Baldurs Gate 3: How to die less often? Baldurs Gate 3 guide, walkthrough

Our guide to BG3 suggests how to die less often and how to keep characters alive. We've prepared practical tips such as how to deal with traps, how to avoid unwanted fights or how to behave after being found on the brink of death.

Last update: 01 August 2023

On this page of our guide to Baldur's Gate 3 you'll find tips on how to die less. Our guide focuses both on threats encountered throughout the entire game, individual battles and unique events that can lead to the death of a teammate.

• Peacefully ending conversations and avoiding combat
• Overworld traps
• Low health
• Recruiting Us, the Intellect Devourer, during the prologue
• Shadowheart in Act 1
• The battle in front of the Druid Grove

Peacefully ending conversations and avoiding combat

1. Not all battles in the game are mandatory. Be especially wary of difficult encounters against groups or elite foes. Give precise orders and respond accordingly to powerful attacks.
2. The main way to avoid combat is by sneaking around and looking for alternate paths. You can sneak past enemies or completely bypass them. You can also sneak around in order to ambush an enemy, gaining an early advantage.
3. Many battles can be avoided by choosing the right behavior and dialogue options during conversations. You can, for example, pass a skill check or convince the other person to accept your point of view. Many quests have peaceful routes bypassing all combat.
4. Before starting each encounter, save the game and examine the enemies. Try to learn their levels, health and unique traits (enemy sheet). In case you discover a weakness (such as vulnerability to fire), change up your equipment or spells.

Overworld traps

1. All traps in BG3 are dangerous. Activated, they deal high damage and can inflict status effects, such as burning or poison. Most are also AoE, able to debuff or injure your entire party.
2. Traps are mainly found in dungeons and near containers. Try to have at least one character with high Perception, as they'll be able to locate some of the traps. Even a pop-up about a failed Perception check can serve as a warning.
3. Save the game before you try to disarm a trap. Failing will trigger the trap AND waste the tools used.

Low health

1. Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't feature automatic health regeneration by default. Some enemies hit very hard, often leaving your character with a sliver.
2. Withdraw your heroes when they're in danger and heal them, as soon as possible - in combat, preferably during the same turn. This will reduce the chances of them dying abruptly, for example, to a critical hit.

Recruiting Us, the Intellect Devourer, during the prologue

1. The prologue of Baldur's Gate 3 isn't too challenging, but you can still make it easier. On board the Nautiloid you'll find a prisoner named Myrnath, triggering a conversation with Us, a talking brain.
2. Try to pass a skill check and remove the brain without destroying it. The Intellect Devourer can join the team for the prologue. Its presence will make the mandatory battles easier, such as the first one against the imps and the battle on the captain's bridge. We've described the puzzle on how to recruit the Intellect Devourer on the Myrnath and the talking brain page.

Shadowheart in Act 1

1. The aforementioned Cleric, Shadowheart, can be freed in the prologue. Unlike Us, you'll meet her again at the beginning of Act 1. She'll be on the beach, or (if you haven't saved her) in front of the Overgrown Ruins entrance. She's easy to recruit - you can't really mess up.
2. Shadowheart will prove herself helpful immediately after, during the first battle against Intellect Devourers in Act 1. You'll encounter them inside the Nautiloid wreckage to the northwest of the beach. Shadowheart has many abilities, such as ranged magical projectiles. All of them prove to be very effective.

The battle in front of the Druid Grove

1. The battle against the goblins in front of the Druid Grove is the most challenging encounter in the first hours of the game. You can theoretically bypass it by entering the grove through a secret passage, but it makes further gameplay unnecessarily more complicated.
2. Fortunately, you're not on your own during this fight. The grove's guardians are your allies here, serving as effective distractions. We recommend attacking the goblins on the outskirts of the battlefield, especially taking down at least a single archer as soon as possible. You can also shove goblins off high ledges and jump to higher positions with your own characters.
3. Try not to use AoE attacks and spells, as they can easily injure or kill the grove's defenders. Though their deaths shouldn't turn the people of the grove hostile, you won't be able to interact with them later and it will weaken the grove's defense as a whole.