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Locationmajor

Highberry's Home

Highberry’s Home is a private residence in the Heapside area of Baldur’s Gate’s Lower City.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • Highberry’s Home is in the Lower City, directly north of Sorcerous Sundries The surrounding buildings are neighbouring locations, not subareas of the house.
  • The building has a ground floor, first floor and basement The roof is accessible and can host Tara, but it is not a separately named interior location.
  • The Wine Festival only becomes active in the relevant murder-quest state Dolor appears there disguised as Master Meztli.
  • The basement contains an Elixir of Universal Resistance, a Potion of Flying, gold and other loot. Finding the strongbox requires perception checks and a key hidden beneath a loose plank.
  • If Dolor is killed at the festival, he can drop several unique or quest-relevant items. If he escapes, the murder storyline continues elsewhere.
  • Failing to speak to Cora after triggering the festival branch can result in Cora and Roger being found dead after a long rest.

Note

Base game, Act Three, Lower City. This guide covers the Highberry residence itself, its roof and basement, the wine festival staged at the house, and the characters and loot directly associated with those spaces. It does not treat the wider Lower City, Sorcerous Sundries, the Forge of the Nine, the Lower City graveyard or Bonecloak’s Apothecary as parts of Highberry’s Home.

Overview

Highberry’s Home is a private residence in the Heapside area of Baldur’s Gate’s Lower City. It becomes one of Act Three’s most important small locations when the party investigates the serial murders. The house belongs to the elderly halflings Cora and Roger Highberry, who have adopted two orphaned children, Molly and Timmy. Depending on the party’s progress through Investigate the Murders and Impress the Murder Tribunal, the house may be a quiet family home, the site of a crowded wine festival, or the aftermath of a Bhaalist assassination.

The location is easy to overlook because it is not a dungeon or a major quest hub. Nevertheless, it contains a hidden basement cache, a possible fight with Dolor, one of the game’s murder targets, a temporary rooftop trader and a key carried by Roger Highberry that can help with the Counting House.

Finding the house

From the Lower City, look for the large residence immediately north of Sorcerous Sundries. The main entrance is on the street-facing side, around X: 14, Y: -43. The house is substantially larger than a normal private dwelling and is recognisable by its broad frontage and upper balconies.

A practical route is

  1. 01
    Enter the Lower City.
  2. 02
    Travel towards Sorcerous Sundries.
  3. 03
    Move north from the bookshop.
  4. 04
    Look for the large house associated with Cora and Roger Highberry.
  5. 05
    Enter through the front door, then inspect the ground floor before progressing upstairs.

Alternative entrances

The house has rear and upper-level entrances reachable with movement abilities such as Misty Step or Grant Flight. These entrances are red-outlined, so using them may count as trespassing or trigger reactions from nearby NPCs. The known external access points include balconies and first-floor entrances around:

The main door is the safest way to begin the location’s social and quest content. Alternative entrances are most useful for exploration, stealth or reaching the upper rooms without passing through the festival crowd.

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Ground floor

The ground floor is the main living area. It consists of a spacious common room with a smaller kitchen attached.

The Highberrys’ domestic life is most visible here. If the murder event has not caused the household to scatter or die, Molly and Timmy can be found in or around this level. The area is also where the children may remain after the adults are killed, creating one of the location’s bleakest progression states.

Ground-floor loot

A wooden chest in a corner contains gold and random rare alchemical ingredients. These ingredients are not necessarily identical in every playthrough, so they should be treated as variable loot rather than a guaranteed named inventory.

The kitchen mantelpiece holds the Wine Cellar Key. Take it before searching for the basement entrance.

First floor

The first floor contains a small study and the Highberry bedroom.

The study’s desk holds letters relating to Molly, including material that connects her personal history to the wider story of the Highberry family. These documents are useful for players interested in the household’s background, although they are not required to complete the murder quest.

A red-outlined door leads to the bedroom. Both upper balconies provide access to this room. The bedroom contains another wooden chest with minor loot.

Basement

The basement is reached through a locked hatch near the kitchen. The Wine Cellar Key opens it, although characters can also use lockpicking or other methods of bypassing the lock.

The basement’s most valuable secret is concealed behind a painting.

Basement cache: step by step

The far end of the basement also contains a half-round bottle rack with several healing potions of random quality. The exact potion quality is not a fixed named reward, so it should not be confused with the guaranteed elixir and potion from the strongbox.

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Basement cache: step by step

  1. 01
    Enter the basement.
  2. 02
    Pass a DC 15 Perception check to notice something unusual about the painting.
  3. 03
    Approach the painting.
  4. 04
    Pass a second DC 20 Perception check to reveal the loose plank.
  5. 05
    Search the loose plank to find the Highberry’s Strongbox Key.
  6. 06
    Use the key on the strongbox hidden behind the painting.
  7. 07
    Collect the Elixir of Universal Resistance and Potion of Flying.

Residents

The following characters are directly associated with the household:

Cora and Roger are an elderly halfling couple who have adopted Molly and Timmy. Molly is the daughter of Jacek, a Flaming Fist member whose body can be found at the ruined Waukeen’s Rest in Act One. The Highberry family’s history is also reflected in a graveyard inscription for Gwynn Highberry, described as stillborn. These details make the house more than a temporary quest location: it is also a small record of loss, adoption and ordinary city life.

Cora Highberry

Cora is the murder target associated with the wine festival. During the relevant quest state, she is in immediate danger from Dolor, who intends to kill her as part of his attempt to become an Unholy Assassin of Bhaal.

If the party intervenes successfully, Cora can later be found inside the house and may reward the party with gold for saving her. If the party triggers the festival plot but never speaks to her, she and Roger can be dead in the bedroom after a long rest.

Roger Highberry

Roger helps host the festival and remains associated with the household after the event if he survives. He can be pickpocketed for the Counting House Vault No. 4 Key. This is a useful optional acquisition, but stealing it is not the same as completing the Counting House storyline.

Molly and Timmy

Molly and Timmy are the two orphaned children living with the Highberrys. Their dialogue changes depending on whether Cora and Roger survive. If the adults are murdered, the children can remain in the house, now effectively orphaned for a second time.

The children are not ordinary merchants, quest-givers or combatants. Their importance is narrative and emotional, although dialogue with them can affect certain companion approval reactions.

Wine traders and workers

When the festival is active, the house’s front area contains temporary wine traders and workers:

These characters are part of the festival crowd. The location’s directory does not establish that each provides a permanent shop service, so they should be treated as event participants rather than general-purpose merchants unless the game presents a specific trade dialogue.

Festival patrons

Four doppelgangers are mixed into the crowd. They can be identified by their distinctive four-letter names. Their presence is one of the clearest signs that the festival is not merely a social gathering.

Assassins

The named assassins associated with the festival are:

Dolor is the principal threat. His assistants are shapeshifted killers who can join the encounter if the party exposes the plot or starts combat.

Other named character

Tara is not a permanent resident. She appears on the roof only if the relevant sequence involving Gale and Find the Missing Letters has progressed far enough. Her earlier appearances include the Open Hand Temple and Devil’s Fee rooftops.

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When it appears

The festival is tied to the murder investigation. It appears when the party has started the relevant murder-related quest progression, including:

If neither quest is active, Dolor is not present and the festival has not begun. The Highberrys can instead be found inside their home discussing the upcoming event.

The exact progression can vary depending on which murder clues the party has encountered and how close the party moves to the event. Approaching the festival closely enough can trigger its plot branch.

When it appears

The poisoned wine

Dolor, under the identity Master Meztli, attempts to poison Cora with Karabasan’s Gift. The party can detect the danger and warn the Highberrys.

One reported route to recognising the poison involves a DC 18 Medicine check, while a Barbarian can use a DC 10 Perception check in the relevant dialogue context. Because dialogue options and checks can be affected by party composition and prior investigation, players should save before approaching the festival if they want to explore several outcomes.

The confrontation

If the party exposes Dolor’s plan, combat can begin against Dolor and his shapeshifted assistants. Dolor attempts to teleport away on his first turn. If he escapes, his followers generally prioritise the party rather than continuing to attack Cora, so Cora will often survive even when Dolor gets away.

If Dolor is killed before he escapes, he can drop:

The Spaceshunt Boots and Dolor Amarus are also listed among the items associated with his encounter at Highberry’s Home.

If you allow the murder

The game permits the party to fail to intervene. If the festival branch has been triggered but the party never begins a dialogue with Cora, a long rest can advance the situation to its aftermath. Cora and Roger may then be found dead in their first-floor bedroom, while Molly and Timmy remain on the ground floor.

This is one of the location’s important missability conditions. If you want the Highberrys alive, do not trigger the festival and then leave without resolving the encounter.

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Tara may appear on the roof of Highberry’s Home after the party has met her during the rooftop sequence connected with Gale and Find the Missing Letters.

She can sell the Slinging Shoes. This is not a normal gold-based shop transaction: the item is obtained in exchange for fish and/or magical items. The item-checklist source places the trade at approximately X: -1, Y: -39.

Tara is not part of the Highberry family and should be listed as a temporary visitor rather than a resident.

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The confrontation

If you allow the murder: Tara’s presence is progression-dependent

  1. 01
    Speak with or encounter her during the relevant Gale sequence.
  2. 02
    Find her at the Open Hand Temple area.
  3. 03
    Find her at Devil’s Fee.
  4. 04
    Reach the roof of Highberry’s Home.
  5. 05
    Trade for Slinging Shoes if desired.

Variable or minor loot

The fixed rewards are more useful for planning than the household containers. The strongbox is the main guaranteed exploration payoff, while Dolor’s inventory is the main combat payoff.

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The upstairs letters concerning Molly are particularly worthwhile for players following the Highberry family’s background. The documents help establish the household as a real domestic space rather than a disposable quest set.

The wider Forgotten Realms description presents Highberry Home as a large manse used for wine festivals, with a substantial open area and a wine cellar. It also places the house in Heapside and associates it with Cora and Roger in 1492 DR, the year in which Baldur’s Gate 3 takes place.

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For a first visit, especially during the murder quest, use this order:

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Before leaving Highberry’s Home, check that you have:

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Variable or minor loot: steps

  1. 01
    Speak with the Highberrys before the festival if possible. This establishes the household and gives context for the later event.

Variable or minor loot: steps

  1. 01
    Search the ground floor. Speak with Molly and Timmy, inspect the living room and take the Wine Cellar Key from the kitchen mantelpiece.

Variable or minor loot: steps

  1. 01
    Visit the first floor. Read the letters in the study and inspect the bedroom. Avoid taking a long rest after triggering the festival unless you are prepared for the consequences.

Variable or minor loot: steps

  1. 01
    Loot the basement. Use the perception checks to find the strongbox key and collect the Elixir of Universal Resistance and Potion of Flying.

Variable or minor loot: steps

  1. 01
    Check the roof. If Tara’s sequence is active, trade for Slinging Shoes.

Variable or minor loot: steps

  1. 01
    Resolve the wine festival before leaving the area. Watch for the poisoned bottle, question or confront Meztli and protect Cora if you want the Highberrys to survive.

Variable or minor loot: steps

  1. 01
    Return after the event. If Cora and Roger live, speak with Cora for her thanks and gold. Roger can be pickpocketed for the Counting House Vault No. 4 Key.

Is Highberry’s Home part of Sorcerous Sundries?

No. It is directly north of Sorcerous Sundries, but it is a separate Lower City location. Sorcerous Sundries, Ramazith’s Tower and the Sorcerous Vault are not subareas of the Highberry residence.

Is the Wine Festival always present?

No. It depends on the party’s progression through the murder investigation. Without the relevant quest state, the Highberrys are inside the house and Dolor is absent.

Can Cora be saved?

Yes. Speak to her during the festival and expose the poisoned wine or Dolor’s murder plan. If the plot is triggered and the party leaves without beginning the relevant dialogue, Cora and Roger may be dead after a long rest.

Where is the hidden strongbox?

It is in the basement, behind a painting. The key is hidden beneath a loose plank revealed by a DC 15 Perception check followed by a DC 20 Perception check.

Can I get the Counting House Vault No. 4 Key without killing Roger?

Yes. The key is carried by Roger and can be obtained by pickpocketing him.

Where are Slinging Shoes?

Tara sells them on the roof of Highberry’s Home if her progression conditions have been met. She accepts fish and/or magical items rather than ordinary gold.

What happens if Dolor escapes?

The murder storyline continues, and Dolor can be encountered later at the Facemaker’s Boutique. Killing him at Highberry’s Home is the most direct way to obtain his listed equipment immediately, but his escape does not necessarily end the quest.

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The main location boundaries, characters, quest states and named rewards are consistently documented. A few details may vary between game versions or depend on container generation:

This guide is therefore best read as a researched base-game location guide rather than a claim that every minor container roll or dialogue permutation has been exhaustively enumerated.

Sources