Act 1
Difficulty: 🟢 Easy · 🟡 Medium · 🔴 Hard · ⚫ BOSS — see the general encounter notes for the full legend, the pre-fight ritual checklist, and the run-killer mistakes list.
🟢 Easy
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beach scavengers | Wreckage Beach | Intellect devourers + 2-3 thugs. Use the high ground. |
| Grove gate goblins | Druid Grove entrance | NPCs are already engaged — just clean up. |
| Mirkon’s harpies (4) | Beach south of Grove | Pull one at a time from cliff. Bring a tank to break charm. |
| Kagha’s snake | Druid Grove inner sanctum | Talk down — peaceful resolution gives same XP. |
| Roadside paladins | Risen Road | Convince Karlach is a good person OR fight (4 paladins, lvl 3). |
| Crashed nautiloid bandits | Wreckage Beach | Trivial if approached from the cliff. |
| Dank Crypt skeletons | Wreckage Beach | Recruit Withers afterward. |
| Apothecary basement | Blighted Village | Light fight + Necromancy of Thay book chest. |
| Hollyphant rescue (Cleric of Tyr) | Risen Road | Help Anders the Tyr cleric — peaceful resolution. |
| Smuggler’s hideout | Blighted Village windmill | Light fight + chest XP. |
| Worg pen | Goblin Camp | 1 Worg + cage — Speak with Animals to befriend OR kill. |
| Goblin patrols | Goblin Camp outskirts | Clean groups of 3-4 individually. |
🟡 Medium
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Owlbear cave (Mama Owlbear) | NW of Blighted Village | Skip until L4. Ranged from cave entrance ledge. Free XP if successful. |
| Risen Road gnoll camp (Flind) | Risen Road | Snipe Flind from cliff. Without leader, gnolls are weaker. |
| Bulette ambush | Underdark | Burrows from underground — keep party spread out. |
| Spectator | Underdark / Selûnite Outpost | Disable eye stalks with Silence. Counterspell its rays. |
| Hook Horrors | Underdark | Nasty multiattack. Engage from elevation, kite. |
| Sussur Tree guardians (duergar) | Underdark | Sussur Bloom suppresses your magic — bring melee. |
| Goblin Camp drum trap | Shattered Sanctum | Don’t break the drum — alerts whole camp. Walk past. |
| Crusher’s followers | Goblin Camp | Crusher demands you kiss his foot. Decline → fight ~5 goblins. Manageable. |
| Druid Grove defense | Grove (if you raid with goblins) | DON’T pick this path; it locks out tons of content. |
🔴 Hard
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Phase Spider Matriarch | Whispering Depths | ⚠️ Top run-killer of Act 1. Burn egg sacs FIRST with Fire Bolt before engaging. Chokepoint at entrance — don’t enter the arena. She paralyzes; bring Lesser Restoration scroll. Hold Person doesn’t work (Monstrosity). |
| Auntie Ethel | Riverside Teahouse → Hag’s Lair | Phases through illusions; she teleports. Masked Thralls are charmed civilians — toggle Non-Lethal Damage before killing them. Burn her below 50% HP fast or she’ll heal. Resistance to fire/poison potions before fight. |
| Bulette in deep Underdark | Below Selûnite Outpost | Can one-shot squishies with charge attack. |
| Spectator + minions | Selûnite Outpost | Engages multiple constructs; layer with Silence on the Spectator. |
| Drider | Underdark | Web traps + poison + multiattack. Concentrate fire. |
| Fall of Halsin / Worg Pens | Goblin Camp | If you free Halsin via combat, ~6 goblins + Halsin (bear ally). Manageable but loud. |
⚫ BOSS
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Priestess Gut | Shattered Sanctum (Goblin Camp) | Easiest of the 3 leaders. Convince her to “consecrate” you (alone in her room) → ambush her. Cleric — Hold Person works. |
| Dror Ragzlin | Shattered Sanctum throne room | Hobgoblin warlord + 4-6 bodyguards. Pull individually OR chokepoint doorway with Cloud of Daggers. Has the dead mind flayer — you can use stealth-Speak with Dead before engaging. |
| Minthara | Goblin Camp courtyard | Drow paladin + 4 cultists. Pre-position party on ramparts above. Hold Person on her round 1 → melee jumps down for auto-crits. Worth recruiting if you want her companion (requires sparing on the cliff in Act 2 OR knock-out + carry to camp in Act 1, very tricky in honour). |
| True Soul Nere | Grymforge | 1 hour timer to dig him out (RP, not real-time). After rescue, dialogue → fight. Nere + 4 duergar minions. Can resolve peacefully via Persuasion if Sergeant Thrinn is alive. |
| Grym (Adamantine Forge) | Grymforge depths | ⚠️ Mechanic puzzle: Grym is immune to non-bludgeoning damage. Lure him onto the central forge platform → press the lever to drop the hammer on him. Repeat. Don’t melee outside the platform. |
| Yurgir / Mind Flayer (Underdark) | Sometimes triggers in Selûnite Outpost | Don’t confuse with Act 2 Yurgir. Skip until L5+. |