Key takeaways
- There is no single campsite map The game selects a camp variant according to the party’s region and the area where the party is resting.
- The camp has two practical states The daytime version is used for travelling to camp, changing the party and speaking with characters. The nighttime version is used for Long Rests and most camp scenes.
- Partial Rests are important They can advance queued camp events without consuming spell slots or camp supplies.
- The Traveller’s Chest is the safest storage location Items left in a particular camp layout may not remain accessible after the party moves into another region.
- Major progression points can permanently close earlier camps Entering the Shadowfell closes access to Act One camps, leaving Act Two closes Act Two camps, and travelling to the Morphic Pool closes access to the Traveller’s Chest.
- The camp is a progression hub, not a conventional settlement It has no normal road network, no ordinary law enforcement and no permanent commercial district, although certain visitors sell goods or provide services.
About this guide
Scope: Base game, including the major campaign camp variants available in Acts One, Two and Three. Minor differences caused by multiplayer, Origin selection, companion deaths and individual dialogue choices are noted where relevant.
Overview
Campsite is a special, story-driven region in Baldur’s Gate 3. It is not one fixed map. Instead, the game uses a network of camp variants whose appearance, available characters, scenery and loot depend on the party’s current region, the exact area from which camp is entered, story progression and major choices.
The campsite is the party’s main base. It is where companions can be recruited or dismissed, camp followers gather, the Traveller’s Chest stores equipment, Withers offers class and resurrection services, and many companion and Origin events occur. Because “Campsite” covers several distinct layouts, a reliable guide must treat its subareas separately rather than describing only the familiar Wilderness camp.
Daytime camp
The daytime version is used when the player chooses to travel directly to camp or fast-travels there. It is the best state for:
Active party members move to camp when a Long Rest is started, provided they are sufficiently close to the character who initiated the rest. The camp can therefore be used as a practical staging point before returning to exploration.
Night-time camp
The nighttime version is the actual resting state. It is used for:
A Long Rest normally consumes camp supplies according to the selected difficulty and restores the party’s resources. A Partial Rest skips the full resource restoration but can still trigger camp events, making it useful when the player wants to progress conversations without advancing through all available supplies.
Traveller’s Chest
The Traveller’s Chest is the main persistent storage container. It should be preferred over leaving valuables on the ground, inside scenery containers or in a particular camp’s decorative storage.
Camp layouts are not fully persistent as a single physical space. When the party reaches a new camp variant, some player-placed loose items and containers may be transferred to the Traveller’s Chest. The behaviour of empty containers and objects that are part of the camp’s original set dressing is less reliable. Corpses are not collected. Because the game can permanently remove access to old camp variants, important equipment should be placed in the Traveller’s Chest before crossing a major progression boundary.
Withers
Withers can provide several important services once he has joined the camp:
Withers can be found and awakened in the Dank Crypt. If the player does not recruit him there, he can eventually appear at camp on his own. His presence is consequently not restricted to players who complete the crypt in a particular order.
Magic Mirror
The Magic Mirror allows a custom player character, Dark Urge character or hireling to revise their appearance. It does not allow the player to redesign Origin companions. The mirror changes cosmetic appearance through the character customisation interface rather than changing class, race or other progression systems.
Withers’ Wardrobe of Wayward Friends
In multiplayer, Withers’ Wardrobe of Wayward Friends appears near Withers when player characters are dismissed. Its purpose is to manage the removal or return of multiplayer characters. It is not a normal single-player camp facility.
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The following hierarchy separates the campsite as a system from the individual camp maps used by the game.
Act One
Act One has the greatest variety of camp variants. The main Wilderness camp is only one part of this group.
Wilderness Campsite
The primary outdoor camp for the Wilderness region and its exterior locations. It is the familiar woodland camp associated with the early game.
It is normally used while exploring outdoor areas such as the Ravaged Beach, Wilderness, Emerald Grove exterior, Blighted Village exterior, Goblin Camp exterior and the Risen Road, unless a more specialised interior or underground camp takes priority.
Basement Campsite
Used for basements and cellars in parts of the Wilderness, including basements in the Blighted Village and the basement of the Risen Road Toll House.
This is a distinct camp layout rather than an extension of the main Wilderness camp. It is particularly useful for players who rest while investigating cellar routes, secret passages and underground entrances.
Granite Cave Campsite
Used for several non-Underdark cave or underground areas. The verified associated areas include:
The older description of this variant uses the broader label “Cavern Campsite”, while current game-oriented documentation identifies the internal variant as the Granite Cave Campsite. These should be treated as the same functional category rather than separate player destinations.
Sandstone Cave Campsite
This variant demonstrates why the camp cannot be mapped simply by surface geography. These locations are not all adjacent in the world, but the game groups them under a similar interior campsite layout.
Overgrown Chapel Campsite
The Shattered Sanctum is part of the Goblin Camp complex, but it does not necessarily use the outdoor Wilderness camp. Resting inside the sanctum instead leads to the Overgrown Chapel variant.
Underdark Campsite
The primary camp for the Underdark region. It is separate from the surface Wilderness variants and should be treated as part of the Underdark progression state.
Grymforge Campsite
Used specifically for Grymforge. Although Grymforge is part of the Underdark region, it has its own camp variant and should not be folded into the general Underdark camp.
Rosymorn Monastery Trail Campsite
The main camp for the Rosymorn Monastery Trail region and its outdoor areas.
Crèche Y’llek Campsite
Used for interior areas of Crèche Y’llek. It is a specialised camp associated with the githyanki crèche.
Destroying Crèche Y’llek can permanently remove access to this camp variant. Any items placed there should therefore be moved to the Traveller’s Chest before the crèche’s final hostile transition.
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Granite Cave Campsite
Sandstone Cave Campsite: Used for
Overgrown Chapel Campsite: Used for
Act Two
Act Two’s camps reflect the Shadow-Cursed Lands and its major story strongholds.
Shadow-Cursed Lands Campsite
The principal outdoor campsite for the Shadow-Cursed Lands and many of its exterior locations.
Last Light Inn Campsite
Used while resting at Last Light Inn. This camp is distinct from the general Shadow-Cursed Lands camp, even though the inn lies within that region.
It becomes particularly important during the region’s protection, curse and refuge storylines, when several allies and visitors may be present.
Gauntlet of Shar Campsite
Used inside the Gauntlet of Shar. It is a specialised temple or dungeon camp rather than a normal outdoor camp.
Moonrise Towers Campsite
Used while resting inside Moonrise Towers. This layout is distinct from the broader Shadow-Cursed Lands camp and is associated with the tower’s infiltration and assault stages.
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Act Three
Act Three has fewer broad regional variants, but the progression boundaries between them are important.
Wyrm’s Lookout Campsite
A one-time camp visited during the transition between Act Two and Rivington. It is an interlude camp rather than a freely revisitable base.
Leaving Wyrm’s Lookout permanently closes access to this specific camp. The party should therefore avoid leaving unique items there and should complete any available conversations before continuing.
Rivington Campsite
Although these are separate locations in the overworld, they share the Rivington camp variant for resting purposes. This is a useful example of a campsite boundary not matching the strict boundaries of the world map.
Baldur’s Gate Alley Campsite
The primary Lower City camp before the party obtains the Elfsong Tavern room. It is an outdoor urban camp in an alley rather than a traditional wilderness camp.
Elfsong Tavern Campsite
The Elfsong Tavern room is an optional replacement for the Baldur’s Gate Alley campsite. To obtain it, speak to Alan Alyth in the Elfsong Tavern and either pay for the room or qualify through dialogue.
Once unlocked, the room becomes the primary camp while resting in the Lower City. It is not obtained simply by resting at the tavern.
The two names refer to the same functional Act Three camp in different documentation contexts.
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The camp’s population changes constantly. Some characters are regular companions, some are non-party camp followers, some appear only after a specific rescue, and others are visitors connected to personal quests.
Rivington Campsite: The main camp for
Companions
The principal recruitable characters associated with camp are:
The Dark Urge is an Origin player character rather than a recruitable companion. Minsc also joins only in Act Three and requires the relevant story progression. The exact characters present depend on recruitment, survival, faction choices and whether the player is controlling an Origin character.
Companions
Hirelings
Withers can recruit twelve hirelings, one associated with each class. Verified named hirelings include:
Hirelings are not ordinary camp followers. They can be added to the party, equipped and respecialised, but they are recruited through Withers rather than found in the world as conventional companions.
Permanent and recurring camp followers
These characters can remain at camp in appropriate circumstances:
Scratch is recruited after encountering him near the road north-east of the early Wilderness area. The Owlbear Cub can join after the player encounters it in the owlbear cave, avoids killing it and later arranges its release from the Goblin Camp. Several Long Rests may be required before it appears at camp.
Temporary or conditional camp followers
The following characters can appear at camp if their stories are handled appropriately:
Examples include Barcus Wroot, who must be rescued in both the Blighted Village and Grymforge to accompany the party into the Shadow-Cursed Lands, and Volo, who must be rescued from the Goblin Camp before becoming a camp presence. Arabella’s Act Two camp presence depends on her surviving the relevant Act One events.
Conditional special visitors
Some characters appear because of a specific class, oath, Origin or personal quest:
These are not all permanent residents. Many are visitors who appear for a single conversation, cinematic or quest stage. The Oathbreaker Knight, for example, appears to a Paladin who has broken their oath and remains until the oath is restored through the appropriate payment.
Camp pets and unusual companions
The named camp pets and small companions include:
Tara is particularly conditional: she appears at camp if Gale is selected as the player’s Origin character. Grub is associated with Yenna in Act Three, while Boo accompanies Minsc.
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Changing the party
Speak to companions at camp to dismiss them or ask them to join the active party. Camp is usually the safest place to assemble a party for a planned dungeon, negotiation or combat encounter.
A useful routine is to leave the active area, go to camp, adjust the party, move equipment through the Traveller’s Chest and then return to the world map. This avoids carrying unnecessary weapons, armour and quest items across several regions.
Respec and resurrection
Withers is the camp’s main mechanical service provider. He can:
These services require gold, but Withers does not leave camp merely because the player lacks the funds at the time. His role makes the campsite the main class-planning and recovery hub of the campaign.
Appearance changes
Use the Magic Mirror to alter the appearance of eligible player characters and hirelings. Origin companions cannot be redesigned through the mirror. The mirror is cosmetic, so it should not be confused with Withers’ respec service.
Shopping
The campsite is not a permanent market. However, Volo can sell scrolls and camping supplies while he remains at camp. His availability depends on rescuing him from the Goblin Camp and on later story events. Do not assume that every camp visitor is a merchant.
Looting the camp
Many camp variants contain containers, sacks, barrels and decorative objects that can be searched. Some contain:
Camp loot is variant-specific. A container present in the Wilderness camp does not imply that the equivalent-looking container in the Last Light Inn or Elfsong Tavern camp has the same contents. Camp loot should be treated as fixed to a particular layout unless verified otherwise.
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Camp is one of the game’s main narrative systems. A character may have no visible dialogue in the world but still have an important scene available during the next rest.
Common triggers
Most occur on a Partial Rest or Long Rest. Some scenes trigger automatically after a particular event rather than waiting for a normal rest.
Large camp gatherings
A few events turn camp into a more active social location where characters wander and interact rather than appearing only for a short cinematic. The major examples include:
These states are tied to major story outcomes and should be treated as progression scenes, not permanent camp upgrades.
Large camp gatherings
Missability and lockouts
The following progression states can close earlier camp variants:
These boundaries matter for more than scenery. They can affect access to loose items, camp containers and conversations. Before entering the Shadowfell, leaving Act Two or proceeding to the Morphic Pool, place important items in the Traveller’s Chest and complete camp conversations that you do not want to risk losing.
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Missability and lockouts
| Trigger | Result |
|---|---|
| Destroying Crèche Y’llek | Crèche Y’llek Campsite becomes inaccessible |
| Entering the Shadowfell | All Act One campsites become inaccessible |
| Leaving Act Two | All Act Two campsites become inaccessible |
| Leaving Wyrm’s Lookout | Wyrm’s Lookout Campsite becomes inaccessible |
| Setting sail for the Morphic Pool | All camps and the Traveller’s Chest become inaccessible |
Early Act One
- 01Recruit the available companions near the crash site and Emerald Grove.
- 02Visit camp after each major recruitment.
- 03Speak to companions again after completing their first personal conversations.
- 04Find Withers in the Dank Crypt if convenient.
- 05Rescue Volo from the Goblin Camp if you want his camp presence and stock.
- 06Decide whether to pursue Scratch and the Owlbear Cub.
- 07Store valuable spare equipment in the Traveller’s Chest rather than on the ground.
- 08Use Partial Rests if several companion scenes appear to be competing for priority.
Before leaving Act One
- 01Search the current camp for useful supplies.
- 02Move all important placed items into the Traveller’s Chest.
- 03Speak to companions, Withers and any temporary followers.
- 04Finish time-sensitive or progression-sensitive camp conversations.
- 05Do not assume that returning from the Shadow-Cursed Lands will restore Act One camp access.
Act Two
- 01Check camp after entering the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
- 02Visit the Last Light Inn camp whenever the party has changed its status or rescued new allies.
- 03Use the Moonrise Towers camp while infiltrating or assaulting the tower.
- 04Check the Gauntlet of Shar camp for conversations before entering the Shadowfell.
- 05Complete important camp interactions before the Shadowfell transition, since Act One camp variants will then be closed.
Act Three
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Act Three: steps
- 01Treat Wyrm’s Lookout as a one-time interlude.
- 02Search the Rivington camp after arriving in the region.
- 03Recruit and manage the Act Three companions through camp.
- 04Speak to Alan Alyth in the Elfsong Tavern if you want the room camp.
- 05Use the Elfsong Tavern camp as the main Lower City base once obtained.
- 06Store key items safely before beginning the final approach to the Morphic Pool.
Is the campsite one location or several?
Both descriptions are functionally true. “Campsite” is the broad region and system, but the game loads several separate camp maps. Their layout and contents depend on the current region and subarea.
Can I fast-travel directly to camp?
Yes, from locations where fast travel is allowed. The campsite itself has no waypoint, and fast-travelling there displays the daytime version.
Why did my camp change?
Camp changes when the party enters another region, moves into a specialised interior area, advances the story or obtains a different Act Three camp. This is expected behaviour.
Can I leave items at camp?
Use the Traveller’s Chest for anything important. Objects left on the ground may remain only in that camp variant, and some camp transitions can permanently remove access to the old layout.
Do I need to spend camp supplies to trigger companion scenes?
Not always. Partial Rests can trigger camp events without consuming the resources required for a full Long Rest.
Can I change an Origin companion’s appearance?
No. The Magic Mirror works for custom player characters, the Dark Urge and hirelings, but not Origin companions.
Is the Elfsong Tavern camp automatic?
No. Speak to Alan Alyth in the Elfsong Tavern and obtain the room by paying or succeeding in the relevant dialogue. It then replaces the Lower City alley camp as the main camp.
Can every camp follower join my party?
No. Camp followers normally provide services, lore or story presence rather than functioning as standard companions. Withers, Volo, Scratch, the Owlbear Cub and other followers have different roles and recruitment conditions.
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Recruitable companions associated with camp
Other named camp-associated creatures and followers
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Sources
- Campsite - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Camp followers - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Companions - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Campsite - bg3.wiki — old.bg3.wiki