As a party-based role-playing game, Baldur's Gate 3 allows players to travel with four characters at any given time. Occasionally, players may find that the best route through an area involves splitting the party in half or controlling a single character for stealth purposes and rejoining the entire group.
How do you split the party in Baldur's Gate 3, though? It's not immediately apparent in the game, though breaking the entire party is quite simple and straightforward.
Updated by Brandon Morgan on August 16th, 2023: As more players learn the mechanics of Baldur's Gate 3, we decided to include an additional section in this guide offering tips for playing with a split party and making the most of the mechanics to better complete in-game challenges. Furthermore, new links to additional guides related to Baldur's Gate 3 are included throughout the guide.
How To Split The Party
Splitting the entire party is quite simple. Players should turn their attention to the left-hand side of the screen, where the player and companion portraits are located. Here, select one of the party members, then drag them away from the rest of the group. This will create a gap in the portraits; that character can now move independently of the entire group.
The same goes for splitting the party into two distinct units. If players want two parties of two characters each, start by moving one portrait away from the group, then follow it with a second portrait to join the two together. Players will now have two parties to control.
Why Split Your Party?
Players may wish to split the party in Baldur's Gate 3 for several reasons. The most common reason would be that players want to attack an enemy on multiple fronts instead of head-on with a single group.
Alternatively, there's stealth to consider. If one character is better at stealth, like Astarion, players will likely want to utilize such abilities regarding sneak attacks and pickpocketing. It wouldn't do to have an entire adventurers group approach a stealth target in clanking armor.
Furthermore, for more innovative players, it's possible to bait an entire group of enemies into an ambush by sending in a single companion to provoke an enemy force. And the same goes for using an archer, who would excel on the high ground. Split the party, leaving the archer solo, then send them above the fray!
Tips For Managing a Split Party
When tackling specific objectives in Baldur's Gate 3, like infiltrating the Goblin Camp in Act 1, splitting the party in two is often beneficial. But managing two sets of characters may prove troublesome for newcomers, especially, so here are a few tips to make the tactics of a split party work in the player's favor:
- Think about which characters and classes to place at each party. It wouldn't do to put two spellcasters in one group, then two melee fighters in the other. A good party composition matters even when there are only two characters to control.
- Players often find themselves outmatched in combat with only two characters in each party. As such, it's best to use stealth to sneak past large groups or remain near enough to the secondary party to initiate combat and flank the opposing force. The party outside the combat zone will not enter the tactical phase. They will exist in the real-time game mode, freely moving to and fro on the player's command. This is useful for setting up ambushes or large flanks.
- Carefully considering positioning when splitting the party. If Astarion is an archer build, then place him on the high ground to make the most of his ranged damage.
At the end of the day, like every combat phase in Baldur's Gate 3, splitting the party requires careful planning, preparation, and careful maneuvering to make the most of each encounter.