So I opened up Baldur’s Gate 3 yesterday thinking, “How hard could planning a character build really be?” Big mistake. Hit that character creation screen and felt like I got dropped in the deep end without floaties. So many options, man.
My “Genius” First Plan
Tried making a wizard that could also sneak around and stab people. Figured I’d be good at everything, right? Wrong. Got my butt kicked by some random goblins outside the nautiloid wreck. Pathetic. Felt like bringing a spoon to a sword fight.
The Gold Hoarding Trap
Started looting everything not nailed down – plates, forks, rotten veggies. Saved every single gold piece thinking I’d need it later for “something big.” Ended up drowning in crap inventory while walking past a sweet magic necklace that would’ve actually helped early on. Felt real dumb later.
Multiclassing Too Soon
Okay, learned my wizard was fragile. At level 3, I got excited and dipped into Rogue class. Thought getting Sneak Attack plus spells would be awesome. Reality check? My damage sucked because my wizard spells hadn’t grown teeth yet, and my sneak attacks felt like mosquito bites.
The key lessons smacked me in the face:
- Pick ONE thing to start: Being okay at several things means you’re actually bad at everything when it counts. Goblin food.
- Gold is a tool, not a trophy: If you find something useful NOW for a fair price? Buy it. Holding out makes the early fights miserable.
- Action Economy > Fancy Combos: That bonus action dash might sound boring, but positioning beats a flashy spell you might miss. Getting hit less? Priceless.
- Don’t Multiclass before Level 5: Seriously, just don’t. Wait for that big power jump in your main class first. Missing out on Fireball? Pure pain.
How It All Ended
My wizard-rogue? Retired by level 4. Started fresh with a simple Fighter Champion focused only on hitting stuff hard and wearing big armor. Got to actually enjoy the story instead of constantly reloading saves after party wipes.
Learned the hard way that chasing a “perfect” build early is a trap. New players? Pick a class that sounds fun and simple. Learn to walk before trying to do backflips.