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Should You Take the Mountain Pass or Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3? Answered

Why do less when you could do more?

Two paths stretch before you: the Mountain Pass and the Underdark. But which path is better for entering Act 2 in Baldur’s Gate 3? Should you take the Mountain Pass or the Underdark?

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Should You Take the Mountain Pass or Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3? Answered

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game of choices. And that choice extends to the route you’ll select to find Act 2. So, which path in the fork in the road is better? The Mountain Pass or the Underdark?

You should do both if you want to get the most out of the game. But if you only want to tackle one at a time, here’s your best bet.

Choose the Underdark first. The Underdark is the best decision regarding story and natural progression. You can access the Underdark in four different ways in Act 1. And once you’re in the Underdark, you’ll find that there is no shortage of quests, many of which will influence the characters you meet in Act 2 and Act 3.

Going through the Underdark will ensure you’re at a good level and with plenty of excellent equipment to see you through Act 2.

Alternatively, you can select the Mountain Pass if you want the fastest journey to Act 2. There’s only one forced combat encounter on your way to the Mountain Pass (assuming you lie successfully to the Githyanki). But the Shadow-Cursed Lands, which you’ll find soon after, can be quite challenging at a low-level.

Likewise, you’re more likely to encounter the helpful Harpers if you enter the Shadow-Cursed Lands through the Underdark elevator, which can be found in the Grymforge.

Here’s the order I recommend you take for getting most out of the game.

  • Complete all quests in Act 1, including the Goblin Camp.
  • Enter the Underdark any way you choose.
    • The Underdark can be found by jumping into the hole in the Whispering Depths in the Blighted Village, using the teleporter in Aunt Ethel’s hideout, using the door in the Zhentarim Hideout, or sneaking in through the crack in the Goblin Camp.
  • Complete all quests in the Underdark and free Nere.
  • Return to the Mountain Pass.
  • Find and complete the Rosymorn Monastery puzzles and the Githyanki Creche questline in the Mountain Pass.
  • Enter the Shadow-Cursed Lands from the Grymforge in the Underdark.

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Author
Image of Daphne Fama
Daphne Fama
A Staff Writer at Prima Games since 2022, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she’s not gaming, she’s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms