Summary
- Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3 offers plenty of side quests that expand the world and provide details about the Shadow Curse.
- Many of these side quests are optional, but exploring them can uncover information about the Thorm family and earn extra money.
- Players can experience disturbing yet engaging encounters, such as dealing with sadistic Malus Thorm and saving tieflings from prison.
Aside from the main goal objectives, there are plenty of side quests in Act 2 of Shadowfell or Moonrise Towers in Baldur’s Gate 3. There is much to explore near the Last Light Inn and Reithwin Town.
This article contains spoilers for several side quests in Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Most of the content found in Act 2 is actually optional, so players can simply head over to Moonrise Towers, only to later discover they need to accomplish a mission within the Shadowfell. Nevertheless, this information can be found by simply exploring the side content, and more information about Ketheric Thorm’s malicious rule can be uncovered. Players can meet other of the Thorm family and some other enigmatic personas while traveling in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, while also grabbing some extra money in Baldur’s Gate 3.
10 Beat Malus Thorm
The House of Healing can be one of the first locations players explore after leaving the Last Light Inn and start heading toward Moonrise Towers. This was a hospital for soldiers and Dark Justiciars ages ago and now continues to operate as such, but in a much more perverse way. At the head of the institution and its nurses is Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3, a sadistic follower of Shar who applies the Dark Lady’s teachings to his medical practice. When players first encounter him, he is torturing a patient.
Malus Thorm is an optional mini-boss encounter within Reithwin Town and if players are even slightly good-aligned, they will find means to stop him. Violence is always an easy solution, but curiously enough, players can make Malus Thorm kill himself in Baldur’s Gate 3. This also applies to his nurses, as he issues the command for them to stab each other. The entire House of Healing sequence is quite disturbing, but also a fantastic piece of side content in Act 2.
9 Beat Gerringothe Thorm
Still, within the initial areas of Reithwin Town, players who stumble upon the Tollhouse may encounter Gerringothe Thorm, another member of Ketheric’s family in Baldur’s Gate 3. This abandoned location now only harbors a few skull-like creatures called Visages, and a heavy creature fused with gold on their body: Gerringothe. Approaching her will make her demand gold to the bridge to Moonrise Towers.
Of course, violence is an option, but like Malus, it is possible to beat Gerringothe Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3 without fighting. Although it is an optional side quest, it is recommended that players go through this sequence, as it can provide a decent amount of gold for them. With the possibility of not even having to engage in battle and put the party at risk, this adventure is even more worthwhile.
8 Beat Thisobald Thorm
The last member of the Thorm family in Reithwin Town is Thisobald Thorm. This bloated creature is the keeper of The Waning Moon distillery. For reference, this is the bar west of the main square that is full of undead patrons. Approaching Thisobald will initiate a conversation that has the potential of going south, but if players play their cards right, the entire fight can be avoided. Like Gerringothe and Malus, it is possible to beat Thisobald Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3 without a battle.
Defeating this gruesome creature without making it aggressive will make all the other patrons remain ive to the player’s presence, so it is a good choice if they are looking to spare resources and Rests. There are a few secrets hidden within The Waning Moon that are mostly accessible after dealing with Thisobald, including a ledger related to another side quest in Act 2 and an exclusive weapon called the Rat Bat.
7 Find Arabella & Her Parents
While venturing near the cemetery surrounding the House of Healing, players may encounter Arabella, the young tiefling girl they may have saved from the grasps of Kagha back at the Emerald Grove in Baldur’s Gate 3. She will be looking for her parents and helping her implies sending her off to the player’s camp and then searching for them. Unfortunately, they have been killed.
Their corpses can be found in a side room inside the House of Healing, being attended by a nurse. If players use their necromancy skills on the father, they can discover that they were killed by the nurses at the House of Healing and more details about Zevlor’s actions upon reaching the Shadow-Cursed Lands. The next step is to inform Arabella and help her set off on a path of growth. This will grant the player an exclusive and very helpful spell ability.
6 Help Halsin Save Thaniel
Upon arriving at the Last Light Inn, players may encounter an ill character called Art Cullagh. This character mumbles about Thaniel, a name that Halsin recognizes when he is talked to at camp or in the party. The next step is to awaken the man. To do this, players will need to get the lute off of Malus Thorm’s body and, once Art is awoken, he will talk about Thaniel. The next step is to save Thaniel, one of the main tasks to accomplish in Baldur’s Gate 3 before entering Shadowfell.
Halsin will then set off on a quest to save Thaniel and ask the player to defend the portal he creates. This can be a trouble fight, but one that is worthwhile. After he saves Thaniel, Halsin reveals that the boy is only half of what he truly is. This ties in with the quest involving Oliver at the House with Flowers. Saving Thaniel and reuniting him with Oliver is key to lifting the Shadow Curse from the lands. This is arguably the longest, but also one of the best side quests in Act 2.
5 Assist He Who Was
In the eastern portion of the Shadow-Cursed Lands is an odd fellow named He Who Was in Baldur’s Gate 3. This is a necromancer of sorts who seeks to apply divine justice from beyond the grave. Upon meeting him, He Who Was will ask the player to retrieve the dead body’s ledger from The Waning Moon. If players already dealt with Thisobald Thorm, they may have it. If not, they need to recover the item.
Regardless, He Who Was blames the dead woman near him for being involved in the death of other characters and that she needs to be punished. He will make his own body a vessel for her spirit to talk and tell her story. While conversing with her, it is possible to torment her or relieve her. Depending on the outcome of the conversation, He Who Was will be satisfied or furious with the player in this, which is one of the weirdest side quests in all of Baldur’s Gate 3.
4 Save The Imprisoned Tieflings
After the tense moments back in Emerald Grove, the tiefling refugees will be in danger once again in Act 2. Upon reaching the Shadow-Cursed Lands, their group was attacked by the Absolutist cult, and their numbers were reduced as many were killed. A few survivors made their way to the haven of Last Light, but others were captured and taken to the prison inside Moonrise Towers. It is possible to save the imprisoned tieflings in Baldur’s Gate 3 during one of the best side quests of Act 2.
This mission is a complete prison break quest and one that involves subterfuge and stealth – or violence against the guards. Regardless of the chosen approach, players can seek the aid of imprisoned deep dwarves to break through the back wall of cells, save the tieflings, and take a boat to the Last Light Inn. It is easily one of the most exciting pieces of side content in the game. Players also get nice rewards by talking to the tieflings and their partners after they are rescued.
3 Deal With Yurgir
Possibly one of the last things to do before entering Shadowfell and hitting a major point of no return is dealing with the Yurgir situation. Raphael asks the player to kill the devil in exchange for the information carved in runes on Astarion’s back. Because of the leeway present in Baldur’s Gate 3, players can opt to attend to Raphael’s request or free Yurgir peacefully.
Though killing Yurgir provides the most benefits – especially for those trying to romance Astarion – setting him free can also provide boons. Dealing with Yurgir allows players to understand more about Raphael as a devil, more about Astarion as a thrall to Cazador, and more about Yurgir’s imprisonment as a hunter of Shar’s followers inside Shar’s Gauntlet. Although it does seem superficial at first, it later expands a lot of information about the characters.
2 Save Zariel’s Asset
After going through the point of no return at Shadowfell, players will be able to save Zariel’s asset at the request of Mizora in Baldur’s Gate 3. By beating Ketheric’s first phase in Moonrise Towers, they can later proceed into the Mind Flayer Colony. Inside, they will find out that Mizora herself is the imprisoned asset, and there they will have the option to save or kill her.
It is recommended to save Mizora, as killing her not only makes a future Act 3 side quest much harder but also kills off Wyll, removing him permanently from the party. Ignoring Mizora altogether is the same as killing her, as entering the room with Ketheric after not talking to the devil will result in her being killed inside her Mind Flayer pod – thus killing Wyll.
1 Find Secrets In Necrotic Laboratory
One of the last secrets that can be found in Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3 is an optional piece of side content hidden well within the Mind Flayer Colony. The Necrotic Laboratory can be accessed by killing many undead and, inside, players can discover more about those who were used and killed by the Absolute Cult and Gortash’s experiments. This will require them to insert any minds that were collected into the nearby pedestal.
It is a horrendous thing to witness, but solving the nearby puzzle grants access to a special mind, which will then grant a buff to players that allows them to withstand Psychic damage. It is worth exploring and getting to know more about the dreadful actions of the Dead Three in Baldur’s Gate 3, as the game moves ever closer toward its end.
