We're Gathering Our Party | Baldur's Gate 3 (Part 2)

[@abessia1494]

Making Astarion play the drums poorly in the midst of combat is *chef's kiss*

[@JWildberry]

That was too good!

[@WynneL]

💯 This person Baldurs gates.

[@Dansull123]

I feel like Joe is going to fall in love with Astarion

[@desertrose0027]

"Gale stop looking at me like that. We're in public." He is very distracting. 🤣 I love Gale, he's my favorite.

[@SatyrOnMain]

Right, the way Gale looks at you all during the game.......talk about swooning.

[@desertrose0027]

@SatyrOnMain he's very good at smoldering. ❤️

[@SatyrOnMain]

@@desertrose0027 True story is true.

[@WynneL]

Galemancers are the cutest. Loved that little smile after he said it's a "relief and a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" I could see the chihuahua meme in my mind again.

[@TheBlackLakeSiren]

I haven't romanced him yet. I'm thinking about it for my next playthrough.

[@omicronarctis]

Dude has never played D&D 5e, never played Baldurs Gate, and he jumps into tactician on his first playthough. What a BOSS! You've earned yourself a sub, buddy.

[@marleyfa845]

They played D:OS2 though, I think. So not completely new to the Larian games. Anyways, impressive either way!

[@newrandomguy4218]

Yeah, but he played Divinity Original Sin intensively. And that's very close to this game.

[@kcw1963]

@@omicronarctis ‘earned a sub’? Like a sandwich? Or like a twink? A la Joey? 😂

[@Aloha-and-utopia]

If you play honor mode it is the hardest one save ONLY and if wipe the party (all dead) the save is deleted IF you do win Honor mode you get GOLD dice (I am on my 3rd try I am on the act 2 that I keep dying at the end of that I did watch video recommend you have lots of bombs for the final boss act 2 (not sure if I will survive act 3 either but I played to the end on tactician (tactician is very hard so you might go down to balance but your choice

[@chiquilloneal]

Yay! Episode 2! Don't be discouraged when you die. Tactician is pretty difficult on a first playthrough. Don't be afraid to use consumables, you get a lot. Use your short rest after each encounter and long rest often. You get plenty of camp supplies and long resting regularly unlocks a lot of story events.

[@ragnar3434]

Especially early on, I feel, even when you know exactly what you're doing.

[@aninterestingname8893]

This is the best advice you can give for this game. Short rest and long rest are vital.

[@SatyrOnMain]

Great advice. Just keep track of your camp supplies. Tactician requires double that of a normal mode.

[@Fairburne69]

Plenty of supplies to be found. More than you could ever need. But you do need to take the time to explore and find them. No need to buy any.

[@unowen04]

The smile when Gale comes out 😍

[@tinahillman3169]

"I strike with precision!" *immediately slips on ice* Bloody hell, Gale, indeed. 😂 I love that dorky wizard.

[@SatyrOnMain]

Must protect Gale at all costs. I think it's a rule. :)

[@WynneL]

That moment was so Gale it hurt. 😂

[@dvdh4856]

peak comedy xD

[@TGSpectre1]

Also. Talk to your companions often. Like, far more often than you would expect. They often have voice lines about the world as it develops around you. There is so much dialogue in this game that only a fraction of players will ever hear.

[@deptusmechanikus7362]

Most of it is in Act1 though.

[@DocHikes]

Play at your own pace. This game is fun, but what makes it great is the player. We're here for you my man. So no complaints from us!

[@velly7535]

So true! 😊

[@wekashipo7507]

Some advice that the game doesn't really emphasize as much as I think it should but I think is important to know if you're playing tactician as a newbie: Resting is trivial and the game wants you to do it often. If you have enough supplies, you don't need to try running on fumes. You can go into the spellbook menu for Gale and Shadowheart and change their spells at any time. You can't do this for Joey because he's a Bard. Clicking portraits when your party members are next to each other in turn order is way bigger than it seems. You can hover over a spell, item, or action and press the T button for more information. If there's keywords, you can hover over those and press T as well. There's often T menus within T menus. Be very mindful about whether Astarion is using his action or bonus action to hide, dash, or disengage. Being able to do one of those things and attack on the same turn are a Rogue's bread and butter. Any spell with the ritual tag is your best friend. You can cast those spells out of combat without expending a spell slot. Guidance is a concentration spell. Casting it doesn't cost a spell slot, but you can only concentrate on one spell at a time. If Shadowheart casts Guidance while concentrating on something else, her concentration on the other spell breaks. That's why the game always asks you if you want to cast it even if there's seemingly no reason not to.

[@lledelwin]

Yes, I emphasize the Rituel spells thing ! I didn't knew that until +800h because I've been told, in a multi run, and it is a life changer. Long Strider for everyone, it's on me ! Oh and when a companion have casted a spell and is concentrating to maintain the spell, it's possible to stop the spell by clicking on the icon on the character portrait. End of NPC turning hostile because they walked into your spell at the end of a combat !

[@BaronSpamedi]

@wekashipo7507 I my character was a ranger, so I had speak with animals permanently running. There's a surprising amount of talkative animals in the game.

[@HikingFeral]

It's nice to see polite and helpful advice. Having 1200hrs in the game and all the hindsight in the world isn't going to help a newbie. Won't stop me shouting at the screen when they kill US or pick druid and never use wild shape but they don't need to know that.

[@littreef]

Choose Astarion to pick locks and disarm traps, he has a big bonus) And I think reading books at the end of the video is a good idea, but it's up to you))

[@Aloha-and-utopia]

bards are good too at pick locks but I recommend you make him bard college of sword

[@KezzieRedlioness]

DOS2 easter eggs all over. But, this game is set in the Forgotten Realms D&D world. Not the setting from DOS2.

[@user-jt1js5mr3f]

I came here to say this

[@JuriPavlovic]

"I'm sorry Gale, please don't hate me" 😂 welcome to the Galemancers club 😎 I am enjoying your playthrough very much. You deliver all that sense of wonder that has slightly cooled down for me 800 hours into the game. Please enjoy your journey!

[@SatyrOnMain]

Gale is just one big adorkable golden retriever. Definitely welcome to the Gale fan club.

[@kaliqoquinn]

Yes! Gale and Astarion are my two favorite companions, they always go with me everywhere! And I enjoy listening to you reading the books as you find them! I would definitely read them as you pick them up, they help add story and context to where you are and what's going on.

[@TheBlackLakeSiren]

They have good banter too!

[@Aloha-and-utopia]

sometimes open quests and some will give spells one will give the best spell of the game

[@BaronSpamedi]

Last tip for tonight that gets often overlooked when people are starting out. You can throw potions at party members and enemies to affect them. Handy, if you need to heal someone but can't use a spell, especially if they've been downed. Also, handy if you want to throw a bottle of grease at a group of enemies standing next to an explosive barrel. That way you can cause extra burning damage.

[@Shad0wchasers1]

If you target a potion throw cleverly, you can also apply the benefits of the potion to more than one target if they're standing close enough. Handy way to share an invisibilty potion, for example.

[@BaronSpamedi]

@@Shad0wchasers1 true. You can also hit nearby enemies. So you do have to aim carefully. 😉

[@annelyle5474]

However be careful not to actually hit them with the potion bottle or you could kill them! You need to aim on the ground next to them so that the bottle breaks and splashes its contents on them.

[@withxoutxlife]

@@annelyle5474 For some reason people often forget to explain this part, and then I watch players kill their companions with the throw damage, because they literally throw the healing potions *AT* them, instead of right at the ground very *NEAR* them.

[@BaronSpamedi]

@withxoutxlife I'm not saying it's not true, obviously, but i don't think I've ever downed a character from throwing a healing potion at them. Most of the time, I reserve throwing healing potions for getting already downed players back on their feet, though.

[@AnnikaOrne]

You asked about reading books as you find them. The pacing is perfect! It’s great to relive a first play-through through someone else’s eyes. More of the same, please! 😊

[@loneoakgrls]

I'm so invested in watching your journey!! Can't wait for the next video. Remember to SAVE OFTEN...like a crazy amount. No shame in save scumming a lot to get the outcome you want, we all do it. As an audience we want to see you get the best outcome! And some QOL advice: don't write off any characters for "bad personalities" too early on. You learn things about them throughout the game that make them relatable. Too many people hate Lae'zel right away and miss out on an incredible character story,

[@SatyrOnMain]

All the characters have awesome story arcs. They don't have a set alignment as past d&d games. I'm so looking forward to the next video.

[@janejanejaney]

Loved the panic when you saw "Gale disapproves" for the first time 😂 Playing tactician on a first playthrough is ambitious, so please don't get disheartened if you need to reload or get game overs. I'm enjoying the chaos all the same! Some pointers for playing bard: At level 2 you're a bit squishy and don't have great damage output, since you're a support class. Shadowheart is similar in terms of healing and martial ability, so I'd recommend swapping her for Laezel in your party for now, and bulk up everyone's armour asap. At your next level up you get to choose a subclass. If you love stabbing as well as casting spells, I'd recommend swords bard. It will let you use medium armour and give you more attack versatility. Then you'll be more robust like Laezel, while still having all the support spells you enjoy. Gives you more freedom of choice if you want to mix up your party frequently. At level 4, you get to choose a unique feat - the Dual Wielder feat will give you more options for dual wielding bigger weapons like rapiers. Lastly, if you want to keep Gale around (for no particular reason 👀), remember to cast Mage Armour on him every long rest and give him a shield, because he is the squishiest boy alive (or dead). Regardless, you're doing great, and even though the mechanics are complex and not super intuitive, you're picking things up really quickly.

[@stephengibbons4771]

you CAN dual wield rapiers, but not until you take the Dual Weapons fighting feat. You get one feat every 4 levels, so you won't be able to dual wield for a while, but it is possible.

[@michelerenae9998]

Also, if you take sword bard at level 3 you can take two weapon fighting and dual wield scimitars. It'll also let you get two arrow shots off for the price of one if you use slashing flourish, and give Astarion another dagger or two shortswords.

[@thuirthiawindsong]

Note: it is one feat per 4 class levels, not character level. Important if you multi class. I think fighters get an extra one. Maybe rogues too

[@michelerenae9998]

@@thuirthiawindsong Yeah, fighters get feats at level 4, 6, 8, and 12. Rogues are just 4, 8, and 12.

[@ArelitaM]

I smile when you smile while talking to Gale ♥ he's a sweetie

[@BaronSpamedi]

You seem keen on Gale 🙂 If you access his spell book from the menu, you can copy spell scrolls that you have on your person to his spell book and you can then assign them for casting, which means he can cast a bunch of spells you wouldn't otherwise be able to access.

[@Shad0wchasers1]

The only thing you have to be careful of is that scribing scrolls this way costs gold, but if you pick spells you expect to prepare right away, you shouldn't have to worry too much about overspending.

[@josephm8294]

I hope you stay with it. You did well and it was entertaining. Any critics will disappear after one or two videos so don't let them discourage you at all. Please keep going. We need this. Best of luck!

[@marthachlipala4538]

I see you smiling at my pixelated husband Gale...and I get it. Rogues like Astarion are great for unlocking things and disarming traps with ease. He can also duel wield, use two knives or short swords. Wizards like Gale, because he is "squishy" and gets damaged easier, are better used from a distance in battles. Wizards can also duel wield two staffs, but you have to choose duel wield from feats. Bards, are very persuasive and can usually charm or lie their way out of situations and they can also heal. Clerics and great for healing and Shart can wield a mace pretty well too. You and your companions cannot wear all types of armor or use all types weapons, only those you are qualified for. Doing so will restrict your powers.

[@abessia1494]

Yay! More BG3! Loving the adventures of Twink Twinkerson the Bard.

[@Filavandael]

Hey, I’m one of those new subscribers 😅 I came for the gameplay, stayed for the jokes and a smooth voice, lol

[@jolilian9672]

Try to take long rests at least sometimes, because that's how the plot between companions will progress. At least between some large locations, so as not to waste supplies often. There will also be a lot of interesting dialogues and opportunities to raise or lower someone's approval.

[@nunpho]

Yesss, long rests are important... And fun. I've seen a lot of people trying to use them sparingly because they think they only have a few

[@ragnar3434]

I think the bg3 long rest meta is one of those situations where a game gives players too much opportunity to optimize the fun out of things.

[@shadowcastyt]

You don’t even need to use food supplies during a long rest, if you need to catch up on some camp events and you don’t need the benefits of a full long rest just partial rest

[@velly7535]

Don't worry about supplies. You will find enough.

[@avielparrack3764]

Best gameplay experience will be to read the books as you pick them up because they give lore that helps you understand the areas and the lore. I also enjoy your reading them.

[@TheNaznine]

yes and the game keeps track of the books you read and can help you latter when the information in that book applies to some conversations. just a FYI about books. once you read it ( open and close It) it is ok to sell.

[@jolilian9672]

Thank you for playing through a game that many people love. I really like that you try to study everything thoughtfully and carefully, it will be very interesting to follow everything. I'm sure the game won't disappoint you. And… guys, Shadowheart didn't even miss!

[@elshakirova]

I think that was the first time I've seen Sacred flame hit anything ever!

[@jolilian9672]

@ me too! it's both funny and sad at the same time 😁

[@vincent4805]

Come on, sacred flame doesn't miss that much, it's the firebolt that sucks because that one scales off her INT. I usually build Shadowheart as a radiant orb cleric and use sacred flame as main spam attack when I don't need spirit guardians (or after spirit guardians)

[@Sapphykins]

survival is one of the most confusingly named D&D skills -they mean survival as in ray meers/bear grylls style "survival skills", not 'not dying'. It's the skill that governs stuff like spotting useful plants or buried treasure out in the wilds. If you get a random 'survival failed' skill check pop up, it usually means there's some buried treasure nearby that your characters have failed to spot.

[@BaronSpamedi]

Use the menus to send all food and 'camp supplies' to your camp. It gets stored in a chest there. You dont even have to retrieve it from the chest. You automatically access it when doing a long rest at the camp. It weighs too much to carry it all around with you.

[@TGSpectre1]

Dancing lights can be easy to overlook as a spell. Aside from brightening the place up, the lights have a hit box so can be used to block vents or even as an impromptu doorstop.

[@deptusmechanikus7362]

it also fills a concentration slot for free, in case you have items that rely on it to work.

[@Ludimie]

I don't know if you figured it out during the rest of the video, but regarding the "Guidance" bonus not being automatic, it's also because it is a concentration cantrip. If Shadowheart is already concentrating on another spell, casting Guidance will replace it. Some spellcasters have concentration spells that last a long time, and you might not want to lose them over a cantrip for a simple dice check. Hope that helps.

[@del7ce]

Just finished both parts! I love watching new ppl try out bg3, its like im playing the game once again through someone else’s eyes. As well as the different reactions and choices people make, they’re all so entertaining. Just an fyi since you’re playing tactician: you dont have to fight ALL of your encounters. You’d be surprised just how many bosses there are where you can persuade your way out of a fight (even the big ones 🤫) I’ll definitely stick around for the rest of your bg3 playthough, as well as future gaming videos! I love your attitude, therefore you’ve earned a sub! Please enjoy YOUR experience in this wonderful game :) much love and stay healthy 🩶🩶🩶

[@greenmanjoe1]

Thanks you too 💚💚

[@Shad0wchasers1]

Heh, watching you throw crates at the cracked ground and completely missing the giant rock held over it by the crane was giving me anxiety :) Glad you figured out another way into the tomb.

[@greenmanjoe1]

@@Shad0wchasers1 You’re joking there was actually a giant rock above it??

[@S.E.Colbert]

@@greenmanjoe1 Don't feel bad, I missed that my first two playthroughs.

[@AlessaParker]

honestly I've been looking forward to you meeting Gale the most ever since your reaction to him last part 😂

[@Fairburne69]

A good genarl guideline for the resting system. Combat, short rest, combat, short rest, combat, long rest. If combats are easier than expected you can hold off on a short/long rest. If harder you can do it more often. You'll get a feel for it if you haven't already but the above suggestion works perfectly for most situations.

[@Nisselak]

Following your playthrough is really enjoyable 😉 I don't know if it's already been suggested to you, but a very useful mechanic of the game is _throwing the healing potions_ : if you gather your party and throw a potion in the middle of them, you can heal two, three, even four people with a single vial; also throwing the potion can be used to save a companion on the brink of death, just like a healing spell would do. 👌

[@SatyrOnMain]

You're playing on tactician...and going to meet Gale i was scared. The amount of stress as you rolled that...haha.....but then you got him. And he was already flirting with your bard. :) The portraits changed. That's....new. They aren't supposed to look like that.

[@bessiehadley3497]

Read all the books - on camera if you want, or not - your choice - I've enjoyed your reading them aloud, as it's been awhile since I read them & I find I like "hearing" them read. Read all the books; reading books adds a richer background to the story, information you will need for the coming story, & sometimes a smile or a tear. I tend to loot everything so I can sell it, if not needed - the gold is useful for getting higher level items, needed potions etc. Pick up all the food you find, unless it's bad - if it's rotten, leave it. And the bandits den is where I died for the first time - lol. Welcome to BG3! I am enjoying your reactions - first runthroughs are fun to watch, as I've been there myself. :D Looking forward to your next one.

[@NeonGeminis]

I love that you actually press alt and search for stuff!

[@greenmanjoe1]

@@NeonGeminis My thumb is never off it. Ever.

[@togo2051]

You’re a joy to watch. Really looking forward to watching you play. Keep it up!

[@patriciavoigt6389]

I love that you're reading your chosen responses out loud, and reading the books! Crowd control will help a lot, especially on Tactician. Use stuns, Hold, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Command, Silence, Darkness, Slow, and other spells or abilities to keep enemies from taking actions or force them to delay actions. You can also ungroup members of your party in order to position them better prior to combat (such as putting ranged support on platforms and such so that they can attack from advantage), or send Astarion ahead alone to disarm traps. Just remember to group back up afterwards. (Several times I've left Astarion or Gale behind and then realized I'd gone ahead and started a fight without them.)

[@bouuncyball]

Playing tactician on the first playthrough without being familiar with D&D mechanics is a brave decision! I'm loving watching

[@BaronSpamedi]

Fairly early in the game, you will meet a character who will allow you to respec your party members (free at first, then for a small fee). This allows you reallocate their Statistics and choose all their skills and spells. I recommend doing this. For example, I slightly increased Shadowhearts Strength and Wisdom as it makes her more effective at melee and casting her cleric spells , particularly early on when you dont have lots of cool weapons and armour.

[@VultureSausage]

To build on this, you can also pickpocket your money back from the character without risk; if you fail nothing happens and you can just try again until you make it, so it's completely free as long as you can pay first.

[@daniellemeyer3801]

My very first playthrough was a bard and let me tell you that I was really ecstatic with it. You don't have to be supportive if you don't want to, but, having that capability is sweet at. Plus all of the interactions are great

[@valeriemmilch]

Gale lovers, unite! ❤ Also that last fight there annihilated me and my party at first on Tactician, even though I knew how to play D&D beforehand, so you're doing great and picking up on things very fast!

[@TotalNoobAtEverythin]

Oh yes I am all for this being a series! I love watching people play for the first time, it’s like experiencing it for the first time myself lol

[@choleeron]

One tip for the future, wherever you are right now, don´t sell gear with abilities you can not judge now, save them in the camp, you never know if you may need them later and the traders don´t stay forever. Nice playthrough so far, really enjoyed you first steps. Take your time and enjoy it. ❤

[@MrDancingpuppetmon]

a tip you can do if you click on your portrait on top of screen during combat you can change which order your unit does their action, so if your MC goes first and say Astarion goes 2nd you can click Astarion's portrait to take control of him first to use his turn before the MCs. Also C is Crouc/ Stealth and if pressing Shift-C the entire party try to stealth. Combat tip is looks on the terrain to see what you can take advantage of eg water pools can be electrified to dmg them inside of it or oil barrels can become explosives with spells or even things like candles or torches.

[@honeybane3743]

Yay, part 2! I can snuggle down under the covers and relax while I watch your adventures unfold. Congrats on 2.5k subbies.

[@schreie]

literally just discovered your bg3 journey this morning at work, and by the time i finished part 1, you had posted part 2. blessed. i hope you're enjoying it so far!

[@greenmanjoe1]

@@schreie I am very much enjoying it

[@rdevries3852]

New subscriber here. You asked if there was any benefit to playing your drums. I don't know if you actually want people to tell you, or figure it out for yourself, so if you *don't* want to hear, do NOT look at the rest of this comment. Performing (with an instrument) has no uses in combat, but does make for an _excellent_ distraction outside of combat. Very useful for sneaking past characters that aren't immediately hostile, or diverting attention away from another character (like Astarion) as they pilfer the surroundings. Not all abilities will be useful in combat, but if they're not, there are always uses to be found for them outside of combat.

[@lledelwin]

I've realised you can also distract NPC playing music when you're NOT proeficient in instrument and it was hillarious. Of course, I received some stones and rotten tomatoes but they were all around me, letting Astarion (who else) looting the place at his own pace.

[@harlequin5664]

u can also make a bit of gold if you play well enough

[@lockboxDAI]

Ah, just remembered some tips for new players regarding loot. I always bring candles along. You can light them and use them to set your weapons on fire, which adds bonus fire damage to your attacks. Water bottles can be used to douse flames, handy if an enemy sets you on fire. I like to keep rope to throw on traps. And boxes are handy to stand on, (standing higher than an enemy aids the effectiveness of your attacks towards them.)

[@XV_Limestone]

Your smile"s" during your convo with Gale says alot... ALOT 😂😂😂 Anyway enjoying watching you so far and I do hope you continue playing your own way 😊 I scrapped my very first playthrough (a bard as well) because I got too caught up in "understanding combat" which led me to obsess too much in optimizing my bard, to the point it didn't feel right anymore 😅 I just started my second and new playthrough 2 weeks ago with a silver dragonborn with draconic sorcerer class, not the best "build" but it feeds my imagination of a "Noble and Pureblooded Ice Dragon... Dragonborn" 😅❄🐲

[@TheAxel65]

54:36 Lol - always hilarious, how some fights in BG3 all of a sudden go completely downhill. In this particular fight I made use of the Door which can be conveniently opened and locked with the lever next to it. Let one enemy pass, close the door, take care of the singled out enemy, open the door, repeat 😉

[@schocileo]

As somebody who has a concerning amount of hours in this game, it is so refreshing to see somebody "new" playing the game, discovering all the possibilities and being amazed. Its like I'm able to explore this game anew for myself again

[@hollycooper5556]

Loving this so far! Don't be afraid of long resting, you can do a "partial" rest without any supplies to save them up, and get (some) abilities back. And you can also re-spec your character later, so don't worry if you regret your cantrip choices at the moment. Really enjoying the character interactions (and the face you made when you saw Gale in the character intros hahaha), keep chatting to them as they often have something new to say!

[@TomWDW1]

Astarion, you're embarrassing yourself. Oh no. Lol. Hilarious

[@Davefacestation]

Tips: 38:45 - You're on the right tracks with dropping something on it, boxes are just not that heavy. 38:55 - The box, the box is what was vulnerable to the attack there. 51:30 - The doorway can act as a choke point if you let the enemy come to you. 54:14 - You can get advantage by being higher than them, an ally being in melee range, being hidden and in a few other ways. Sneak attack is a core part of a rogue build. 55:30 - If you throw a healing potion, everyone in the splash area will get the same amount of healing.

[@lefishe5884]

Food is always useful for camp supplies, but can get heavy. What you can do is select the food (or any other item you want to save for later), right click it, and send it to camp where it will be in a safe chest, just like Divinity. Rest as often as you feel you need to. Sometimes story/character events will occur at night in camp, so you’re expected to be resting regularly. The only limit is how much food you find, but you shouldn’t have trouble with that if you keep an eye out

[@SarahExpereinceRequiem]

Oh wow, I can't believe that portrait bug is still in the game. Unfirtunatly the only way to fix it is to level up again or respec at the respec NPC if that doesn't work. I usually quicksave before levelling up in case it happens.

[@the4thhorseman840]

I'm currently playing through the 3rd and last act of this game. This game is huge! I had no idea this game had so much content. It's really amazing. I look forward to watching your reaction once you arrive at Baldurs Gate City.

[@destinycole9799]

Just wanted to say a couple things to help! For Gale, you can't change the subclass every level up but you can change it later in game by paying to change his whole class (you'd just select the same one and choose a different subclass). Also I recommend reading the books as you get them! There will be times in the whole game where you need to have read specific books to advance story and side quests.

[@kalythai]

Don't forget to use your long rests! Use them as much as you need to! This game is difficult; you'll need all the advantages you can get! Don't worry about your "brain parasite time limit", you'll be fine! In my first playthrough, I sparingly used long rests and made the game harder for myself. Use those camp supplies and food- there's more than enough of them in the game!

[@Shad0wchasers1]

Also, Long Rests are when camp events happen, and since only one camp event can happen each rest, you'll often have to 'clear the stack' of events to progress things you want to happen, such as interpersonal stories or waiting for certain recruitable animals to show up at camp, and so forth.

[@artsho]

reading books as you come across them may be best because they can contain relevant quest info and lore info about the specific location

[@kayleekat8895]

Read the books as you go along! I love it. Read at your own pace though. You seemed to struggle a little at such a quick pace.

[@Eyrenni]

One of my favourite things to do with that bonus action is to shove enemies off high places for either extra damage or getting them prone or both. Of course, make sure there's ground below that you can reach or you lose out on the loot. But if you really struggle and just want a strong enemy gone... into the abyss! :) My best tip to aid you in this first playthrough would be to use ctrl (I think that was the key) to check line of sights, move Astarion out of the red, then use the bonus action to stealth him (be careful not to use the action version instead) and finally the action to stealth snipe the enemy. Being able to see the line of sights is so helpful on higher difficulties. Didn't see anyone else point out the key for that. Hopefully I didn't miss it. Looking forward to seeing the rest of your blind playthrough!

[@jaimie1938]

I've played D&D for a while so this game's mechanics are sort of second nature to me. I never considered how hard it might be for new players to get to grips to. But you're doing a great job! You've figured out that Guidance is your friend, which is the most important thing 😁 Loving this series so far, it's like reliving the game over again.

[@teal9156]

Great episode! I really like the immersion of reading books once you get them, but it would also work to read them at the end of the episode. I’m glad the algorithm recommended your first BG3 video to me, I’m really enjoying the playthrough!

[@zanzibart3]

tips: When you are standing/prone on an unfavorable surface (acid/fire/ice/etc.) you can get out of it by using a *bonus action* to jump to a place that does not have that surface. If you try to walk out of it, then the surface makes you save against it and maybe feel it's affect (like when Gale slipped on the ice and lost his turn). -When you are facing enemies that might have area-of-effect methods (like when the bad guys threw a bottle at you that splashed everyone with fire and left you standing on a fire surface), then don't bunch up your guys and stand in a crowd so they can hit all of you. Likewise, it's a great tactic to use this against your enemies (like when you blew away a couple of them and burned the rest, when you fired on the barrel). -When you have a handy corner to dodge around then you can pop out, shoot/cantrip/throw/spell, and pop back on your turn and they can't fire on you on their turn (remembering the don't-bunch-up/AOE rule - AOE attacks can wrap around corners).

[@senecarus_whitur]

I like that you read the books right away tbh :) And some books are very important as they may or may not reveal some context about your current location in the game.

[@froufroudeluxe]

28:10 the way you went from 😶 to 🤩 immediately

[@pyxeeful]

Having a blast watching you play! Your enthusiasm is infectious. I wouldn't mind even longer episodes even! As for the books and lore bits. I think reading them as you come across them is great, aside from areas that have pretty large concentrations of them. Might gather them up in a location and do them all in one go as a little mini segment.

[@greenmanjoe1]

@@pyxeeful I’m planning on doing longer episodes after the next few parts :)

[@pyxeeful]

@greenmanjoe1 That's awesome! Excited to watch :)

[@elvezgbh6518]

I think it's fine to read as you go if you want, also just so you know you can Quicksave pretty much anytime, like during dialog if you're not sure what to pick or even mid combat

[@ItsZephyrBlake]

Enjoying the playthrough so far, but would you mind turning on cursor capture in your recording software? It would make it a lot easier to see what you're talking about or thinking in some instances. =] You've got a really cute personality and can't wait to see what you get up to in this game!

[@cookiecrispsssss]

Most of the time, using guidance when its an option will be beneficial! However, since it requires concentration (and you can only have one concentration spell or cantrip active per character at a time), you may not want to cast it if a character is already concentrating on a different spell. I feel like this doesn't really become an issue though until you have access to more spells, but worth keeping in mind!

[@foxxknight8847]

Guidance is a "concentration" spell: It lasts several turns, but only if the caster stays focused on it. A hit in combat can break their concentration. And they can only maintain one concentration spell at a time. So if you use Guidance while Shadowheart has, say, Bless cast on the part, it will end the Bless spell and replace it with Concentration. Which is why you may not want to use it sometimes. ;) Also, always slap Gale's hand. For the lols.

[@oielvert]

Don't be afraid to let your companions take the spotlight. Bards are a support class so they work better when they cast spells that empower their allies and/or depower their enemies.

[@aarongunstone6579]

Swords bards are arguably the best martial class in the game, so I wouldn't say "bards are support" - though they certainly *can* be support.

[@oielvert]

@aarongunstone6579 They're more support and social interaction than anything else. Swords and Valor are the exception, not the rule.

[@caggles]

​@@oielvertI don't think you'd normally use the word "exception" to describe 2/3rds of the available choices, lol.

[@ericakillz2052]

im dead that portrait glitch so funny ive never seen such an evil looking gale

[@greenmanjoe1]

@@ericakillz2052 I’ve just recorded part 8 and I still haven’t fixed his portrait 😭

[@ericakillz2052]

@@greenmanjoe1 Haven't watched it all yet but I think you haven't switched out gale yet. Maybe thats the solution?

[@giulia5634]

I was waiting for this!

[@banana_siaanna]

You are the first bg3 player I am able to watch, I don't know why, but I like your vibes xD

[@auroradisneyfaerie8503]

I'm so happy to be here in the beginning of your journey. Knowing I'll never get that feeling again makes me sad and then I get to watch your lovely self experience it all for the first time, and I am HERE for it :D

[@SatyrOnMain]

Finally able to watch. And major congrats on the subscribe count. Now let"s get into the video! So excited to see your playthrough.

[@itsforceboy_]

i actually really like that you take the time to read the books. i feel like most people i’ve watched don’t read the books when some of them are actually pretty interesting.

[@amouramarie]

Astarion hunched over, earnestly slapping his drum and glaring into that poor guy's face while the rest of the party stands in a silent, despairing circle. _/wheeze_ I almost peed my paaants.

[@inthannon169]

An inventory management tip from someone with way too many playthroughs under their belt, you might want to pick up bags and use them to separate equipment you want to keep, rubbish to sell and books etc. Also useful for gathering rubbish into when you get encumbered and then sending to camp so your camp chest does not get horrifically messy. 😅

[@inthannon169]

Also, a little bit further into the game you will find someone who can help you reroll/respec your character if you feel you need to change. Great job so far! 👍

[@loneoakgrls]

Oh also!! You can decorate your camp with things you pick up in the world like the painting! It's not something "official" but people have figured it out. You select "place item in world" and put it where you want. It's cute decorating people's spots with things you think they'll like

[@greenmanjoe1]

@@loneoakgrls That’s the most exciting thing I’ve heard so far

[@alftuvik3820]

Do you get those items back or do they disappear when you go to a different area with a different camp?

[@loneoakgrls]

@@alftuvik3820 I'm pretty sure they just stay in that camp since you can go back and forth between regions. So you could go back and grab them!

[@denzelpanther240]

There are a million playthroughs of this game on YT. Yet i knew i would follow yours when you watched the trailers. Will be a great ride for sure

[@LordZeebee]

Some tips now that you're getting a bit more of a hang of things: Whenever two or more of your own characters are right after one another in the turn order at the top of the screen, that means you may divide up their movement and actions in whatever order you like. So in that situation at the very end of the episode, just click on Joey and you'll be able to move him as you please. Do also keep in mind that this can be used to body-block doorways or corners. An enemy that can't get to you or get you in their line of fire is an enemy that can't attack you. Whenever a character goes prone on their own turn, their turn ends immediately. So moving about while your characters are standing on ice is a dangerous idea. This goes both ways tho and somehow putting down a patch of ice under an enemy's feet can be a great way to deny them their turn. As a Rogue, Astarion has access to Sneak Attack, as you have noticed. Sneak Attack can sound a bit complex on paper but essentially it boils down to "If you have advantage on your attack or someone in your party is next to the enemy, you do a boatload more damage". This includes summons and familiars. So having Gale summon a familar and just letting that lil critter be Astarion's combat buddy can be very effective. Clicking the Fly ability on the Raven doesn't use an action/bonus action and essentially doubles their movement so that one's a great option. Subclasses are locked once you pick them but there is a way later on to completely re-do any of your characters so no need to worry about it too much. It does however come at a bit of a gold cost. Your caution with using up spell slots is wise but for a few characters there are ways to get them back without taking a long rest. Gale for example is a Wizard and all Wizards have the ability to restore at least a few spell slots extra when they're out and about, the Arcane Recovery ability. Don't be afraid to rest fairly often tho. I have a friend who missed a bunch of the dialogue and events you have at your camp because they didn't rest often enough. There are a few time-sensitive instances in the game where resting will progress the quest in an unfavorable way but for the most part it's not an issue. This has been really fun so far and i'm looking forward to see more from you!!

[@shiranui1111]

No clue if someone already said, but about healing: Unless you got a very specific build with very specific items, you really can't out-heal the damage enemies do to you. And a character on half hit points is as good at dealing damage as one that has full hit points. So using your action to heal instead of using it to deal damage means the enemy has more rounds left to do damage - and will very likely do more than you just healed anyway. Healing Word on the other hand, since it uses a bonus action (but still a level 1 spellslot) can be good to keep someone from getting downed or getting a downed character up and fighting again. You can also move up to a downed character and "help" them - but that uses your movement and an action. So if you got a spell slot to spare..

[@DrZalmat]

Tactical is really tough and based on the assumption that you already know what to do. Balanced is called that for a reason.

[@jekkabean]

Your version of Joey's 'blue steel' killed me, brilliant!

[@tiktok010]

I never took the time to read most of the books I came across in the game. I liked that you are taking your time and reading everything. It's a good chance for me to see what I have missed in my previous plays.

[@nctwyd4420]

the scary portraits are killing me 😭 they look so evil

[@ks9759]

Same. What the hell kind of glitch was that? 😂

[@snarkyrogue118]

27:26 so yes and no there. You probably always want it, but it's a concentration spell, so the only times you wouldn't want to do it is if that character has another active spell going that you don't want to lose. And yes, if they aren't actively in your party, it can't be selected.

[@hallemcdowell9055]

If your approval gets too low your party members can leave. You can see your rating with them when you select them.

[@marthachlipala4538]

Low ratings makes them harder to romance, just FYI.

[@mvargasautora]

If I had a nickel for every game that Larian made that started at a beach after a ship crashed I'd have 2 nickels which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice 😂😂 One of the new subscribers here!!! so excited for this!!

[@Metalmara]

A new sub here, can't wait for the playthrough. And as for the books, I think you could edit things in that you find interesting or are relevant to quests.

[@annelyle5474]

I recently restarted my Tactician playthrough and am about the same point in the game, so it's been great fun "playing along". Also hilarious watching the chaos, like getting Astarion to play the drums badly 🤣 Can't wait to see you meet all the other NPCs - the cast of this game is vast and amazing. (Full disclosure: being a CRPG newbie, I started on Explorer and beat the game, and then bumped up to Balanced for my second campaign before finally "graduating" to Tactician, so I know how to approach these fights for an easier time, but I applaud your bravery in going straight for hard mode!).

[@shannonclay7851]

Part of the reason it asks whether you want to use guidance is that a spellcaster can only maintain concentration on one spell at a time. If Shadowheart isn't doing anything, using guidance is always a good idea, but if she were concentrating on a different spell, you might choose to keep her doing that rather than interrupting her for a cantrip buff.

[@manuelplate6370]

15:54 Hey Joe, the game will become much easier, the sooner you learn how to throw healing potions 😉. Although I have to say, I have more than 300 hours in and never tried tactician mode. The normal mode is difficult enough. Best regards Manuel 51:21 Read the book slower. 😉 Every Book has some Story for the game and teaches something in the world. But there will be lots of Books. By the way: Fane is not in this World. The Portrait is an Easter Egg.