In Baldur's Gate 3 The Ruined or Arcane Tower is a special location in the Underdark where you can find many valuable items. However, to do this you will first have to disable the turrets, activate the elevator, encounter Bernard and solve a couple of riddles. This guide will show you how to do it all.
When examining the tower, you will also probably find an old key and a strange button, the purpose of which we will also tell you about in this guide.
How to pass the Arcane Tower in Baldur's Gate 3
How to get to the Ruined Tower
First of all, you will need to get into the Underdark. You can do this in one of four ways to choose from:
- The desecrated temple in the goblin camp hides a door that opens one of the most obvious paths into the Underdark. Solving the puzzle in the lunar temple and opening the passage is described in our separate material.
- A whispering abyss in a cave under the village, where you can go down through a well in the central square. We talked about it in the walkthrough guide pharmacy basement. Having placed the squad on the web that stretches across the purple gap, burn it, after using the smooth fall spell.
- Tunnel at Aunt Ethel's tea house. You will need to put on the mask lying on the table near the Crooked Door - this is the only way you will pass through the invisible barrier.
- Zhentarim Refuge in Waukeen Refuge. You can get here by completing the task "Find the missing cargo". In the northwestern part of the premises there is a false wall, behind which is hidden a lift that can lower you into the Underdark.
Having reached the desired area, you will need to go to its southwestern part, since that is where the tower you need is located. You can do this along the long path through the Tea House, where you will have to fight a strong boss. However, we will tell you about a faster method. First, get to the teleport "Underdark-shore", from which you can travel to Grimforge, where the Adamantine Forge is located.
Note: Before going to the tower, you can go north to the Underdark-Sussur Tree teleporter. Not far from it you can find a sussur flower (X: -37, Y: -159), which you will need to activate the elevator. However, this bud can also be found in the courtyard of the building.
Next, start moving south, climbing the wooden ladder to the platform, and then reaching the stone ledge (X: 31, Y: -234). Use the jump to get onto the ledge. Continue southwest, up the stone stairs and under the archway.
How to turn off the turrets in the Ruined Tower courtyard
When you approach the entrance to the tower, the turn-based mode will be activated (if this has not happened, turn it on yourself by pressing the hourglass button), as two magic turrets will appear ahead. There are several ways to deal with them.
First way
These weapons are vulnerable to electrical damage, so use lightning-related spells against them (Gale, for example, can have them) to quickly destroy them. The first cannon can be taken down by hiding behind the stone in the center, and the second by going up the stairs and hiding behind another stone.
Second way
If you have collected several sussur flowers, then approach the tower, open your character’s inventory, select a plant and click on the “Throw” option. Then simply throw the bud at the turret, completely deactivating it. Do the same with the second weapon. Use cover or stealth to get close to the guns without being noticed.
Third way
If you only have one sussura flower, then turn off the group mode and turn on stealth. Then take the Burglar character who has the Bud in his inventory and simply run forward past the turrets to the tower door. Even if the guns notice you and start shooting at you, they will do very little damage due to the flower, so you will be able to enter the structure without any problems.
Why even get to the tower with only one hero? The fact is that later you can simply turn off all the turrets and activate the elevator, going down the mushrooms to the very bottom. We talked about this below.
Exploring the Ruined Tower Courtyard
Having deactivated the turrets in the courtyard in one way or another, do not rush to leave it. Walk up a little from the first magic cannon. Here you will find bronze ingots, a heavy chest and a letter to Irra. The chest requires a 15 Sleight of Hand check to open, and inside it you will find a light hammer Heaven Splitter.
Then go to the ledge on which the second turret stands. With high Survival, you will be able to find a mound - examine it to find a wooden chest containing gold, a bow and a “Protection from Energy” scroll.
Note: From the courtyard, you can also jump onto the giant mushrooms, and then go down them to the very bottom of the tower. The picture below shows the first mushroom cap you need to climb onto.
How to turn on the elevator and turn off the turrets inside the Magic Tower
When you reach the Decorated Door, break it using any of the methods available to you, for example, you can choose a Sleight of Hand check (15). Two more magic turrets await you inside. Deal with them using the above methods (throw flowers or shoot with lightning) or run past them, as you can then simply deactivate them using the generator.
Stand with your back to the decorated door, and then turn right and go out onto the balcony. There is a chest with boots here Mystra's Grace, which grant the “Smooth Fall” enchantment. Now turn left from the main entrance to the tower and you will find yourself on the second balcony.
Note: The main entrance to the tower is on its third floor. In total, this building has 5 levels.
Next, start jumping on the mushrooms down to the second floor balcony. Jump off it even lower. If necessary, use Smooth Fall to avoid losing health. Having gone down to the very bottom of the courtyard, run forward to the tree from which you can pick sussur flowers if necessary.
Then turn right and open the door leading to the first floor of the tower (you can take the Sleight of Hand check again). You can also use a familiar or a shrinking potion to crawl through the hole on the slope and get inside the building, and then open the door by interacting with the lever.
Once inside, go to the Energy Generator and insert the sussur flower you collected earlier into it. This will activate the elevator, light up the lights, and turn off all the turrets (if you haven't destroyed them already).
How to defeat or trick Bernard
After activating the elevator, go up the stairs to the right of the generator. Here you will find a lift. Return to the third level to team up with your team (if you went down alone), and then move to the second floor. Here, collect Tongues of Madness and Timmask Spores (shown in the 3rd and 4th screenshots below) - you will need these ingredients to complete the task "Help Mistletoe research the parasite".
Be sure to read An old book, lying on the bookshelf opposite the lift. The information in it will help you outwit Bernard in the future.
Then go up to the fourth tier of the tower and go to the table, next to which you can find Handwritten Letter and Descent into Darkness – be sure to read them (this will also help you in your conversation with Bernard). Then look in the cabinet on the right side for the Engraved Githyanki Disc, which you need to show to Laesel to listen to the story of Orpheus and begin the mission "Learn the story of Prince Orpheus".
Next, go up to the fifth floor, where a mechanical creature named Bernard will immediately speak to you. If you have studied all the books and notes that we indicated above, you can convince the automaton not to touch you. You need to tell him the following:
- Or a friend? Have you come to dispel the stuffy twilight?
- Where to get faith? How do I know the truth? How will I show myself out of the darkness?
As a result, the mechanical guard will not attack you. Go further to the table and pick up the ring from it Guide light.
If you decide to fight Bernard anyway, we advise you to use spells that deal electrical damage, since the automaton is extremely vulnerable to lightning. In general, magic works best against him. Then you can take the halberd from his body Light of Creation and that same ring Guiding Light.
What is an old key for?
After dealing with Bernard, you can also find a mysterious key in his inventory. Unfortunately, it does not open access to any secret cache or chest, but only opens the Ornamented Door to the tower. It may be useful for those who did not enter the tower through the main passage, but immediately went down the mushrooms.
How to get down to the basement of the Magic Tower
Equip the Guiding Light ring on any character, and then go back to the elevator. Another button should appear on it, with which you can immediately get to the basement.
Take a good look around this place to find the Staff of Mystic Blessing and the Sparkshield Ring (grants resistance to lightning strikes), which lies in a gilded chest.
How to use the strange button
On the fourth floor in the bedroom next to the window you can find a mysterious button, when pressed nothing happens. To unravel its secret, you will have to run around a little, but we note in advance that you will not receive any valuable items for this riddle.
So, head to the cliff located west of the Dungeon Shore and dig up a grave there (X: -41, Y: -210) to find the dog collar. Be careful, as Bulya is walking nearby.
Then return to the fourth level of the tower and put on the collar. Press the button and you will get a meat steak. There are no further rewards for revealing this secret.
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