In Baldur's Gate 3 Rescue the Dwarves in Grimforge is an Act 1 side quest that requires you to help the deep gnomes who have been captured by the Dvergar at the request of the svirfneblin. To do this, you will need to find black or rune powder and clear the rubble. In this guide we will tell you how to do it.
Note that this task is closely intertwined with the mission “Free the faithful Nera,” however, in this guide we will consider the option of rescuing the gnomes. The remaining forks are discussed in the article about the follower of the Absolute.
Walkthrough of the quest “Save the Grymforge Gnomes”
How to start a task
For the first time, you can learn about the plight of the deep gnomes from Tula (X: 83, Y: -97), which can be found in the Myconid Colony in the Underground. She will suffer from poison. If you don't heal her within three long rests at camp, she will die. You can heal it with healing spells or an item that removes the “Poisoned” condition.
If you pass the Nature test, you will learn that the antidote is most likely in the possession of the poisoner. He is the Dvergar Gekh Ugolek (X: 4, Y: -192), which can be encountered in the Dilapidated Village. Kill him, and then take the antidote from the corpse and give it to Thula. The girl will offer you the boots stolen from Sergeant Trinn as a reward and ask you to save her relatives, which will lead to the beginning of the quest.
Note that if you missed the meeting with this dwarf or she died from poison, then you will have other ways to start the quest, which, however, are only available in Grimforge.
How to get to Grimforge
To get to this location, you will need to board a boat moored in the Dilapidated Village, not far from the Underdark - Shore teleport. If you have not completed the quest “Find the Missing Boots”, “Avenge the Circle of Glot” or “Defeat the Dvergar Invaders”, then on the way you will be stopped by Gekh Sooty and his gang (the location can be seen above).
You can immediately attack the Dvergar or show that you have come in peace to continue the conversation. Gekh will not like the sounds we make, and he will decide to “mute” us so that hungry creatures will not come running to the noise. We can convince him to leave peacefully:
“Don’t grab the ax, otherwise you’ll be left without a hand”
(requires a 15 Intimidation check).- Dark Seduction can also use Intimidate with a 10 count check.
- Say that you are a follower of the Absolute (requires a 15 Religion check).
“I won’t make any noise. There is no need to shed blood"
(requires a 15 Persuasion check). Read the Dvergar's thoughts using Detect Thoughts (difficulty level 15) and tell him that you too follow the Absolute.- When playing as a Dvergar, indicate that you are practically related to him.
- If you are detected in stealth mode, an additional option will appear: “I could have killed you long before you noticed me, but I didn’t. Put your weapon down" without any checks.
However, you will not be able to convince Sooty if the main character is a deep gnome, since he will consider him a runaway slave. Plus, a battle will be inevitable if you have recruited Glot. In this case, it will be easier for the drow to persuade Geh not to attack (the difficulty class during the check will drop to 10), since he will consider you a follower of the Absolute.
If you prevented bloodshed, then Sooty will demand that you not interfere with his hunt. You can ask him about her, and he will tell you that he is looking for a runaway slave (Tula) who stole the sergeant's boots. If you reproach him for this or say that this is not your problem, then Geh will attack you. You'll have to fight a couple more Dvergars and raised corpses. This isn't a very difficult fight, especially if you take down Sooty first.
Next you will need to get on the boat (X: -6, Y: 210). To do this, defeat Gekh and his minions, give him the stolen boots, or simply sneak past the Dvergar. If you choose the latter option and then return back to the Dilapidated Village, Sooty will immediately attack you.
Arrival at Grimforge
As you sail towards the forge, you will encounter another group of Dvergar, led by the corsair Greymon. He will ask what you are doing on Geh's boat. If you do not want to engage in battle with him, then select one of the following answers:
- I'm looking for the sergeant - she seems to be itching to return her boots.
- I'm afraid Geh is dead. Fell in battle with the myconids (requires a 10 Deception check).
- In the name of the Absolute, you will allow me to pass (requires a 10-point Intimidation check).
- I work for Gekh. I'm here for the sergeant's stolen boots.
If you pass the check, the corsair will let you through, advising you to talk to the sergeant. Otherwise, you will have to fight the pirates. Note that if you are planning to fight the Dvergar in any case, then with sufficiently pumped Athletics, you can try to throw Greymon into the water, reducing the number of opponents.
Having dealt with the pirates in one way or another, continue your journey across the lake. Having landed in Grimforge, you will immediately begin a dialogue with Morghal, who will demand money from you for passage. Select answer “You won’t get even a copper from me.”
, and she will immediately leave you behind.
Now follow the road south to reach a large cave where a group of gnome slaves are splitting rocks apart in an attempt to clear the rubble (X: -635, Y: 312). If you took the boots from Tula, you can immediately give them to Sergeant Trinn to complete the corresponding task and receive a reward.
If you haven’t talked to Tula, that is, haven’t taken on the quest “Save the Dwarves in Grimforge” yet, then you can take it now by chatting with Bark Root (if you previously helped him in the mission "Save the Dwarf" ), or by overhearing Lunkbug and Larida (X: -634, Y: 310) by passing an Attention check (10). In the latter case, you will find out that Philomina stole the rune powder, and your quest will also start "Find explosives".
Important: To continue the quest you need to free Nere by clearing the rubble. To do this you will need 2 bags of black powder or 1 bottle of rune powder. Next we will tell you how to get these items. Let's add that this quest has a timer - if you use the transition to other locations twice or choose a long rest in the camp twice, the gnomes and Nere will die, and the Dvergar will leave.
Where to find rune powder (Philomina)
If you overheard the conversation, you can engage in dialogue with Lungkbug and use Intimidation or Persuasion (difficulty level 5) to convince him to reveal Philomina's possible location (you can also pass a History check if you chose the Dwarven race).
To find the dwarf, travel to the Underdark - Grimforge waypoint, and then start moving east, going down the stairs. The map above shows the entire route. Near the stairs leading up, turn left to two Dvergar throwing corpses into the water (X: -608, Y: 407). You can try to deal with them covertly or convince them to leave by passing an Attention (10) and Deception (10) check. Don't forget to examine the corpses later to find the Callarduran Idol (Invisibility Ring).
Note: It is not necessary to drive away the Dvergar, since they will not attack you when you try to open the lock.
After getting rid of the extra eyes, go to the locked double door and break it (Sleight of Hand 14). By the way, this is where you can quietly deal with the All-Seeing Eye, which follows you everywhere (this step will help you in the future). Enter the new room and go to the north wall to pass an Attention check, after which a button will appear on the wall (X: -584, Y: 416). Use it to open a hidden passage.
Go along the corridor and open the second door. Climb up the rock ledges and engage three Brown Jellies who will try to ambush you. Deal with them (or simply go around the dangerous area in stealth mode) and go up the stairs. Continue east until you reach the cliff (X: -562, Y: 427) and jump over to the other side.
Climb even higher to a patterned door that needs to be picked (Sleight of Hand 10), or go to the left of it, jump onto the ledge and look for a gap in the western wall. Once inside, run to the far part of the room, where the gnome will be waiting for you.
If Philomina notices you, a dialogue will begin with her. She will consider you followers of the Absolute and allies of Nere, so she will threaten you with an explosion. Say: “Calm down. Let's talk". Next, you can persuade her to back down by choosing one of the following response options:
- If I were Faithful, you wouldn't be breathing anymore. Move away before you get hurt (requires an Intimidation check of 15).
- Smile openly and extend your hand (requires a Persuasion check of 15).
- Are you sure? If you die, it's forever. It will all be over (requires a Persuasion check of 15).
- Larida sent me. The gnomes need your help (requires a 10 Persuasion check).
- Use Detect Thoughts and then tell her that she can serve the clan while she's alive.
If you provoke Philomina with options "I don't care. Let's blow it up"
or “You wouldn't dare. You don't have the courage"
, then the girl will set the barrel on fire and a powerful explosion will occur, which will kill the gnome and cause enormous damage to your squad. This will also happen if you fail checks.
Note: You can do without checks if you quietly approach Philomina and steal a barrel of rune powder right under her nose. You can then simply leave or chat with the gnome, convincing her of your good intentions.
If you managed to continue the conversation, then tell Philomina that you need rune gunpowder to clear the landslide in which the gnomes fell. She will say that there is no need for a barrel, since one bottle will be enough to destroy the blockage. Agree and take the bottle (Philomina will take the barrel with her and run away). If you refuse the deal, you will have to kill the girl.
Where to find black powder
If Philomina blew herself up and you didn't get the rune powder, or you decided to keep the flask for your own needs, you can use two bags of black powder to detonate the collapse. You could have already found one bag earlier when completing the quest "Save the Dwarf". You can learn about two more from the gnome’s notes stored in her backpack near the fire (see screenshot below).
Reading the note automatically adds a marker to the map, but you can find gunpowder without a hint. To do this, return to the place where the Dvergar threw the corpses into the river, and then go a little back to the stairs and open the metal door. Go to the far end of the room and make an Attention check to see a button (X: -585, Y: 388), – click on it to unlock the hidden passage.
Go to the secret room. Here you will find a heavy chest containing a transfer arrow, and two bags of black powder, which are enough to destroy the collapse.
Note: You can also remove the blockage using a barrel of black powder (you can find or buy it) or a spell that deals force damage. We talked about this in more detail in the guide to saving Nere.
Talk to Elder Razor
Before blowing up the rubble, we advise you to talk with Elder Britvar (X: -626, Y: 354), which can be found north of the rubble area. He will consider you Faithful. If you agree with this, then Razor and Kur will immediately attack you. Therefore, say that you are not a follower of the Absolute and pass the Deception check (10) - this will give you access to creating an alliance with the Dvergar rebels.
Razor will say that Nere owes him money, so he will want us to get it out of him. Agree with his proposal (you can try to convince him to pay you half of the debt). In this case, he will join us in the battle with the followers of the Absolute. The elder will also advise you to get rid of the All-Seeing Eye, if you have not already destroyed it.
How to free the gnomes
So, having explosives (gunpowder) in your hands and teaming up with Britvar, you can blow up the blockage. We also advise you to prepare well, as a difficult battle awaits you. Go to the rubble and throw a bottle of rune powder or two bags of black powder near it. The gnomes will immediately run away from the stones. Also move away to a safe distance, and then shoot the bomb with a fire arrow or a spell.
Note: If you are using a barrel of rune powder, you need to move very far away, as the explosion will be incredibly powerful.
Immediately after the explosion, Beldren will appear from the opened passage, followed by Nere. A cut-scene will begin in which the drow will immediately throw Mirna into the lava (you won’t be able to save her; even if you kill Nere before the video starts, the dwarf will simply disappear later).
Now if you remain silent or say “Finish the slaves, Faithful. In the name of the Absolute"
, then Nere will kill all the dwarves, which will lead to failure of the task. So choose an answer “Stop! There will be no more innocent victims today, Nere."
. After this, the drow will order Trinn to cut out your heart and feed it to the rote. It is at this point that Britvar will intervene in the conversation and say that Nere owes him money and he plans to take it from his corpse. Pointy Ears will note that he has changed his mind and is ready to spare you if you deal with Razor and the other rebels.
If you side with Nere, you will have to fight Britvar, Kur, the corsair Greymon (if alive), Morghal, Orgarth, Danna and Thadd. If you team up with the elder, your opponents will be Nere, Trinn, the corsair Greymon (if alive), Daltar, Drar, the mind lord of Fonmar and the mind lord Dunnol. We talked more about the battle in another guide.
Note: You can also kill all the Dvergar who worship the Absolute in advance, and then convince Nere to leave the cultists.
Note that you can save the gnomes in any scenario. If you “became friends” with Nere, then talk to him and select an answer option “Instill in Nera the thought: “The dwarves need to be freed””
, passing a Wisdom check (15). Then he will free the slaves and ask them to deliver a message to the general.
If you chose Razor, then during a conversation with him, select the answer “What about the slaves?”
, then make an Intimidation or Persuasion check (10) to free the gnomes.
Now chat with Beldren to finally complete the "Save the Dwarves in Grimforge" quest. He will tell you about their leader Wulbren, who is imprisoned in the Moon Towers - this will lead to the beginning of the quest “Save Wulbren”. After a long rest at the camp, all the gnomes will be moved to the myconid colony, where you can chat with them again.
If you previously saved Bark Ruth, you can invite him to your camp. In addition, in the third act you will have a high reputation with the Iron Hand clan, which will simplify negotiations with them.
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