Act 1: Post-Grove Exploration

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

    At this point the world is kind of open. Since it’s HM, I try to run around and do some easy fights/events to try and get to level 4 and 5 asap. Once you get to level 5, most things get a lot easier with our classes coming online. So we will be running around back and forth doing a little here and a little there for now just to get xp while avoiding big fights. We still don’t have any useful skills and are one strong wind away from dying.
    • Lae'zel — Cast mage armor
    • Shadowheart — Cast aid

    The Blighted Village

  1. Head west then north to talk to Brynna and Andrick. You can fight them or send them off—doesn’t matter much. Make sure to grab the parasite from the body when done.
  2. Keep heading to the Blighted Village and grab Scratch on the way.
  3. Talk to Aradin out front to get the contract. Loot the corpses for some decent supplies.
  4. Enter the village and avoid the fight for now.
  5. There’s a chest near the cart just east of the well (north of the waypoint). Get the Haste Helm from it and equip it on Astarion.
  6. Talk to the ogres to the southwest. Use Friends to convince them to work for you (Deception, Persuasion).

    7. The Goblin Camp (no fighting yet)

  7. Head west to the goblin camp. Sazza will get you in without fighting.
  8. Talk to Volo until he gets sent inside.
  9. Shop at Grat. I get Boots of Aid and Comfort for Shadowheart and the Archery Gloves for MC.
  10. If you have no self-respect, talk to Crusher: “I’d sooner spit in your face,” then apologize and get on your knees, then[Sleight of Hand] kiss the ring off his feet. Get the Crusher Ring and equip it on Astarion. This way you can get the ring before we come back and kill everyone way later.
  11. Head inside and talk to True Soul Gut. At this point I start turning off all the light sources in the temple. We will start killing everyone in smaller groups soon. If there’s no light, it’s much less likely for the fight to spill out and aggro everyone. In general, turn off lights and shut doors to keep fights from growing bigger.
  12. Don’t follow True Soul Gut, and don’t talk to Minthara or the other leader. We’re not ready to fight them yet.
  13. Go to the east room to rescue Volo. If persuasion fails, just have the door shut and the light off so you only have to fight one goblin.
  14. Go back to camp and talk to Volo. Let him examine you—he’ll give you a bard vest to wear for a while.
  15. Go back to the goblin temple where you let him out. Go south one room to go through Abdirak’s thing—I used MC Bard to get a buff.
  16. Go south one more room to let the prisoner out.
  17. Not much else to do here without fighting, and I’d rather wait until we’re 4 since there are a few more things we can do without fighting. Head back to the Blighted Village.

    18. The Necromancy of Thay

  18. Go to the southeast house right next to the waypoint and enter the wooden hatch into the basement.
  19. Go through here until the end. Read the healing log, flip the lever behind the crates, and talk to the magic mirror.
  20. Get the Bracers of Defense for Astarion.
  21. Get the Necromancy of Thay, and make sure to disarm traps. I just put it in the pack for now—not much reason to read it yet.

    22. Waukeen's Rest

  22. Head north out of the Blighted Village, ignore the windmill and barn—we’ll get back to that.
  23. You’ll probably meet Raphael here, so talk to him.
  24. Keep heading north, then northwest towards Waukeen’s Rest.
  25. Go into the burning building with one character to rescue Counsellor Florrick, and take the Spellsparkler staff for Lae'zel.

    26. The Githyanki (Kith'rak Voss)

  26. Go west to talk to the githyanki (Kith'rak Voss). This step can be a little risky if you fail the conversation—you’ll most likely get murdered by the gith. I would keep one person in camp so they can resurrect you in case that happens. Make sure to take MC and Lae'zel at least.
  27. Let Lae'zel do the talking and pass the persuasion check.
  28. Pick up the stuff on the corpses—some armor for selling.

    29. Grab Karlach

  29. Go back to the bridge where you saw Raphael. On the northwest side is a cliff to climb down and a path to follow to Karlach without triggering the gnoll fights.
  30. Recruit Karlach.
  31. At this point I was about 70 XP from level 4. I didn’t kill Commander Zhalk this playthrough, so I think that’s why.

    32. Long Rest Events

  32. Do some long rests until you exhaust all the events. Talk to Volo in the morning and let him fix your eye so you get See Invisibility. Don’t use supplies—when you get the event with the guardian, you will get a free long rest. Let Astarion drink your blood.
  33. Once you have a long rest without any events we’re good to go. I didn’t make it to level 4 yet, but we can get there quickly while clearing out some of the goblin camp/temple.