Baldur’s Gate 3, much like Larian’s Divinity: Original Sin series, is unique in that you can’t just “farm” XP. There are no endlessly respawning enemies to cheese or dungeons to farm for big XP gains. Also, since this is a Dungeons and Dragons title, level-ups are less frequent but more important, since your character gains significant power increases.
With a max level of 12, it can seem like forever to level up in Baldur’s Gate 3. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult. After escaping from the Nautiloid in Act 1 and exploring the world, there are ways to earn XP and quickly become stronger. Check out some of them below.
Explore Constantly
As you explore the world, discovering new places grants XP. It’s a simple way to accrue the same, and given how Larian games usually work, you should be exploring as much as possible. You never know where you’ll find a hidden cache, a note that could lead to a quest or even encounter NPCs for different Skill Checks (which can also lead to separate side quests). Exploration is also good for unlocking new fast travel points – perfect when you’ve discovered some items to sell and want to stop at the vendors in town and resume your journey.
Successful Skill Checks
Even though the amount of XP earned per Skill Check is less, there are so many from the get-go that it becomes a reliable source. Skill Checks involve rolling dice for non-combat situations, like when trying to persuade someone to do something or probing into minds using the Illithid tadpole. It depends on your Ability Score Modifier and Proficiencies, so if you have Athletics (based on Strength), that will factor into more physically demanding situations.
Other things, like items and abilities, can help turn the odds in your favor. For instance, when lockpicking, gear that provides a bonus, skills like Guidance (which your party members, like Shadowheart, can contribute) and your Proficiency are all factored in, thus improving the chances of passing.
Passing Skill Checks depends on the difficulty class (the number you need to roll). If a Skill Check has a 15 difficulty and you don’t have any Proficiencies or abilities that can help, you need to get lucky. Furthermore, if a task where you’re weak in a skill comes up, you may receive a penalty, which reduces the die’s outcome by a fixed number.
The best thing you can do is take Skill Checks that you can succeed at. However, don’t shy away from other decisions requiring Intimidation or Persuasion, even if the outcome may not turn out well if you fail.
Note: Completing goals related to Backgrounds will grant Inspiration Points, which can reroll a Skill Check if you fail. It’s good for getting another shot at earning XP and when you don’t want some decisions to go a certain way.
Combat
Exploration is also ideal for discovering more combat scenarios. Combat will occur at different points throughout the story, but as you explore, you find battles that may not be essential to the main quest. Nevertheless, slaying enemies still gives XP, so go out of your way and partake in combat whenever possible. Make sure to have your combat tactics sorted out beforehand, and if a battle isn’t going your way, disengage and try a different strategy.
Complete Quests
While it can start somewhat slow, the quests can start rolling in after traveling to Emerald Grove and speaking to several NPCs. Several can pop up due to different decisions made and may not pertain directly to the main quests (which usually provide more XP). Nevertheless, it’s worth pursuing them, both for the XP provided and because the decisions made can have an impact down the line. You should also ensure to complete your Companions’ quests since they can provide different rewards on top of XP.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is available for PC and launches on September 6th for PS5.