Baldur’s Gate 3: PXP 101 (Wetland Guardians Party) – Fun builds with Honour mode demo

Table summary of all parties[docs.google.com]

• 00x generation
  • Beginner Party (with Astarion origin demo) – designed as a tutorial party that starts off simple, then increases in complexity as it gains level.
  • Land’s Stride Party (with Karlach origin demo) – thematic party that plays on Difficult Terrain mechanic with complete immunity to Spike Growth and Plant due to Land’s Stride class feature.
  • Rapid Cooling Party (with Wyll origin demo) – designed primarily to elevate Bludgeoning damage in Act 3 to compete with Bhaalist Armour by utilizing Brittle status effect.
  • Irresistible Party (with Shadowheart origin demo) – party that always get their way, with the enemies always failing saves against their spells. This is then taken advantage of by a smiting Paladin.
  • Elements Party (with Gale origin demo) – thematic party of 3 full casters focused on utilizing opposing elements of Light/Darkness, Fire/Ice, Earth/Lightning, and Silence/Thunder to shut down and control enemies.
  • Dark Displacement Party (with Lae’zel origin demo) – thematic party built around the Dark Displacement gloves and focused on movement, both of their own mobility and of forcible displacement of their enemies.
• 10x generation
  • (this guide) Wetland Guardians Party (with Karlach origin demo) – thematically, focus on embodying the powers of the Wetlands. Mechanically, focus on the Wet condition, Halo of Spores power, and many debilitating status effects.
  • Glyphs of Ancients Party (with Lae’zel origin demo) – thematically, focus on being a sacred ancient order preserving nature’s balance and tradition. Mechanically, focus on Plant Growth to force infinite prone, and Glyph of Warding to force critical hits.
  • Selûnite Enclave Party (with Shadowheart origin demo) – thematically, focus on a Selûnite enclave theme led by ex-Shadow-turned-to-light Shadowheart. Mechanically, focus on durability and tries to make use of Selûne’s Spear of Night.
  • Danse Macabre Party (with Astarion origin demo) – thematically, focus on necromancy and summons. Mechanically, tries to make summons as useful as possible by causing Acid and Corrosive conditions on the enemies, as well as other CC spells.
  • Frost Hunters Party (with Wyll origin demo) – thematically, led by Ranger Wyll with no Warlock in the party and be Wyll’s and Karlach’s Avernus conquering band. Mechanically, uses Frozen status to double Force damage of Banishing Smite and tries to one-shot bosses.
  • Frontline Battlemages Party (with Gale origin demo) – thematically, a total gish party that’s totally comfortable on the front line. Mechanically, everyone is capable of melee and of wading into the fray, while still being respectable casters that aren’t just restricted to Illusion and Enchantment allowed by the Mystic Scoundrel ring.

• Introduction
• Storyline Requirements – if you deviate from this you might not have the items realize the full powers of the party
• Party Overview – the members and main mechanics
• Leveling Overview – important skills and feats to pick at each level (assumes limited respec – no class order respec)
• 1st-4th member – roles and class composition
• Act 1-3 – items and levels – overview for each Act
• Act 1-3 – fights – demo as played in the test run on honour mode

This is a full party build example and general guide for party synergies.

• It is a party designed for playing around debuff mechanics, utilizing a couple of debuffs that compliment each other and doubling damage done by the party.
• Thematically, this party is an embodiment of the Wetlands habitat, from tropical mangroves to stinking swamps to the frigid cold waters of the North.
• Played right, they’re totally not dependent on consumables or illithid power. The party’s supposed to be very playable without investing your time in farming consumables, and ‘keeping true’ to the spirit of the game – avoid becoming Mind Flayer.

Highlights of what this party is capable of, without consumables or illithid power. (online 2025-01-18)

• 0:00 – Orin the Red (level 9)
• 2:13 – Cazador (level 10) complete stun-locked with proned and frightened, and monk stun on ghouls.
• 6:57 – Raphael (level 10) complete stun-locked, and silence-ice shutdown on half his cambions
• 13:33 – Steel Watcher Titan (level 10) overwhelm Legendary Resistance with Mental Fatigue and Dazed.
• 16:49 – House of Grief cut (level 11) complete overwhelm with ice and bypass Sanctuary with Tiger swipe.

Storyline affects which merchants and items are available.

• Dark Urge is strongly not recommended, unless you know how to get Potent Robe while playing Dark Urge.
• Convince Rolan to stay at the Grove at first time you reach it. (keeps Mattis alive)
• Keep Dammon alive by not causing the Druids to attack the Tieflings.
• Keep Dammon alive by saving the Grove, and do so before going to Mountain Pass or Grymforge.
• While not strictly necessary, getting Ethel’s hair is recommended and will be done in the demo.
• Keep Quartermaster Talli, Dammon and Last Light Inn alive, at least until you get all you need from them.
• Spare Nightsong, so Dammon survives into the Act 3
• Don’t slaughter the murder tribunal initially. Become their assassin to unlock their shop, get what you need, then you can slaughter them.

The full party comprises these 4 character concepts.

• Witch Tiger
  • Tiger Heart Barbarian 8 / Archfey Blade Warlock 4
  • Tiger that combines GWM and Arcane Synergy for good Tiger swipe damage.
  • Inflict Bleeding, and Wet with each swipe or normal attack
  • Occasionally cast Calm Emotion for safety against Mind-attacking abilities
• Rustling Shadow
  • Thief Rogue 4 / Way of Shadow Monk 8
  • Master of Mobility, and disable enemies with Silence and Darkness
  • Stunning Strike combos with Bleeding
  • Deal high crit-burst damage against Held/Paralyzed targets
• Swamp Archer
  • Battlemaster Fighter 7 / Circle of Spore Druid 5
  • Battlemaster Manoeuvers inflict Mental Fatigue and Reverberation to help other debuffs and Hold spells land.
  • Haste Spore for whole party
  • Area control with Spike and Sleet Storm.
• Frigid Water
  • Evocation Wizard 2 / White Draconic Sorcerer 10
  • Deal good damage with Cantrip when teammates help make enemies Wet.
  • Deal good Cold damage
  • Can use Fire Acuity for control and can change Wizard spells on the fly

Pros

• Has everything: muscles, control, utility, burst damage
• Damage is overall very good, especially multi-target
• Have fun with applying debuffs to shut down, double Piercing and Cold damage, and land Hold spells on enemies. Overall, great fun in Act 3.

Cons

• If playing with limited respec, as the demo did, this party is a very late bloomer at level 8-9-10. Early lack of extra attack is compensated by Spore damage, Arcane Synergy, Eldritch Blast, and Gloves of Balanced Hands on a Thief Rogue.
• No Aid caster. This is of little consequence as this party can afford 16 Con and applies many debuffs and control.

Role in party

• Party face and Trader
• Apply Wet with Trident of the Waves
• Very high Tiger swipe damage with GWM and Arcane Synergy
• Bleeding forces Disadvantage against Cold spells and Stunning Strike.
• Dazed (combos with Reverberation) to help reduce enemy AC and land Hold spells.

Class composition

• Tiger Heart (Wildheart) Barbarian 8
• Archfey (Pact of the Blade) Warlock 4

Leveling
BWWWBBBBWBBB
B for Barbarian and W for Warlock. Start with Barbarian for medium armour and Intimidation proficiency. Then 3 Warlocks for Pact of the Blade and Beguiling Influence. Get extra attack, then a feat, then finish with Barbarian.

Role in party

• Sleight of Hand
• Act 1 damage
• Silence/Darkness (from Act 2)
• Crit-burst damage with Dolor items (Act 3), when attacking Held/Paralyzed enemies.
• Aura of Murder (vulnerability to Piercing) debuffs
• Stunning Strike (combos with Bleeding)

Class composition

• Thief Rogue 4
• Way of Shadow Monk 8

Leveling
RRRRMMMMMMMM
Take 4 Rogue levels for extra bonus action, then the rest in Monk.

Role in party

• Haste Spore to haste the whole party in difficult fights.
  • Granted by Armour of Sporekeeper, this is normally allowed once per day, but transitioning areas between Rivington and Baldur’s Gate will restore it.
• Guidance and Resistance
• Tactical Battlemaster Manoeuver moves
• Mental Fatigue (Act 3)
• Reverberation (Act 3)
• Area Control with Spike Growth (Act 1) and Sleet Storm (Act 3)

Class composition

• Battlemaster Fighter 7
• Circle of Spores Druid 5

Leveling
FDDDDFFFFFDF
Start with Fighter for all armour proficiency, then 4 Druids for Spike Growth, Detect Thoughts, and a Feat. Get 2 more Feats and extra attack from Fighter, then Sleet Storm from Druid. Finish with Fighter.

Role in party

• Ray of Frost
• Cold spells
• Wizard
• Hold Monster

Class composition

• School of Evocation Wizard 4
• White Draconic Sorcerer 8

Leveling
WSSSSSSSSWWW
Start with Wizard so main Spellcasting Ability switches to Cha when leveling Sorcerer. Get all possible Sorcerer spells and 2 Feats, then get Evocation subclass and finish with Wizard.

Items are general best choice. Actual play will mostly match this, but differ in parts.

• Each player acquire items in different order and at different levels.
• In actual play you’ll do better if you swap some items for each fight

Items are general best choice. Actual play will mostly match this, but differ in parts.

• Each player acquire items in different order and at different levels.
• In actual play you’ll do better if you swap some items for each fight

Items are general best choice. Actual play will mostly match this, but differ in parts.

• Each player acquire items in different order and at different levels.
• In actual play you’ll do better if you swap some items for each fight

Listed by level and day of adventure as played in the demo/test run

• Day 1
  • Level 4
    • 0:00 – Mud Mephits & Wood Woads
    • 8:43 – Kagha & Shadow Druids
    • 15:42 – Harpies
    • 19:21 – Anders (fake Paladins hunting Karlach)
    • 22:34 – Owlbears
    • 29:13 – Lump (3 Ogres)

  • Level 5
    • 0:00 – Priestess Gut
    • 0:43 – Minotaurs
    • 5:29 – Minthara
    • 7:22 – Dror Ragzlin
• Day 2
  • Level 5
    • 0:00 – Auntie Ethel
    • 7:31 – Flind (Gnolls at the cave)
    • 16:50 – Phase Spider Matriarch
    • 22:33 – Gekh Coal
• Day 3
  • Level 5
    • 0:00 – True Soul Nere
    • 5:57 – Crèche Inquisitor Ch’r’ai W’wargaz
    • 15:29 – Crèche Captain Kith’rak Therezzyn
    • 19:23 – Death Shepherds at the Mountain Pass
    • 26:12 – Spectator at the Selûnite Outpost

Listed by level and day of adventure as played in the demo/test run

• Day 4
  • Level 6
    • 0:00 – Marcus
    • 7:43 – Kar’niss (caravan raid)
    • 13:58 – Yurgir
    • 16:59 – Merregons & Displacer Beast (x1.2 speed)
    • 24:57 – Balthazar in his lab
    • 27:20 – Gerringothe Thorm
• Day 5
  • Level 7 (online 2024-12-03)
    • 0:00 – Malus Thorm
    • 10:03 – Halsin Portal
    • 21:56 – Oliver
    • 30:18 – Thisobald Thorm

  • Level 8 (online 2024-12-05)
    • 0:00 – Moonrise Assault (no taking out guards beforehand)
    • 21:27 – Ketheric Thorm rooftop fight
• Day 6
  • Level 8 (online 2024-12-08)
    • 0:00 – Ketheric Thorm in Illithid Colony
    • 9:22 – Apostle of Myrkul

Coming soon!