A Baldur's Gate III field guide
A melee control build that turns flourishes and area attacks into guaranteed critical Divine Smites.
Quick build guide
Level as a College of Swords Bard through level 7. At character level 8, respec into Paladin 2 / Bard 6, then take Bard to level 10.
Character creation
Skills: Take Athletics, Deception, and Persuasion. At Bard 3, take Expertise in Persuasion and Deception.
Level 1 spells: Friends, Minor Illusion, Longstrider, Sleep, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and Disguise Self.
Level 8 respec: Start Paladin with 16 STR, 8 DEX, 14 CON, 10 INT, 10 WIS, and 16 CHA. Gloves of Dexterity set DEX to 18. The Potion of Everlasting Vigour can raise STR to 18; Strength elixirs are the alternative.
Combat loop
Endgame equipment
Select an item to jump to where and how to get it.
Level by level
The level-8 respec preserves Extra Attack while adding Divine Smite and Great Weapon Fighting.
Bardic Inspiration; starting cantrips and spells
Healing Word, Jack of All Trades, Song of Rest
Choose College of Swords, Dueling, Hold Person
Light, Enhance Ability, Feat: Great Weapon Master
Glyph of Warding, Font of Inspiration, Bardic Inspiration d8
Extra Attack, Countercharm
Knock
Respec: Oath of Vengeance, Divine Smite, Great Weapon Fighting, Command
Knock
See Invisibility, Feat: Savage Attacker
Hold Monster
Dimension Door; Magical Secrets: Misty Step and Counterspell; Expertise in Performance and Deception
Acquisition checklist
Filter by act to see what to collect now and what to prepare for later.
Route notes contain names and locations. Major story outcomes are omitted unless they determine whether an item can be obtained.
Prologue, Wilderness, Underdark, and the Mountain Pass
Goblin Camp · X: -70, Y: 439
Find Crusher in the Goblin Camp courtyard. Loot the ring from him, steal it by kissing his foot, or pass the intimidation checks and kill him after he walks to the bridge.
Do not leave the camp without taking the ring from Crusher.
Grymforge · X: -854, Y: 780
Loot them from True Soul Nere after dealing with him at the cave-in.
Do not leave Grymforge without looting Nere.
Crèche Y'llek · X: 1380, Y: -798
Buy them from quartermaster A'jak'nir Jeera inside the crèche.
Shop before your choices in the crèche turn its inhabitants hostile.
Shattered Sanctum · X: 298, Y: 66
Take them from Dror Ragzlin's locked treasure crates behind the iron gate in the Shattered Sanctum.
Blighted Village · X: 29, Y: 405
Open the locked Moss-Covered Chest beside the Blighted Village waypoint.
AC 14 · Enchantment +2
See BG3 Wiki
Buy it from Grat the Trader in the Goblin Camp. He sells it regardless of character level.
Shop before the goblin camp becomes hostile.
Enchantment +1 · 1d8 + 1 Slashing
Crèche Y'llek · X: 1380, Y: -798
Buy it from quartermaster A'jak'nir Jeera inside the crèche.
Shop before your choices in the crèche turn its inhabitants hostile.
Enchantment +1 · 1d8 + 1 Slashing
Underdark · X: 116, Y: -192
Find the sword embedded in stone near the Selûnite Outpost. Pass the Strength or Religion check to draw it; a drow can instead offer blood without a check.
Last Light Inn, Moonrise Towers, and the Gauntlet of Shar
Prepare in Act II · Obtain in Act III
For Ferg to trade while Shadowheart is nearby in Act III, let Shadowheart kill the Nightsong. Otherwise, plan to approach Ferg without Shadowheart.
Check prerequisite ↗
Gauntlet of Shar · X: -821, Y: -752
Open the opulent chest in the vault room near Balthazar's chamber in the Gauntlet of Shar.
Last Light Inn · X: -31, Y: 130
Buy it from Quartermaster Talli near the waypoint.
Shop while Last Light Inn is safe and Talli is available.
Mason's Guild · X: 107, Y: -758
Open the locked and trapped Gilded Chest in the secret basement beneath the Mason's Guild.
Gauntlet of Shar · X: -833, Y: -729
Complete the Self-Same Trial. Pick up the ring where the player character's shadow copy fell, near the brazier.
It lies loose on the ground and is easy to miss. A shadow defeated with Control Undead does not drop it.
Moonrise Towers · X: -128, Y: -193
Buy it from Araj Oblodra on the main floor before the assault on Moonrise.
Fallback: if Araj survives and you miss it here, she can sell it at Crimson Draughts in the Lower City during Act III.
Enchantment +3 · 1d6 + 3 Piercing
Shadowfell · X: -604, Y: -1431
Bring Shadowheart and the Spear of Night into the Shadowfell. Let Shadowheart kill the Nightsong; Shar rewards her with the spear when the party leaves.
This outcome kills the Nightsong and permanently commits Shadowheart to Shar's path.
AC 15
Last Light Inn · X: -31, Y: 130
Buy it from Quartermaster Talli near the Last Light Inn waypoint.
Shop while Last Light Inn is safe and Talli is available.
Rivington, the Lower City, and the places beneath
Jungle · X: -1566, Y: -1522
Expose Akabi's rigged game at the Circus of the Last Days. In the jungle, climb the southern ledges and take the ring from the backpack near the overlook.
Collect it before using the portal out of the jungle; you cannot return.
AC 14
Murder Tribunal · X: -1263, Y: 511
Become an Unholy Assassin at the Murder Tribunal, then buy it from the Echo of Abazigal.
Becoming an Unholy Assassin requires killing Valeria during the tribunal.
Devil's Fee · X: -38, Y: 17
At the Devil's Fee, reveal Helsik's genuine infernal wares through dialogue to unlock her special stock, then buy the cloak.
Enchantment +1 · 1d8 + 1 Piercing
Rivington · X: 43, Y: -101
Buy it from Ferg Drogher near the Requisitioned Barn in Rivington.
If Shadowheart is nearby, Ferg only trades when she killed the Nightsong. Leave Shadowheart at camp if you did not follow that path.
Try another item, location, or character name.