Baldur’s Gate 3has been praised for its rich storytelling and beautiful narrative world founded in theForgotten Realms. Players who have been playingDungeons and Dragonsfor years as well as players completely new to RPGs have been exploring everythingBaldur’s Gate 3has to offer, from the characters that inhabit it to the random encounters few get to discover. As with all games, some of these encounters are more difficult than others and can take a bit to overcome.
This article has spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3.BecauseBaldur’s Gate 3is based onDungeons and Dragons, it can have a steep learning curve that can stump new players unfamiliar with the mechanics of the system, but someBaldur’s Gate 3quests are also harder than othersand even late-game quests in Act 3 can be a challenge for hardened veterans to complete thanks to gameplay mechanics, design, or simple luck. These quests are the ones that are the most challenging to complete, but they often come with rewards that match the challenge and are well worth the effort to complete them.
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Conquering Shadowheart’s Past in BG3
The House of Grief serves as a front for the center of Shar worship in Baldur’s Gate and serves as the location for theclimax of Shadowheart’s personal story. It’s here she confronts Viconia, the Mother Superior of the Shar cloister and a recurring character from previousBaldur’s Gategames.
IfShadowheart didn’t kill Nightsong in Act 2and became a Selunite instead, Viconia demands the player hand over Shadowheart. If refused, Viconia and the rest of the cloister turn hostile. The battle that follows is one of the most difficult inBaldur’s Gate 3thanks to the number of enemies and their prolific use of Darkness and Bone Chill, preventing party members from moving or healing. Area of effect spells are useful here, as are any Silencing abilities or items, and Shadowheart’s one-use divine gift.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Hardest Win
The Last Light Inn is the only place in the Shadow Cursed Lands safe from the curse, thanks to acleric of Selune called Isobel. Unfortunately, her capture is the priority of Ketheric Thorm, and he sends a squad of goons to do so, leaving it up to the player and the Harpers of the Inn to protect her. The conditions for her incapacitation are very broad, as she only needs to be knocked out to be considered defeated, and her AI sends her running past enemies, prompting reactions from them to attack her.
The battle at Last Light Inn isn’t the hardest in the game, but it becomes one of the most difficult quests because of the importance of protecting Isobel and how easy it is for her to be defeated for reasons out of the player’s control. It can quickly spiral out of control and overwhelm players, especially if certain conditions are met. If Isobel is defeated as an example, all protection for Last Light Inn fails, meaning everyone at the Inn falls to the curse, closing off a number of quests, merchants, and content. They also all turn hostile, except forBG3’s Jaheira.
BG3: Saving the Gnomes at Grymforge
Uponarrival at Grymforge in the Underdark, it’s revealed that True Soul Nere has become trapped in a collapse and the Duergar has gotten gnome slaves to dig him out. The passage he’s trapped in is filling with gas, and so this quest is on a timer; taking too many short or long rests will result in Nere’s death and the gnomes will be executed in retribution. Rescuing Nere requires exploring Grymforge and finding explosives powerful enough to clear the rubble. This includes several fights that use spell slots and other resources, all while conserving long rests to save those trapped in the collapse.
Once Nere is freed and, if the player wishes to free the gnomes, a difficult fight lies ahead with Nere and many Duergar. One way to make the battle easier is to negotiate with the Duergar traitors beforehand, which splits the fight and gets some allies on the player’s side. What makes this entire quest so difficult is the timer, the multiple fights leading up to the boss fight, the resource management, and the boss battle at the end.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available on PC and PS5. An Xbox version is in development.
