Starting Baldur's Gate 3 as a New Player: Tips and What to Expect

Pro tip: don’t be afraid to open doors! It might sound silly, but you’ll be surprised what kind of surprises and secret stuff you can find just by poking around.

I’d say don’t stress about starting right away. A big patch is dropping soon that adds new subclasses and spells, so it might be worth waiting a day or two to get those fresh features. Also, your first playthrough is special — try to enjoy the story and make choices based on what sounds fun to you, rather than worrying about the “perfect” build or path. You’ll get plenty of chances to optimize and experiment on later runs.

One small tips is to pay attention to the items and abilities you find — often you can Inspect them to understand special effects that might not be obvious at first. Things like passive checks pop up regularly in dialogue and exploration, so keep an eye out. Also, about those long dialogue parts, if you ever feel impatient, you can skim or skip some bits, but sometimes it’s worth it for the story or the unique options that pop up based on your character.

Welcome to BG3! One thing to keep in mind is that the game doesn’t follow DnD 5e rules exactly, so some mechanics might feel a bit different from what you expect. That said, exploration is definitely worth it — there’s loads to find and experience in the world, and it really adds to the fun. Don’t worry too much about the dialogue; sure, there can be long conversations, but they often lead to interesting story elements and choices that impact your adventure. A good tip is to pick a character with decent Charisma since talking and skill checks play a big role. And save often! You might want to reload if something doesn’t go the way you want.

Don’t forget to quick save a lot (F5 is the key), BG3 can throw some surprises your way, and sometimes reloading an earlier save after a failed interaction or a tough fight saves you some headaches. It’s part of the fun, and helps you experiment with different choices.