Key takeaways
- Restore the generator with a Sussur Bloom This disables the Arcane Turrets, lights the tower and activates the elevator. The repair grants 25 experience and can trigger the Guild Artisan inspiration Regeneration.
- The first-floor greenhouse contains both quest mushrooms Collect Tongue of Madness and Timmask Spores there for Omeluum. Both can also be obtained elsewhere, so the tower is not strictly mandatory for that quest.
- Read the books before confronting Bernard The books and papers scattered through the tower unlock peaceful dialogue, the Guiding Light ring and extra rewards.
- The basement is genuinely secret It contains the Staff of Arcane Blessing, The Sparkswall, additional quest mushrooms and scrolls. You can reach it with Guiding Light, a hidden lever, Mage Hand, a ranged attack, Fly or Misty Step.
- Do not confuse the tower with Torchstalk Gulch or the Festering Cove Torchstalk Gulch is the approach to the tower, while the Festering Cove is a separate hidden Underdark location reached from the gulch.
- Bernard’s encounter is partly a reading puzzle The correct lines are found in books and notes around the tower. A hostile resolution gives different loot from a peaceful one.
About this guide
Spoiler warning: This guide discusses the Arcane Tower’s hidden basement, Bernard’s dialogue, the fate of Lenore De Hurst, the Myrna side story, and the rewards available for peaceful or hostile resolutions.
Overview
Baldur’s Gate 3, base game, Act One
Baldur’s Gate 3, base game, Act One
Introduction
The Arcane Tower is a multi-level location in the south-western Underdark. It stands above the Ebonlake and was once the home and laboratory of Lenore De Hurst, a cleric of Mystra who studied the magical properties of Underdark fungi. By the time the party arrives, Lenore has been absent for more than a decade, leaving the tower guarded by magical turrets, constructs and the lonely automaton Bernard.
The tower is not just a single building interior. Its playable scope includes the entrance garden, generator room, greenhouse, main entrance, bedroom, roof, exterior mushroom platforms and a concealed basement. The nearby Torchstalk Gulch and the separate Festering Cove are connected routes or neighbouring areas, but they are not part of the Arcane Tower itself.
It is also one of the most rewarding optional locations in Act One. It contains the mushrooms needed for Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite, several useful magical items, information about Lenore and Yrre the Sparkstruck, material for Discover the History of Prince Orpheus, and a compact environmental puzzle built around the tower’s power generator.
Boundaries and included subareas
The Arcane Tower should be treated as a vertical location with several internal levels rather than as only the room containing Bernard.
Neighbouring but separate places
The Arcane Tower is part of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Underdark and should not be merged with other magical towers, Moonrise Towers or locations from earlier Baldur’s Gate games.
The tower lies in the south-western part of the main Underdark map. Its entrance is easy to identify: a neat stone gateway leads into a garden guarded by two Arcane Turrets. The surrounding terrain is much rougher than the tower itself, with mushroom clusters, steep drops and exterior fungal platforms.
The safest general route is to approach from Torchstalk Gulch, deal with the turrets, enter the tower and descend to the generator room. However, the tower is deliberately designed to support vertical exploration. Characters can jump across the large mushrooms growing along the southern exterior, use Feather Fall, or bypass sections with Fly or Misty Step.
Neighbouring but separate places
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Torchstalk Gulch | the eastern approach, recognisable by red mushroom growths and Torchstalk. It is outside the tower’s formal interior. |
| Dread Hollow | the Sussur Tree area, associated with Sussur Blooms and Myrna’s grave. |
| Festering Cove | a separate Underdark map reached by climbing down rocks in Torchstalk Gulch. It is home to Kuo-toa who worship BOOOAL. |
| Ebonlake | the body of water visible below the tower, not an explorable subarea of the tower. |
Reaching the lower levels
From the entrance area, look for the breach in the stone railing near the turret. The fungus platforms on the tower’s southern wall provide a route down to the generator room. Feather Fall is useful because a failed jump or poorly chosen landing can cause substantial fall damage. Fly and Misty Step can bypass the platforms altogether.
The tower’s main door can be opened with a DC 15 Sleight of Hand check or broken down. It has Medium Toughness and 36 hit points. A broken window beside the door provides another entry route. Entering through the front door before restoring power can expose the party to both Arcane Turrets.
Dealing with Arcane Turrets
The turrets are magical constructs that attack automatically when the party enters their line of sight and range. Solid obstacles can block their attacks, and effects such as Fog Cloud can interfere with their targeting.
The most thematic solution is to use a Sussur Bloom. Its anti-magic field shuts down magical constructs, allowing the party to approach and destroy affected turrets. Sussur Blooms can be found in the Arcane Tower’s garden or at the Sussur Tree in Dread Hollow.
A practical approach is
- 01Enter turn-based mode before crossing the turret’s firing line.
- 02Move from cover to cover.
- 03Use a Sussur Bloom near a turret if possible.
- 04Destroy or bypass the turret while it is disabled.
- 05Search the garden for a Bloom to use on the generator.
Ground floor: generator room
The generator room is below the main entrance and is reached through the exterior platforms, the back door or a hole in the wall. It contains the machine that powers the tower and the lower section of the elevator.
Nearby, the book Treatise on the Antimagic Properties of Sussur Tree Flowers and several Withered Blue Petals indicate what the party is expected to do. Place a Sussur Bloom into the power generator through its crafting interface. This restores the tower’s power, disables the Arcane Turrets, activates the elevator and lights the Arcane Braziers. The repair grants 25 experience and can provide the Guild Artisan inspiration Regeneration.
A gilded chest halfway between the generator and elevator contains Uncovered Mysteries. Crates and barrels in this area also provide alchemical ingredients, especially mushrooms and crystals.
Directory: ground floor
Note
“How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?”
First floor: greenhouse
The greenhouse is the most important floor for the Omeluum quest. It contains Tongue of Madness and Timmask Spores, the two ingredients requested by Omeluum. The items can be gathered after the elevator is restored, by reaching the floor with Fly, or by using the exterior mushroom platforms.
The floor also contains the Threadbare Book. Reading it reveals one of the lines needed to deal peacefully with Bernard:
The exact wording matters for the Bernard dialogue. Reading this book before going to the roof allows the party to obtain Guiding Light without fighting him.
Second floor: main entrance
This is the floor reached through the tower’s front door. It contains the Chest of the Mundane, two Arcane Cannons and the route to the southern balcony.
The Chest of the Mundane disguises its contents as ordinary clutter. A successful Arcana check reveals its magical nature. Removing the contents from the chest or placing a Sussur Bloom nearby dispels the illusion, revealing scrolls and Mystra’s Grace. The boots grant an additional casting of Feather Fall, making them particularly useful if the party has not yet explored the exterior platforms. Observing the chest’s transformation can grant the Guild Artisan inspiration Trash & Treasure.
The southern balcony is less valuable in itself, but it is a major navigation point because it leads to the fungus platforms around the outside of the tower.
A book initially identified as Dusty Book becomes Evil’s Ascent after it is read. Its line is associated with a hostile Bernard command.
Note
“Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?”
Third floor: bedroom
The bedroom contains the documents needed for the most peaceful and informative Bernard encounter.
Read The Roads to Darkness on Lenore’s desk. This provides the response that makes Bernard recognise the player character as its master:
The Torn-Out Paper near the elevator provides another possible interaction, allowing Bernard to embrace the player character as though they were Lenore. The Patched Parchment on the roof is needed for Bernard’s Potion of Greater Healing dialogue.
This floor also contains material connected to Lae’zel and the history of Orpheus. Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part One: Betrayal is on a bookshelf. Lae’zel can read it directly. Otherwise, the party can use The Careful Art of Tir’su Ciphers or pass a DC 20 Intelligence check. Deciphering the disc begins Discover the History of Prince Orpheus.
A wooden chest near the bed contains Mage’s Friend.
The north-eastern button is a small environmental secret involving Myrna, Lenore’s dog. It produces food only when pressed by a party member wearing Myrna’s Dog Collar, which is found at Myrna’s grave in Dread Hollow. If the correct character activates the button, it produces a Raw Steak once, after which the mechanism deactivates.
Lenore’s Handwritten Letter becomes Letter from Amarith after it is read. It gives context for Myrna’s story and the Bulette near the tower. If Myrna’s grave has not yet been inspected, the letter can enable an option to place an Autumncrocus there, earning approval from Gale, Karlach and Wyll.
Fourth floor: roof
The roof is where Bernard stands with several Animated Armour constructs. Reaching this floor begins a conversation, and the party can avoid combat if it has read the appropriate material.
If the party has read The Roads to Darkness, the response concerning a friend and a rescue from Bernard’s lonely watch keeps the automaton passive. Bards may also receive a passive DC 18 History check to recall the appropriate line. A peaceful resolution grants 50 experience and can provide the Entertainer inspiration Heart of the Creator.
Bernard’s other commands are listed below.
The Guiding Light ring is normally obtained by using the Threadbare Book line. It can also be looted after defeating Bernard. It cannot be pickpocketed. The ring casts Light and reveals an otherwise hidden basement button on the elevator.
Defeating Bernard, or commanding him to drop his weapon, grants Light of Creation. The weapon is powerful but has a drawback involving constructs, so check its description before giving it to a character who regularly fights alongside summoned or constructed allies.
Behind an Animated Armour is the Stool of Hill Giant Strength. Sitting on it temporarily demonstrates its magical effect. Breaking the stool produces the Club of Hill Giant Strength.
A hidden lever beside a bookshelf can also open the route to the basement. It requires a DC 18 Perception check to notice.
Directory: fourth floor
The basement is not shown as a normal floor during the initial exploration. There are several verified ways to enter it:
The basement contains more Tongue of Madness and Timmask Spores, so it is possible to collect the quest materials even if the greenhouse has already been searched. Its main rewards are:
The Staff of Arcane Blessing and The Sparkswall are fixed notable rewards in the basement, rather than random drops.
Fourth floor: roof
| Dialogue line | Required source | Result |
|---|---|---|
| “How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?” | Threadbare Book | Bernard gives Guiding Light |
| “These empty sheets are all that’s left of you. / The last of all the thoughtless gifts you gave.” | Patched Parchment | Bernard gives a Potion of Greater Healing |
| “The silence stretches on - I’m all alone. / Please, can I hold your hands, for just a while?” | Torn-Out Paper | Bernard embraces the speaker as Lenore |
| “Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” | The Roads to Darkness | Bernard recognises the speaker as master and remains passive |
| “There is a light in every living thing. / It’s crawling t’wards the surface to survive.” | Evil’s Ascent | Bernard and the Animated Armour become hostile |
Directory: fourth floor
Directory: fourth floor
- 01Equip Guiding Light and use the newly revealed basement button on the elevator.
- 02Use Fly or Misty Step through the gap from the greenhouse level.
- 03Use Mage Hand to activate the lever beneath the staircase.
- 04Hit the lever beneath the staircase with a ranged attack.
- 05Activate the hidden lever beside the bookshelf on the roof.
Directory: fourth floor
Directory: basement
Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite
Omeluum asks for Tongue of Madness and Timmask Spores after discussing the party’s tadpole. Both mushrooms are found in the Arcane Tower’s greenhouse, with more in the basement.
The tower is not strictly required. Timmask Spores can be collected from a Timmask mushroom by approaching it in turn-based mode before it disappears, and Tongue of Madness can be purchased from Derryth Bonecloak. Nevertheless, the tower is the most coherent source for both ingredients and provides much more useful loot besides.
After returning the mushrooms, Omeluum brews a potion and attempts to extract the tadpole. The procedure fails, but the character gains the Survival Instinct power. Omeluum then offers the Ring of Mind-Shielding, which can be bought or obtained through dialogue checks. Omeluum also becomes a trader with items including the Pearl of Power Amulet and Creation’s Echo.
Discover the History of Prince Orpheus
The bedroom contains Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, Part One: Betrayal. Lae’zel can read the text directly. Without her, use the Tir’su cipher material or pass the relevant Intelligence check. Reading it advances the Orpheus-related quest and gives Lae’zel additional material to discuss at camp.
Myrna and Lenore’s story
The tower’s documents suggest a domestic history rather than a conventional dungeon narrative. Lenore lived there with her dog Myrna and the construct Bernard. Her letters, the dog collar and the food dispenser allow the party to reconstruct fragments of the household after Lenore’s disappearance.
Myrna’s grave is not inside the tower. It is in Dread Hollow, and the Dog Collar must be recovered there before the bedroom button can produce its one-time treat. The tower’s letter also connects Myrna’s death and Lenore’s absence to the Bulette roaming nearby.
Fixed notable items
Consumables and materials
The list above separates fixed, story-linked objects from general containers and materials. Ordinary barrel and crate contents can vary in practical value and should not be treated as a separate guaranteed unique loot table.
For the most complete run with minimal backtracking:
Consumables and materials
Consumables and materials: steps
- 01Approach through Torchstalk Gulch.
- 02Use cover, Fog Cloud or Sussur Blooms to cross the Arcane Turret garden.
- 03Reach the generator room using the exterior fungus platforms.
- 04Search the generator room and take Uncovered Mysteries.
- 05Insert a Sussur Bloom into the generator.
- 06Ride the elevator to the greenhouse.
- 07Collect Tongue of Madness, Timmask Spores and the Threadbare Book.
- 08Visit the main entrance floor and reveal the contents of the Chest of the Mundane.
- 09Search the bedroom for The Roads to Darkness, Torn-Out Paper, Orpheus, Mage’s Friend and the Lenore documents.
- 10Ride to the roof.
- 11Use the correct Bernard lines to obtain Guiding Light and any available dialogue reward.
- 12Search for the hidden bookshelf lever.
- 13Enter the basement and collect Staff of Arcane Blessing, The Sparkswall and the second set of mushrooms.
- 14Return to Omeluum before leaving the Underdark if pursuing its quest.
- 15Visit Myrna’s grave in Dread Hollow if you want to complete the dog-collar interaction.
Consumables and materials
| Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Entering before restoring power | The main entrance can expose the party to Arcane Turrets. |
| Fall damage | The mushroom platforms are safe only if jumps are planned carefully. Feather Fall, Fly and Misty Step reduce the risk. |
| Bernard’s dialogue | Reading the tower’s books before speaking to Bernard preserves peaceful options. Starting combat removes the possibility of receiving Bernard’s non-hostile dialogue rewards. |
| Guiding Light | The ring can be obtained peacefully from Bernard or looted after defeating him. It is the normal way to reveal the elevator’s basement button. |
| Basement access | The basement is still reachable without the ring through the hidden lever, Mage Hand, a ranged attack or movement spells. |
| Myrna’s food dispenser | The Dog Collar must be equipped by the character pressing the button. Having it merely somewhere in the inventory is not the reliable way to trigger the interaction. |
| Orpheus text | Lae’zel is the easiest way to interpret the disc, but she is not essential if the party uses the cipher item or passes the Intelligence check. |
| Omeluum’s quest | The tower is the intended source of both mushrooms, but the quest can be progressed without entering it if the ingredients are acquired elsewhere. |
Do I have to enter the Arcane Tower to cure the tadpole?
No. You need the two mushrooms for Omeluum, but the quest page records alternative sources for both. The tower remains worthwhile because it contains fixed magical equipment, lore and the hidden basement.
What is the best way to power the tower?
Use a Sussur Bloom in the generator. Blooms are available in the tower’s garden or at the Sussur Tree in Dread Hollow. Powering the tower disables the turrets and activates the elevator.
Can I reach the basement without fighting Bernard?
Yes. Use Mage Hand or a ranged attack on the lever beneath the staircase, activate the hidden roof lever, or use Fly or Misty Step through the gap from the greenhouse level. Guiding Light is convenient, but not strictly required.
Should I fight Bernard?
Not necessarily. Reading the relevant books first gives a peaceful route and allows the party to obtain Guiding Light through dialogue. Fighting Bernard grants Light of Creation and also allows Guiding Light to be looted, but it removes the peaceful encounter and its associated rewards.
Is Lenore present?
No. Lenore is not encountered during the game’s Arcane Tower visit. Her presence is reconstructed through books, letters, items and the tower’s remaining magical systems.
Is Torchstalk Gulch part of the Arcane Tower?
No. It is the neighbouring approach to the tower. The Festering Cove is also separate, despite being reachable from the same general approach.
Is the Arcane Tower a faction headquarters or a shop?
No. It is a former private residence and research site. Bernard and the Animated Armour are security constructs, not a formal faction, and the tower itself has no normal shop or resident trader. Omeluum’s trading service is associated with the Myconid Colony and becomes available through its quest, not inside the tower.
Sources
- Arcane Tower - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Guiding Light - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Lenore De Hurst - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki