Alternate paths through the Shadow-Cursed Lands

[Bella ✝]

Hi,

So, I'm knee-deep in act one of Baldur's Gate, just finished up exploring the Crèche, and things were going swimmingly until I hit a bit of a snag. As I made my way to the western side of the mountain pass, a warning popped up, hinting that once I venture into the shadow cursed lands, I might be stuck without a way to backtrack.

Here's where the confusion sets in: remember how there were two paths in the mountain pass? One through the goblin's camp and the other past those burnt-down Paladin houses? Well, I'm wondering if Grymforge's elevators work the same way. Do they both lead to the same spot, or am I going to miss out on stuff if I pick one over the other?

Any seasoned adventurers out there who've tackled this? I'd appreciate any tips or insights you can share!

Thank you!

[Dexter in the Dark]

heading into the shadow lands is starting act 2, you can back track but you may also be locked out of some quest if you have not completed them

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Bia:

Alternate paths through the Shadow-Cursed Lands
Hi,

So, I'm knee-deep in act one of Baldur's Gate, just finished up exploring the Crèche, and things were going swimmingly until I hit a bit of a snag. As I made my way to the western side of the mountain pass, a warning popped up, hinting that once I venture into the shadow cursed lands, I might be stuck without a way to backtrack.

Here's where the confusion sets in: remember how there were two paths in the mountain pass? One through the goblin's camp and the other past those burnt-down Paladin houses? Well, I'm wondering if Grymforge's elevators work the same way. Do they both lead to the same spot, or am I going to miss out on stuff if I pick one over the other?

Any seasoned adventurers out there who've tackled this? I'd appreciate any tips or insights you can share!

Thank you!

They do lead to different spots on the same map you get out. There is a short intersection which you miss out, but that is insignificant and you could in theory go there from wherever you get out in Act 2. So nothing lost. Only the storytelling differs slightly wheras Mountain Pass fits a more roguish approach, and Underdark a more good approach.

[Dexter in the Dark]

you wont be missing out on anything but some things my play out differently, eg you may meet person A at spot B instead of spot A

[Bella ✝]

Originally posted by アンジェル:

They do lead to different spots on the same map you get out. There is a short intersection which you miss out, but that is insignificant and you could in theory go there from wherever you get out in Act 2. So nothing lost. Only the storytelling differs slightly wheras Mountain Pass fits a more roguish approach, and Underdark a more good approach.

Ah, got it! Thanks a bunch for clarifying things for me yet again. You did so in an earlier thread I made. Your explanation really hit the mark, and I appreciate you taking the time to help out. It's a relief to know that I won't be missing out on anything major by choosing one path over the other. Thanks again for your valuable input!

[LordNibbler]

I'd even suggest to make a save before entering one way, then go first the one and then the other as both have some nice/interesting things to offer. It's not necessary for progression but cool to experience from both paths. (I was like "damn, I missed that?" the first time when I saw the other path )

[EricHVela]

NOTE:
You can return to the previous zones until entering the Shadowfell (and the game will tell you exactly when you're about to do it so you can back out). It is possible to do all the quests in the Shadow-cursed Lands prior to the Shadowfell and, then, do the Creche stuff and "forge" thingy, etc, but...

Entering the Mountain Pass by either route from the Wilderness area or entering the Shadow-Cursed Lands by the Underdark will end certain quests meant to be completed before doing that and can cause a specific area to be inaccessible and cause some NPCs to go away depending on what was left unfinished.

(There is an entrance to the Shadow-Cursed Lands from the Mountain Pass, but since you'd need to go into the Mountain pass to get there, the "Act I" quests cut-off will already've happened.)

[Carynara]

Originally posted by Bia:

űWell, I'm wondering if Grymforge's elevators work the same way. Do they both lead to the same spot, or am I going to miss out on stuff if I pick one over the other?

You won't miss out, either path is fine. If you come from Grymforge though you land a bit closer to a resting place, imo that's a bit easier since you have a place to rest/sell/recharge earlier. But you'll end up exploring everything anyway, it's just two different entrances to the same zone. They are not even that far from each other, actually.

[Kamuizin]

Mountain pass access is a bit farther from last light inn than the access from underdark.

I entered from Underdark and it worked all right for me, maybe from mountain pass you will contact more deep cursed areas before you reach the Inn.

A piece of advice, if you go from mountain pass, you will probably explore the south area before the Inn. There, after talking to Rolan, he will go look for his siblings. This, afaik, doesn’t appear in the map right, you have to look for him there.

If you long rest after he left for looking for his siblings, he’s dead and it will compromise a bit of some quests in act 3.

[Dexter in the Dark]

Originally posted by Kamuizin:

Mountain pass access is a bit farther from last light inn than the access from underdark.

I entered from Underdark and it worked all right for me, maybe from mountain pass you will contact more deep cursed areas before you reach the Inn.

A piece of advice, if you go from mountain pass, you will probably explore the south area before the Inn. There, after talking to Rolan, he will go look for his siblings. This, afaik, doesn’t appear in the map right, you have to look for him there.

If you long rest after he left for looking for his siblings, he’s dead and it will compromise a bit of some quests in act 3.

a side note to this if you rescue the siblings before interacting with Rolan, he will sill go looking for them Evan after reuniting with them

[Ironwu]

Originally posted by Nobody:

Originally posted by ghostbuster6969:

heading into the shadow lands is starting act 2, you can back track but you may also be locked out of some quest if you have not completed them

Wrong. You get locked out of most of Act 1 areas when you go into the Nightsongs prision. Important characters will be moved to Act 2 areas when you travel to Shadowlands, so you get locked out of the most quests for Act 1, but Shadowlands is still part of Act 1.

I think you are confusing the Shadow-Cursed Lands (Act 2) with the Underdark (Act 1).

[thirdchild]

Originally posted by Ironwu:

Originally posted by Nobody:

Wrong. You get locked out of most of Act 1 areas when you go into the Nightsongs prision. Important characters will be moved to Act 2 areas when you travel to Shadowlands, so you get locked out of the most quests for Act 1, but Shadowlands is still part of Act 1.

I think you are confusing the Shadow-Cursed Lands (Act 2) with the Underdark (Act 1).

No. I went back and forth from the last light inn to the goblin camp several times. It's the night song prisión that locks you out of being able to go back to wilderness. You even get a warning at that point. The warning you get when you enter the shadow lands is different.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Nobody:

Originally posted by Ironwu:

I think you are confusing the Shadow-Cursed Lands (Act 2) with the Underdark (Act 1).

No. I went back and forth from the last light inn to the goblin camp several times. It's the night song prisión that locks you out of being able to go back to wilderness. You even get a warning at that point. The warning you get when you enter the shadow lands is different.

You are still confusing things. Ironwu is correct that Shadow-Cursed Lands is Act 2. You even get an achievement for reaching Act 2 the moment you enter the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

[Sir_Baldur]

I tend to clear Grymforge, then do the Creche, then head back to the elevator at Grymforge to take the elevator up. It's a more good aligned path and you get to save the Harpers so they'll be alive later for the big battle.

[Kamuizin]

Underdark locks nothing, mountain pass is still act 1, but lock druid grove questline and others, and going into the shadowlands, either by mountain pass or underdark, is act 2 and (i think) lock every act 1 incomplete quest.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Sir_Baldur:

I tend to clear Grymforge, then do the Creche, then head back to the elevator at Grymforge to take the elevator up. It's a more good aligned path and you get to save the Harpers so they'll be alive later for the big battle.

Best not to spoiler things for threadstarter and anyone else.

It is for them to decide how to play, but there will be not another "first time experience".

I also recommend consider any decision made in one playthrough to be final and have the alternative for future playthroughs. Otherwise you are just hurting yourself too much by not only taking things away for the next journey, but also ruining your current journey.