Baldur’s Gate 3: Mountain Pass or Underdark? Differences Explained

At the end of Baldur’s Gate 3 Act 1, you might be wondering what the differences are between taking the Mountain Pass or traveling through the Underdark to get to Act 2. Both paths lead you to the same destination in the end. However, each option offers different pros and cons that can help you decide which is best for your playthrough.

Related: Can You Play Baldur’s Gate 3 if You’ve never Played Dnd? by TTP

Should You Take the Mountain Pass or Underdark in BG3?

The Mountain Pass is the shorter path with more dangerous enemies, but the Underdark gives you more opportunities to find hidden passages and has enemies that are easier to handle.

Using the Mountain Pass

The Mountain Pass is the faster option. You’ll want to use the North path to reach it instead of the West path because the latter has higher level enemies, making it harder to deal with if your party isn’t leveled enough to handle them. However, allying with the Goblins and recruiting Minthara makes the Mountain Pass easier to get through as you’ll gain the Moonlantern to negate the shadow curse debuff.

Using the Underdark

The Underdark is a longer path and you’ll have to do some puzzle solving to get to it, but the enemies are more manageable. Depending on your party’s Passive Perception, you might also be able to find some hidden passages here. I chose it because I’m playing a Drow, and the Underdark felt more thematically appropriate for an Underelf.

So, the biggest differences between taking the Mountain Pass or going through the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3 boils down to if you want the faster route and what enemies you’re able to handle with your party. Regardless of your choice, you’ll end up in the same place. If you have more game questions, check out our BG3 guide hub for topics like should you help He Who Was or how to find Philomeen’s Hiding Spot.