Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3 is where all stakes reach their peak, and the city of Baldur’s Gate turns into a sprawling playground of uncertainty, danger, and moral dilemmas. With brand-new quests to pick up, secrets to uncover, and weapons to acquire, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the game’s final act.
To ensure you make the most of your journey and don’t miss critical storylines or rewards, it’s essential to approach the final act with a clear plan. The following guide details the best quest order for Act 3 in Baldur’s Gate 3, ensuring your experience of the game remains unforgettable.
Major spoilers below, proceed with caution.
Baldur’s Gate 3: 10 Best Lightning Spells, Ranked
Baldur’s Gate 3 has some shockingly good lightning spells for when players want to get trigger zappy on their foes, but one spell outranks them all.
Updated April 11th, 2026, by Ian Neiman: A year since the publication of this guide, and after several extra playthroughs, there were a few more notes to make and secrets to uncover. Players who are getting immersed in the amazing world of Baldur’s Gate 3 for the first time, as well as returning veterans who need to refresh their memory, will find the guide updated with information on loot, warnings of quests branching and grave consequences, and a more detailed order of priorities.
Accept Or Reject the Illithid Evolution in BG3
Act 3 begins at the camp in Rivington, where you and your companions celebrate the journey so far. This is a great moment to speak to every follower and NPC before hitting the road.
After long resting here, you will trigger an event where a portal appears in your camp. Don’t repeat my mistakes from my first playthrough, where I wasted too much time fighting to farm loot and XP, and I was hit with an instant Game Over screen for failing to reach the portal.
This is one of the few instances that can trigger an instant defeat in Baldur’s Gate 3, so forget about the enemies and run to the portal before the timer ends. Once through, you’ll find yourself on the Astral Plane, where you’ll have to rescue the Emperor —the question is, should you accept or reject the Illithid evolution?
Don’t forget to loot the Githianki leader to find the Boots of the Uninhibited Kushigo, which are great for many monk builds.
Find Sharess’ Caress in Baldur’s Gate
Exiting the camp, you can head north to discover Sharess’ Caress, the famous brothel in Baldur’s Gate, where the devil Raphael has a suite on the second floor. Raphael will suggest a deal, offering you the Orphic Hammer in exchange for the Crown of Karsus.
You can choose to accept or reject the deal with the devil, but I recommend turning him down to avoid having to lie to the Emperor and to Kith’rak Voss, since those are high-difficulty ability checks. That is, if Kith’rak Voss is alive. You can also find him at Sharess’ Caress and discuss the details of freeing Orpheus.
Before you exit the Caress, consider speaking to the halfling named Korrilla, who will share additional lore about Raphael.
While you are still at Wyrm’s Crossing, consider bringing Astarion to the upper floor of Fraygo’s Flophouse, across Sharess’ Caress, to trigger a dialogue with other vampire spawns and advance his personal quest.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Things To Do Before Going To Act 3
Act two of Baldur’s Gate 3 raises the stakes from the first act. These missable encounters are worth experiencing before the third and final act.
Start The High Harper Quest — Jaheira’s Storyline
Jaheira’s quest should be done as soon as possible in Act 3. Not only will you experience some of the best-written dialogues and scenes of the entire game, but this path will also take you to unlock Minsc as a companion.
The beloved Baldur’s Gate 1 and Baldur’s Gate 2 old-timer brings great comedic lines and wholesome interactions with other party members, and the addition of the cute hamster Boo. Plus, you’ll get to experience the wonderful voice acting of Matt Mercer, Critical Role’s Dungeon Master.
To start this quest, bring Jaheira to Danthelon’s Dancing Axe, also at Wyrms Crossing, and trigger the fight down in the basement.
Find Gale’s Pet Familiar
To reunite Gale with his tressym, Tara, you’ll need to head to the Sword Coast Couriers and pick up a side quest to investigate the cause of missing letters. You will first encounter Gale’s winged cat on the rooftop of the Open Hand Temple.
On the subject of pets, once you’ve found Tara, bring the dog Scratch to the Post-Office in Rivington to find out more about its backstory and its previous owner.
There’s a known bug where Scratch may disappear from your familiar options, but it has an easy fix: put his ball back in your inventory and that will restore him as a permanent summon.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Act 3 Bosses, Ranked
The challenge rises in Baldur’s Gate 3’s Third Act, and players will face off against some truly terrifying and memorable foes.
Attend Enver Gortash’s Ceremony at Wyrm’s Rock Fortress
Head east to discover Wyrm’s Rock Fortress and Wyrm’s Prison. Speak to Mizora outside the hall, then enter to witness Enver Gortash’s ceremony. Consider bringing Karlach along for a unique dialogue and a chance to earn her approval, but keep in mind that you will have to pass a check to keep her under control.
Avoid any fights here —even if you win, this will advance or lock out several quests. It is best to agree with Gortash and then tell Karlach you were lying to him.
Rescue Counselor Florrick from Wyrm’s Rock Prison
You can sneak into Wyrm’s Prison through a hole in the outer wall. To find this, use Feather Fall to jump down from Wyrm’s Crossing and walk around the fortress.
After dealing with the guards, you can find an imprisoned NPC named Counselor Florrick —rescuing her will prove worthwhile before the final fight.
Explore The House Of Hope
It’s time to explore the Lower City, starting with the Devil’s Fee to open a portal to the House of Hope. You’ll need to access the second level of the Devil’s Fee and read Helsik’s diary to piece together the puzzle to open the portal.
Create a manual save before entering the House of Hope. You can freely explore this location, and I recommend speaking to most NPCs, but don’t steal the Orphic Hammer just yet —we will come back for that one later. You can, however, become invisible, disarm the traps, and steal the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength and the Amulet of Greater Health.
Other important items that you can acquire here are:
- Helldusk Helmet
- Helldusk Gloves
- Staff of Spellpower
- Contract for Mol
Until you steal the Orphic Hammer, you can use the Restoration Faucets as an unlimited source of healing. Using them counts as a short rest, and you can come and go from the House of Hope while wearing a Debtor’s Attire.
Baldur’s Gate 3: The Best Longswords, Ranked
Players who enjoy wielding longswords in Baldur’s Gate 3 should keep their eyes peeled for the following weapons.
The Wizard of Waterdeep Quest — Sorcerous Sundries
If Rolan survives up until this point, you can find him as a merchant in the Sorcerous Sundries. After making any purchases you like —I recommend getting the hat Birthright for any charisma-based character— go upstairs and enter the blue portal on the left to get right to Lorroakan, a Wizard who is on a mission to capture Dame Aylin.
After a few checks, you should be given permission to roam freely. If you don’t have Volo’s Eye, cast See Invisibility to be able to jump down on the invisible platforms.
Advance Gale’s Quest
Gale’s quest to claim the Crown of Karsus also takes place here. Bring him and buff him up to pass some difficult arcana checks, and you’ll be able to loot the Legendary Markoheskir —one of the best staves in Baldur’s Gate 3— and the Robes of the Weave.
Later, you must solve a series of puzzles before getting their hands on the book named The Annals of Karsus, which can be read by Gale, leading to a pivotal choice and to the end of his quest.
At the Sorcerous Sundries, you can also complete Dame Aylin’s quest to earn her, Isobel, and Rolan as allies for the final battle.
Progress Jaheira’s Quest At The Guildhall
Having explored the House of Hope, you can now progress Jaheira’s companion quest at the Thieves’ Guild. You can speak to Jaheira at this point to learn about Minsc. You can also find several NPCs at the guild, including Mol. Speaking to the NPCs here will allow you to learn their motivations and progress several quests, including:
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Rescue Minsc & Complete Jaheira’s Quest
Minsc is the final companion that can be recruited to your party, and Jaheira is determined to find her old friend. This is also a great time to rescue Minsc from the Counting House. Additionally, the Counting House presents an opportunity to steal plenty of gold, which you should consider capitalizing on.
Wrap Up The Events At Guildhall
With Minsc in your party, you can head back to the Thieves’ Guild to save Nine-Fingers Keene from the Zhentarim. Saving Nine-Fingers earns you an ally in your fight against the Netherbrain. Besides, Nine-Fingers has a wholesome moment with Minsc that was one of my favorite dialogues in the game.
Discover The Emperor’s Real Identity
The Wyrmway starts as a labyrinth of puzzles before pitting you against Ansur, the undead dragon. Thanks to the dragon, you will learn more about the Emperor’s Backstory and who he was before turning into an Illithid.
Defeating Ansur rewards you with Balduran’s Giantslayer, a legendary greatsword and one of the best in the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Light Armor (& How To Get Them)
For gamers who prefer a stealthy play style in Baldur’s Gate 3, these light armor pieces are among the best gear available.
Investigate The Murders — Get Orin’s Netherstone
At this point in the game, you should be adequately leveled to take on some of the challenging fights in the act. This puts you in a position to investigate the murder at the Open Hand Temple and put an end to it.
If you are playing as a Dark Urge, prepare a build for a solo-boss fight. There will be an option for you to go one-on-one versus Orin, and, while you can ignore this route and get your allies involved, I recommend attempting the duel because it is a unique and interesting encounter.
Before getting the last Netherstone from Gortash, I recommend doing some side quests. The Hag’s quest, although not central to the plot, was my favorite side content from Act 3.
Complete Daughter of Darkness Quest — Shadowheart’s Story At The House Of Grief
To wrap up Shadowheart’s companion quest, you must head to the House of Grief and confront Viconia DeVir. After the battle, you can progress further into the Chamber of Loss and decide the fate of Shadowheart’s parents.
This is one of the toughest choices in the game, and one that has the community divided. There is no absolute happy ending, but walking away with Viconia’s Handmaiden Mace, her Priestess Robe, and her Walking Fortress shield can serve as consolation prizes.
The Pale Elf Quest — Confront Cazador To Complete Astarion’s Storyline
Astarion can conclude his quest at Cazador’s Palace. Eventually, our pale elf will try to initiate a ritual to achieve ascension, but you can stop him —your choice will have a significant impact on the end of his arc.
For a satisfactory ending, I recommend convincing Astarion not to ascend. Allowing him to do so would push him toward the evil side—it would make him stronger, but more miserable, too.
Tearful or not, before leaving the mansion, don’t forget to loot Cazador to find:
- Woe
- Rhapsody
- Szarr Family Ring
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Baldur’s Gate 3’s main cast of characters is so strong that many players will ignore Hirelings altogether, but they shouldn’t.
Rescue Duke Ravengard From The Iron Throne
After your initial interaction with Duke Ravengard at Wyrm’s Rock Fortress, he will now be moved to the Iron Throne. To initiate his rescue, you must head to the Steel Watch Foundry and progress either the Save the Gondians or Avenge the Ironhands quests.
Rescuing the Duke is not only essential to Wyll’s quest, but also has one of my favorite battles, combining fighting with a time-limited puzzle that requires you to think strategically during each turn.
After rescuing the gnomes, you can Disable the Steel Watch, making Gortash’s fight much easier.
One of Baldur’s Gate 3’s Best Areas is Also Entirely Optional
This Baldur’s Gate 3’s area is a fascinating, optional area filled with lore, challenges, and narrative depth.
Acquire The Orphic Hammer
It’s time to acquire the Orphic Hammer from the House of Hope, and you can enter it via the portal that was activated at Devil’s Fee. If you haven’t taken the fights before, you’ll have to battle your way through the House of Hope before finding the Orphic Hammer.
Raphael Boss’ Fight
Before leaving the House of Hope with the Orphic Hammer in your possession, you must face the final boss of this area—the devil Raphael himself. If Yurgir survived in Act 2, you can potentially persuade him to become a temporary ally.
Defeating Raphael at the House of Hope completes and progresses the following quests:
- Deal with the Devil
- Save Hope
- Free Orpheus
Our Fiery Friend — Acquire Gortash’s Netherstone & Complete Karlach’s Story
It’s time to confront Gortash and acquire his Netherstone before facing the Elder Brain. If you wish to both acquire the Netherstone and complete Karlach’s companion quest, you should consider bringing her along before challenging Gortash.
Killing Gortash and speaking to Karlach will complete her storyline.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Most Beginner Friendly Subclasses
Understanding how to fight or even level up can be confusing in Baldur’s Gate 3, but these simpler subclasses should help beginners get started.
Confront The Elder Brain
With all three Netherstones in your possession, the party can confront the Elder Brain to defeat it once and for all. Depending on how you want to tackle this quest, you’ll be able to complete the following quests and sub-quests:
-
Confront the Elder Brain
- Control the Elder Brain
- Destroy the Elder Brain
- The Githyanki Warrior
The final confrontation with the Elder Brain is not time-sensitive, so take as much time as you need to make sure that your party is thoroughly prepared for the brutal final battle that awaits you.
