Beginner's Guide to Baldur's Gate 3 | Combat, Dialogue & Camp

Combat System Basics

Baldur's Gate 3 uses turn-based combat rooted in D&D 5e rules. Each character on their turn receives one Action, one Bonus Action, and a Movement allowance based on their speed (typically 9 meters). Understanding how to maximize these resources separates new players from veterans.

Actions are your primary combat resource. They include weapon attacks, most spells, and special abilities like Dash or Help. Bonus Actions are more limited but include off-hand attacks, certain spells like Healing Word, and racial abilities. Movement is free and can be split before and after your Action.

Attack Rolls: Roll a d20, add your ability modifier and proficiency if applicable, and compare to the target's Armor Class (AC). Meet or exceed the AC to hit.
Saving Throws: When targeted by spells or effects, you roll a d20 and add the relevant save modifier. The caster's DC determines the difficulty.
Advantage/Disadvantage: Roll two d20s and take the higher (advantage) or lower (disadvantage). High ground, flanking, and certain conditions grant advantage.
Concentration: Spells like Bless, Haste, and Hex require concentration. Taking damage forces a Constitution saving throw (DC 10 or half damage, whichever is higher) to maintain the spell.

Tip: Always check the combat log (bottom right) to understand why an attack hit or missed. Hovering over enemies shows their AC and resistances.

Environmental Combat

BG3's environments are interactive weapons. Oil barrels explode when ignited, water conducts lightning damage, and poison clouds can be ignited into fireballs. Before every fight, scan the area for environmental advantages.

Element	Interaction	Best Used With
Oil	Explodes when ignited; creates difficult terrain	Fire spells, torches, fire arrows
Water	Creates wet surfaces; conducts lightning	Lightning Bolt, Witch Bolt
Poison Cloud	Damages and poisons creatures inside	Ignition creates fire explosion
Web	Restrains creatures; flammable	Fire to burn trapped enemies
Blood	Created by wounded creatures	Blood of Lathander healing

Warning: Friendly fire is active for most area spells. Fireball will damage your own party members. Position carefully before casting.

Dialogue and Choice Mechanics

Nearly every conversation in Baldur's Gate 3 offers multiple approaches. The dialogue system uses skill checks (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation, Insight) and background tags (Noble, Criminal, Sage) to unlock unique options.

Your ability scores determine dialogue options. High Charisma unlocks persuasive responses. High Intelligence reveals lore and tactical insights. High Wisdom detects lies and hidden motives. Strength and Dexterity occasionally offer physical solutions to conversational problems.

Persuasion: Convince through logic, emotion, or appeal to morality. Best for peaceful resolutions.
Deception: Lie, bluff, and misdirect. Useful for bypassing guards and manipulating enemies.
Intimidation: Threaten and coerce. Effective on cowardly or pragmatic NPCs.
Insight: Detect lies and hidden emotions. Often reveals additional dialogue branches.

Tip: You can switch which party member leads conversations. If your main character has low Charisma, let Gale or Wyll handle persuasion checks.

Camp System and Resting

Your camp serves as a mobile base of operations. Here you can long rest to restore hit points and spell slots, speak with companions about their personal quests, and store excess inventory in the Traveller's Chest.

Short rests are limited to two per long rest and restore hit points through Hit Dice (rolling your class hit die + Constitution modifier). Warlocks regain all spell slots on short rest, making them uniquely sustainable. Long rests advance time and may trigger companion conversations or story events.

Rest Type	Restores	Limitations
Short Rest	Hit Dice healing; Warlock slots; some features	2 per long rest
Long Rest	Full HP, all spell slots, all features	Requires 40 camp supplies; advances time
Partial Rest	Same as long rest but no supply cost	Only available at certain story moments

Warning: Some quests are time-sensitive. Long resting too frequently may cause NPCs to die or events to resolve unfavorably. Balance rest with urgency.

Inventory and Equipment

Equipment in BG3 follows D&D 5e rules with some modifications. Armor Class (AC) is your primary defense. Weapons use either Strength or Dexterity depending on their properties. Magic items range from common +1 weapons to legendary artifacts with unique abilities.

Light Armor: Uses full Dexterity modifier. Best for rogues, rangers, and dex-based fighters.
Medium Armor: Uses Dexterity up to +2. Balanced option for clerics, druids, and paladins.
Heavy Armor: No Dexterity bonus. Highest base AC but requires proficiency and enough Strength.
Shields: +2 AC when equipped. Essential for frontline characters.

Tip: Send all camp supplies and non-essential items to the Traveller's Chest. Individual character inventories have weight limits based on Strength score.