Find walkthroughs, routes and battle tips by game and activity.
Since Hotfix #34, Baldur’s Gate 3 has a native Steam Deck build. Larian says the native version uses less CPU processing and memory than the Proton version, targeting more stable frame rate, lower loading times and smoother gameplay. Hotfix #35 then changed the Native default upscaler from FSR 1 to FSR 2.2 and fixed additional loading/controller/crash issues. For a normal current playthrough, start Native.
Patch 8 added official Photo Mode. On PC press F9; on controller/console press both analog sticks, or use the Photo Mode icon beside the minimap. During normal exploration and combat you can move the camera, adjust party members, poses and expressions, change lens/scene settings, then apply post-processing, frames and stickers.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has thousands of mods, so a frozen “Top 10” becomes stale quickly. The safer 2026 shortlist starts with mods whose current pages still show Patch 8 support, then asks what job the player needs: bigger party, harder fights, cosmetics, cleaner UI, more spells or a rules overhaul. A mod with five million historic downloads is not automatically a better choice than a smaller project updated for the current patch.
For most players, the safest Baldur’s Gate 3 mod workflow is the official in-game Mod Manager introduced with Patch 7 and expanded through Patch 8. Open Mod Manager, find a supported mod, subscribe/download, verify dependencies, enable it in Installed, then start a clearly labelled modded campaign. Use third-party PC tools or manual files only when the feature you need is not available in the supported pipeline and you accept responsibility for load order, updates and platform compatibility.
Baldur’s Gate 3 now supports full cross-play between Windows PC, Mac, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S through the Larian Network. Every player should be on the current game version, connect the platform account to a Larian account, enable Allow Cross-Play under Gameplay, then use the Cross-Play tab in Multiplayer. Existing campaigns need cross-play enabled for the save before the host loads it.
Honour Mode combines one rolling save with Tactician-style enemy numbers, encounter-specific Legendary Actions, stricter action economy and a set of anti-exploit damage/rule changes. When the party is wiped, you can end the campaign or continue the same run in Custom Mode — but continuing ends Honour Mode and forfeits the Honour completion reward for that run. The goal is therefore not “never make a mistake.
Armour of Agility can produce enormous AC on a high-Dex character and adds +2 to every saving throw. Armour of Persistence has lower headline AC but permanent Blade Ward/Resistance-style defence and flat damage reduction. Helldusk starts at 21 AC and treats the wearer as proficient, making it flexible across classes. Bhaalist Armour has only 14 + Dexterity, but its 3 m Aura of Murder can make enemies Vulnerable to Piercing and can double the right party’s damage.
A “best weapons” list becomes misleading when it compares a thrown trident to a Charisma staff or a finesse support sword as if all three were competing for one slot. Baldur’s Gate 3 rewards engines: Titanstring is exceptional when Strength is deliberately added to an archer; Phalar Aluve is exceptional when the party profits from Shriek/Sing; Markoheshkir is a caster tool, not a melee stat stick; Nyrulna is a throw build endpoint, not a reason for every Fighter to drop a two-hander.
Shadowheart joins as a High Half-Elf Trickery Domain Cleric. Trickery is playable and fits her story, but for a general combat companion the easiest improvement is a Withers respec into Light Cleric 12. The build keeps the full Cleric spell ladder, gets Warding Flare, Radiance of the Dawn, always-prepared Fireball and Wall of Fire, Improved Warding Flare, Potent Spellcasting and Destructive Wave.
The Dark Urge is an Origin character with a fixed buried history, but race, class, appearance and most decisions remain yours. A resist run is a complete heroic story, an embrace run is a complete Bhaal-aligned story, and a mixed run is mechanically possible. The one famous exception happens in Act 1: when the bard camp event triggers, the Dark Urge murders the visiting bard during sleep. Most later urges are choices, checks or story-state tests rather than unavoidable kills.
Karlach’s old “30 approval → she visits you at night before the party” scene is bugged and no longer triggers in an unmodded game. The tiefling refugee celebration is therefore the current practical romance start. Start the romance at the tiefling refugee celebration instead of waiting for the old night visit.
Astarion often approves of self-interest, wit and power, but a successful romance does not require a murder-hobo route. Respecting his autonomy, taking his abuse seriously and helping him against Cazador matter just as much to the long arc. Before Save the Refugees resolves, reaching 40+ approval can make him propose a night together in normal dialogue. The tiefling or goblin celebration is the other major Act 1 start window when relationship slots permit it.
