Baldur’s Gate 3, even in its Early Access release version, is an immense game that has captivated fans for the past three years. However, the first act remains incomplete, and players have spent considerable time exploring its depths. Despite numerous updates over the years, the initial destinations to visit in BG3 have remained unchanged.
Typically, the game’s narrative should guide players in these directions, but discovering specific locations within the vast world can prove challenging. Upon starting, players must escape the Mind Flayer‘s ship during the tutorial sequence. Beyond that, the game opens up, allowing players to venture to various places. Those who prioritize visiting these key locations will embark on a thrilling journey, immersing themselves in the full experience that Baldur’s Gate 3 has to offer.
Navigating The Nautiloid in Baldur’s Gate 3
Upon defeating the first boss of Baldur’s Gate 3, which is the extensive character creator, and witnessing the opening cutscenes, players find themselves aboard The Nautiloid, a vessel controlled by Mind Flayers. This section serves as a tutorial to familiarize players with the game’s mechanics, but navigating it can be a bit perplexing.
To exit the starting area, head towards the fleshy door opposite the location where your character woke up. You’ll enter a spacious room worth exploring, and on the other side, there’s an exit. Follow the exterior path to encounter Lae’Zel, battle a group of imps, and meet Shadowheart, who’s trapped inside a Mind Flayer pod. Two paths stem from this penultimate room: one leads to a body holding the key to Shadowheart’s pod, and the other leads to the final confrontation.
Once you’ve freed Shadowheart, proceed to the opposite side of the room from her pod and continue onward until the end. In the final encounter, your Mind Flayer captor instructs you to “connect the transponders.” In reality, all players need to do during this battle is reach the other end of the room and interact with the neural transponders. Focus on defeating enemies targeting your party members and utilize Dash to swiftly reach the other side.
Finding Companions in Baldur’s Gate 3’s Initial Area
After escaping the Nautiloid, players arrive at an unfamiliar location—a beach on the Sword Coast. Avoiding the nearby wreckage, they can follow the coast to encounter Mangled Fisherman bodies and Shadowheart once again. If she was freed on the ship, she will be lying down on the beach; otherwise, she can be found further ahead, banging on a door.
Shadowheart, a Trickery Cleric, is just one of the companions available in this initial area. However, she is the first one players can find before facing (or sneaking past) a pack of Intellect Devourers.
- On the other side of the Intellect Devourer encounter, the Rogue Astarion can be discovered. He initially attempts to attack the player before realizing they both have a Tadpole in their minds.
- After interacting with the Waypoint past the crashed ship, players encounter Gale, a Wizard.
- Close to Gale, around the corner, the Fighter Lae’Zel hangs from a cage above some Tieflings who are unsure whether to kill her or not.
- Further down the path, towards the Druid Grove, players will come across the Warlock Wyll, who joins in the battle to defend the front gate from goblin raiders.
Exploring the Mind Flayer Ship Wreckage in Baldur’s Gate 3
After awakening and adding Shadowheart to your party, the most favorable direction to proceed is into the wreckage of the Mind Flayer’s ship. Within, a few Intellect Devourers remain alive, albeit badly wounded. Two of them are initially located in a small clearing just outside the ship, providing an opportunity for a surprise attack. However, if you delay, they will retreat inside to regroup with the other Intellect Devourers.
Once you’ve dealt with all the threats, make sure to loot their bodies, as well as those of the nearby Mind Flayer corpses and a Treasure Chest on a platform. With the area secure, continue exploring the early stages of Baldur’s Gate 3 to discover more companions nearby and multiple narrative threads to pursue.
Druid’s Grove in Baldur’s Gate 3
After exploring the area around the crashed ship, players will eventually come across a brewing conflict between a camp of Tieflings and humans facing off against a pack of goblins. The distant shouts indicate they are heading in the right direction. When the cutscene concludes, combat ensues, and players can intervene to defeat the attackers and gain access to the Druid Grove.
The Druid’s Grove serves as a bustling hub of activity and side content, offering ways to progress the “main” story by removing the Tadpoles from players’ brains. While there, make sure to have a conversation with Auntie Ethel, who requests meeting at her shack for a cure, Zorru, who advances Lae’Zel’s quest, and either Wyll or Nettie, who will guide players toward the Goblin Camp where they can find the Druid Halsin.
The primary objective in Baldur’s Gate 3 is to remove the Tadpole implanted in your character’s brain during the opening cinematic. There are numerous avenues to explore to achieve this, such as seeking out a Healer like the Druid Halsin or Auntie Ethel, undergoing a cleansing at a Githyanki Creche, or trying other methods available.
Baldur’s Gate 3 emphasizes player agency, allowing you to pursue your goals in various ways. The Tadpole questlines are particularly captivating, even in the Early Access version, as players grapple with the trade-offs of removing the parasite versus the associated costs. For instance, one method may require sacrificing an eye. Engage with NPCs, follow companion quests, and pay attention to dialogue options to naturally discover ways to remove Tadpoles in Baldur’s Gate 3.