15 Things To Complete Before Finishing BG3 Act 1 (2024)

Baldur's Gate 3 is true to its Dungeons & Dragons roots, offering fans nearly endless ways to approach its sprawling world and story. As a result, players can lose hundreds of hours uncovering everything the 2023 Game of the Year has to offer. Act 1 alone can take over 30 hours, with many players taking noticeably longer to explore it all.

At the end of Act 1, however, Baldur's Gate 3 has a point of no return. Although players can return to the areas, many characters move on and the world may change slightly. Therefore, any unfinished side quests are left unresolved if players progress before completing them. Here are the several important things to finish in Act 1 before traveling onwards.

Updated on July 23, 2024, by Antonio Samson: Baldur's Gate 3 has almost endless hours of content for players to enjoy in each of its 3 acts. However, there might be even more to Act 1 than players may have thought. This article was updated to include more entries and to meet CBR's editorial and formatting standards.

Recruit All The Companions And Progress Their Quests

Gather Your Allies And Strengthen Your Party

Players can recruit several companions to join them on their mission in Act 1. A maximum of three can accompany the player at a time, with the rest waiting at the group's camp. The first companion that players encounter will be Lae'zel. She joins the player on the Nautiloid ship at the very start of the game, but once on land, she needs saving from a hanging cage just North of the crash site. While on the Nautiloid ship, players can also free another companion, Shadowheart, from a Nautiloid pod, and she'll automatically join the party at the beach crash site.

Astarion, a high-elf vampire spawn Rogue, is to the North of the crash site, and Gale, a human Wizard, is nearby, crying for help from a magic portal. Players can pull him out to have him join the party. As the story progresses, players will reach Emerald Grove and meet Wyll, who can be recruited after speaking with him once inside the grove. He's hunting a demon named Karlach, who can be recruited if the player convinces Wyll not to kill her.

Finally, players can choose to recruit Minthara, one of the evil Goblin leaders, but doing so will make both Wyll and Karlach immediately leave, so it's a steep price to pay. Minthara can also be recruited in Act 2 at Moonrise Towers if the player knocks her unconscious rather than killing her when they battle her. Each companion also has their questline. Although they won't be completed in Act 1, players must follow up on as many leads as possible before progressing.

Discover The Secrets Of The Decrepit Village

Unveil The Hidden Mysteries Of The Haunted Ruins

The Decrepit Village in the Underdark is a place shrouded in mystery and haunted by restless spirits, and players are tasked with uncovering the dark secrets that led to the village's downfall. This quest involves exploring the eerie ruins, solving ghostly puzzles, and battling spectral enemies.

As players delve deeper into the village's history, they will find clues that piece together the tragic events. The exploration is dangerous, as malevolent spirits and undead creatures guard the village's secrets. Players must use combat skills and wits to survive and uncover the truth.

Complete The Redcaps' Revenge

Defend The Enchanted Forest From Malevolent Creatures

Players will encounter the mischievous and dangerous redcaps in the Enchanted Forest of the Underdark. These malevolent creatures are plotting to take over the forest, causing havoc and threatening the local flora and fauna. Players must intervene to stop the redcaps and restore peace to the forest.

This quest involves several stages, starting with tracking down the redcaps' hideout and battling waves of these vicious creatures. Players must be prepared for challenging combat encounters, as the redcaps are formidable opponents with unique abilities. The quest culminates in a showdown with the redcap leader, a powerful enemy who requires strategic planning and teamwork to defeat.

Solve The Puzzle At The Selunite Outpost

Navigate Traps And Discover Ancient Treasures

The Selunite Outpost, hidden deep within the Underdark, is a treasure trove of ancient history and powerful artifacts. Players venturing into this mysterious location will be rewarded with valuable loot and intriguing lore. The Outpost is filled with traps and puzzles that require careful navigation and problem-solving skills.

Players must use their wits to deactivate traps and unlock arcane doors that guard the Outpost's secrets. The ultimate goal is to uncover the hidden treasures within, including the Selunite Prayer Sheet, which provides valuable insights into the history of the Selunite faith. Additionally, the Moon Lantern found here is crucial for navigating dark areas without fear of being attacked by shadow creatures.

Recruit Withers To Your Camp

Find The Mysterious Lich And Unlock New Abilities

Creating a character for Baldur's Gate 3 can be a daunting task. Not only are there many customization options, but things like race, class, and background can impact how the game plays out. Fortunately, players can re-specialize their character by paying Withers a reasonable amount of coin.

Withers is found in the Dank Crypt to the North of the Nautiloid crash site. Once players speak to him he'll head back to the party's camp regardless of their dialog choices. Players can talk to him to change their class, skills, and ability scores. He can also revive dead companions and sell Hirelings who can join the party for a set amount of gold. Given everything he offers, it's important players find him early on.

Meet The Cambion Raphael

Engage With The Devilish Charmer And His Intriguing Quests

One of the most interesting characters in Baldur's Gate 3 — and one of the most brilliantly voiced characters — is the cambion, Raphael. Depending on the player's choices, he's one of the most cunning side characters that the player will square off against or deal with.

Raphael can be found in multiple places and situations in Act 1, though, his initial appearance is unassuming. Introducing himself to the player as a mysterious human, he reveals himself to be a cambion — a half-fiend, half-mortal — and offers a bargain with the player. What results is one of the most compelling long-form questlines in Baldur's Gate 3, spanning all three Acts. Raphael's story arc with the player blends into the main questline to a point, even bleeding into certain Companion Quests like Lae'zel's.

Find The Missing Shipment

Track Down Clues And Uncover Hidden Treasures

As players explore the early areas, they'll likely encounter some dying hyenas on the road Northwest after crossing the river to the North of the Blighted Village. Players should search the nearby corpse of the Dead Caravan Agent to find a note entitled "Shipment Orders," which starts the side quest "Find the Missing Shipment."

The blood trail will eventually lead to a cave, where two men guard a magical chest from a pack of knolls. The knolls put up a tough fight, so players might want to attempt it towards the end of the Act. The two men guard the missing shipment, which can either be taken to the tavern in Waukeen's Rest later in Act 1, or sold to a fence in Baldur's Gate. Although it's not the most important quest, it highlights to players how random encounters and exploration can reap huge rewards in loot and intriguing new storylines.

Defeat The Goblin Camp And Their Leaders Or The Tieflings/Druids

Choose Your Allies And Shape The Fate Of The Emerald Grove

Players learn that Emerald Grove is being attacked by goblins early in the story. The Grove's Druid leader, Halsin, is also linked to the game's main story and can be freed from the Worg Pens deep inside the goblin camp. Completing these quests is useful for several reasons. Firstly, it's a great way to build XP and level up the party, which makes a real difference to the game's difficulty. It's also a good idea to free Halsin as he can later be recruited as a powerful companion in Baldur's Gate 3's Act 2.

Players can also free the bard, Volo, from the goblin camp. He doesn't become a companion but stays with the party at their camp. He's interested in the player's Mindflayer Parasite and offers to try and remove it. He's ultimately unsuccessful and if players endure the entirety of his surgery, he'll accidentally remove their eye instead. Fortunately, as an apology, he replaces it with an eye that can see invisibility, which is incredibly useful. Overall, this side quest is hugely important and not to be missed.

Players can also side with the goblins and their leaders, joining forces with Minthara to take out the Druid Grove and Tieflings. Doing this results in the loss of party members Wyll and Karlach, but Minthara can take their place in a dark playthrough. This would also mean giving up an alliance with a future companion, the Druid Halsin, so choose carefully.

Recruit The Ogres In The Blighted Village

Negotiate With Brutes For Powerful Allies Or Loot

Players can find a trio of ogres in a ruined house southwest of the Blighted Village. The result of this encounter can go one of two ways and players will need to weigh up the pros and cons of each to decide their course of action. The first, and perhaps most instinctive option, is to fight them. This can be a tough fight for lower-level parties, but it's easier if players attack from the house's rooftop to avoid facing them in a melee battle. The reward for defeating them is a powerful headpiece that raises the wearer's Intelligence stat to 17.

However, one of the ogres, fittingly named Lump the Enlightened, seems more with it than the others because of the headpiece. He's willing to have a proper conversation. Through talking with him, players can pass several dialog checks, including a DC 20 check on either Persuasion or Deception to recruit them via the sound of a horn to aid the party in times of need. The caveat is that the ogres expect to be paid a large sum — 1,000G in the first instance and 5,000G after. It's also worth noting that refusing to pay them later will initiate combat, where players can still loot the powerful headpiece.

Deal With Auntie Ethel

Confront The Sinister Hag And Save The Innocent

The swamp to the Southwest of the Blighted Village is home to one of Act 1's most memorable quests. Players will meet two brothers, who insist that an elderly woman, Auntie Ethel, has kidnapped their sister Mayrina. Auntie Ethel can be found inside the Riverside Teahouse, encouraging Mayrina to finish a pie as she's pregnant and eating for two. She'll offer to help remove the player's parasite, but it's strongly suggested that players don't take up her offer, as it results in several long-lasting negative consequences.

Auntie Ethel reveals herself as a hag and disappears deeper into the Teahouse, taking Mayrina with her. Following after her will result in a tough, but enjoyable boss fight with Auntie Ethel in her powerful hag form, where players must also save Mayrina from a burning cage by dousing the fire, either with magic or thrown water. Once Auntie Ethel is defeated, players can explore her Teahouse further, finding several strange Baldur's Gate 3 potions — some beneficial and some harmful.

However, depending on the player's dialogue choices when talking to the rescued Mayrina, this storyline develops further in a side quest found in Act 3. Once the party finally reaches Baldur's Gate, it will be well worth it for players to explore and pursue any leads that seem reminiscent of these misadventures in Aunty Ethel's Teahouse.

Talk To The Gur Hunter Outside Auntie Ethel's Teahouse

Face A Starion's Past And Make Crucial Decisions

Coming across a monster hunter isn't exactly on Astarion's list of exciting things to do and, depending on the player's choices, it has long-term repercussions that play very nicely into Astarion's overall companion quest. The Gur are searching for Astarion when the player's party happens upon Gandrel outside Auntie Ethel's. With Astarion in the party, there are a few options, including turning him over to Gandrel. While there are certainly players who might enjoy letting the monster hunter take their spawn companion away, there is also an option for Astarion to confront and kill Gandrel. Additionally, the party can act as though they don't know Baldur's Gate 3's powerful vampire party member, and walk away from a potential fight.

If the party walks away from Gandrel without a fight, they will meet him again in Act 3, and the fact that Astarion didn't murder him on sight the first time they met does have its merits. An Astarion seeking redemption over power will have an opportunity to do something truly noble for the Gur and, while he can still do that if Gandrel is dead, it has a lot more impact if he's still alive the next time the party encounters him at the Gur caravan outside Baldur's Gate.

Rescue Animal Companions And Convince Them To Join Your Camp

Befriend Loyal Creatures For Heartwarming Camp Moments

Players can recruit two animal companions to their camp during Act 1 in some of the game's more wholesome side content. The first is Scratch, the loyal dog who can be found near the Blighted Village, to the North of the bridge that players travel across to reach the village from the Emerald Grove. He'll defensively be by the side of his dead previous owner, who he believes is simply asleep. Players can pass several checks to convince the dog to join their camp. After smelling the protagonist's scent, he'll wander off, eventually arriving at the camp two nights later.

Nearby is a cave with an Owlbear inside. Players can pass several checks to realize she's protecting a cub and convince her they aren't a threat and back away. Even if players fail those checks and fight the Owlbear mother, if they spare and interact with the cub afterward, they'll still have the chance to recruit it. The Owlbear cub is later found at the Goblin Camp and, if players defeat the goblins or persuade them to gift them the cub, it can be recruited to the camp.

With both animals, players must let them sniff their scent to find their way to the camp. The two animals become good friends and provide heartwarming cutscenes and interactions at the camp that players won't want to miss. Scratch — the dog — can even occasionally find items to give the player at camp.

Seek A Cure For The Tadpole

Explore Diverse Remedies And Uncover Hidden Powers

In Act One, just about everyone believes they have a cure for the tadpole plaguing the party, and under ordinary circ*mstances, they would be right. Generally, removing an Illithid tadpole is as easy as fishing it out carefully or potentially plucking out an eye to get at it. As the game progresses, however, it becomes obvious that these are no ordinary tadpoles. Still, it's important to seek out the available options, as each one of the available experts on the situation has some interesting options to offer and dialogue. Even Lae'zel's sworn cure to be found at the Githyanki creche furthers the story, even if the Zaith'isk and its creator offer no real cure and nearly kill whoever uses the machine.

It's equally important to consider that there is no true cure for the tadpole, and losing an eye can be detrimental to the storyline. Besides, there are some pretty intriguing powers to explore after simply accepting that the tadpole is what it is. Not everyone will be keen on using the unique abilities that can be gained. Even so, the player character can certainly take advantage of the fun Mind Flayer abilities that come from consuming other tadpoles they find along the way.

Finish The Masterwork Weapon

Forge A Legendary Weapon With Rare Materials

In the Blighted Village, players will find a well to climb down. A blacksmith's forge is at the bottom, through a cracked wall that players must destroy. Opening a nearby chest and collecting Highcliff's Blueprints will start a side quest to complete the masterwork weapon. To do so, players will require a piece of Sussur bark from a rare Sussur tree.

The Sussur bark can be obtained from the Sussur tree in the Underdark, right next to the Underdark - Beach fast travel point to the North. From here, players can turn Southeast and travel along a branch of the Sussur tree until they reach its trunk, where they can collect a single piece of bark. Combining the bark in the Blighted Village's forge with a sickle, dagger, or greatsword will create a powerful Sussur weapon.

The greatsword is the hardest-hitting and is a great weapon for fighters and other melee builds. If players don't have a greatsword in their inventory, there's conveniently one by the webbed corpses at the bottom of the well. The forged Sussur Greatsword deals a relatively large amount of damage and has the bonus of silencing opponents when it strikes them, making them unable to cast verbal spells.

Save The Grymforge Gnomes

Liberate Enslaved Gnomes And Unravel Dark Plots

During the player and their party's quest through the Underdark, they can meet an Ironhand clan gnome asking to help free other gnomes from the enslavement of the Duergar dwarves. The latter are involved with the grander, more sinister plot by the Absolutist cult.

"Save the Grymforge Gnomes" is a great quest line for more high-stakes storytelling with some consequential dialogue choices. It's also a convenient quest to complete since it'll be on the way for players trying to forge the Masterwork weapon. In the Grymforge, the party will meet the perfectly detestable side villain Nere. The protagonist's interactions with him can lead to bleak tragedy, a heroic triumph, or another opportunity for an evil playthrough.

Use The Adamantine Forge In The Underdark

Create Powerful Gear And Overcome A Formidable Foe

Deep in the Underdark, beyond the rubble at the Grymforge, players will find the giant Adamantine Forge. The easiest way to reach it is to ungroup a party member and give them a Potion of Feather Fall. Then, have them jump off the back of the area next to where Nere was stuck behind the rubble, by the broken Lady Shar statue. A fast travel point awaits at the bottom and the rest of the party can use it to regroup.

Around the area, players can find molds and veins of Mithral rocks which can be attacked to drop Mithral Ore. It's worth noting that there's only enough Mithral Ore to forge two pieces of equipment, so players should choose which molds to use carefully. The armor and shield offer the best long-term benefits, as the weapons will be made redundant by those found in Act 2. Activating the forge also starts a tough boss fight against Grym, who can be lured into the center of the forge and crushed to deal large amounts of damage. The effort it takes to reach and activate the forge is worth it for the benefits.

Fully Explore Both The Underdark And The Mountain Pass

Ensure No Stone Is Left Unturned Before Progressing To Act 2

It can be a little unclear where Baldur's Gate 3's first Act truly ends. Despite confusing warnings, simply entering the Underdark and the Mountain Pass isn't a point of no return. Players must venture through these areas and reach the end (all are flagged with warnings) to complete the Act. Therefore, it's important that players fully explore both of these areas before progressing to ensure they don't miss out.

In the Underdark, for example, players will want to find the Myconid Colony, Grymforge, and Adamantine Forge before taking the elevator in the Grymforge area to start Act 2. The Mountain Pass is a more scenic route to Act 2 and offers several challenges. The most notable is finding and completing the Githyanki Creche quest line and entering the Astral Plane at the end. Once players are satisfied that they've explored both, they should be ready to start the game's second Act.

Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 is arole-playing video gamedeveloped and published by Larian Studios. It is the third main installment in the Baldur's Gate series.

RPG

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Publisher(s)

Larian Studios

Multiplayer

Engine

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

How Long To Beat

100+ Hours

Prequel(s)