Your Baldur's Gate 3 Saga — A Playthrough Chronicle
1. Character Overview
You are playing a Gold Dwarf of unspecified class, currently Level 5, on Balanced difficulty (the standard Larian ruleset). Your active party consists of Shadowheart, Astarion, and Lae'zel — three of the four companions who washed ashore with you from the Nautiloid — alongside a peculiar fifth slot occupied by what appears to be a spectral Mage Hand construct, a hired phantom rather than a true companion. Notably, Gale, Wyll, and Karlach have all been recruited at some point and hold meaningful approval with you, but none of them are currently in your travelling party, suggesting you rotate your roster or have benched them at camp.
Your save has reached the threshold of Act 2, with early footprints in the Shadow-Cursed Lands — but the bulk of your story so far has unfolded across the rich and morally tangled terrain of Act 1.
2. Act 1
The Nautiloid and the Beach
You woke on the wreck of the Nautiloid, freed Shadowheart from her stasis pod, and fought your way to the helm alongside her. The mind flayer piloting the ship died in the crash, and you came to on the ravaged beach of the Sword Coast with a tadpole burrowed behind your eye. Lae'zel was captured by tiefling refugees shortly after landfall; you found her caged and freed her, recruiting her to your cause. The sarcophagus chapel nearby introduced you to Jergal, the ancient scribe of the dead — an encounter that left its mark. Both floors of the chapel were cleared of bandits and undead before you moved on.
The Emerald Grove — and Its Fall
The Emerald Grove's story is one of the most consequential threads of your Act 1, and it did not end well for the tieflings who sheltered there.
You entered the grove during a goblin assault on its gates and navigated its politics carefully enough at first — you befriended the tieflings in the hideout, spoke with Zevlor, intervened in the sacred pond ritual, and even rescued a tiefling child from the shadow druid Kagha's snake tribunal (DENShadowDruidStateKidFreed, SnakesCourtDone). You took the poison that Nettie offered — a mark of trust given to those the grove couldn't fully vouch for — and learned the druid lore surrounding the tadpole.
But something went wrong between you and the grove's leadership. DENGroveHostileState and DENTieflingLeaderStatePermaDefeated tell a stark story: the grove turned hostile toward you, and Zevlor — the tiefling leader — was killed. The flag DENGroveConflictStateTooLowTieflings suggests the tiefling population had already been diminished. The lockdown was active. The adventurers' quest left corpses. Whatever the specific trigger — a confrontation that escalated, a choice that alienated the defenders — the grove's leadership did not survive your passage.
Halsin, the First Druid you were ostensibly trying to rescue, is flagged as GLOHalsinStatePermaDefeated and GLOHalsinStateWillSkipGrove: Halsin is dead. He will not be returning to lead his people. The save shows no goblin raid victory flag (DENAttackOnDenStateRaiderVictory is absent), so the grove itself may still stand in some form — but it has been hollowed out. Its leader is dead, its tiefling guest population reduced, and its druid protector slain. The "Save the Refugees" thread is not so much unresolved as quietly, grimly closed.
One small mercy: you freed the goblin prisoner the grove had captured (DENCapturedGoblinStatePlayerRescuedGoblin), and saved a child from the harpies at the ravine (DENHarpyMealStateHarpyEncounterOver, KidReturnHideout). Compassion toward the vulnerable, even amid wider catastrophe.
You also caught the tiefling thief who pickpocketed you — a petty moment that nonetheless resolved (DENThieflingsThiefCaughtInDialog, AfterRobberKidConfront).
The Goblin Camp — A Light Reconnaissance
Your engagement with the goblin camp was notably shallow. You encountered the scrying eyes, watched Volo perform his ballad on stage, heard the Voice of the Absolute speak through the Tadpole (GOBOrpheusStateHadVoiceOfAbsoluteEvent), and witnessed the owlbear cub infiltrate the chicken-chasing pen. But the flags show no goblin leaders killed, no deep infiltration of their command structure. You moved through the camp — perhaps gathering intelligence — and left without dismantling it. The three goblin commanders who threaten the region remain undefeated, at least as far as this save records.
The Risen Road — Violence and Pragmatism
The Risen Road tells a story of a party willing to get its hands dirty. You found the gnolls and their flind, killed them thoroughly (PLAConflictedFlindStateRegularGnollsDead, Gone), and descended into the Zhentarim dungeon beneath the Risen Road tavern — a tavern that had, by this point, burned down (PLATavernInvestigationStateBurntDown).
Inside the Zhentarim hideout, you killed everyone (PLAZhentDungeonStateAllDefeated). You knew the password, you freed an agent, and then you killed them all anyway. You also lost the Zhentarim chest and flask — both gone (PLAZhentShipmentStateChestLost, FlaskLost) — and the shipment survivors are dead (StateSurvivorsAreDead). Rugan and his companion did not make it. This was not a clean operation.
You encountered the githyanki patrol at the mountain pass and defeated all of them as their dragon watched (PLAGithChokepointEventAllGithsDefeated, DragonEventStarts) — a dangerous fight that must have tested the party.
Karlach's recruitment is flagged: you found her at the tollhouse, watched the paladins of Tyr attack her, fought them off (PLAKarlachRecruitmentTollhouseStatePaladinsPermaDefeated), and learned about her infernal engine. Dammon, the tiefling smith who could repair her, was unavailable — likely a consequence of the grove's collapse.
The Forest
The forest around Druid's Grove yielded a rich series of encounters. You descended the Whispering Depths well, found a dangerous sentient book and finished reading it, discovered and cleared the Thayan cellar, and solved the mystery of the incomplete masterwork dagger. You barged in on the bugbear and his ogre companion mid-tryst — they turned hostile. The owlbear in her lair is dead (FOROwlbearStatePermaDefeated), though her cub survived to find its way to the goblin camp's chicken pen.
A notable grace note: at Shadowheart's urging (or perhaps over her objections), you investigated the Selûnite shrine in the forest and succeeded at the check that convinced Shadowheart to engage with it (FORSeluneStashStateConvincedShadowheart). Given what you now know of Shadowheart's allegiances, that moment carries weight.
You freed the gnome strapped to the windmill (FORUnfortunateGnomeStateFreed — the same gnome later appears in the Underdark still, somehow).
The Underdark — A Thorough Descent
Your Underdark exploration was extensive and systematic. The flags read like a full survey of everything that region contains.
You allied with the Myconid Sovereign, accepted quests, witnessed a resurrection in the colony, and killed the Duergar troublemaker threatening the myconids. Blurg of the Society of Brilliance met you and permitted trading; you even facilitated the mind flayer connection the Society desired. You befriended the rothe by solving their fear problem and killed the Duergar guards threatening them.
You found and pulled the sword from the stone for its reward. You explored the Arcane Tower. You helped the injured gnome, saved Baelen the mushroom hunter, and returned him to his village. You read the Harper spy's diary and decoded the rune.
Most significantly: you descended to Grymforge and discovered the Adamantine Forge. You learned of Nere the Drow — trapped under a cave-in — and cleared the rubble. UNDTheDrowNereStateDiedDeserted and StatePermaDefeated tell the outcome: Nere died, apparently abandoned rather than rescued in time, then killed (or killed outright). The Duergar who served him have presumably scattered or fallen; the Duergar camp's hostile resolution flag is set (UNDDarkLakeStateHostileResolution).
The bulette beneath the Underdark is dead. Both hook horrors died in their encounter. The lone Duergar at the Myconid Circle was killed.
The Githyanki Crèche
You entered the crèche and made your way inside. The flags show you gave the owlbear egg to the crèche (CREExpeditionerStateOwlbearEggGiven), collected the three weapons for the puzzle (battleaxe, longsword, warhammer), and watched the chain of command scene with the monastery guards. You observed a teacher beating a student during youth training — and the save offers no flag suggesting you intervened. A small, uncomfortable moment of inaction.
The crèche visit is what pushed the save into Act 2 territory.
3. Act 2 — Early Steps
The shadow curse has swallowed the land, and your party has entered its borders. You've reached Last Light Inn, which stands protected — the barrier is active (HAVAreaStateBarrierIsOn) and the Flaming Fist soldiers have taken refuge there (HAVHavenOutcastsStateFlamingFistsInHaven). The inn is in a protected state (HAVMoodStateProtected), and Karlach's heart upgrade is queued for a second improvement (HAVForgingOfTheHeartStateReadyForSecondUpgrade) — suggesting Dammon made it to Last Light even if he wasn't at the grove.
You've entered the Moonrise Towers bazaar and found gnomes imprisoned in the jail (MOOJailbreakStateGnomesInJail, MOOExecutionerEventIncludeGuard). Those captives are waiting.
In Reithwin Town, Arabella's parents are already dead before you arrived (TWNArabellasPowersStateParentADeadBeforeTown, ParentBDeadBeforeTown) — another thread of grief traced back to the grove's collapse. You deactivated a trap in the Mason's Guild.
One intriguing early Act 3 flag exists — LOWTheLodgeKnowsSocietyWantsGithEgg — suggesting knowledge of the Society of Brilliance's interest in the githyanki egg has somehow already been established. This may reflect prior dialogue or a note found in Act 1.
The pixie is inside the lantern (GLOPixieStateInsideLantern), which means you've secured safe passage through the curse — a crucial early Act 2 choice made wisely.
4. Companion Status
Shadowheart travels with you and holds high approval (≥ 40). Her story has been meaningfully advanced: she has shared her wolf dream with you, discussed her incurable wound, and you know she is a Shar worshipper working toward becoming a Justiciar. You know she is curse-resistant and have learned of her Mother Superior. Critically, you also know about a Selûnite forest ritual — likely the shrine encounter — and she has discussed the incurable wound in detail with you. Shadowheart is opening up, cautiously. Her mission for her goddess remains very much unresolved, and the tension between her faith and whatever she is beginning to feel for your party is quietly building. She also has a known wariness toward Lae'zel (ORIShadowheartStateLaezelWeary).
Astarion travels with you and holds high approval (≥ 40). You know he is a vampire — that secret is out (ORIAstarionKnowsVampireness). The bite scene has been unlocked (ORIAstarionStateBiteSceneUnlocked), and the camp fire scene where he tasted the party is flagged (NIGHTAstarionTastingParty) — a memorable and intimate evening. He's also requested a conversation with Raphael, suggesting his own quest threads are stirring. His hunger is a known, active concern.
Lae'zel travels with you but holds only modest approval (≥ 10) — the lowest of your companions. She is with you, but not fully won over. You've found the crèche she sought, which should have counted for something, but the relationship remains cool. She can be asked to begin a romance, the flag suggests the option is available, but the numbers indicate you haven't yet fully bridged the distance between you.
Gale is not in your active party but holds high approval (≥ 40). His story has advanced considerably: you've disarmed his magical bomb, disrupted a waypoint with him, received Elminster at camp, learned of his orb and its hunger for magic items — and have fed him three of them (ORIGaleStateGotThreeMagicItems). He is willing to die (ORIGaleStateWillingToDie) — Elminster has delivered Mystra's message, and that particular shadow hangs over him.
Wyll is not in your active party but holds high approval (≥ 40). His confrontation with Karlach was resolved peacefully (ORIWyllConfrontationStateResolvedPeacefully), and he has been judged by Mizora — the infernal contract weighing on his soul (CAMPMizorasJudgementEventJudged, ORIWyllStateIsDevil). His transformation is complete. His father, Grand Duke Ravengard, is known to him as a concern (ORIWyllKnowsRavengardFather).
Karlach is not in your active party but holds modest approval (≥ 20). Her infernal engine has been upgraded — Dammon at Last Light has worked on her heart, and a second upgrade is ready. She has been found, fought for, and cared for. The low approval relative to Wyll and Gale suggests she's been benched more than engaged with directly.
Halsin holds modest approval (≥ 20) — but Halsin is dead. This approval rating is a ghost of interactions before his death, a relic of a conversation that can no longer continue.
5. Notable Decisions
The Death of Halsin. This is the run's most consequential single outcome. Halsin, the First Druid of the Emerald Grove and one of the game's major Act 1 companions, was killed. Whether this happened in a fight at the goblin camp (where he is typically held prisoner) or in some other confrontation, the result is permanent. He will not join your camp. His storyline — which reaches deep into Act 2 — is foreclosed. The grove has lost its true druidic leader.
The Grove Turned Hostile and Zevlor Died. You killed the tiefling leader Zevlor inside the grove. The circumstances are ambiguous from the flags alone — this could have been a confrontation that spiralled, a deliberate choice, or a consequence of some other action — but the outcome is unambiguous. The man responsible for the tiefling refugees' survival at the grove is dead by your hand or by consequences you set in motion.
Arabella's Parents Did Not Survive. Arabella, the young tiefling girl whose life you saved from Kagha's snake ritual, lost both her parents before you even reached Act 2's Reithwin Town. This is a quiet, devastating footnote to the grove's collapse.
The Zhentarim Massacre. You knew the password. You freed an agent. And then you killed everyone in the hideout anyway. The survivors of the Zhentarim shipment are also dead. Whatever the Zhentarim were moving through the region is lost, and the people moving it are gone.
Nere Abandoned and Killed. Rather than racing to save the Duergar overseer from the cave-in, you let him die deserted — then finished the job. Whatever intelligence or leverage Nere might have offered was surrendered in favour of a cleaner, more decisive ending.
The Selûnite Shrine and Shadowheart. You persuaded Shadowheart to engage with the Selûnite shrine, a moment of quiet pressure on her devotion to Shar. Given what you know of who she is and who she serves, this choice — small as it seemed — is the kind of gentle, persistent challenge that shapes a companion's arc.
Astarion's Secret and the Bite. You know Astarion is a vampire, and you've let him feed. This is a relationship built on honesty and trust — or at least, on not flinching when the truth is unsettling.
6. Trajectory
This is a playthrough of controlled chaos — a Dwarf who has moved through the Sword Coast with genuine curiosity and thoroughness, explored every dungeon, read every book, and talked to every interesting creature, but whose moral compass points somewhere complicated. You are not evil — you saved children, freed prisoners, allied with the myconids, and protected the weak when it cost you nothing to do so. But you have also left a trail of bodies behind you that weren't strictly necessary: Zevlor, Halsin, the Zhentarim, Nere, the githyanki patrol.
The pattern that emerges is of a character who respects strength and decisiveness over sentiment, and who is not above letting problems resolve themselves fatally when intervention would be inconvenient. The grove's leadership is gone not because you raided it, but because something frayed — and you didn't, or couldn't, prevent it.
Your companions reflect this duality. Shadowheart and Astarion — the secretive, the predatory, the morally flexible — are the ones who travel with you. Gale and Wyll, more overtly heroic, are kept at camp. Lae'zel's low approval suggests she finds you either too soft in some moments or too chaotic in others — the githyanki warrior is hard to read.
Entering the Shadow-Cursed Lands with gnomes imprisoned at Moonrise and Arabella's parents already dead, the weight of Act 1's casualties is beginning to accumulate. The choices ahead — about the soul the curse claims, about what it means to hold power over others, about whether the tadpole in your skull is a weapon or a leash — will be shaped by the kind of person Act 1 has already revealed you to be.
The pixie is in the lantern. You can walk in the dark. What you do when you get there is the question this playthrough has been building toward.