Baldurs Gate 3: Explore the ruins walkthrough Baldurs Gate 3 guide, walkthrough

Explore the ruins is the main quest in BG3, which is related to the exploration of the Overgrown Ruins location. There are several ways to get inside, and this guide page describes them all.

Last update: 04 August 2023

This page of the Baldur's Gate 3 guide features a walkthrough for the Explore the ruins quest. This walkthrough will help you complete the quest.

• Quest objectives
• Walkthrough

Quest objectives

1. Enter the ruins;
2. explore the ruins;
3. talk to the hooded figure.

Walkthrough

You activate the quest at the beginning of the game. Walking alongside the beach you've crashed on, you'll run into Shadowheart. She will be standing by a locked door. Talk to her and you will learn that she is trying to get in. During this conversation, you can also recruit the female Cleric to the party. There are a few ways to enter the temple.

• Variant 1 - Breaking in
• Variant 2 - Entering through the chapel
• Variant 3 - Trapdoor
• Variant 4 - Hole

Variant 1 - Breaking in

The easiest way to get inside is to open the door next to which you and Shadowheart stand. Check the nearby barrels – you will find thief's tools. Use them to get inside. This will immediately let you reach the Dank Crypt, the quest's key location.

Variant 2 - Entering through the chapel

The second option is to go up the hill. You'll encounter a group of looters. You can deal with them in two ways:

1. Peacefully - follow the bottom path straight to the two looters. This will trigger a conversation. To avoid bloodshed, you must pass one of the skillchecks – persuasion, intimidation, or deception. Before you choose, check which one has the best odds of succeeding. Don't forget to save the game too;
2. Violently - sneak up on the archer on the hill. That way you will gain an advantage in the fight.

Once you've dealt with the enemies, save the game again and head for the door. Get closer to them to trigger some dialogue - a performance or deception check will get you inside. If you fail, you can always open the door with thief's tools.

This will let you reach the Bedchamber. You will encounter one guard. You shouldn't have any problems with defeating him. Next, head to the locked door. Destroy them to move on.

Behind them is another enemy patrolling the area. You have to eliminate him in one turn. Otherwise, he will call for reinforcements from the adjacent room.

You need to get to door in the right corner of the room. After the battle, you can use one out of the two ways to open them:

1. fight - you must enter the room that has a group of opponents. If they haven't been alerted, you can surprise them. Pay special attention to archers, as they can inflict serious damage to the party. A button for opening the door is at the very end of it (you need to pass perception skillcheck);

1. destroying the door.

The passage to the crypt is behind the gate.

Variant 3 - Trapdoor

There is a path to the east of the chapel. At its end, there is a trapdoor. You have to open it with thief's tools. Your party will enter the Dank Crypt.

Variant 4 - Hole

There's a huge rock hanging above the looters in the chapel. Set fire to the rope holding the boulder – it will fall and make a hole in the ground. Go through it to a ruined room. When you get out of it, you will be in the same room that can be accessed using the other methods.

Once you get into the crypt, you have to get a key to the locked door. It is located in a sarcophagus in the Dank Crypt (Darkvision will be useful here). There are 8 gas traps in the room – you need to pass a perception skillcheck to see them. To avoid activating them, you have to cover the traps with something. If you can't detect one of them, you won't be able to disarm that trap – it will be able to activate.

There is a button on one of the columns (also detected by passing a perception skillcheck). After taking the key and activating the trap, you can press it to disable the trap again.

When you get the key, go to the other side of the corridor (through which you entered the crypt if you used variant 2 or 4) and open the door. Head straight to the left corner of the room. After successfully passing the perception skillcheck, a button will appear. Pressing it will make the nearby corpses to attack you. During combat, make sure your mages are outside of the mute spell. If they get hit with this spell, they won't be able to cast spells.

When the fight is over, you can enter the tomb. Interact with the sarcophagus and a hooded figure will appear. Talk to that person to complete the quest.