Because many players share the feeling of missing things in Acts 1, 2, and 3, I’ve got a solution for you. Here’s a Baldur’s Gate 3 Act 1 checklist so you can check off all the things you should accomplish before entering the next Act.
During my first playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, I swore I had found everything I could in Act 1 before traversing into Act 2. The same went for the second Act before I went into the third. Both times I was wrong, there were so many things I’d missed and wished I’d checked out.
Everything you should finish before completing Act 1 in Baldur’s Gate 3
I’ll preface this by saying the things listed here aren’t every single quest you can complete. Most players will do the most typical quests, like taking down the goblin camp leaders or rescuing Halsin. All of the tasks here are things you may have missed or forgot to complete. Many of these things I completely missed from my first playthrough, and I’m kicking myself for not realizing it! Otherwise, here is the Baldur’s Gate 3 Act 1 checklist for you to finish before moving on to Act 2.
My general advice to make sure you don’t miss anything in Baldur’s Gate 3 is to be as thorough and curious when exploring as possible. Even in a party that’s constantly exploring every nook and cranny of the game, I’m missing things in each Act. While there will always likely be a little thing here or there that you miss, you’ll experience a huge chunk of the game if you stay curious.
Druid Grove
- Investigate the beach: Did you know there’s a beach area northeast of the Druid Grove? I didn’t either, until my second playthrough. Here, you can rescue a tiefling child from a group of harpies. There is also some loot around here too.
- Help Alfira: I didn’t get a good chance to hang out with Alfira in Act 1, nor did I finish her quest. In the relatively same area as the beach, Alfira needs your help to finish her song.
- Save Sazza: If you save Sazza the Goblin, imprisoned in the Druid Grove, she’ll help you get into the goblin camp and convince Minthara to trust you. This also means you’ll band with the goblins to attack the grove, but you get Minthara as a companion.
- Strange Ox: Although this Ox later appeared for me in Act 2, you can always deal with it sooner rather than later. Just make sure to have Speak with Animals cast, and you can discover this isn’t your typical Ox.
- Talk to Dammon: Dammon is the key to making narrative (and romantic) progress with Karlach, so make sure to speak with him and give him Infernal Metal.
Wilderness
- Scratch and the Owlbear Cub: Both these furry companions can live at your camp if you say the right things to them. Luckily, we have a guide on that!
Risen Road
- Missing Shipment: By the cave with the gnoll hoard and the two trapped people, there’s a locked chest inside the cave. In this chest, you can find an Iron Flask with a Beholder inside!
- Find Karlach and defeat the group of Paladins: You’ll find Karlach on the north side of the river. Together, you can defeat the Paladins chasing her down.
Blighted Village
- Necromancy of Thay book: You can find this creepy book in the cellar. The key to unlocking this book is the Dark Amethyst in the Whispering Depths.
- Finish the Masterwork Weapon: In this village you can find a blacksmith’s building with instructions for creating a weapon. Wait until you get to the Underdark for the key to creating this weapon.
- Kill the ogres: If you defeat the ogres in one of the buildings, you can get a circlet that increases your Intelligence score to 17.
- Find the bugbear and orge interaction: In a barn near the north end of the Blighted Village is a can’t-miss interaction between a bugbear and an ogre.
- Rescue the gnome on the windmill: Defeat all the goblins torturing Barcus the gnome on the windmill. I convinced them to stop and go away, but only try that if you have high Charisma or want to use the Absolute dialogue option.
- Fight the Spider Matriarch: You definitely don’t want to miss the really intense and fun battle against the Spider Matriarch. This is found in a cave in a cellar in the Blighted Village.
- Interact with the Ornate Mirror: In another cellar in the Blighted Village, you’ll stumble across an Ornate Mirror. If you answer its questions correctly, you’ll get some good loot.
Related: All time-sensitive quests in Baldur’s Gate 3
Goblin Camp
- Loviatar’s Blessing: Speak with the Loviatar worshipper Abdirak and endure the pain he gives from hitting you to gain a permanent buff.
- Rescue Volo: Although Volo can be a pain and a bore at times, he can provide you with another permanent buff at your camp, and aid in the final battle in Act 3.
- Owlbear Cub: I’m listing this cub here again because once you find him in the Owlbear Cave, you can’t guide him to your camp until you find him again at the camp.
Putrid Bog
- Save Mayrina: If you haven’t done it yet, face the hag at the Riverside Teahouse and save Mayrina.
- Gur hunter: Gandrel the Gur hunter is after Astarion, and you can engage in an interesting conversation if Astarion is in your party.
- Interact with the Addled Frog: You’ll find a suspicious frog in the Putrid Bog that is fun to interact with.
- Fight then enemies at the Druid Sanctuary: In the south region of the Putrid Bog, found after jumping across some rocks, you’ll find a different Druid Sanctuary filled with imps and wood elementals. It’s a fun fight you don’t want to miss.
Waukeen’s Rest
- Zhentarim Hideout: In a building with the entrance blocked by crates, move the crates to find the entrance to a Zhentarim secret Hideout. You can also free an artist here. This is also where you progress the “Missing Shipment” quest.
- Save the survivors from the burning building: Upon reaching Waukeen’s Rest, you can charge into the burning building and break down a door to free a survivor.
Mountain Pass
- Blood of Lathander: You can get an amazing legendary mace if you follow our guide!
- Lae’zel’s personal quest: If you find the gith creche and try to cure Lae’zel, it won’t work, and you’ll soon discover not all is what it seems with Lae’zel and her queen. This helps lead Lae’zel down a good ending for her and the githyanki.
- Githyanki egg: Lady Esther wants you to get her a Githyanki egg, and she’ll reward you.
- Help the bluejay: Along the road to the monastery and gith creche, you can talk to a bluejay and help it get its nest back. This includes fighting a group of eagles.
Underdark
- Arcane Tower: There’s a lot of loot and some cool combat you can engage in here. Inside, you can find a Stool of Hill Giant Strength, and if you sit on it, you’ll get the Club of Hill Giant Strength.
- Sword in the Stone: The sword Phalar Aluve is stuck in a stone by the Selunite Outpost.
- Festering Cove: Near the Arcane Tower is the Festering Cove, an area where some fish people worship a fake god.
- Sussur Bark: Use this bark to create the Masterwork Weapon back in the Blighted Village.
- Omeluum: Meet Omeluum and finish his quest in the Mycanoid village to get a Psionic Ring.
- Mourning Frost Staff: If you find and combine Icy Heave, Icy Crystal and Icy Metal, you can create this amazing staff.
- Cure Thulla: Save Thulla, the deep gnome, in the Mycanoid Village.
- Side with the Myconic or the Duergar: Be sure to talk to everyone in the mushroom area and side with Gut or Sovereign.
Grymforge
- True Soul Nere: Either save or let Nere perish. You do get some cool stuff from his body if you defeat him or let him die, though.
- Cursed Monk: Take the Sentient Amulet from the Adamantine Forge to help the Monk’s spirit. This is found in a chest past the lava (and the lava monster) past the Adamantine Forge.
- Adamantine Forge: Find mithril ores to make some of the best gear in the game, and you can fight Grym, a difficult boss
That’s the completed Act 1 checklist for Baldur’s Gate 3. Naturally, I’m probably missing a thing or two, but this list includes everything my nosey party found as we played through Act 1. Once you make it to the next Act, you may be looking for an Act 2 checklist.
