game’s environments are filled with environmental hazards and traps that can be spotted and disarmed through the use of Perception and Survival skills.
Carefully scanning your surroundings and making judicious use of your party’s diverse abilities will ensure you uncover all of the secrets and rewards that Baldur’s Gate 3’s world has to offer.
With patience, observation, and a willingness to try different solutions, new players can become adept explorers, navigating the Forgotten Realms with confidence.
World Exploration Tips
Characters will encounter numerous skill checks during exploration. If one party member fails a check, others can attempt it. Failing perception checks near chests indicates traps or mimics.
Utilization of Various Abilities
Different abilities are essential for various tasks: Strength for moving objects, Dexterity for lockpicking and stealth, Wisdom for perception and survival, and Intelligence for conversations and understanding laws.
Druid Advantages
Utilize characters like Druids who can access small crevices or transform into creatures to explore hidden areas efficiently.
Alchemy Mechanics and Potions
Alchemy is a crucial skill in Baldur’s Gate 3 that allows players to craft powerful potions and other consumable items. By investing skill points into the Alchemy skill, characters can create a wide variety of potions that provide temporary boosts to attributes, grant resistance to certain damage types, or even restore health and spell slots.
Potions are crafted using ingredients found throughout the world, such as herbs, mushrooms, and animal parts. More advanced potions require rarer, high-quality ingredients that can be purchased from specialized vendors or found in challenging areas.
Crafting potions is done through the character sheet, where players can combine ingredients and learn new recipes. Certain classes, like the Artificer, have additional alchemy-related abilities that synergize with the crafting system.
Having a party member skilled in Alchemy can provide a significant advantage, allowing players to create custom potions tailored to their needs. Whether you’re looking to gain an edge in combat, explore more safely, or simply experiment with different recipes, the alchemy system in Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a deep and rewarding mechanic for new players to master.
Crafting Potions
The discussion shifts towards alchemy mechanics within the game, highlighting the benefits of crafting potions.
Strategic Use in Combat
Utilizing potions strategically in combat scenarios can provide significant advantages.
Comprehensive Guide for New Players in Baldur's Gate 3 Final Thoughts
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a rich and immersive game that offers endless possibilities for exploration and adventure. By making informed decisions about character creation, class selection, and gameplay strategies, you can enhance your gaming experience and fully enjoy everything the game has to offer.
As a new player embarking on the epic journey of Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s important to approach the game with an open mind and a willingness to experiment.
The depth and complexity of the game’s systems may seem daunting at first, but by taking the time to understand the fundamentals of character creation, exploration, combat, and progression, you’ll be well on your way to crafting a truly memorable adventure. Remember to savor the rich storytelling, make thoughtful choices that shape the narrative, and don’t be afraid to try new tactics and playstyles.
With a diverse array of classes, races, and backgrounds to choose from, the possibilities for creating a unique protagonist are nearly endless. And don’t forget to lean on the wealth of resources available, from in-game tutorials to community guides, to help you navigate the challenges that lie ahead.
Ultimately, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game that rewards curiosity, creativity, and a spirit of adventure. Embrace the depth of its systems, immerse yourself in its captivating world, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a seasoned Forgotten Realms explorer.
Comprehensive Guide for New Players in Baldur's Gate 3 FAQs
What is the best race and class combination for beginners?
There is no single “best” race and class combo. However, some good choices for new players include:
Human Fighter or Paladin – straightforward melee combat
High Elf Wizard – powerful ranged spellcaster
Hill Dwarf Cleric – hardy frontline healer/support
How do I create a custom character?
In character creation, select “Create Custom” to choose your race, class, background, abilities, appearance, and more. Premade builds are also available if you want guidance.
Can I respec my character later?
Yes, you can respect nearly everything except race and background by finding the character Withers. This allows you to reallocate ability scores, skills, spells, and more.
What is the best party composition?
A balanced party with a tank, healer, rogue, and damage dealer works well. Bring companions that complement your character’s strengths and weaknesses.
How does combat work?
Combat uses 5th edition D&D rules. Each character acts based on initiative. Actions include attacks, spells, dashes, disengages, and more. Elevation, surfaces, and positioning matter.
What are the most important skills?
Key skills for new players include Perception (finding traps/secrets), Persuasion (dialogue options), Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Lore skills for your class.
How do I level up and gain abilities?
You level up after gaining enough experience points from quests and combat. Spend ability score increases on key stats. Unlock new class abilities and spells as you level.
What should I do first in the game?
Explore the starting area, talk to NPCs, complete quests, and gather supplies. Decide if you want to play as a custom character or one of the origin characters.
How do I revive fallen party members?
You can revive unconscious allies with healing spells, potions, or resting. If a character dies, you can resurrect them at shrines or with resurrection spells.
How long is the game?
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massive RPG that can take 100+ hours to complete. The main story is estimated at 60-80 hours, with additional time for side quests, exploration, and replays.