Do Enemies Scale in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)?

At some point in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ve likely asked yourself, “Do the enemies scale with my level in BG3?” After all, in some RPGs, it’s a known element — enemies get stronger as you do. This article explains how BG3 handles enemy levels, so you know what to expect and maybe save yourself from accidentally stumbling into a dragon’s lair at level 3.

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Do Enemies Scale in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Here’s the answer straight up: No, enemies do not scale with your level in Baldur’s Gate 3. The game sticks to set enemy levels based on specific map locations. So, wherever you go, you will encounter enemies there according to the game’s difficulty level. It isn’t like some games where you’ll be facing a gang of low-level bandits at level 15 and they suddenly hit like gods just because you leveled up. But in BG3, the level 5 area will let you deal with level 5 bosses whether you go there at level 3 or stroll by at level 10.

But forced by curiosity, if you decide to poke your nose early on into an area that is designed for higher-level characters… the enemies won’t go easy on you. It’s the game’s way of kindly (or not-so-kindly) suggesting, “Maybe come back later when you’re not wearing a potato sack for armor.”

What’s the Best Way to Progress in BG3?

One of the amazing things about Baldur’s Gate 3 is the freedom it gives you. You can go anywhere you want no area restrictions and no other is stopping you. It’s fantastic for exploration… until you stumble into a crypt full of monsters that make your character like a toddler with a wooden sword. Larian Studios has developed BG3 with a natural progression path, where most locations will match your level as you follow the main story or complete side quests in a logical order.

But you can try to push your luck. For example, it’s not impossible to beat level 4 or 5 bosses with a level 3 character and party but it’s obviously tough. All you need is a solid strategy, powerful gear, some good dice rolls, and maybe some luck from the RNG gods.

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What About Loot and Items?

Same as the enemies, the loot you find doesn’t scale to your level either. The gear in Baldur’s Gate 3 is more aligned with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition rules, so instead of finding weapons that get absurdly more powerful the higher your level, you’ll collect items with set stats. You might find a +1 sword early on and think it’s awesome, and then get a +2 version later, but it’s not like you’ll suddenly pick up a level 15 super-blade that one-shots everything in its path.

Compared to Divinity: Original Sin, another Larian Studios masterpiece, BG3 has a different kind of mechanism. This RPG leans towards tiers of power rather than scaling gear — a +1 dagger at level 3 is still a +1 dagger at level 10. But finding the rarer, more powerful items is part of the thrill of the journey.