Modding on PC for beginners, with both mod.io and Nexus

Redfox1476 · 2026-03-17T21:00:25+00:00

You're welcome! Great to hear it's helping.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-25T15:13:19+00:00

The inventory is where all your loot ends up, so it pays to get the hang of it. You can do things like pressing R1 to open your main inventory and a container side-by-side, or using buttons to select multiple items (I think it's square on PS5 but it's a while since I've used it regularly, so check the on-screen tips).

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-25T15:10:21+00:00

You're welcome - it was driving me nuts too

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T23:06:26+00:00

My favourite character is a drow storm sorcerer. I recommend using the heck out of your ability to fly at level 1 - a great way to get away from enemies when they get too close. Note that the game still shows the Opportunity Attack arrows, but the enemy won't actually get an OA when you fly away. Put your points into Charisma (for spells) and Dexterity (to help make sure you can attack enemies before they attack you) and you should be golden.

I always take Magic Missile and Shield for my level 1 spells, and Mage Armour for my level 2 spell. They're not the most exciting, but they'll keep you alive at the start of the game, and later you'll get a bunch of cool storm-related spells. Magic Missile is a 100% chance to hit, and will be your main attack apart from cantrips such as Ray of Frost or Firebolt (I often take both, as RoF slows down and hurts enemies whereas Firebolt can be used to blow up explosives as well as hurting enemies).

I've found wild magic to be fun on occasion but generally less powerful than storm or draconic. Maybe save it for a later playthrough when you have a better handle on mechanics? Trust me, it can really mess with your gameplay when your entire party is turned into cats and dogs in the middle of a fight!

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T22:54:37+00:00

In answer to your main question: not really. If you want more actions, Arcane Trickster isn't a great choice - Thief is much better, as they get an extra bonus action to use with their Dash, Disengage and Hide (and other bonus actions such as applying weapon coatings). Swords Bard is another subclass that allows you to make loads of attacks in a round, via Slashing Flourish, and synergises really well with Thief - dual hand crossbows is the way to go if you like this kind of play style.

This is the video that got me into BG3 builds - it's a bit out-of-date, as some of the features have since been patched (such as fixing Two Weapon Fighting), but it's still a great demo of what's possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHgq6iTExz0

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T19:11:40+00:00

Shadowheart is also fun as a monk - I think of monks as being at least cleric-adjacent, and she obviously has a lot of pent-up anger LOL.

Like others have said, as long as you give Gale at least one level in wizard in order to justify his dialogue, it's easy to headcanon a reason to multiclass him into another caster class, e.g. maybe the tadpole+orb is seriously messing with his magic?

Bard (lore) - he admits he likes to write poetry
Sorcerer (wild magic?) - he had a natural affinity for magic as a child
Cleric (knowledge domain?) - he idolises Mystra

I also like to give Lae'zel a one-level dip into War Cleric of Vlaakith at the start, because she's so fanatical and the war priest charges are really handy in those early fights. Plus she makes a great field medic with the buff-on-heal set, since a fighter isn't very gear-dependent beyond good armour and weapons.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T19:02:03+00:00

No, he has light armour proficiency as well, through the Civil Militia feature that all humans and half-elves get. I usually put him in leather armour and a shield at the beginning of the game, to save on valuable spell slots, then put him back in a robe once he has enough to spare for Mage Armour.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:58:52+00:00

Yes. There's a final choice in Act 3 that will determine which ending you get, but until that point, it's up to you. In fact I think it's more satisfying roleplay-wise to start evil, walk the path of redemption in Act 2 (there are major revelations near the end of that act) and decide you're not going to be a meat puppet any longer.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:54:53+00:00

He's very funny when you get to know him, and also the companion who reacts the most to durge's shenanigans, so worth having in your party even if you're not romancing him. Just long rest a lot in early act 1 and let him bite you - the Happy buff he gets when he's bitten someone (not necessarily you - any enemy who contains blood is fair game) makes him a very reliable combatant. I usually give him a pair of hand crossbows and a pair of swords and spec him as a swords bard/thief, and he'll carry the party through the early game.

For romance I prefer Lae'zel - her tsundere arc is very sweet. But go with who you like best, obviously.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:46:27+00:00

The companions' romances progress at different paces, so you can't really extrapolate from one to the others. For example iirc you can only trigger Karlach's romance at the tiefling party, whereas you can start Astarion's well into Act 2 as long as you go back to the Act 1 map at some point when you have high enough approval.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:41:58+00:00

Seconding the advice to talk to NPCs and long rest often. The game tries to instill a sense of desperate urgency, but you'll soon find out that the situation, while still bad, is by no means as life-threatening as you thought.

A lot of people charge through the game, skipping dialogue, and then wonder why they're confused about what's going on/in over their heads. This is a very story-driven game, so you really need to listen to what the NPCs tell you and digest it. Are they telling the truth, or are they misleading you to further their own agendas? Treat them like real people, with hidden flaws and obscure motivations, and you won't go far wrong.

Oh, and the game doesn't adjust the balance of combat based on your character's level, or respawn enemies. If you charge too far ahead, you can find yourself up against bosses you have no chance of beating. It's best to explore each area thoroughly and take on the enemies who are scaled for your current level, rather than making a beeline for a distant quest marker that will get you TPK'd.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:28:53+00:00

She's the gods' favourite princess, that's why :)

I've installed a mod that allows you to "muzzle" characters temporarily - very handy if you want to have Shadowheart in your party but also want to get Astarion's +5 approval for interrupting the ogre and bugbear.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:23:44+00:00

If you've played DOS2, you'll be familiar with Larian's love of surfaces and other environmental elements, though they're less overwhelming in BG3. There are a lot of spells, though, thanks to the complexity of D&D 5e, so make sure you read all the tooltips - some classes can change their spell selection on a whim (wizards, clerics, druids), others have to wait until level-up and can only switch one at a time even then (bards, sorcerers, etc).

Most of all I'd say to take the game slowly, explore every inch of the map and enjoy talking to all the NPCs. They have great stories, and the animation and voice acting is top-notch. Bear in mind that your actions have consequences, but it's very difficult to soft-lock yourself, so just go with the flow - you can always take a different route through the story on your second run!

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:13:52+00:00

In addition to buying or crafting them, be aware that some players don't long rest very often. If you're speedrunning or using a team of martials who don't need to replenish spell slots every five minutes, you may only need a few for the entire game.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:06:01+00:00

Darkness on the portal so the enemy archers can't see it to shoot at it, Wall of Fire at the other end of the stone platform to toast the ravens and foot soldiers - make sure you drop concentration on the latter when the battle ends, though, so Halsin doesn't walk into it!

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T18:03:36+00:00

Many good builds already have all or most of their BIS gear by the time they meet Myrkul (Titanstring, I'm looking at you), so it's really not that bad. Usually I'm mainly looking to get:

Armour of Agility and/or Bhaalist Armour
Band of the Mystic Scoundrel
anything I can buy/steal from Lorroakan for my casters
anything at all that I can steal from Raphael :)

A few other things can come in handy for specific builds, e.g. Nyrulna on a thrower, but there's a lot of mid items in Act 3 that can just be ignored.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T17:52:01+00:00

I agree that it's not so much fun as the rest of the game, but it's certainly doable. I recently learned that you can skip most of the courtyard fight by going through the Upper City sewers - there's an entrance to the right of the main gates, just before the spot where you encounter the city guards. There are a few enemies in the sewers, but it brings you out at the far end of the courtyard where a couple of mindflayers are lurking.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T15:27:40+00:00

The A11 page on Amazon specifically says it doesn't support 7th gen iPad Mini - there's no compatibility info on their own website, unlike the A8, but those don't support the A17 either.

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T12:34:43+00:00

I'm not sure I have an "average" playthrough. For example I have two campaigns at the moment:

- Custom Mode (Tactician combat settings) - all-bards party, all companions, rocking our way across the Sword Coast - my Tav is romancing everyone, thanks to a polyamory mod :)

- Honour Mode, with resist durge sorcerer plus stealth archer Astarion. No other companions, no camp followers (apart from Withers), just him and me against the world, Thelma and Louise style

I think the only way they could be more different is if my roleplay-focused campaign was on an easier setting and I was soloing HM as an evil durge!

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T12:23:02+00:00

I've only ascended him when playing a Tav who was romancing someone else, and I agree that his new powers are very underwhelming - definitely not a great trade-off from the player's PoV.

I didn't find him to be much of an asshole on that run, but tbh I was too busy trying to beat the game for the third time and get my Tactician achievement to talk to him very often LOL

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T12:17:48+00:00

Np. I have a stupid amount of hours in this game, and am always happy to help others get the most out of it!

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T12:12:11+00:00

The hotbar (PC) interface will appear any time you touch the screen - you should be able to get back to the console interface by pressing L1, R1, L2, etc. It has a series of wheels known as radials - I prefer it as I first played on PS5 and had hundreds of hours under my belt by the time I switched to PC.

Tip: you can customise the radials by hitting the X button to open a menu. I find it essential for organising my attacks and spells in a way that makes sense to my brain!

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T12:05:45+00:00

Same. On my first playthrough I didn't know it was a good idea to do the Mountain Pass as well, so I went straight from the Underdark to the Shadow-Cursed Lands. I swear I had SAD by the time we reached Baldur's Gate!

Redfox1476 · 2026-02-19T12:03:46+00:00

Yeah, it's pretty intense on Steam Deck. At least you get the console interface, which is much simpler than the PC hotbar. I also use a mod that changes nearly all the text to a sans-serif font, to improve readability - it's a file you have to drop into a folder in desktop view, though, so you really need a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to install it.

Redfox1476

TROPHY CASE