BG3 Act 1 Tips: Resting, Stealth, Saving and More

The most useful Act 1 tips in Baldur's Gate 3 are to use your two short rests between long rests, keep at least 40 camp supplies ready, scout with stealth before fights, and shove enemies off ledges when you can. Save before anything risky, and check off time-sensitive events before you take a long rest or leave for the Rosymorn Monastery Trail.

The rules below follow bg3.wiki's current pages, and Patch 8 is the game's final major patch. Spoilers are limited to quest names and locations, and the table with minor consequences is marked.

When should you rest in BG3 Act 1?

You get two short rests per long rest, with no trip to camp required. A short rest restores up to half of each active party member's maximum hit points, along with class resources such as Warlock spell slots, Fighter Action Surge, Monk Ki and Cleric Channel Divinity. Bench a companion and they do not benefit, so check who is in the party first.

Long rests refill everything, including those two short rests. They also trigger many companion scenes, so resting is not wasted time. The cost is that they advance some timed events, covered in the table below. A sensible habit: long rest when you are low on spell slots and have no open timed quest nearby.

How do camp supplies work?

A full long rest costs 40 camp supplies on standard settings and 80 on Tactician or Honour. One guide consulted lists only the 40 figure and does not mention difficulty, but bg3.wiki gives both.

• Food is your supply. Nearly every food and drink has a supply value, and it is shown in the item description.
• Big items matter. A Supply Pack is worth 40 on its own and has a listed price of 40 gold, and an Owlbear Egg is also worth 40. Ordinary food is worth far less: bread gives 5, an apple 3 and a Hearty Dinner 15.
• Extra food is wasted. Consuming more than the requirement gives you nothing extra.
• Partial rests are an option. If you are short, you still regain half your hit points and half your spell slots, but your two short rests do not come back.

How do stealth and surprise work in BG3?

Hold Left Shift (the default key) to see enemy vision cones. Stay outside every cone and you cannot be spotted. Inside a cone, what happens depends on the ground you are on: a Clear Area or melee range means instant detection, Lightly Obscured means a Stealth check against passive Perception each turn, and Heavily Obscured means no check at all. Heavy armour and most Scale Mail and Half Plate impose disadvantage on Stealth.

Surprise is the payoff. A surprised enemy cannot take actions or reactions until the end of the round, so its first turn is effectively gone. To set one up:

1. Hide the whole party, including pets.
2. Ungroup so one character can move on their own while the others wait back.
3. Move the ambusher into position from outside enemy cones.
4. Start the fight from within line of sight of the target.

Melee attacks always work for this, and ranged weapon attacks work from melee range. Spells are inconsistent: Eldritch Blast and Fear work at range, while Fireball and Witch Bolt only work up close, and Magic Missile does not work. The wiki notes those spell results come from testing that is not exhaustive. Grenades do not count unless your target is already Ambushing.

How do shove and jump work?

Both cost a bonus action, so most characters can use one every turn and still attack.

Shove is one of the strongest early tools. A shove into a chasm is always lethal, regardless of the target's hit points, and falls of 4 m or more deal damage. A fall of around 8 m also knocks the target prone. You need a valid landing spot, since a target will not move if a wall is in the way. Allies can be shoved with no check, which lets you move a companion out of a bad spot. Push distance runs from 1 m to 6 m on level ground, based on your Strength and the target's weight.

Jump gets you over gaps and up onto ledges, and often opens a route to a loot chest or an upper floor. Strength adds 1 m of distance for every 2 points above 10, and falling more than 4 m can hurt, so check your landing. Keep inventory weight under control so you do not lose this option.

How should you save in BG3?

On PC, quicksave is F5 and quickload is F8 by default, and both can be rebound. Sources disagree on what F8 loads: one says your most recent save of any type, another says your most recent quicksave. Avoid the problem by loading from the menu when it matters. Make a separate manual save before major conversations, big fights, and any time you are about to long rest or leave an area. Honour mode is the exception: it has a single save file, overwritten automatically, so there is no reloading.

What should you not miss in Act 1?

Minor spoilers ahead: this table names quests and their time limits, but not their outcomes beyond what you risk losing.

Withers is the priority for practical reasons. He respecs characters for 100 gold and resurrects them for 200, and he handles hirelings from level 3. Meeting him early also gives you a safety net if your party composition needs adjusting, as the companion guide discusses.

Recruit your party quickly as well. Shadowheart and Lae'zel can both move elsewhere as the story progresses, and the beginner class guide can help if you are still weighing up your own character.

When does Act 1 end, and what closes off?

The big warning sign is the route west from the Mountain Pass to the Rosymorn Monastery Trail. The game warns you there to finish loose ends, because going on automatically resolves several quests. Entering the Shadow-Cursed Lands starts Act 2 and resolves events based on your progress. Attacking druids in the Grove can also seal it off, so explore the Grove before you start any trouble there. Many side quests are tied to a specific area, so finish what you can in each one before moving on.

FAQ

How often should I long rest in Act 1?

There is no fixed rule. Rest when your spell slots or health run low, and first check whether you have just walked past a timed event, like the ones in the table above. Long rests also unlock companion scenes.

Should I drink or throw healing potions?

Drinking a Potion of Healing costs a bonus action and restores 2d4+2 hit points. Throwing costs an action, so it is mainly for reaching a distant ally. Aim at the ground near them, because a direct hit does damage first and can kill someone close to death.

How do I revive a downed companion?

Use the Help action within 2 m to get them back on their feet. Help also clears some conditions, such as Burning and Prone. If a companion has died, Withers can resurrect them for 200 gold.