A good leveling guide?

[Leoofmoon]

First time playing the game. Is there a good way to level my characters from 1-5? I just want to get my character buffed a bit before taking on major quest.

[Giraffasaur]

As a new player, I first highly recommend experiencing the game's hardships at a low level and learn about the game world, exploring your options, and discovering the non-combat quests to gain early exp. There's a lot of the lore of this game which ropes people in.

Once you've gotten a good sense of how the flow of the game works, then I'd recommend taking on the quests given at the Friendly Arm Inn, Beregost, Nashkel, and the Nashkel Carnival area. There's a good variety of quests that can be done here to challenge you, and give you a solid amount of exp in the process.

If you really want to jump up your exp quickly, there is an easy trick to do so. It's hard to recommend to a newcomer because you miss some of those core character-building moments in the early game, so please understand I don't think this should be your main goal right out of the gate as a new player.

Alright, I've said my peace and made the disclaimer, here we go: There's a place known as Mutamin's Garden that you can reach east of the Temple (area to the east of Beregost). When you enter, move slightly northward and talk to a ghoul named Korax. He will join your party for a short duration, but he is PARAMOUNT in exploiting the area's exp quickly. Have him lead your party upwards and to the right. When you encounter the various basilisks, their stone gaze will have no effect on Korax. Take them down with your party for some massive exp gains.

Once you're done clearing the upper tree portion of the area, you can also clear the lower portion with dust and bones; there's a lot more basilisks to be found, but steer clear of an adventuring party in about the middle-right of the region. At low (and even mid) levels, these guys spell serious danger to an inexperienced party/player.

Good luck.

[Leoofmoon]

I did just take the quest to Clear out spiders in a gnomes basement but the none combat ones I dunno if I have even found any of them. Should I look around the Friend arms inn more for quest before taking on my companions quest?

[wendigo211]

In the area south of High Hedge, there's a talking chicken. If you take him to the mage in High Hedge and he survives (there's a 50/50 chance) your party will gain 2000 XP. It's a quick quest you can do solo at the start and, with the XP from Candlekeep, most characters should gain a level. It's less extreme than the Basilisks (which catapult you to level 5).

If you have a mage you can also hunt the Ankhegs in the area north of the Friendly Arm Inn. Sleep works fairly consistently on them and they're worth 975 XP each (there's 8 of the them in the cave).

[Giraffasaur]

Originally posted by Leoofmoon:

I did just take the quest to Clear out spiders in a gnomes basement but the none combat ones I dunno if I have even found any of them. Should I look around the Friend arms inn more for quest before taking on my companions quest?

There is another quest in the house to the left of the entrance inside the Friendly Arm's walls. It is just inside the bridge entrance, a door on the left. There is a lady in this house that rewards a small amount of exp and a rep boost for hunting easy Hobgoblins and collecting a lost ring, in the area outside the Friendly Arm (just follow the path outside and around, following the left side of the area then going right at the top of the area).

Otherwise, wendigo211's suggestions are strong options as well. There are a lot of quick quests in and around and between the main town areas of varying difficulty, as well as light enemy encounters that can slowly build up your character's gold and exp as well.

I think the main thing to do is act like an adventurer and explore your surroundings and try to complete tasks for others - be it out of the kindness of your heart, or your personal gain.

[Leoofmoon]

Originally posted by Giraffasaur:

Originally posted by Leoofmoon:

I did just take the quest to Clear out spiders in a gnomes basement but the none combat ones I dunno if I have even found any of them. Should I look around the Friend arms inn more for quest before taking on my companions quest?

There is another quest in the house to the left of the entrance inside the Friendly Arm's walls. It is just inside the bridge entrance, a door on the left. There is a lady in this house that rewards a small amount of exp and a rep boost for hunting easy Hobgoblins and collecting a lost ring, in the area outside the Friendly Arm (just follow the path outside and around, following the left side of the area then going right at the top of the area).

Otherwise, wendigo211's suggestions are strong options as well. There are a lot of quick quests in and around and between the main town areas of varying difficulty, as well as light enemy encounters that can slowly build up your character's gold and exp as well.

I think the main thing to do is act like an adventurer and explore your surroundings and try to complete tasks for others - be it out of the kindness of your heart, or your personal gain.

Kindness o the heart dosen't pay for repair bills and priest to revive my allies!

But aye I understand to play it more like a DnD game but it is just confusing to know what to do at first, I've never played this before. Though I do have to ask what happens to allies I remove from my party? Do they go to the friendly arms in or return to where I found them? Because I removed the evil mage and rouge from my group.

[AlexMBrennan]

If you have a mage you can also hunt the Ankhegs in the area north of the Friendly Arm Inn. Sleep works fairly consistently on them and they're worth 975 XP each (there's 8 of the them in the cave).

You also get ambushed by them fairly consistently if you try to rest in the area so if you want to you can max out your XP then and there.

Though I do have to ask what happens to allies I remove from my party? Do they go to the friendly arms in or return to where I found them? Because I removed the evil mage and rouge from my group.

Original BG1 NPCs stay where you dismiss them, which can mean inaccessible areas (e.g. the area where you encounter Dorn).

Beamdog NPCs (Neera, Dorn, Rasaad and Baeloth) will go to their default location when dismissed (e.g. Rasaad will go back to standing outside the Nashkel Inn)

[Kimmaz]

This is not a guide, but this is the quest journal I have so far, i am level 5 and in chapter 3. There is a lot of things to do in the first levels to gain a bit of experience.
https://i.imgur.com/pJvXtyA.gif

[red255]

Originally posted by Leoofmoon:

First time playing the game. Is there a good way to level my characters from 1-5? I just want to get my character buffed a bit before taking on major quest.

easiest is to start with a beserker, then use rage and kill sirens. if you need more XP use protection from pertrification and kill basilisks while solo.

after he gets 40000 XP or something it should be fine.

the basilisks are east of the area east of beregost. the sirens are somewhat scattered along the coastal regions.

after you hit 40000, solo recruit a party and everyone should be around level 5.

[AlexMBrennan]

easiest is to start with a beserker, then use rage and kill sirens.

That is a very dangerous play given that sirens show up in groups of 3 and come equipped with extremely dangerous arrows of biting. Basilisks are much, much, much less dangerous.

[ÄmJii]

Originally posted by red255:

Originally posted by Leoofmoon:

after he gets 40000 XP or something it should be fine.
after you hit 40000, solo recruit a party and everyone should be around level 5.

IIRC it scales up to 32k XP.

[[SIN] Kryadan]

I started on Story Mode and explore each map by going around the map to uncover the fog and then the interior. Save often and especially if you see NPC's. If you see a named NPC int he wild, Google it and read about it on the Wiki. A lot of them have choices that make a difference in quests, rewards, and reputation.

Honestly in story mode it is pretty easy to start. I just recruited everyone I camer across (Khalid, Jaheira, Kaigan, Minsc, Neera) and have been doing fine. At Gnoll now to help Minsc out.

I started as a Fighter/Thief multiclass Dwarf. (Dual class levels each class separately, multiclass levels them at same time I believe)

Edit: I started by heading south on the map. I explored unanmed forest areas to avoid big cities or named locations at first. They usually have the most quests and action which I was afraid of jumping into right away lol

[red255]

Originally posted by AlexMBrennan:

easiest is to start with a beserker, then use rage and kill sirens.

That is a very dangerous play given that sirens show up in groups of 3 and come equipped with extremely dangerous arrows of biting. Basilisks are much, much, much less dangerous.

we arent ironman, and potions of antidote, exist.

[wendigo211]

You can usually take the Sirens one at a time with a thrown weapon. They always cast improved invisibility, then two Dire Charms before using their bows. A Fighter with an exceptional strength bonus should be able to kill them with a thrown weapon before they get to the bows. I've fought them solo fairly safely with a Swashbuckler using throwing daggers and the Greenstone Amulet. I did however run the Basilisks first, so I didn't have level 1 THAC0.

[Naduril]

There are many good advices but no link BD Wiki [baldursgate.fandom.com]. There are walkthroughs and descriptions about almost everything.

[DarkStriker]

Specific guide are hard to find, but early on quests are your best bets. The part 1 of many playthrough on youtube are really helpful on that matter, i learned a lot from there (solo playthrough are the best! :D ). For a 100% sure bet of good xp, Mutamin's garden is a good first step for any character, just don't forget to use Korax! Also on the durlag tower area, there are 2 Doom Guard (4k xp each) and the tower's outside have more basilisks (accessible from 2nd or 3rd floor, can't remember). Don't forget your protection from petrification scrolls! Shoal the Nereid
is a nymph that you can kill for 5k xp, you can find her in the shipwreck coast area. If you can blind her, the fight is very easy.