Highlights
- Starting combat in full stealth can be extremely helpful in Baldur's Gate 3, allowing players to set up the battle in their favor and potentially avoid a party wipe.
- Using the hotkey Shift+C or holding down on the D-pad (for controller users) can stealth the entire party, which is a mechanic that some players may not have realized was an option.
- Advanced players can further divide the party into subgroups by pressing G, which can provide positional advantages and strategic opportunities during combat scenarios.
A Baldur's Gate 3 player has an important tip for struggling adventurers. The full launch of Baldur's Gate 3 on PC has led to a massive influx of new players that may find the complexities of the Dungeons and Dragons game overwhelming. Simply learning how combat works is no simple matter, so figuring out all the complexities that Larian Studios has introduced may take some time. This trick, which allows Baldur's Gate 3 players to quickly enter stealth as a group, could save players' parties.
Players are encouraged to approach combat scenarios creatively in Dungeons and Dragons. It's entirely possible to charge into combat without strategy if that suits the nature of the party. However, other parties may be more suited to try negotiation or other tactics first. Baldur's Gate 3 does what it can to recreate this experience, though it's much more structured. One system that has been carried over is stealth, though some players may not be familiar with it.
A post shared on Reddit that's gained quite a bit of traction offers a simple but important tip for new Baldur's Gate 3 players. The post's title reads "PSA: You can stealth your entire party by pressing Shift+C" and that's the whole of it. One of the post's top comments notes that controller users can do this by holding down on the D-pad. It's a mechanic that may Baldur's Gate 3 players may not have realized was even an option.
It can't be understated how helpful starting a combat scenario in full stealth can be in Baldur's Gate 3. It effectively allows players a phase to set up combat how they please, granting an advantage that those not using stealth may be missing out on. And considering how challenging combat in Baldur's Gate 3 can be, that advantage could make the difference between survival and a full party wipe.
As an advanced tactic, Baldur's Gate 3 players can also press G to divide the party into subgroups. The player can then put together characters that are more stealthy, so that they can gain positional advantages that a full party could fail to do. Getting a rogue into the enemy backline before the dwarf paladin in full plate mail stumbles forward and breaks stealth is a great strategy.
That many Baldur's Gate 3 players may not know about this simple hotkey, and the mechanic it hides, is perhaps a reasonable criticism. There are a lot of buttons to learn in Baldur's Gate 3, and the user interface can be overwhelming. It can make for a worse experience overall. Others might argue that learning a CRPG like Baldur's Gate 3's eccentricities experience and that it would be a lesser game without these complexities. Baldur's Gate 3 players will have to decide that for themselves.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC, with a PS5 release on September 6 and an Xbox launch to follow.
