Summary

Act 2 of the riveting plotline that makes up the main questline ofBaldur’s Gate 3raises the stakes from Act One and tells some darker stories. Act Two sees adventurers progress from the wilds of the Sword Coast to a much darker story of the stricken Shadow-Cursed Lands.

The encounters to be had here are far more sinister and worth experiencing but they aren’t mandatory. The following encounters are some of Act Two’s most intriguing, and players can make the most of their experience with Act Two ofBaldur’s Gate 3by ticking these off before they finally reach the city itself.

Updated Jul 07, 2025 by Kristy Ambrose:From required quests to exploration and side quests, there is something to do around every corner in the Shadow-Cursed Lands and the Mountain Pass in Act 2. However, players have reported skipping Moonrise Towers and the Monastery completely, and the broken streets of the Shadow-Cursed Lands can be challenging to navigate.

Whether fans are playing for the first time, revisiting the game, or testing their abilities in the dreaded Honour Mode, there is probably something new waiting for them in the vast area that makes up Act 2.

1Start A Romance

Many Romances Must Be Initiated Before Reaching Baldur’s Gate

Most relationships with companions beginin Act 1 and then build into Act 3. Jaheira, Minsc, and Halsin are the exceptions to this because Halsin cannot be romanced until Act 3, when he joins the party and the other two cannot be romanced at all.

While romances can be started later in the game, the player can miss out on content like dialog and cutscenes if they have not begun a romance until later in the game. While these relationships are purely optional, players who want to experience the full range of content should verify that they gain approval from their desired partner and then get all the special dialog and scenes with them.

2Reach Level 8

The combat encounters inBaldur’s Gate 3do not scale their difficulty based on the player’s level, so making sure to have enough experience to be at the recommended level is very important. If the player tries to leave the Shadow-Cursed lands and head to Baldur’s Gate before reaching level 8, the game shows a warning message that the fights ahead will be too difficult.

Act 3 starts with a combat encounter against some githyanki warriors who are all level 9. This fight is difficult and will be nearly impossible for a party at level 7 or below. Fortunately, players can easily reach the minimum level or higher by completing all the quests and fighting all theoptional bosses, like the Thorms, while still in Act 2.

3Astarion Speaks With Raphael

The Devil Reveals The Truth Of His Scars

When players reach the Thorm Mausoleum for the first time, Raphael will appear and present the player with a quest to defeathis old enemy Yurgir. If Astarion is in the active party for this conversation, he can make a deal with Raphael to learn the truth about the scars on his back.

If the player kills Yurgir, Raphael follows through with his end of the bargain and shows up in camp to explain Cazador’s ritual to him. Astarion approves of the player’s actions to help him out and can enter Act 3 armed with the knowledge of what Cazador is truly planning for him and his fellow spawn.

4Rescue The Gnomes

A Faction Tied To Act 3

Players who successfully rescue Barcus in Act 1 and/or rescue the Grymforge Gnomes, then know about Wulbren Bongle and the Ironforge Gnomes who areimprisoned in Moonrise Towers. Before entering the Shadowfell, players can go into the prison and rescue these gnomes by foot or by boat.

If players throw Wulbren any Bludgeoning weapon, the gnome will break through the wall at the back of the cell. He and his cellmates will make their way to a boat waiting in the tunnels behind their cells, but it can be very tricky to avoid combat because they will probably be spotted.

The player can also open their cells by using a lever in the Warden’s office, but this route guarantees combat. Either way, when the gnomes are safely back at Last Light Inn, the player can insist on a reward to receive 444 Gold from Wulbren. Rescuing them also leads to some interesting things in Act 3.

5Explore The Mason’s Guild

Learn About The Town And Moonrise Towers

Players can find a note on Inquisitor Verzen Wranlock’s skeleton in the Ruined Battlefield that will start the quest “Investigate the Selûnite Resistance.” They will learn that the Mason’s Guild was helping them fight against Ketheric Thorm before the shadow curse enveloped the land.

There is a door in the Mason’s Guild basement that can be lockpicked with a roll of 18 or higher or opened by a key obtained from Mattis at Last Light Inn. This leads to a secret area with a few shadow enemies and some good loot. Reading the Mason’s Log will complete the quest and there is also some Infernal Iron and the Helmet of Arcane Acuity, Mason’s Log, and Moonrise Diagram to be gained before leaving.

6Find The Sharran Sanctuary

Pass The Checks To Gain A Special Item

Just north of Moonrise Towers sits a large statue of Ketheric Thorm with three plaques. By interacting with these plaques in the order of north, west, and then east, a small doorway opens up beneath the statue. The spiral staircase leads down to a small Sharran sanctuary where three statues of Shar offer trials in the form of Charisma, Wisdom, and Intelligence checks.

By passing each of these checks with a roll of 14 or higher a small chamber is revealed. Players can interact with the altar to Shar inside and perform a blood ritual to reveal some scrolls and potions. This also reveals the Ritual Dagger of Shar, but players should know that taking it initiates combat with three sentinels and gains Disapproval from Shadowheart unless she is the character who takes it.

7Find The Blood Of Lathander

A Powerful Legendary Weapon

Upon entering Act Two via the Mountain Pass, players are likely to be drawn to the stunning but ruined Rosymorn Monastery. Within the monastery, players will soon hear whispers of an ancient relic dedicated to the god of new beginnings, The Blood of Lathander.

This legendary relic is a powerful weapon for clerics to wield that can be found as soon as players enter Act Two and will serve them spectacularly up to the final battle in Act Three. With a cleric in the party, retrieving this weapon is a must, although it can be a challenge. Players will need to retrieve four weapons scattered throughout the monastery, tangle with the toughest gith hiding out in the depths of the monastery, and get past the various traps that guard the relic.

8Solve The Brain Node Puzzle

Can Grant Players A Helpful Condition

Towards the climax of Act Two, players will find themselves in the mindflayer colony hidden beneath Moonrise Towers. Amid this twisting network of treacherous tunnels, players can find the menacing-looking Brain Node puzzle, which is essentially just a tangled web of neural nodes.

Players can use the nearby consoleto solve this puzzleby connecting the four neural pathways, signified by four different colors, to their corresponding colors on the opposite side of the web, without any of the four different paths sharing the same node at any point.

It’s as confounding as it sounds, but the reward is great. Players will unlock the Waking Mind brain, which they can then talk to in the nearby Mind Archive. Doing so and agreeing to the brain’s request to be purged will grant players the Githzerai Mind Barrier condition, which gives Advantage on intelligence saving throws.

9Find Balthazar’s Experiment

Players Can Create A Powerful Weapon Or Gain A Blessing

While infiltrating Moonrise Towers, it’s well worth taking a peek into the chambers of Balthazar, Ketheric’s proficient necromancer. Players will need to get past Balthazar’s trapped bookcase first by interacting with the top right section of protruding books, which will unlock an altar, and then place a heart on the altar.

This unlocks Balthazar’s private necromancy chamber, at which point it is beneficial for players to have Gale, the wizard companion character, in their party. Balthazar has been creating Moonlanterns, and there is one currently under construction. Gale can either complete the process with his own forbidden magic, crafting the powerful Shadow Lantern, or destroy the profane ritual to earn the favor of his goddess, Mystra.

10Speak To Araj Oblodra

An Unusual Vendor In Moonrise Towers

Araj Oblodra is one of the many unsavory characters who follow the Absolute in hopes of gaining more power, whether through improved spells and explosives or making the right connections for social credit. She’s a Drow of the Oblodra Clan, and since her family lost their estate in a bizarre natural disaster, she’s left the comforts of Menzoberranzan in hopes of returning honor to her name.

How she plans on doing that is with a series of gruesome experiments involving blood, and she expresses an interest in the protagonist, especially if they’re playing a Dark Urge character, and vampire spawn Astarion. If the player is romancing Astarion, the dialogue choices could make or break the relationship.