In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Arcane Tower in the Underdark is one of the many mysteries you can explore. How to get inside and what you can find there is explained here.
Spoiler warning: We go into detail here on how to bypass the watchtowers and what can be found in the Arcane Tower.
What is the Arcane Tower? If you head into the Underdark at the end of Act 1, you can find the Arcane Tower, which is also partly called the Ruined Tower.
The exploration is optional, and there is no quest marker leading there. However, the mission Help Omeluum examine the parasite requires you to visit the said tower. There, you are supposed to find two mushrooms, namely Timmask spores and the Tongue of Madness.
Even aside from that, it can be worthwhile to undertake an exploration tour. Because in the tower, some helpful ingredients and equipment are hidden.
How to find the Arcane Tower in the Underdark
To reach the Arcane Tower, you need to head to the southwest of the Underdark. The nearest waypoint is Underdark – Shore.
From there, first climb the rope net, walk a short distance south, and then turn directly east. Here, you need to jump over the rocks once and then walk southwest.
You will quickly encounter the tower’s defense, the Arcane Cannons.
How to disable the Arcane Cannons
There are a total of four Arcane Cannons: two in the courtyard, and two on the ground floor.
While you can try to sneak past the cannons with great skill, it is much more effective to at least disable the two Arcane Cannons in the courtyard. You can achieve this effectively with two methods: lightning damage or Sussur blooms.
Whichever option you choose, it is best to play in turn-based mode!
Disabling Cannons with Lightning Damage
The only type of damage that works well against the Arcane Cannons is lightning damage. So make sure that one of your characters can deal such damage.
Then break up the group to avoid endangering your remaining companions. Activate turn-based mode, move a short distance out of cover, and then cast your lightning spell on the first cannon. Then immediately move out of the cannon’s line of fire to avoid being hit.
Repeat this until the cannon is destroyed. With this method, you can also take out the second Arcane Cannon.
Disabling Cannons with Sussur Blooms
The Arcane Cannons operate through magic. And you can use this to your advantage. The so-called Sussur blooms block all types of magic in their vicinity. Therefore, if you throw such a bloom near a cannon, it will become harmless.
Where do I find Sussur Blooms? You can find the glowing plant northwest of the Underdark by the Sussur Tree. If you haven’t been to this area yet, be careful – you will encounter some enemies.
In total, you should collect at least three Sussur Blooms. Two of them can be found right in the area of the tree. Another one is located a bit further north near some poisonous gas.
Be careful again on the way to the Arcane Tower. Because the plants block your magical abilities as long as you carry them. If necessary, temporarily store them in your camp.
How do I use Sussur Blooms? First, break up the group so you can control the character with the Sussur Blooms alone. Then move towards the first cannon in turn-based mode. Either use Darting to be faster, or seek cover behind the large rock along the way.
Then drop a Sussur Bloom to neutralize the cannon. Repeat this procedure at the second tower.
How to activate the elevator in the Arcane Tower
Once you have overcome the two Arcane Cannons in the courtyard, your next obstacle is the broken elevator. You need to repair it to explore the tower. Follow these steps:
1. Get to the backyard
Ignore the main entrance and instead jump down to the large mushrooms on the left until you are in the backyard.
2. Collect Sussur Blooms
In the backyard, you will find more Sussur Blooms. Collect them, as you will need them shortly.
3. Pull the lever to get to the basement
To enter the tower, you need to get past a locked door. You can either pick it or bash it down.
Alternatively, you will find a pipe on the side of the tower. To get through, use the spell Fog Shape or transform into a rat. Inside the tower, there will be a lever that opens the door.
4. Activate the generator
Once inside the tower, you can now go to the generator. Interact with it and place one of the Sussur Blooms in the appropriate slot. The elevator works again, and the Arcane Cannons are finally disabled.
What you will find through the elevator in the Arcane Tower – All floors
Once you have successfully activated the elevator, you can start searching the tower for loot. Walk up the stairs from the basement to reach the elevator.
It is best to search all floors one by one and take everything you like.
Ground Floor: Finding Quest Items
If you have the quest from Omeluum to seek Timmask spores and The Tongue of Madness, head to the level directly above the basement. Search the shelves and beds there, and you should find them quickly.
First Floor: Chest of the Profane
On the next floor, you will find a mysterious chest on the balcony, the Chest of the Profane. Its useless items transform into useful equipment and scrolls after a successful arcane test.
Tip: Take the chest with you to improve your inventory management! You can place heavy equipment in it to transform them into lighter items, thus allowing you to carry more. Don’t worry, the items revert to their original state once you remove them from the chest.
Second Floor: Documents
Here, you will mainly find the torn paper and the Book of Darkness. Read both to potentially avoid a fight later on.
The button in the corner only works if you have dug up the dog collar southwest of the Sussur Tree. Then you will receive dog food.
Third Floor: Talk to Bernard and find the secret basement
On the top floor of the Arcane Tower, you will meet the robot Bernard. He communicates through quotes from poems and carries the ring Beacon with him. You need this to get into a secret basement room.
If you go to this floor unprepared, you will enter a fight with Bernard and his companions. Once you defeat him, you can loot the ring.
If you wish to resolve the situation peacefully, you need to have read the appropriate documents on the previous floor.
- Select the conversation action: “Or are you a friend, a savior from solitude?”
- Then select: “How can I trust? …”
You will then receive the required ring.
Warning: If you have read the Dusty Book and choose the conversation option “There is a light in every living being…”, you will also get into a fight with Bernard.
Secret Basement in the Arcane Tower
Once you have equipped Bernard’s ring, you can use the elevator to go one level deeper than usual. There you can find more loot, especially in the golden chest.
The ring Glimmering Wall makes you immune to lightning damage.
We hope that with this guide, you can navigate the Arcane Tower a little better. Once you have successfully crossed the Underdark, the second act of Baldur’s Gate 3 will begin. Here, many more secrets and powerful enemies await you.
If you want to prepare yourself as best as possible, you can try to optimize your builds with multiclassing. These can be very strong and bring a lot of variety to the game. One YouTuber managed to defeat boss enemies just by touching them with such a build: A multiclass build makes you untouchable, defeating enemies with a touch
