Location: Ravaged Beach & Dank Crypt

Recruitment

1. Wake up on the Ravaged Beach and circle west to free Shadowheart from the mind flayer pod. Recruit her immediately so you have heals and Guidance online.
2. Spend any pending level-ups from the Nautiloid. If Zhalk survived, the next encounter will still push you to level 2.
   FightIntellect Devourers

   Strategy

   • Use the southeastern slope to approach in stealth and land an opening sneak attack.
   • Hold the backline; force the distant devourer to waste its first turn sprinting into range.
3. Follow the shoreline east until Astarion springs his ambush. Accept him into the party, level him up, and hand over your best dual-wield options—two short swords or other finesse one-handers.
4. Climb through the crashed Nautiloid wreckage to the Weave portal and recruit Gale. Make sure he has your spare arcane focus and a ranged weapon for fallback damage.
5. Head north to the roadblock where a tiefling patrol has Lae'zel caged. Let the dialogue play out, then lean on your face skills to scatter them.
   ConversationTiefling Patrol

   1. Bard (Deception) "Oh, gods! You've caught a scout; the gith invasion force is right behind me—save yourselves!"

   On success: The tieflings panic and flee, freeing Lae'zel without a fight.

6. Swap Gale out for Lae'zel if you prefer a martial-heavy core while spell slots are scarce. Keep Gale parked in camp for easy respecs later.

Get Withers so we can respec and resurrect

7. March east toward the Overgrown Ruins outside Withers' tomb. Use high ground and stealth to dismantle the bandit lookout before they can call for reinforcements.
   FightOvergrown Ruins Bandits

   Strategy

   • Sneak in so you skip the opening conversation and keep surprise.
   • Shoot the suspended foundation block to crush two looters immediately and clump the rest.
   • Use your hidden party members to finish stragglers before turn order catches up.
8. Open the main stone door and descend into the Dank Crypt antechamber.
9. When the surviving mercenary confronts you, lean on deception to avoid pulling the whole room at once.
   ConversationDank Crypt Guard

   1. Bard (Deception) Calm him down and insist the area is secure under your "orders."

   On success: Only one looter remains hostile, letting you eliminate him quietly.

10. Pick off the lone guard, then extinguish the lamp by the right-hand doorway to improve your stealth advantage.
11. Have your rogue interact with the hidden perception switch to unlock the door, then sneak everyone inside.
12. Position at the threshold and ignite the nearby oil barrel with Fire Bolt to start the next fight on your terms.
    FightCrypt Looters

    Strategy

    • Kick things off with the barrel explosion to drop initial targets and light the floor.
    • Hold the doorway so enemies funnel in, forcing them to enter your kill box one or two at a time.
    • Close the door after the first wave to reset positioning and pick off whoever remains.
13. Search the side room for another hidden switch to lift the next gate.
14. Either lockpick the final door or snag the key from the trapped sarcophagus if you trust your trap disarm rolls.
15. Enter the crypt proper and interact with one of the corpses to trigger the guardian ambush.
    FightAnimated Skeletons

    Strategy

    • The casters mostly spam Silence and Fog Cloud—use the lack of damage to reposition safely.
    • Duck into the fog after taking shots to stay protected from counter-fire.
    • Send Lae'zel and Astarion down the stairs to burst the high-HP guardian while your main character and Shadowheart snipe the weaker skeletons.
16. Speak with Withers once the undead fall to recruit him to your camp.
17. Loot the nearby chest for the Speak with Dead amulet, pilfer his coffin for gold, and unlock the campsite respec option.