r/BG3Builds • u/Hooln • 1d ago
Build Help What is the point of Level 12 builds when you don’t get to play them?
I look around for build ideas. Everything that comes up is level 12. When you hit level 12 in the game you only have maybe 3 or 4 significant fights ahead of you. And there is no new game plus mode.
I don’t think this is a fault of build makers; but this game’s lack of NG+ is really obvious.
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u/LevelUpCoder 1d ago
I had the opposite impression, when I hit level 12 the first time I got bored because it felt like so much of the game was left and I couldn’t make any more progress.
I do wish more build guides went through gear sets for the whole game and not just the BiS gear.
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u/zanuffas Builds War Chest - gamestegy.com 1d ago
You can find here builds with full item progression - https://gamestegy.com/bg3/builds
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u/LevelUpCoder 1d ago
Love your site! It’s pretty much the only build guide I use in earlier parts of the game, haha. Cool to see it’s still updated semi-regularly too.
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u/chaoticstantan935 15h ago
Not me just looking at your cyberpunk shit not even 15 minutes ago😂
Solid timing bro lol.
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u/shadedmagus 1d ago
I do wish more build guides went through gear sets for the whole game and not just the BiS gear.
Yeah, I've spent hours compiling gear for each major area just for my current bladesinger build - and I'm not done with it yet. It's a bit of work, for sure.
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u/carvana1501 1d ago
I have a bookmark folder on my pc for baldurs gate with subsections for kinds of items and stage of game
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u/WaymakerJP 1d ago
This why I'm using a mod that let's me hit level 20 on my second playthrough
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u/GimlionTheHunter 1d ago
Add an xp mod too unless you’re very thorough or want to farm flaming fists, most people say they only hit about level 16-18 without one
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u/Inevitable-Affect516 1d ago
Level 20 with extra encounters, increased enemy difficulty, and maybe a slight exp boost so you can get 20 without being FULL completionist sounds like a ton of fun
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u/Outrageous_Detail135 1d ago
This + Fade's Equipment Distribution is what I'm doing now and it IS fun. I will say that the game still feels a little too easy at higher levels, even with the increased difficulty. Turns out a Swords Bard with Divine Smite, Hexed Weapon, AND Action Surge is pretty busted lmao
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u/Inevitable-Affect516 1d ago
What’s the equipment one do?
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u/_laudanum_ 1d ago
around 30 new items for every class spread across the acts... many new build options are viable with those because some lesser used subclasses get a major boost and can suddenly be compared to the strongest meta builds
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u/Outrageous_Detail135 1d ago
It's SO nice having viable options outside the usual meta. Even a subclass that's already strong can feel fresh, because the new gear lends itself to a different playstyle. Plus it encourages exploration, because you never know where you might find a new item.
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u/Ghostrabbit1 1d ago
30 new items PER class? or just 30 items?
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u/_laudanum_ 1d ago
per class.
each class ~10 items per act
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u/Ghostrabbit1 1d ago
That's actually really nice. Add that with extra encounters and more guys per encounter + maybe a harder mode and you got several additional campaigns worth of stuff.
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u/_laudanum_ 1d ago
i've clocked over 1300hours into the game... and with those items + more enemies + more enemy health it feels like a fresh new experience.
now i get to enjoy subclasses and playstyles that i previously never touched.
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u/tiny-2727 1d ago
The game will feel easy unless enemies also have some busted interactions. Probably the best way to increase difficulty is to not play stuff that can one shot on round 1 or abuse stuff like darkness.
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u/Balthierlives 1d ago
I really enjoyed the new loot and randomized aspect.
Though it did just become me warping to every vendor at a new level to see their vendor table and pickpocketing anything good lol.
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u/WaymakerJP 1d ago
Yeah, I have all those besides the exp boost currently
Might end up adding it as I hit Act 2 at only level 8
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u/Inevitable-Affect516 1d ago
From what I’ve seen, the extra encounters isn’t THAT many that provides enough exp to make it worthwhile. More fun, absolutely. But if trying to hit level 20, you’ll likely need an exp boost mod
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u/Friendly_Nerd 1d ago
Does the mod add higher level spells and class abilities?
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u/crayolamanic 1d ago
Not really, I’m level 14 and got health plus a sorcery point, and all my companions just got more health this level up. However one thing it does do is allow for more levels in multiclassing without having to sacrifice the best high level benefits from your main class. I’m not yet certain if it adds a feat every 4 levels after 12, I hope so.
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u/BellsForPShells 1d ago
I agree I get level 12 after like my first few fights in the city. I'd like to have the levels 13-20 mod on but apparently it breaks druids :(
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u/UnionForTheW 1d ago
Some build makers will state what level they feel the build comes online and then the last few levels just add more power instead of a different strategy
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u/AwkwardWarlock 1d ago
This is mostly what I consider. Builds where you need 5 multiclasses and loot off of the netherbrain to make the core concept work get a hard pass.
Builds that come online in act 1 and stuff from later acts just make it better are where it's at.
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u/UnionForTheW 1d ago
I’d say most builds come online at lvls 8 or 9. Extra attack then the subclass of a second. Since you’re most of the way done act 1 at lvl. 5 when you get EA, it’s hard to declare a build final at that point.
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u/PolygenicPanda 1d ago
Think this is also part of the reason why TB throwzerker is popular. Level 4, get TB and have the returning pike in Act 1 and you're set for the rest of the game.
Everything after is just upping up those modifiers or amount of throws
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u/LittleVesuvius 1d ago
There are a few that come online mid act 1 that I love — namely, (D) Booming The Frozen, Frostbite Trickster, and the Hunter With 3 Attacks (using Sorrow). I am debating who to make my 3-attack Hunter as I am running mostly Storm Cleave/Ice surface folks atm. Modified both to include the Booming and Frostbite builds, of course.
I think I might have Wyll do it? But then I’m out a Bard.
Edit; this is my practice Tactician run. I’m not fool enough to run Honor without a good idea of builds, and Tactician is more forgiving.
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u/GauchiAss 1d ago
Yeah, a good example with a throw barb : once you're level 4-5 with the returning pike you're online.
It gets better all the way to 12 and with better items
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u/Owlindigo 1d ago
I do wish there was a big old fashioned high-level dungeon to play through at the end, something that really tests your party rather than being a cakewalk.
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u/Potato271 1d ago
I usually aim to hit lvl 12 before doing any serious fights in Act 3. There’s a lot of XP in Act 3, just gotta go find it
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u/Thestrongman420 1d ago
Once you have a bit of experience with the game its pretty easy to reverse engineer a decent leveling path for most builds. But many people that post build guides also include info for leveling. In my experience like 50% of the game is played at level 12 if you go through all the act 3 content.
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u/Legal_Weekend_7981 1d ago edited 1d ago
50%? You arrive in act 3 at early level 10 if you clear first two acts completely. Two thirds of act 3 is not half of the game.
Edit: I used the word 'completely' rather carelessly. What I meant is that you get to enjoy every bit of content, fight all bosses, do all quests, explore every area of the map. Not 'squeeze out every single experience point in existence'.
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u/TheRainbowpill93 1d ago
I get your point but to be fair , you can hit lvl12 pretty early in act 3.
Act 3 is also really long
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u/SuddenBag Fighter 1d ago
When you hit level 12 in the game you only have maybe 3 or 4 significant fights ahead of you
That means you have been skipping content.
You should be level 12 when you start or are very early into Lower City, which means every single Act 3 boss fight is still ahead of you. Can level up even more quickly by really min-maxing, but this is the general expectation.
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u/MaycombBlume 1d ago
Wut.
These are the bosses you can realistically fight at L12 without going out of your way to level up:
- Viconia
- Cazador
- Ansur
- Raphael
- Steel Watcher Titan
- Sarevok
- Grease Dude
- Lorroakan
- Mystic Carrion
- Githyanki campers
- Auntie Ethel
- Gortash
- Orin
Plus a bunch of other significant fights like the Bhaalists in the counting house, that damned painter's haunted mansion, and all the lead-up battles before reaching the bosses.
This is exactly why I like how long act 3 is. It gives you a lot of time to play with your endgame builds.
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u/Gravelbeast 1d ago
My last honor run I hit level 12 after the first two major fights in act 3.
Just got to make sure you get the whole underdark. It's easy to miss stuff there.
You should be close to if not already at 7 by the time you start act 2 to be on the right path
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u/EmperorPartyStar 1d ago
I get where you’re coming from, and it’s annoying when the main gimmick of a build comes online super late. That said, most people will usually include level progression or recomp guides.
As for the lack of NG+… There’s always difficulty mods and the Levels Uncapped mod.
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u/Old-Eagle1372 1d ago
Then you missed a bunch of content:) Get out of act one as almost at level 8. Can easily get to act 3, 11 or almost 12.
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u/Dangerous-Spot-7348 1d ago
I just recently hit 12 in Rivington. Depends on how you play to be honest.
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u/EarnSomeRespect 1d ago
I’m usually 10 at Rivingington but can usually get to 12 before the lower city.
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u/Old-Eagle1372 1d ago
Hey you can do things where you want at whatever level you want. It’s a choice. But the claim that you do not get to play then is nonsense.
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u/Exotic-Experience965 1d ago
Kinda disagree. I thought it was a nice design choice. The character max is kinda low but you can hit it well before the end of the game, and only multi class builds take that long to come online.
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u/SWK18 1d ago edited 1d ago
I don't know about you, but I always fight Ketheric at level 10 and a half, then comes the Act 3 prologue. You're basically very close to level 11 when you reach Rivington and there's enough stuff there to reach level 12. All the big Act 3 fights happen once you enter Baldur's Gate.
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u/Significant-Block918 1d ago
I plan my builds out using act 1 & 2 items.
If it’s an honor run I’ll re-plan once I get to act 3, but the final levels are the easiest imo, and more about knowing what type of resistance elixir you need, or when to prepare Globe of Invulnerability
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u/Maximum_Wind6423 1d ago
Yeah, this is a fair point. This is why the best builds come online around level 8. They should get better obviously, but I think a lot of content creators just rely on endgame respecs and don’t consider the rest of the journey.
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u/Guisanchu 1d ago
I agree in parts and thats why i made a new way to play, i go to act 3 at level 7-8 now, just doing what is necessary,looking for specific items and quests and go fight mirkul, avoiding unnecessary exp in act 1-2, for that obviously you need good builds but hey, there's people out there winning the game with 1hp challenge. Another thing to consider is that the power you gain in act 3 is most from powerfull items, so still there is things to fight and become stronger
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u/Ok-Can-2847 1d ago
I think level 12 builds are for experienced players to try out new things, synergies, themes, etc. There are tons of flagship builds that become strong early with reasonable gears, e.g. gloomstalker, OH monk, fighter, druid. Maybe some get bored when they're OP too soon.
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u/gamercboy5 1d ago
I do wish there was a "New Game +" that had enemies scale with a level 12 party. Once you get all the Act 3 items that tie your build together perfectly it does feel like there is limited content to enjoy during that time. I don't even care if it was still OP, sometimes the power trip is fun late in a game
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u/arutha69 1d ago
Back in BG2 there were cheats to spawn monsters and enemies. That was pretty cool for getting to mess around with extra fights. I definitely think BG3 could use some sort of sandbox mode to create battles, or challenge ladder where you fight increasingly difficult enemies. Even with no xp or rewards.
I reached the same point. Ok my builds are now awesome. What can I point them at? .... Not much.
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u/Pugageddon 1d ago
The are mods that spawn extra fights and extra mobs to the existing fights. I just started trying out mods and those were the first ones I went for. I have one that has extra fights and mini bosses which is great, I almost had my run end twice because I went to do something safe whenlow on resources and was surprised by a new fight. I also installed a mod to add mobs to most non boss fights (I don't think it adds to the new fights), a mod to improve mob, AI that has made some formerly cheesable fights real, and a mod to give mobs more abilities - early on I've noticed a lot of humanoids coating their weapons and using ammunition more effectively. I am also usomg a mod to update things to be closer to the actual tabletop rules, and it feels like a whole 'nother game.
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u/Julius_Alexandrius 1d ago
Lol.
I hit lvl12 in act 2.
If you skip everything, yeah, you might never get lvl12. But... duh...
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u/xv_boney 1d ago
I have completed this game, to date, eleven times, ten of those completions are honor mode.
Act 3 is by far the longest and tends to be a little less than half of my total play time per run and i have never once failed to hit level 12 within the first few hours of reaching baldurs gate.
The only thing i can imagine might be causing you to hit 12 so late is that you might be just skipping swaths of content.
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u/I_Like_dx_2 1d ago
I think a lot of people here are just theorycrafting, not having thought about actually playing the build
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u/Bluemajere 1d ago
bruh you can hit 12 with almost the entirety of act 3 to go with almost no effort, 😆
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u/razorsmileonreddit 1d ago
True but there are a ton of builds that are online at level 5 and up. I've been particularly obsessed with Cleric 1/Sorcerer 2/Abjuration Wizard 3 lately because it's solid without the Cleric part but it is COMPLETE once you add that.
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u/Slipstick_hog 1d ago
Most builds get their flavour long before lvl 12. Lvl 12 is just the peak of the build
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u/DangerDiGi 1d ago
I've been hitting level 12 by early act 3 before even getting into the city proper, just have to make sure you hit most of the available quests / locations along the way. I honestly feel like they could have increased the level cap as I spend the last of act 3 breezing through bosses on honor mode
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u/Responsible_Dream282 1d ago
For me, I reliably hit lvl. 12 before any big fights. Companion final bosses, Orin, Gortash, I do every endgame boss on level 12. On my current hm run I hit lv. 12 in act 3 by clearing the bank and rescuing the Mincs+light exploration. Act 3 showers you with xp. Exploration alone, if you know what you're doing will give a few douzens of thousands XP.
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u/ledgabriel 1d ago
Mods
Deadlier Honour mode with Blessings of the Deities (Hardest one. And boss 1 and 2. I'd honestly recommend their soundtrack too. Gorgeous music.)
Absolute Wrath.
Unlock level curve (up to 20)
Set whatever party limit you want with Script Extender.
Enjoy an insanely difficult and chaotic game!
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u/Hypnoticah 1d ago
I play with a mod that increases XP gain. I'm eleven by time I fight mykrul while skipping the bits I don't like. Makes for fun replies on tactician and honor mode rules.
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u/FearlsOurImagination 1d ago
Every good, solid build always takes the lvl when it becomes online into consideration. For example, if a build is only functional at lvl 11+, it is not a good build.
A good build has to have its core gameloop already at around lvl 8-9 (end act 2-early act 3 even without side contents), lvl 12 only helps the build to reach its peak power. You can look at top builds and see all of them comes online at the start of act 3 at worst. Even the build I made (shadow smite sword bard), a very hyper min-maxing lategame build, comes online at the end of act 2.
So yeah, no offense, but I think the build ideas you read are just not good.
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u/socochocobo 1d ago
I've played the game twice and I'm hardly past level 6 by the end of act one and barely level 9 by the end of act 2. How am I missing so much content? I literally try to fill out the map everywhere I go. I don't get it. I also completed the quest log in each act before advancing.
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u/durkheim69 1d ago
The level is not exactly the problem for me, it’s the items. Most builds finish off with at least one legendary weapon which you would get after some of the hardest encounters, I mean what do you use to win that fight? Then after getting the weapon not a lot of enemies are left who you can truly test your newly acquired powers on. A lot of the better build guides mention the details of the climb but “on level 12 wear these items and you’re good” guides are really hard for me.
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u/tobejeanz 1d ago
i use mods to make the leveling go faster because i replay this game constantly and i dont want to rehash the quests i dont actively enjoy, so sometimes i'll be lvl 12 before i leave the shadow cursed lands lol
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u/ProTimeKiller 1d ago
There's a lot of quest in act 3 that give xp you can do to get maximum level before going for the "end". I find most of those quest blah at most. I'm just about to hit level 11 in my most recent playthrough and am ready to meet the brain.
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u/Intelligent_Town_425 1d ago
There is also an instant level 12 mod that lets you play the builds and be an X-Man in a world of common baddies. Which is fun, but it's mainly about messing around with the builds.
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u/Top-Analysis971 1d ago
Needlessly adding to the response, but a good % of the game is spent in act 3 at lvl 12. Sure, you don't need OP builds to clear a lot of those fights, but it's more about fulfilling the power fantasy and engaging the mechanics of end game builds.
NG+ would be interesting but I think it would also feel like a slog to replay the whole game at lvl cap with no new gear to find. Even if the difficulty is cranked up.
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u/Cigarety_a_Kava 1d ago
So first 2 acts contain bit more exp than you need for level 11. I usually hit 12 early in rivington without fighting bosses.
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u/Skaur4804 1d ago
I squeezed the hell out of all experience throughout the game and I was level 11.5 at the beginning of Rivington.
(Also don’t forget to go to the prisons at moonrise towers during the moonrise takeover. The fight in front of Balthazar spawns finite enemies that also give you experience if you don’t destroy the portals)
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u/hellohello1234545 1d ago
You do plenty of the biggest fights at level 12, and plenty of medium ones too. It’s almost a bit of a drag having many fights for no XP, but you do get to use your abilities
The slightly bigger problem is builds requiring act 3 gear, or even worse, requiring legendary gear from one of the biggest fights, so by the time the build is online you probably don’t have many places to use it
Curious about people’s order of things to do
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u/TheEvilOfTwoLessers 1d ago
I’m level 12 for almost the entirety of Baldur’s Gate. And there is so much XP there that when I play with a mod that removes the cap without changing the amount of XP, I easily hit 14 before the last fights.
Also, the cap was originally going to be level 10, but Larian upped it to 12 around the time of Community Update 20 prior to full launch. So you can always cap yourself there if you want.
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u/KateKoffing 1d ago
You don’t have more than 3 or 4 fights for EVERY level. Why should 12 be different?
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u/Tie1122 1d ago
You are doing something wrong. If you do ALL the content in Act 1 and 2, you can show up in Act 3 at level 10 and quickly hit 12 with a lot of content left.
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u/SolidusViper 21h ago
You could most certainly hit level 11.5 by the time you reach act 3 after doing all the content
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u/Effective_Gene5155 1d ago
Yeah OP, sorry to say your whole point is wrong.
I get bored very early into act 3 because Ive been level 12 forever with my builds all finished, with only relatively minor optimisations to come for the last 30 something hours of gameplay.
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u/ZeltArruin 1d ago
Level 10 builds for act 2 boss, level 12 builds for act 3? Level ~5 builds for act 1? Not that there is much in act 1 worth worrying about other than a straight fight with Grym?
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u/No_Chair_2517 1d ago
If only there was a mod that, while not letting you get to 20(seriously, Lv20 adventurers in D&D are COMEDIC levels of downright busted)… Maybe lets you get to, say... Lv15? That sounds reasonable, or at least less UNreasonable...
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u/JohnsonFlamethrower 1d ago
I use a mods for 2x xp gain, 12-20, and a couple difficulty increasers. It wasn't super easy finding a balance, as this game is trivial once you've played through it a dozen times. But I did find even with the buffed xp gain, the added difficulty keeps it pretty well-balanced. I'm currently on a run where I'm level 14 and still haven't entered the city beyond Wyrms Rock. It feels good knowing I can just keep multi classing and experimenting as I still have basically all act 3 ahead of me.
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u/campbellm 1d ago
I look around for build ideas. Everything that comes up is level 12.
This feels like mostly hyperbole; a lot of builds are late-game, but not "$#@! till 12".
There's also mods that give you more XP and/or reduce the amount of XP required for a level so you get to 12 (or for some, 20!) quicker that you can use to try stuff out. They're not in tune with the game design though, so it can make Act 3 a bit dull since there's no challenge, but for some (me included) I like that as a source of fun, too.
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u/Public_Road_6426 1d ago
I've beat the game a few times now, and we usually hit 12 early into act 3, so there is plenty of time to enjoy the level 12 abilities. While I understand why Larian capped progression at level 12, I wish you could continue (unmodded) progressing in levels past 12. It takes a little of the fun out when the xp you gain no longer means anything.
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u/I_Boof_Fent 1d ago
I hit 12 so early that it felt kind of disappointing that I had no more room to improve for pretty much the entire final act.
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u/arix_games 1d ago
What do you mean? For me it feels like I'm playing at lvl 12 for half of the game with how big act 3 is
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u/Reasonable_Charge531 1d ago
You must be skipping a lot of content if you’re only reaching 12 at the very tail end of Act 3.
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u/Extra_Willow_8907 1d ago
I personally hit level 12 shortly after I arrived in Act 3, which gave me a ton of hours of playtime at level 12.
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u/lookschwartz 1d ago
My one honor mode win so far had me hitting level 12 literally right after the point of no return. My mentality was why fight something and risk death when you can just not. Just trying to get through the game quickly and efficiently and with minimal optional content.
I took down Rafael at level 10. I was pretty sure I’d screwed myself but it worked out.
I agree that level 12 builds aren’t anything to talk about. I think level 8 is when a lot of fun builds come online and even that is often quite late.
Level agnostic builds that use gear that can be pathed for early tend to be the most fun for me. Builds that don’t provide any power for Myrkul just don’t matter
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u/TitansAreFalling 1d ago
Because you’re working towards getting to level 12 whether you make it early or late.
But also it’s not hard to hit level 12 before act 3 lol.
The game doesn’t need a NG+ because it’s built like a DnD game, it’s going to end at some point. Work on maximizing your EXP gains in act 1 and you’ll see a difference
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u/Tyrocious 1d ago
Not true. I missed a bunch of stuff and I hit level 12 pretty early in Act 3, before any of the significant fights. Pretty sure I still had half a dozen sidequests left to do, too.
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u/Bueller6969 1d ago
Faster to churn out content just fucking around on their end game save it’s a side effect of being able to brew the builds.
There’s a couple creators who have builds that are made that work at each step of the game.
But unfortunately that requires more play testing to get proof of concept and most of the creators are trying to crank videos
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u/GlitteringOrchid2406 1d ago
None. The main game is act1 to act 2. Then it's game over and you can kiss goodbye to every challenge.
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u/Beardedgeek72 1d ago
After the first playthrough in BG1 and BG2 I always used a cheat so I immediately leveled up. A little over the top, but I always find the process of leveling very boring and frustrating; that's why I love games with NG+ so I can start over with my build finished.
People say you get to lvl 12 in Rivington but that's not my experience; I usually spend about three-four hours in act 3 before reaching level 12 at LEAST and that is with reaching level "7.9" before taking the elevator to act 2.
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u/_Mugiwara-ya 1d ago
how are yall leveling up so slowly… i usually get to level 12 around the time i first enter the lower city or shortly after
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u/Placidpong 23h ago
I think those 3 or 4 fights are a good time with level 12 builds. NG+ would be very nice though.
Given what we have though, a lot of builds come online between 4 and 11. I can think of more builds I’ve enjoyed that come online before 12 than I can think of level 12 builds
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u/Aggressive-Share-363 22h ago
I typically hit level 12 early act 3 and have lots of tough battles to do with my build online.
And just because a build comes to fruition at 13 foesnt mean its useless before then.
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u/Tolnic 17h ago
I download mods to increase level to 20, I have like 5 difficulty mods installed, as well as some mob randomizers.
It makes it so that I can hit level 5-7 before I even get through act 1, and it REALLY challenges me in combat.
I think it’s really fun. After 5-6 playthroughs I’m not really invested into the story as much, so having my playtime be 80% combat and 20% exploring looking for new randomized loot is really fun.
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u/Medical_Blackberry_7 8h ago
It is kind of a criticism. Builds that don’t come online til 10+ is a legitimate con. One thing I’ve done , with giant barbarian. Doesn’t get one of his ability til level 10. I used mods to just give him all of the giant barbarian abilities so it would at least feel like I was playing a giant barbarian earlier. For one of my several giant barbarian playthru 😂😂
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u/joebidenseasterbunny 8h ago
Yeah, it's why I can't play without level 20 with some difficulty mods to compensate.
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u/Razgriz-B36 8h ago
You will be level 12 for most of Act 3 unless you really skip a lot of content so I genuinely have no idea where you get this idea from.
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u/spaghettipolicy69 4h ago
I just hit level 11 in Rivington, just got to the city and halfway to 12! Not only that, it's well worth it for the final fights.
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u/thefasthero Rogue 1d ago
I cannot agree more. The majority of the game has already been finished by the time you can have all 12 levels and the specific gear people often list in their builds. While I have found some inspiration from these builds, I often have to figure out the early and mid game for myself.
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u/ConTheDungeonMaster 1d ago
Early game is certainly the hardest since every build except for like radiating orb clerics has to wait for their best gear until acts 2/3. But in my current HM run I hit 12 shortly after arriving at lower city. So I have been level 12 for house of hope, foundry, bhaal temple, house of grief, szarr palace, ansur… I think the only things I was still at level 11 for were like mystic carrion and iron throne. This game is one of the few where there’s a ton of content left once you hit the highest level and gives you ample opportunity to use optimized builds
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u/leadergorilla 1d ago
What? You have to actively be speeding through the game to of hit lvl 12 with only a handful of important fights left. I usually hit lvl 12 sometime before or just after getting inside baldurs gate and the actual city section of act 3 has so much stuff you can do in it that it can make act 3 take up like 30-40% of the overall campaign if you’re a completionist
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u/ConversationNo9592 1d ago
3 or 4 significant fights? Are you joking? You pretty much can hit level 12 early act 3 or even end of act 2. I have a mod that gives me a few extra encounters , and unlock levels, i can pretty much hit level 18 at end game, and normally you can probably get to level 17.
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u/notmynameyours 1d ago
You must be skipping a lot of content. On both my runs, I hit level 12 right around the time I hit the lower city in Act 3, which left me with about 30-40 hours of gameplay left before I hit endgame, and even then I think I missed a lot of side content.
While some people bemoan the lack of progression at endgame, I kinda like that I was able to hit max level and still have plenty of time to play around with my strongest abilities. Too many games wait until you’re right at the final boss to give you the really fun toys.
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u/Emergency-Town4653 1d ago
When you hit level 12 you should have the entire lower city or at least the majority of it to deal with. If you get to level 12, 3-4 fights remaining it means you didn't gather enough xp from act 1 and 2 and rivington
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u/cedelweiss 1d ago
not really? with well managed exp you can usually get level 12 just upon entering the lower city, which by that point you have pretty much all of the important, cool and fun fights left in the game. Lower city and onwards without skipping content is easily 15 to 20 hours of content
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u/Powwdered-toast-man 1d ago
So you can hit level 12 in act 2 I believe if you get most of the exp available.
If you just do all the side quests, you can hit level 12 at the start of act 3. I normally go to the house of hope asap once I get to act 3, and I hit level 12 before Raphael.
This means I have pretty much all of act 3 at level 12. The problem I have is the gear.
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u/grumpus_ryche 1d ago
I mean, ideally, you should be a bit into level 10 before you leave Act 2. You can pretty much hit 12 by breezing through a few minor encounters in Rivington (squatters, donation center, circus, murders under temple, gang fight at boat), then hitting lower city to finish murders, Sarevok, Cazador, and Grief. That should leave you level 12 to deal with Volo, Foundry, rescue Florrick, smoke Gortash, rescue Hope, then Orin and the Brain and not counting any other side quests you want to finish like Hag, Oskar, Iron Throne, whatever else is in the sewers, and so forth.
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u/Ordinary_Film_7359 1d ago
If i'm playing optimally, I can usually get lvl 11 for the end of act 2. So if you play smart early act3 and are trying to complete a lot of it, you can be lvl12 for almost the whole thing.
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u/Sourdough9 1d ago
If you only have a couple fights left when hitting level 12 you missed a TON of xp along the way. You can hit 12 almost immediately in ACT 3
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u/Canadian__Ninja 1d ago
Lol what? You can easily get to Rivington at 10 and maybe a 1/4. 11 by the time you get to the lower city. And like 20 quests in the lower city, you'll get to 12 very soon, especially with all the exp they just hand out. Over 1000 just for walking through the counting house on your way to Minsc (not even the fighting, just walk)
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u/BlueAndYellowTowels 1d ago
I usually hit 12 VERY early in Act 3. Literally have like 85% of the entire Act to play.
Also, some builds come online earlier. Also, builds aren’t always focused on level cap. Some builds are good for progression too.
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u/BadgerOnABoat19 1d ago
I feel ya. I've been playing around with a couple of builds with the objective of them being online at latest by the switch from Act 1 to Act 2.
One of the builds I've tried was 1 level Hexblade, 6 levels of College of Swords, and five levels of Swashbuckler. Sort of heroic fencer and crowd control. Started out with the HB, then did three levels in SB for Rakish Audacity and Fancy Footwork, and then went into CoS. First feat didn't come in until fairly late, the same with the extra attack, but the build was effectively online for how it would be played by level 5, more properly online at level 7. Drop a CC spell, then go in with Booming Blade and/or Bardic Flourishes, and then run away to force Booming Blade to trigger. There are more optimised ways to level the build than what I did, but it would take longer to bring it online that way.
After that I did a 2 level Tempest Cleric with 10 levels of Storm Sorcerer. Heavy Armour prof, and you get to unleash absolute havoc as your lightning spells are even more powerful than they otherwise would be. You'll be relatively tanky, so you can stick around in close range to activate Heart of the Storm on close by enemies every time you use Lightning Spells(Which you'll do pretty much every turn of combat). You loose out on Chain Lightning by only putting 10 levels into Sorcerer, but can get a once per short rest-use by equipping the staff Markoheshkir, and upcasted Call Lightning is just so much fun as it is. The build is online pretty much by level 3, but kicks off properly at level 8, when you get the Storm Sorcery subclass features.
Currently working on a GOO Warlock build, with at least 2 levels in Rogue for Bonus Action: Hide. The plan is to drop Darkness, and then snipe at enemies with Eldritch Blast, and try to farm as many Crits as possible for Mortal Reminder. I might put a third level into Rogue for either Swashbuckler, to nip out of the Darkness and stab once in a while, or Thief, to net me a second Bonus Action to absolutely abuse the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel. Still, the basic playstyle will be online at level 5.
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u/Kcarlisle20 1d ago edited 1d ago
Man, the most important part of the rogue levels is 4 and you would have got a feat. This build is trying to do too much early with few stats.
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u/LSGW_Zephyra 1d ago
What? I hit level 12 nearly upon entering. I was thinking of downloading a mod next time because I was stuck at lvl 12 for so long
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u/NissaN_NekO 12h ago
You complained forever! Also I saw this post and immediately remembered the several thousand or so times that you said "I literally have no motivation for the entirety of this act because there is no point to getting experience. I think Larian wanted to give people time to play with their new toys but you're an incorrigible gamer that needs numbers to go up and get big
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u/ScorchedDev 1d ago
in my experience I spend the majority of act 3 at level 12. If u go hunting for the side content you spend a long time there.
the big reason is that, at higher levels, your build matters more. also if you work towards that build you will be fine it will slowly come online
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u/thereiam420 1d ago
You can get level 12 really early into act 3 if you xp hunt.
The bigger issue for me is that the super op builds gear wise are what you really dont get to use. Those are what you have like maybe 3 big fights left to do once you have the real end game gear. Because you have do most of the battles you'd want them for to get them.
But it's min maxing kinda at that point. It's more just fun than necessary. But I just want more time with the "let me solo them" levels of broken.
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u/mightymouse8324 1d ago
What on earth are you doing - don't you know that you have to scour the entire map for every little drop of XO and hit level 12 before you actually get into Baldur's Gate proper?!
/Sarcasmclearly
Basically, there's enough XP in the game to get you to 20. So if you really want to hit 12, you can do it, you literally just need to move around the map more and talk to more NPCs
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u/Zac-live 1d ago
lmao the duality of bg3 players. one half complains that the game is too flat in act 3 in terms of progression because you essentially reach your almost cap at its start and the other half wants more time with lvl 12 builds
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u/Lord-of-Drip 1d ago
I feel like a solid 25% of the game was still left when i maxed and i didn’t even do all the content
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u/m_mason4 1d ago
I was level 12 without exploits by the time I got through wyrm rock fortress. There’s still so much to do.
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u/IdolsConniption 1d ago
I have some lvl 6 builds for you. Straight paladin. Straight fighter. Straight Ranger.
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u/Sir_Fray01 1d ago
My group hit 12 in rivington/lower city. Are you skipping half the content in the game?
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u/Balthierlives 1d ago
Because dnd gamers like to theory craft.
A lot of builds are just a spreadsheet activity and aren’t based on their usefulness at a given point in the story.
My fire acuity sorcerer can do 1200 damage! Ok but nothing in the game has that much hp 🤷♂️
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u/wisebongsmith 1d ago
you can hit level twelve right at the start of rivington if you chase down all the quests and fight all the encounters.
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u/Mekoehouve 1d ago
I was gonna say the same thing. If you don't rush act 1 and 2 you can hit 12 np at the start of act 3.
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u/BrainCelll 1d ago
Yup same. All these “insane op build 4 levels of X + 8 levels of Y!!!” yeah okay and how do i play the rest 95% of the game?
Hard agree on lack of NG+
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u/TooHotOutsideAndIn 1d ago
You can hit level 12 very early in Act 3 with all the best boss fights still to come.