I’ve been playing Baldur’s Gate 3 on Tactician difficulty and recently hit a boss at Grymforge who was immune to all damage at first, which forced me to come up with a clever strategy after wiping a couple of times. Soon after, I encountered another basically invulnerable boss in the darkness. I really enjoy interesting and challenging encounters but I’m curious: how many more bosses or encounters are there that could feel impossible or potentially wreck an Honour Mode run on a first try? I’m wondering if the game is realistically beatable in Honour Mode without guides or prior experience, because while I like a tough challenge, it would be discouraging if there are encounters designed to be unbeatable on the first go. For some context, I’m highly competitive in other games at a top level, so I enjoy the toughest settings but want to manage expectations on this one. Any insights on how brutal Honour Mode is for newcomers and if it’s worth diving straight in would be great. Also, please no spoilers!
5 Answers
Honour Mode is definitely doable, but it heavily depends on how much you know about the game and its mechanics. It’s less about having overpowered builds and more about understanding the encounters and planning ahead, including when to avoid certain dialogues or areas. If you’re new, I’d actually recommend playing Story or Tactician first to get a feel for things, since Honour Mode punishes mistakes very harshly, including game-ending dialogue choices. Once you’ve played through once, it’ll be easier to anticipate and prepare for what’s ahead.
The game definitely expects you to learn from experience in Honour Mode. There’s a handful of bosses with tricky mechanics or invulnerability phases like Grym and the big Act 2 boss you face later, but none are outright impossible. However, a blind Honour Mode run — meaning going in without prior knowledge of enemy tactics, dialogue traps, or item use — is very likely to fail. You can keep going after a wipe in a ‘dishonour’ mode but without the achievement. So it’s beatable, but expect to die a lot if you don’t study the game or use guides.
Honestly, beating Honour Mode without any prior experience is a hardcore challenge but far from impossible. Knowing how to use stealth to initiate combat on your terms, using invisibility potions and tactics to focus down enemies before they act, can make a huge difference. You don’t need to min/max to win, just smart play and careful planning. If you love a trial by fire and don’t mind some frustrating deaths, give it a go. But if you want to enjoy the story without constant restarts, Story Mode might serve you better for your first playthrough.
If you want my advice, don’t expect to breeze through Honour Mode on a first run. Many boss fights have legendary actions and special abilities that can surprise you, plus some dialogues can end your run instantly. It’s a real test of strategy and planning. I’d recommend playing through at least once on Tactician to understand enemy moves, managing your party’s resources carefully, and scouting encounters as you go. You’ll want to read enemy examines and prepare for their unique abilities well before jumping in.
Honour Mode can be really unforgiving if you don’t know what you’re getting into. Some dialogue options or choices can instantly trigger unwinnable battles or even game overs without a fight. A solid approach is to have a stealthy character who can safely disengage from bad situations, and always keep some revival items on hand. Being able to retreat and regroup is often key since only a few fights are truly inescapable. Taking it slow and learning from mistakes is part of the experience.
