Baldur's Gate 3 - Part 101 - Family Matters

Summary

After defeating Cazador, John reflects that Astarion is free of his master but remains a vampire spawn. The party heads back into Baldur’s Gate to explore the western side of the city, investigate outstanding quests, and look for a possible way to repair Karlach’s heart through the Gondians.

Exploration and discoveries

• Near the park, the party finds a house containing a giant spider and a disturbing basement with a dead mind flayer, summoned elementals, and another piece of Dribbles the Clown.
• With all seven required clown parts collected, John returns them to Lucretious. She promises to remake Dribbles and rewards the party with the Spellmight Gloves, which trade a penalty to spell attack rolls for extra spell damage.
• Gale takes Cazador’s staff and becomes the party’s backup spellcaster. John also tries out fire-based staff spells, though fire proves hazardous during the later haunted-house fights.
• At the Counting House, John persuades the banker to accept 5,000 gold and cover the remaining loss through other debts. The banker also hands over a vault key, but it turns out to be for a vault John has already robbed.
• In a music shop, John chats with the bard Mr. Quirkalicious and buys a violin, along with a story about a gnome bard who used music to distract bank guards during a robbery.

Jaheira and her family

Jaheira returns home to a tense reunion. Her children are angry that she sent a short message implying she was dead, hoping they would leave the city and stay out of danger.

Jaheira admits she thought distance would protect them. The conflict softens when her children agree to help refugees rather than join the fight directly. They also warn Jaheira that doppelgangers are following them.

A child gives Jaheira her Harper pin, which opens a hidden passage in her office. With Jaheira present, the party can pass the hideout’s traps safely.

The hideout contains messenger rats—part of Jaheira’s intelligence network—and a hidden cache. Useful finds include a wisdom-boosting necklace and weapons, despite Jaheira’s claim that the room held nothing of value. A note describes a druid ritual that could slow aging, but Jaheira offers little explanation.

The haunted house

The party investigates Lady Jannath’s house, where her husband Oscar is possessed and behaving violently. Jannath says the haunting began after their wedding and asks the party to help him.

The house is filled with invisible poltergeists that throw objects and ignite hazards. Helpful tactics include:

• Use light and spells such as Faerie Fire to reveal invisible enemies. Damaging haunted objects can expose them, too.
• Force and radiant damage work well. The ghosts resist many conventional damage types and are immune to necrotic, cold, and poison damage; Gale’s Magic Missile is especially effective.
• Watch for fire and grease on the floor, and avoid using fire effects carelessly.
• Cursed skulls require a heavy hit to break. Karlach’s bludgeoning attacks are useful against them.
• Switch on non-lethal attacks and use bludgeoning damage when trying to subdue Oscar rather than kill him.

The party knocks Oscar unconscious but does not cure his possession. The mystery remains unresolved: a hidden atelier and some kind of magical protection still need to be investigated.

A brief comedic postscript has John joke about being outwitted by a butterfly and beaten up by a fish.

Featured gamer/source: John of Many A True Nerd.