Baldur's Gate 3 - Part 90 - Hags To Riches

Storyline (what happens)

• The party returns to continue dealing with hag Ethel (Auntie Ethel), who has already eaten Vanra. She threatens that if Ethel is killed, Vanra will die too.
• The group can’t yet handle Ethel’s basement directly, so they investigate leads from the wider area.
• The player uses Speak with Dead on Captain Grizzly, who previously transformed into a “monster” and had her memory tampered with. The bartender corroborates the chaos and explains how Ethel’s agents work:
  • Memory wiping
  • Kidnapping/killing
  • Replacing people with impostors (often Red Caps)
• Inside Old Gallow’s condemned property, the party finds:
  • Notes suggesting Ethel’s “swamp girl” intelligence network (likely tied to Merina/Meerina)
  • Evidence that Merina may be polymorphed or replaced, meaning even “kind” appearances may be unreliable
  • A cursed voodoo doll tied to Merina, which the party uses to break the hex
• The party defeats an agent/Red Cap disguised as a protector, rescues/clears the situation upstairs, and locates information on how to fight Ethel properly.
• They discover safe, key prep materials, including:
  • Hag-related countermeasures
  • Hag Bane crafting ingredients
  • Books/journals explaining how hags are created and what their weaknesses are—especially mushrooms from Ethel’s lair, and why preventing Ethel from returning matters
• After a plan and buffs (including strategies to handle duplication/multiple targets), they launch the main fight in Ethel’s lair:
  • First priority: burn/destroy the live mushrooms so Ethel can’t “regrow/reform”
  • They use Hag Bane to apply nausea, then rely on high-damage/single-target control to prevent Ethel from using her dangerous turns
  • They handle Ethel’s summons/clones/duplicated forms by tracking which version has the correct status effects (e.g., nausea indicates the real one)
• Auntie Ethel is defeated, the child is rescued, and Ethel’s surviving assets/remaining loot are recovered.
• The episode ends with the party planning to leave the area and continue exploring the city.

Gameplay highlights & key strategies mentioned

Information gathering before assault

• Use tavern NPCs and Speak with Dead to learn how Ethel manipulates victims and replaces identities.
• Read notes to identify agents and determine where allies/impostors may be hiding.

Impostor / polymorph paranoia

• Treat “allies” in the safehouse as suspicious because Ethel can replicate people perfectly.
• Confirm real targets using interactions and status/context clues (e.g., nausea/resisted effects on the real Ethel during fights).

Loot and quest-critical crafting

• Thoroughly search the safe for hag counterplay items:
  • Hag Bane ingredients
  • Books explaining how to deal with hags

Main fight execution (lair strategy)

• Priority #1: destroy/burn the mushrooms first.
• Priority #2: apply Hag Bane to induce nausea, limiting Ethel’s options long enough to win.
• Use AoE/control and high burst damage:
  • Fire/Lightning focus for efficient damage and handling multiple targets
  • Quicken/extra actions, summons, and positioning to reduce enemy effectiveness

Handling duplicates / clones

• When Ethel creates extra bodies/instances, the team determines which one is “real” by identifying which version keeps certain status effects that clones may not.

Battle management and survivability

• Continuous healing/buffs and repositioning to avoid poison zones and dangerous areas.
• Use special tools/abilities to neutralize threats before they overwhelm key party members—especially to keep critical characters alive while mushrooms get destroyed.

Step-by-step (how they planned the successful hag kill)

1. Travel to Old Gallow’s place and verify who is real (break polymorph/hexes; remove impostors/Red Caps).
2. Loot key hag-counter documents/ingredients (safe content).
3. Camp/long rest to restore resources and set up for the rematch.
4. Equip a team plan around:
   • Elemental damage appropriate to the fight (fire for mushrooms; lightning also considered)
   • A thrower for Hag Bane (to induce nausea)
   • Summons and crowd/control tools
5. In the lair:
   • Cut in via the route that avoids unnecessary obstacles
   • Burn/destroy mushrooms first
   • Use Hag Bane and burst damage to keep Ethel from acting
   • Identify the real Ethel among duplicates and finish her off
6. Confirm the child is rescued and stabilize the party.

Mentioned gamers or sources

• Many a True Nerd (host/creator)
• Lee J and Aunt John (named as greetings within the video)