Baldur's Gate 3 is a massive turn-based RPG where each decision and dialogue option matters, and thus each playthrough will be different. While some players slowly scour the map and find every location they can loot, the game isn't designed for players to find everything at once.

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Instead, because of how the natural exploration works in BG3, there are loads of areas, even in Act 1, that players will miss. Thankfully, these can be seen as exciting prospects for future playthroughs. Be sure not to miss the following BG3 Act 1 secrets!

Updated June 6, 2024 by Joe Grantham: The sheer size of Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3 means there are many hidden areas, either underground or behind seemingly impenetrable doors. While players may find some of these locations easily thanks to hints from an NPC or through sheer luck, other areas can elude even the most attentive explorers.

With Game of the Year winner Baldur's Gate 3 releasing on consoles, even more adventurers are curious about what secrets they may have missed in their first playthrough.

1 Ebonlake Grotto & The Myconid Colony

Protected By Exploding Mushrooms With Lots Of Quests & Loot

• Loot: Many magical items including boots, rings, amulets, circlets, gloves, and staffs
• Quests: Cure the Poisoned Gnome, Find the Mushroom Picker, Defeat the Duergar Intruders, Deliver Nere's Head, Avenge Glut's Circle, Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite
• Enemies: The Myconid if attacked and possibly Duergar

The Underdark is truly full of mysteries, and one of the many locations hidden beneath the surface is the Ebonlake Grotto, which is home to the Myconid Colony. In many ways, this location isn't all that hard to find, but it is also easy to miss or even overlook. Located northeast of the Sussur Tree, at the very north of the Underdark, players should come across a large mushroom minefield that can be destroyed at a safe distance using ranged attacks.

Once they have made it through the minefield, players will talk to the leader, Sovereign Spaw. There are many ways to convince this telepathic leader to allow the party through, although the best option is probably to tell the truth. Once inside the colony, players will quickly discover that it is on the edge of rebellion and whichever faction they side with will certainly have the upper hand. There are a multitude of quests in this location and two vendors who sell some of Act 1's most unique items.

2 Secluded Cove

An Easy To Miss Location Behind The Emerald Grove With An Interesting Fight

• Loot: Ring of Color Spray
• Quests: Investigate the Beach
• Enemies: Harpies

Due to the direction from which players approach the heart of the Emerald Grove, it can be easy to miss the entrance to the Secluded Cove, which is just next to where the Bard Alfira can be found. While there is not too much in terms of great loot, apart from a ring in the harpy nest, players do have the chance to save a Tiefling child and engage in a highly interesting fight against harpies.

Just like Alfira, these harpies also sing, and if they are successful with their melody, they will lure members of the party in, making them unable to take action. The fight is certainly not easy, especially if players have only just entered the Emerald Grove while still at a low level. After the fight, players will discover there are many hidden ledges and columns to jump to in the Secluded Cove, all of which are hiding small amounts of loot.

3 The Arcane Tower

Protected By Turrets & Full Of Surprises

• Loot: Guiding Light Ring, Staff of Arcane Blessing, Club of Hill Giant Strength, Mystra's Grace Boots
• Enemies: Arcane Turrets, Bernard

The Underdark is full of secrets and hidden areas, but one of the easier-to-find locations is the Arcane Tower, located in the southwest. However, while many players will spot it, getting inside isn't easy. Arcane Turrets protect the tower from trespassers. To circumvent these turrets, players can use Misty Step or Feather Fall to jump onto mushrooms and find a different way into the tower. On the first floor of the tower, players can add Sussur Blossom to the generator, which will disable the turrets and activate the elevator.

Once inside the tower, players will find plenty of magical mysteries. The area is more about problem-solving rather than combat. At the top of the tower, however, players may be attacked if they do not give the guardian Bernard the correct answers. There is some incredible loot in the tower, including one of the hardest-to-find weapons in BG3, the Staff of Arcane Blessing.

4 The Adamantine Forge

Make Unique & Powerful Adamantine Items

• Loot: Sentient Amulet, Mithral Ore, and various Molds
• Forgeable Items: Adamantine Splint Armor, Scale Mail, Shield, Longsword, Mace, and Scimitar
• Quests: The Adamantine Forge
• Enemies: Grym, an Adamantine Golem

If players choose to travel through the Underdark to reach Act 2 of BG3, then they will inevitably pass through the Grymforge as the last part of their journey. Within the Grymforge, however, is a much harder-to-find location: the Adamantine Forge. Players might first stumble across some Duergar who are searching for the lost forge, and from here there is a passageway covered by rubble that the party must clear somehow.

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Alternatively, some characters can use the Fly ability or an enhanced jump to reach a ledge, which leads to a fast travel point for the forge. Around this location, players will find Mithral Ore and various molds that can be used to forge special Adamantine weapons or armor. When players start up the forge by pulling the Lava Valve, an Adamantine Golem will spawn. Known as Grym, this golem is considered one the hardest bosses in Act 1.

5 Underground Passage To The Emerald Grove

A Secret Way Into The Emerald Grove

• Loot: Arcane Circlet, Nature's Snare
• Quests: Save the Goblin Sazza
• Enemies: Guardian Statues, Goblins

While players will find their way into the Emerald Grove easily enough, they may miss a certain hidden entrance that can be very useful, with unique loot waiting inside. To find the Underground Passage, approach the grove from the forest. If at least one character passes a Perception check, a Stone Door will appear.

Once inside, players will need to figure out how to stop the three Guardian Statues from attacking, especially if they want to find the Underground Passage treasure. This passage can also be used as an escape route for players helping Sazza flee, although she is not the first goblin to pass through. It is recommended that players enter Turn-Based Mode for this section, at least until the Guardian Statues have been turned off, as otherwise, they can burn through the party at an alarming rate.

6 Zhentarim Hideout At Waukeen's Rest

Hidden Behind Crates And Multiple Skill Checks Or A Password

• Loot: Many great items from Trader Brem
• Quests: Find the Missing Shipment & Free the Artist
• Enemies: Zhentarim Mercenaries

The Zhentarim Hideout is aptly named and does a successful job of concealing the Zhentarim mercenary group from many players in Act 1. Behind some crates at Waukeen's Rest, there is a door. Once inside, players will either have to pass some Skill Checks or have already acquired the password from Rugan, who is found in a cave on The Risen Road.

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As players further explore the Zhentarim Hideout, further Skill Checks and discoveries await. How they approach the Zhentarim mercenaries is up to them. If players have previously found the missing shipment as part of the quest of the same name, then Trader Brem will sell some of the best items available in Act 1 of BG3. There is even an entrance to the Underdark in the Zhentarim Hideout.

7 Apothecary's Cellar In The Blighted Village

A Normal Cellar Holds Dark Secrets

• Loot: The Necromancy of Thay
• Quests: Search the Cellar
• Enemies: Agile Guardians

One location that many players miss in Act 1 of BG3 is the Apothecary's Cellar, which can be accessed through a hatch in the house just south of the Blighted Village waypoint. At first, this cellar appears normal, and many players will feel like they've fully looted it. However, if the crates to the left of a bookcase are moved, a lever can be found opening up a whole new adventure.

This is all part of the Search the Cellar quest. What players find is rather dark, but interesting, with lots of puzzles to solve. Players might also have to fight their way out of an ambush if they look in the wrong places. Those who manage to reach the last room will find a dark and powerful tome, but what is to be done with The Necromancy of Thay is up to each individual. Naturally, this is a must-visit location for any wizards who have chosen the Necromancy subclass.

8 Whispering Depths Beneath The Blighted Village

Often Missed, As Players Must Interact With A Well

• Loot: Poisoner's Robes & Spiderstep Boots
• Quests: Search the Cellar clue
• Enemies: Phase Spider Matriarch

The Whispering Depths is another easy-to-miss area in Act 1, although interestingly, there are two ways to find this spider-infested lair. The first is by interacting with a well near the Blighted Village waypoint. Alternatively, players can burn the spiderwebs in the Blacksmith's house in the same village.

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Inside, players need to be ready for lots of Phase Spiders, and eventually, they will come across the Matriach, who can be a tough boss for under-level players. She will drop the Poisoner's Robes, one of the best robes in Baldur's Gate 3, particularly this early on.

9 Festering Cove In The Underdark

One Of The Most Easily Missed Areas In The Game

• Loot: Sickle of BOOOAL & Slippery Chain Shirt
• Enemies: BOOOAL the Redcap

If there is one area in Act 1 that players haven't heard of, it is the Festering Cove. By jumping down from next to the mushroom portals in Auntie Ethel's Lair, players will find themselves in one of the game's weirdest locations. The half-fish-like creatures known as the Kuo-Toa are even stranger.

These creatures worship a Redcap called BOOOAL and, as with anything in Baldur's Gate 3, how players proceed is completely up to them. They might choose to save the Kuo-Toa, or they might sacrifice a friend. With so much on the line, this is definitely a location for lovers of the story to visit.

Baldur's Gate 3

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Genre(s)

RPG