Campaign, companions and choices

Baldur’s Gate 3 Guides

Find BG3 help for act transitions, co-op setup, DirectX or Vulkan, the Necromancy of Thay, Shadowheart and Paladin oaths, plus campaign time planning.

Official Baldur’s Gate 3 Steam store header artwork, used only to identify the game.

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Available guides

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Each guide covers one clear task and links back here when you need another route.

01Can You Return to Act 2 from Act 3 in BG3?

Can You Return to Act 2 from Act 3 in BG3?

Learn why Act 3 closes normal travel to Acts 1 and 2 in BG3, how an earlier save changes your options, and what to consider before replaying progress.

02How Long Does Baldur’s Gate 3 Take to Beat?

How Long Does Baldur’s Gate 3 Take to Beat?

Compare dated BG3 completion examples, see why exploration changes the time needed, and turn an illustrative hour budget into a realistic weekly plan.

03DirectX 11 or Vulkan: Choose and Switch on Windows

BG3 DirectX 11 or Vulkan: Choose and Switch on Windows

Compare DirectX 11 and Vulkan on the same BG3 save and settings, switch through the Windows launcher, and understand the limits of dated player reports.

04Necromancy of Thay: Open It and Continue in Act 3

BG3 Necromancy of Thay: Open It and Continue in Act 3

Find the Necromancy of Thay and Dark Amethyst, choose a reader, continue with The Tharchiate Codex in Act 3, and weigh keeping the book against destroying it.

05Shadowheart: Keep Trickery or Choose a New Role?

BG3 Shadowheart: Keep Trickery or Choose a New Role?

Understand Shadowheart’s default Trickery Cleric role in BG3, consider keeping it or respeccing, and choose support or offensive spells for your party.

06Co-op: Start a Campaign and Resume with Friends

BG3 Co-op: Start a Campaign and Resume with Friends

Start a BG3 co-op lobby, choose the campaign host, join character creation, resume the same save, and manage dialogue or a missing player with friends.

07Paladin Oaths: A First-Playthrough Decision Guide

BG3 Paladin Oaths: A First-Playthrough Decision Guide

Decide whether Paladin suits your first BG3 campaign, read your oath’s tenets, consider choices after an oath break, and weigh multiclass tradeoffs.

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