If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that players probably missed a cool quest on their first playthrough ofBaldur’s Gate 3. From early in Act 1, all the party’s decisions have consequences that impact future quests, so skipping certain areas or overlooking some interesting NPCs is bound to happen. Depending on the play style, or if players are going into the game blind, it’s likely there are quests that most people never even realize existed at all.
[Warning: Spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3.]
For some, this is part of the appeal ofBaldur’s Gate 3, andadds to the replayability of the game. The sprawling and intertwining storylines often reward players with powerful, one-of-a-kind weapons and armor, while others open up future adventures or introduce new characters, enemies, and areas. Below are the top 10 quests you probably missed while exploringBaldur’s Gate 3.
10Steal The Sacred Idol
Act 1: Emerald Grove
Anyone attempting a peaceful playthrough is likely to miss this quest, “Steal the Sacred Idol,” because it requires a little mischief and exploration.Crucially, the party must gainMol’s respect, and the most effective way to do this is to head to the Secluded Cove. Defeating the harpies there allows players to rescue Mirkon and seek out Mol in her hideout. She will ask them tosteal the druid idolin the Sacred Pool, but be careful. Getting caught is definitely not good for the tieflings.
This quest requires some cunning choices and overcoming difficult enemies, plusthe end result has dramatic consequences for the grove and the rest of the playthrough. Completing this quest is how players will obtain theRing of Protection, a unique rare item that is useful for just about any build, especially early in Act 1.
9Free The Artist
Act 1: The Zhentarim Basement
“Free the Artist” stretches from Act 1 to Act 3 and can be missed if players aren’t eager to go through multiple encounters around Baldur’s Gate. The party will need to free the held hostage in the Zhentarim Basement, Oskar Fevras.The real quest begins once players reach Lady Jannath’s Estate in Act 3, where it turns out something supernatural is amiss. Lady Jannath and Oskar are having a poltergeist issuethey could use some help with.
Each of the possible endings has interesting rewards, including two uniquerings, as well as a charming painting by Oskar.
Eventually, the party will find a letter to Oskar in his workshop from the Mystic Carrion, which points them to Philgrave’s Mansion. After acquiring the Torch of Revocation,the spirit of Kerri Evenfield will be back in Oskar’s atelierand players will need to decide how to deal with Oskar and the love triangle. Each of the possible endings has interesting rewards, including two uniquerings, as well as a charming painting by Oskar.
8Help The Spirit Of The Amulet
Act 1: Grymforge
“Help the Spirit of the Amulet” is easily missed because it involvescrossing a lake of lava and avoiding a giant Lava Elemental. Deep in the Grymforge, the party may come across theDark Justiciar’s Journaland learn about a lost amulet in theAdamantine Forge. After traversing a lake of bubbling lava and avoiding the elemental, theSentient Amuletcan be found in a chest on a small platform.
Speaking with the amulet will introduce the party to the spirit of the monk trapped inside and begin a long quest that ends in a crypt under the Open Hand Temple in Act 3.Theamulet is also very useful for a monk build, as it offers extra Ki restoration each long rest.
7Find The Blood Of Lathander
Act 1: Mountain Pass
“Find the Blood of Lathander” is one of the best and most elusive quests inBaldur’s Gate 3due to the many puzzles required to find it. The reward for completing it is tasty though –one of the rarest items in the game:The Blood of Lathandermace. The party will have totravel through the Mountain Passand solve the “ceremonial weapons” puzzle, eventually obtaining the Dawnmaster’s Crest.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Where To Find The Blood Of Lathander
The Blood of Lathander is a legendary weapon in Baldur’s Gate 3 that you may find by exploring a Monastery for ceremonial artifacts during a quest.
Once the party has entered the Inquisitor’s chambers in the Githyanki crèche, they will find a hidden doorway after rotating some nearby statues. They will then face yet another series of traps before finding an altar wherethey can place the crest and acquire the legendary mace. It is also possible to complete this quest without the crest by using brute force. However, doing this will activate a devastating trap that obliterates the entire monastery.
6Punish The Wicked
Act 2: Ruined Battlefield
In a dark corner of the Shadow-Cursed Lands on the Ruined Battlefield,a Shadar-Kai named He Who Wascan be found in a ritual circle with his faithful raven and a dead body nearby. He Who Was will ask players to find a ledger in a nearby tavern, The Waning Moon, which he will use to extract information from the dead body.
When players bring the mysterious bird man his ledger, they will take part in a sinister interrogation on the corpse that can get pretty bloody. Any Edgar Allan Poe fans will be keen to complete this quest forthe Raven Gloves, which let players summon Quoth the Raven as a companion.
5The Adamantine Forge
If the party isn’t paying attention, they can accidentally bypass the Adamantine Forge,a massive area with an epic boss fight.There will be clues about this location throughout the entire journey in the Underdark. When the party finally reaches the forge, activating it will trigger thefight against Grym, which can be very tricky without a solid strategy.
Using the environment to the party’s advantage is effective here– just lure Grym into the center and drop the forge hammer on his head to leave him prone and deal major damage. Careful though, doing this will spawn some annoying Magma Mephits out of the surrounding lava. Defeating Grym awards theGrymskull Helm, and also allows players to use the forge to create two legendary items out ofMithral Ore.
4Help The Devilish Ox
Act 3: Rivington
One of the most infamously strange quests in all ofBaldur’s Gate 3that is too often passed over, “Help the Devilish Ox,“requires the party to resist prying too deeply into a sassy Ox’s motives. Not only must players avoid upsetting the Ox in dialogue, they also must ensure the beast is not killed before Act 3.
Should You Help The Strange Ox In Baldur’s Gate 3 Act 3?
The Strange Ox is one of the weirder Baldur’s Gate 3 characters that players can stumble upon through their journey, but he does come with rewards.
If he survives to Act 3, players have the option tohelp the Strange Ox. If they do, he will reveal his true intentions, andthe party will have to decide whether to smuggle the beast into the city, or turn against him and battle it out against a ninth-level ooze monster. Both have their benefits, but if the party is planning for the endgame, smuggling the creature into Baldur’s Gate will make him available as a summon in the final battle.
3Feed The Mind Flayer
When adventurers first enter Rivington, the abandoned windmill seems like a pretty innocuous building in the middle of a field. If players listen close, however,they will hear screaming in the areathat leads to the basement where an unconscious mind flayer lays prone. The party can choose to attack the creature or wake him up and talk with him to find that he is a little hungry – for human brains.
Either way, completing this quest rewards one illithid power and theRing of Truthfulness, which grants advantage on insight checks and is useful for detecting lies. This quest offers some interesting background on mind flayers, but is alsoa great place to earn inspiration for a Dark Urge run.
2Stop The Presses
Act 3: Baldur’s Gate
“Stop the Presses” is often failed or missed because it is time-sensitive, and reaching the basement area without turning NPCs hostile is relatively difficult. Interacting with Ettvard Needle at the Baldur’s Mouth will reveal thata negative article is going to be printed about you, and if the party wishes to stop the hit piece, they need to do it before a long rest.
Descending into the Baldur’s Mouth basement through the elevator nearby, the party will find Jelliwig, a sentient printing press that will hint to players that they need toreplace the printing block with a more favorable articlebefore the next day. Successfully changing the article to a positive one gives players a gain of +10 Attitude and an improved reputation around town, which affects merchant prices and opens up unique dialogue with some vendors.
1Impress The Murder Tribunal
Act 3: Murder Tribunal Antechamber
If the party was trying to avoid the evil path, they probably missed “Impress The Murder Tribunal” in Act 3. As a sub-quest of “Get Orin’s Netherstone,” it suggests thatplayers will need to make some evil decisionsand possibly murder a lot of innocent NPCs. While there are ways around shedding too much blood, the murderous route is a viable one for anybody attempting a Dark Urge run. In addition to some amazing legendary gear, this quest delves into Bhaal’s backstory and the Cult of Bhaal.
More significantly, players will find Sarevok Anchev, a classic Baldur’s Gate antagonist, to discuss both his ties to Orin and the Murder Tribunal and its purpose.Eventually, the party must decide to either kill Valeria andbecome an unholy assassin of Bhaal, or turn against Sarevok and kill him. Turning on him rewardsSarevok’s Horned Helmetand theSword of Chaos, and saving Valeria makes her available as an endgame summon. Of all the quests likely missed, this one is probably the bloodiest and most rewarding in all ofBaldur’s Gate 3in terms of both loot and backstory.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
