Welcome to NGB and our Baldur’s Gate III walkthrough for the Explore the Ruins quest! This guide will cover everything you need to know so you can easily complete the quest.
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How to Begin Explore the Ruins
You’ll automatically start the Explore the Ruins quest when you approach the Chapel Entrance north of the Overgrown Ruins. A group of bandits will be there trying to loot all the goodies for themselves. Approach them to start a conversation. If you pass one of the skill checks, you can convince them to leave without a fight, or if you would like the EXP, you can attack them.
Find a way into the ruins
After scaring them off or taking them all out, head for the door leading into the Refectory. Interact with it to begin a conversation with someone on the other side.
If you pass a skill check, you can convince them to open the door. Otherwise, you’ll have to lockpick it.
Investigate the ruins
Head through, then deal with Andorn. Loot the Bandit’s Key off of him, then head for the locked door in the room.
Use the lever to the left of the door to open it but be wary as this leads to a fight with Andorn’s comrades. There will be five of them in total that you’ll have to deal with.
Once that’s done, head to the room at the end of the hallway with the statue, and then make your way behind the statue. You’ll need to pass a perception check to spot a lever on the wall. Activate it and return to the hallway.
The door on the right (which was locked) will now be open. Head inside, then interact with the door to reach the Dank Crypt.
Alternate Entrance to the Dank Crypt
There are two other ways to reach the Dank Crypt area before we get into the Dank Crypt area.
The first is by lockpicking the Ancient Door on the beach or lockpicking the hatch on the east side of the Chapel Entrance. Both require a skill check of 20 to be successful, and both will grant you entry to the Dank Crypt, allowing you to skip most of the bandits.
Open the sarcophagus
Once in the Dank Crypt, take a right and head through the Heavy Oak Doors. This will bring you into a room with some coffins.
Before doing anything, circle the room, and hopefully, you’ll get multiple perception checks that reveal the traps in the room.
On the west side of the central sarcophagus, there will be a pillar with a button on it. If you open the central sarcophagus, run over and push the button to disable all of the traps.
Return to the sarcophagus and loot it to receive The Watcher’s Guide spear and an Engraved Key.
Investigate the Ruins (cont.)
With that out of the way, head north through the ruins to another set of Heavy Oak Doors and use the key you just got to open them. Head through the doorway and explore to your heart’s content.
Make sure you enter the most northwestern room as it has a sarcophagus containing a Soul Coin and the Book of the Dead Gods to examine.
When you’re ready, head for the northernmost part of the Dank Crypt with the giant statue. Climb the stairs on the left of the statue to find a button. Press the button to open a hidden door.
This also awakens the skeletons that are in the room. Defeat them, then head into the hidden room.
Talk to the strange figure
Loot the Heavy Chest in the room to find The Amulet of Lost Voices. Finally, open the Richly Adorned Sarcophagus to meet Withers! Pick whatever dialog options you want, but try not to be rude.
After the conversation, he’ll say you will meet again, and the Explore the Ruins quest will be complete.
After some time passes, he’ll show up at your camp and can be used to bring back dead party members, among other things. Make sure to loot his sarcophagus to get another Soul Coin.
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