Beach, grove, then the wilderness
The softlock page lists the clocks. This page is a walking order that meets those clocks with a few levels already banked.
Start on the beach, then the chapel ruins. Open the sarcophagus while you are there. Withers still comes to camp if you reach the goblin courtyard first, and respec is still 100 gold.
At the Emerald Grove, talk, trade with Arron, and pick up the quests. Leave the three goblin leaders alive until you want the tiefling party. Karlach stays if you deal with the paladins of Tyr before a resolving exit. The companion page has that gate.
In the wilderness, stop at the Blighted Village windmill. Use the brake lever. The release lever throws Barcus off the wheel. The owlbear cave can wait when the fight looks large. The cub has a later path through the goblin camp.
The moment Waukeen's Rest is burning in front of you, finish the rescue. After you approach, a long rest, a fast travel, or the Rosymorn Monastery Trail kills the people trapped inside, including Benryn.
| Stage | Do | Stop point or consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Beach and chapel | Recruit nearby companions and explore the chapel; open the Dank Crypt if convenient. | Missing Withers in the crypt does not remove his camp respec service. |
| Emerald Grove | Talk to the tieflings and druids; take the refugee and companion quests. | Do not take either region exit with Save the Refugees unfinished if you want the tieflings to stay. |
| Wilderness | Explore the Blighted Village and nearby areas; build levels before the hag and goblin leaders. | After approaching Waukeen's Rest, finish its rescue before a long rest, fast travel, or the Rosymorn Trail. |
| Goblin camp | Free Halsin and resolve the goblin leaders when ready; deal with the Tyr paladins before a resolving exit if recruiting Karlach. | Halsin dies in his cell if left there. Karlach leaves if the Tyr paladins remain alive at the exit. |
| Underdark and Grymforge | Explore before taking the Mountain Pass if desired. Talk to Nere through the rubble only when ready to finish that rescue. | After talking through the rubble, two long rests, two region exits, or a mix kills Nere and ends the gnome rescue. |
| Grove celebration | After saving the grove, take the celebration rest, then camp rests for queued companion scenes. | Leaving for either region exit can drop queued camp scenes; check romance gates first. |
| Choose an exit | The Underdark and Mountain Pass can be taken in either order; both are Act 1 routes. | Either exit resolves Save the Refugees and closes unfinished grove business. Read the popup before proceeding. |
Underdark before either exit
The Underdark is still Act 1. The well, the Whispering Depths, the Zhentarim elevator, and the goblin camp all lead down, and those entrances do not fire the grove popup. Grymforge is at the bottom.
Speak to Nere through the rubble only when you will finish that rescue on the same visit. Two long rests, two times leaving the region, or a mix of those, and he dies. The gnomes on that quest go with him. Deal with him, then use the forge. The adamantine scale mail and the splint armour stop attackers from landing critical hits on the wearer.
Auntie Ethel is a level 4 or 5 fight on a first run. Bring her low enough that she offers the bargain. The hair is +1 to one ability score. If she dies before the offer, the hair is gone. Put the +1 on an odd score so the modifier changes.
Aim to be level 4 before the hag and the goblin leaders. Dialogue, the crypt, and the wilderness are the experience that gets you there.
After the grove is safe
Save the Refugees ends if you take the road to the Rosymorn Monastery Trail or the road into the Shadow-Cursed Lands while that quest is open. Halsin dies in his cell if he is still locked up. The softlock page has the journal lines.
When the grove is saved, take the celebration long rest, then more rests at camp. Several companion scenes queue on those nights. The romance page explains why they drop if you leave the region early.
The Mountain Pass and the crèche are still open after that, and so is anything left in the Underdark. Both roads can be walked. The trail or the elevator into the Shadow-Cursed Lands is the step into Act 2.
Official site: baldursgate3.game.