Key takeaways
- Do not treat the Lower City as only the streets around Basilisk Gate Its scope includes the harbour, graveyard, major estates, temples, taverns, businesses, hidden basements and several connected underground areas.
- The Undercity is a separate region beneath the Lower City The Lower City Sewers, Guildhall, Abandoned Cistern, Undercity Ruins, Bhaal Temple and Morphic Pool should be recorded separately rather than folded into the surface district.
- Several quests are progression-sensitive The Steel Watch Foundry, Iron Throne, Murder Tribunal, Cazador’s Dungeon, House of Grief and Sorcerous Sundries all interact with companion or main-story progression.
- The city contains unusually many merchants Important purchases include high-level spell scrolls, alchemical supplies, armour, weapons, camp clothing, dyes, instruments and specialist items.
- The Lower City is a hub rather than a single dungeon Most exploration consists of choosing which faction, companion or neighbourhood thread to follow next.
- Several apparent shops are scenery or quest locations A named storefront does not necessarily provide a trading interface, and some traders disappear or change location after particular quests.
About this guide
Spoiler warning: This guide covers major Act Three quests, companion storylines, bosses, faction conflicts and late-game progression. It includes material that can reveal the identities of important antagonists and the outcomes of several companion quests.
Overview
The Lower City is the southern, densely built-up region of Baldur’s Gate in Act Three of Baldur’s Gate 3. It is the city’s main mercantile and residential district, reached after travelling through Wyrm’s Rock Fortress and leaving through the North Span. It is not the same area as the Undercity, although the two are closely connected through the city’s sewers and hidden passages.
This is the largest concentration of Act Three content. The Lower City contains companion conclusions, faction headquarters, major merchants, several optional dungeons, the Steel Watch storyline, the route towards Orin, and entrances into the sewers beneath the city. It rewards methodical exploration more than rushing towards the central plot.
Surface locations directory
The following are named Lower City places recorded as surface locations or surface-connected buildings.
Child locations
This directory follows the Lower City location hierarchy rather than treating every connected room as a separate district. The wider location list distinguishes, for example, House of Grief from the Cloister of Sombre Embrace, Sorcerous Sundries from Ramazith’s Tower and the Sorcerous Vault, and Szarr Palace from Cazador’s Dungeon.
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Streets, homes and minor sites
Public buildings and institutions
Taverns and social locations
Businesses and shops
Special or mission-linked buildings
Child locations
Entering the Lower City
A Lower City Pass can be shown to guards at the Wyrm’s Crossing South Span to gain access towards Wyrm’s Rock Fortress and subsequently the Lower City. Other story, dialogue or infiltration options may also solve the checkpoint problem, but the Lower City itself begins after the North Span transition.
The normal route is
- 01Reach Wyrm’s Crossing.
- 02Pass through or otherwise resolve access at Wyrm’s Rock Fortress.
- 03Cross the North Span.
- 04Enter the Lower City and activate a waypoint.
Recommended first circuit
This order is not mandatory, but it exposes the major merchants and companion hooks before the party commits to several irreversible or highly consequential confrontations.
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The Lower City has more trading opportunities than most earlier regions. The following merchants are independently recorded as Lower City traders. Their stock can depend on previous quests, companion states and whether a character is still alive or available.
Several entries are not marked as ordinary map traders, despite having a dialogue-based trading interface. This applies to some news hawkers, minor vendors and story-linked characters. Stock and availability are therefore not always obvious from the shop’s appearance.
Merchant warnings
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A practical first exploration route is
- 01Basilisk Gate
- 02Speak with local residents and news hawkers.
- 03Investigate the barracks and prison if you have a reason to enter.
- 04Explore nearby streets before moving west.
Recommended first circuit: steps
- 01Central City
- 02Visit Elfsong Tavern.
- 03Visit Sorcerous Sundries.
- 04Explore Facemaker’s Boutique, Bonecloak’s Apothecary, Beehive General Goods and Crimson Draughts.
- 05Check for companion conversations and newly available merchants.
Recommended first circuit: steps
- 01Northern and north-western district
- 02Visit House of Grief.
- 03Explore Stormshore Tabernacle.
- 04Investigate the graveyard, Candulhallow’s Tombstones and Bloomridge Park.
Recommended first circuit: steps
- 01Western and harbour district
- 02Visit Philgrave’s Mansion.
- 03Follow the waterfront towards The Lodge, Water Queen’s House, Grey Harbour Docks and Flymm Cargo.
- 04Deal with the Iron Throne and Steel Watch plot when ready.
Recommended first circuit: steps
- 01Southern and eastern streets
- 02Visit The Blushing Mermaid.
- 03Explore Felogyr’s Fireworks, Counting House, Devil’s Fee and Old Garlow’s Place.
- 04Return to the sewers through one of the discovered entrances.
Recommended first circuit
| Merchant | Location | Main stock or service |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Alyth | Elfsong Tavern | Camp supplies |
| Araj Oblodra | Crimson Draughts | Alchemy |
| Avery Sonshal | Felogyr’s Fireworks | Grenades |
| Baelen Bonecloak | Bonecloak’s Apothecary | Alchemy |
| Blurg | The Lodge | General goods and alchemy |
| Bosun Gannet | The Blushing Mermaid | Camp supplies |
| Clerk Tamara | Felogyr’s Fireworks | Grenades |
| Dammon | Forge of the Nine | Weapons and armour |
| Derryth Bonecloak | Bonecloak’s Apothecary | Alchemy |
| Dravo Flymm | Flymm’s Cobblers | Boots and shoes |
| Figaro ‘Facemaker’ Pennygood | Facemaker’s Boutique | Camp clothing and dyes |
| Fytz the Firecracker | Stormshore Armoury | Weapons |
| Gloomy Fentonson | Stormshore Armoury | Armour |
| Helsik | Devil’s Fee | Alchemy, scrolls, weapons and armour |
| Lorroakan’s Projection | Sorcerous Sundries | Weapons, armour and rare scrolls |
| Maude | Graveyard | Flowers |
| Mirie | House of Grief | Sharran literature |
| Mystic Carrion | Philgrave’s Mansion | Armour and scrolls |
| Nansi Gretta | The Bibliophile | Books and rare scrolls |
| Nocturne | Cloister of Sombre Embrace | Potions and scrolls |
| Old Troutman | Eastern Docks | Fish |
| Oliver Tefoco | Beehive General Goods | General goods and alchemy |
| Omeluum | The Lodge | Special items |
| Omotola | The Glitter Gala | Non-magical jewellery |
| Rolan | Sorcerous Sundries | Weapons, armour and rare scrolls |
| Roveer | Elfsong Tavern | Food |
| Sally Flymm | Flymm’s Cobblers | Boots and shoes |
| Silfy | Heapside Strand | Gazette material and junk |
| Skittle | Heapside Prison | Consumables and junk |
| Tender Henk | The Singing Lute | Camp supplies |
| Thomas C. Quirkilious | Chromatic Scale | Instruments |
| Thrumbo | Philgrave’s Mansion | Armour and scrolls |
| Tolna Tome-Monger | Sorcerous Sundries | Books and rare scrolls |
| Vicar Humbletoes | Stormshore Tabernacle | Weapons, armour, consumables and scrolls |
Residents and major characters
The Lower City contains a mixture of residents, visitors, faction officers and characters whose presence depends on companion quests.
Major named characters
The location page specifically places Auntie Ethel and Captain Grisly in The Blushing Mermaid, Devella Fountainhead in Elfsong Tavern, Ettvard Needle in Baldur’s Mouth, Mayrina in Old Garlow’s Place and Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion. Elminster appears outside Sorcerous Sundries after the appropriate Gale-related progression.
Other recurring residents and visitors
The full character category is considerably larger than this practical directory, containing hundreds of named or individually identified characters, including background citizens and minor quest participants. The category should be treated as a separate character index rather than reduced to the most important quest givers.
Factions
Flaming Fist
The Basilisk Gate Barracks and Heapside Prison represent the city’s formal law-enforcement presence. Flaming Fist reactions depend on the party’s behaviour, disguises, crimes and the state of the city’s political crisis.
Steel Watch
The Steel Watch Foundry is the centre of Gortash’s construct-based security system. The Steel Watch increases the danger of open criminal activity and is directly tied to the quest to disable the foundry. The foundry, Gondians and Iron Throne form a connected storyline, so avoid treating these as unrelated locations.
The Guild
The Guildhall lies underground and is led by Nine-Fingers Keene. The Guild is fighting to retain control of the city’s criminal economy while dealing with the Stone Lord and Zhentarim involvement. The surface Counting House is central to this power struggle, while the Abandoned Cistern is connected to the Stone Lord plot.
Zhentarim
Zhentarim agents appear in connection with the Guildhall and the Counting House. Their presence reflects an alliance of convenience rather than a simple replacement of the Guild.
Sharrans
The House of Grief is the public-facing establishment for a Sharran organisation. The Cloister of Sombre Embrace beneath it contains Shadowheart’s major Act Three confrontation and can change dramatically depending on Shadowheart’s choices.
Cults and temples
The Murder Tribunal, Bhaal Temple and related locations represent the Cult of Bhaal. The Water Queen’s House is devoted to Umberlee and begins the Avenge the Drowned storyline. The Stormshore Tabernacle provides a more conventional religious space, although its own secrets deserve investigation.
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Elfsong Tavern
Elfsong Tavern is one of the best early stops because it functions as a social hub, merchant location and camp-related staging point. It contains Alan Alyth, Lakrissa and Roveer, and connects to the Knights of the Shield Hideout below. The hideout also provides an access route into the sewers.
Check the tavern after important companion developments. It is particularly relevant to Duke Ravengard and Wyll’s storyline, city murders and several conversations involving returning characters.
Sorcerous Sundries
Sorcerous Sundries is the Lower City’s major magical marketplace. It contains rare scrolls, specialist books, Lorroakan-related story content and access to Ramazith’s Tower and the Sorcerous Vault. Rolan and Lorroakan’s Projection are associated with the shop, while Tolna Tome-Monger handles books and scrolls.
For Gale’s storyline, the shop is a major destination. Search its shelves carefully, read relevant books and follow the route into the vault rather than treating it as only a merchant.
Devil’s Fee
Devil’s Fee is run by Helsik and is one of the principal routes into the House of Hope. Helsik also sells high-value magical and alchemical goods. The shop becomes especially important if the party wants to acquire the gauntlets for Helsik or pursue Raphael-related objectives.
Counting House
The Counting House is both a bank and a storage facility on the southern coast. It is central to Return Rakath’s Gold, the Guild conflict and the investigation involving the Stone Lord. It is also one of the places where the Lower City’s respectable commercial face overlaps with organised crime.
House of Grief
The House of Grief is the surface entrance to the Cloister of Sombre Embrace. It is one of Shadowheart’s most consequential Act Three locations. The party can investigate the establishment, decide how to handle the Sharran leadership and potentially face a large hostile encounter.
Do not assume that entering the House of Grief immediately begins the final confrontation. Dialogue, Shadowheart’s identity and previous decisions all affect the available route.
Szarr Palace
Szarr Palace is Cazador Szarr’s residence and the entrance to Cazador’s Dungeon. It is the central location for Investigate Cazador’s Palace and Astarion’s companion conclusion. The dungeon is also connected to the sewer network, but that connection must first be opened from inside.
Philgrave’s Mansion
Philgrave’s Mansion belongs to Mystic Carrion. The building is tied to Find Mystic Carrion’s Servant, Defeat Mystic Carrion and End Mystic Carrion’s Immortality. Thrumbo can become vital to resolving the encounter, and the mansion contains both trading opportunities and necromantic lore.
The Blushing Mermaid
The Blushing Mermaid is a large tavern built around an old ship’s bow. It contains Captain Grisly, Auntie Ethel and Bosun Gannet. The tavern is the visible centre of the Save Vanra storyline, although the investigation extends beyond its public rooms.
Water Queen’s House
This open-air temple to Umberlee is overseen by Wavemistress Allandra Grey. It begins Avenge the Drowned, which leads towards the waterfront, Flymm Cargo and the underwater Iron Throne plot. Its cellar is recorded as a separate child location.
Steel Watch Foundry and Flymm Cargo
Flymm Cargo is a dockside warehouse and an access point to the Lower City Sewers and Iron Throne. The Steel Watch Foundry is nearby in the harbour district and contains the factory responsible for Gortash’s Steel Watch.
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The Undercity is a distinct region beneath the Lower City, not simply another name for the surface district. It contains ancient ruins, sewers, criminal headquarters, undead activity and temples associated with evil deities.
Lower City Sewers
Undercity Ruins
Separate hidden area
Access points
Known access routes into the Lower City Sewers include:
The sewer network connects to most of the Undercity, but the Murder Tribunal is an exception and is reached through Candulhallow’s Tombstones.
Abandoned Cistern
The Abandoned Cistern is the Stone Lord’s hideout. Reaching it requires solving the sluice-gate puzzle or passing a difficult Athletics check. It is central to The High Harper, during which Minsc and Boo can be fought and potentially recruited.
Guildhall
The Guildhall is the underground headquarters of the Guild. It contains gang members, illicit traders, information brokers and the faction’s ongoing conflict with the Stone Lord and Zhentarim. Mol, Severn and Sticky Dondo are among the traders associated with the Guildhall area.
Murder Tribunal
The Murder Tribunal is accessed through Candulhallow’s Tombstones. The funeral business serves as a front for Bhaal cult activity, and the Tribunal is the route to Sarevok Anchev and the Unholy Assassin progression. It is strongly linked to Investigate the Murders, Impress the Murder Tribunal and the search for Orin.
Ancient Lair
The Ancient Lair belongs to Mystic Carrion. It contains treasure but is guarded by undead, and opening chests can trigger further danger. Spellcasters should be cautious because the area can inflict Spell Rot, making spellcasting hazardous.
Undercity Ruins and Bhaal Temple
The Undercity Ruins contain the remains of an older city. The area leads towards the Bhaal Temple and Morphic Pool and includes the Manslaughter Chasm. The chasm is the site of an ambush led by Farslayer of Bhaal Ghislev.
The Bhaal Temple is the inner sanctum of the cult and the destination for the Orin storyline. It should be treated as a late-stage area rather than casually explored without preparation.
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The Lower City is associated with a large number of quests. The major named entries include:
This quest list includes both Lower City surface content and directly connected underground or mission areas. The location index explicitly associates these objectives with the Lower City region.
Undercity Ruins and Bhaal Temple
- Aid the Underduke
- Avenge the Drowned
- Avenge the Ironhands
- Daughter of Darkness
- Find Dribbles the Clown
- Free Orpheus
- Free the Artist
- Gather Your Allies
- Disable the Steel Watch
- Help the Devilish Ox
- Help the Hag Survivors
- Investigate the House of Grief
- Investigate the Suspicious Toys
- Retrieve Omeluum
- Save the Gondians
- Save Vanra
- Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders
- Stop the Presses
- The Blade of Frontiers
- The Grand Duke
- The Githyanki Warrior
- The High Harper
- The Pale Elf
- The Wizard of Waterdeep
Practical progression advice
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Practical progression advice: steps
- 01Explore and recruit conversations first. Visit Elfsong Tavern, the major shops and companion-linked buildings before starting large faction battles.
- 02Handle time-sensitive rescue content carefully. The Iron Throne is particularly dangerous to postpone once its associated sequence is active.
- 03Do not destroy or resolve faction hubs casually. The Steel Watch Foundry, Guildhall and Murder Tribunal can affect access to characters and later objectives.
- 04Finish companion conversations before endgame transitions. Astarion, Shadowheart, Gale, Jaheira and Minsc, Wyll and Lae’zel all have important Act Three developments in or around this region.
- 05Keep a theft and infiltration plan. Some locations are heavily guarded, while others can be entered through roofs, basements, sewer routes or locked side doors.
- 06Return to merchants after major plot developments. Several traders move, become hostile or change their stock.
The city reacts to violence
Lower City buildings are often crowded. Combat can attract guards, Steel Watch units or nearby civilians. A seemingly minor theft can become a public confrontation, particularly around major commercial buildings and official facilities.
Fireworks and restricted areas
Felogyr’s Fireworks contains explosive goods and restricted levels. The building’s layout is connected to the city’s suspicious-toy investigation, but its vertical access and faction relationships mean that simply entering every room may produce a hostile response.
Companion-dependent access
The House of Grief, Cazador’s Dungeon, Sorcerous Sundries and the Guild-related areas all have content that depends on party composition, previous decisions or quest state. Bring the relevant companion when practical, especially Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale and Jaheira.
The Murder Tribunal
The Tribunal’s route is concealed behind a legitimate-looking funeral business. Investigating the murders and following the clues around Candulhallow’s Tombstones is safer than wandering into the sewers expecting to find the entrance.
The Iron Throne
The Iron Throne is a rescue operation with limited time once the sequence begins. Prepare movement abilities, speed-enhancing effects, ranged attacks and ways to open or bypass obstacles. Rescue priorities should be decided before boarding rather than improvised after the countdown begins.
Mystic Carrion
Mystic Carrion’s immortality quest involves tracking servants and destroying the sources of his regeneration. Fighting him without investigating the relevant information can make the encounter far more difficult.
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Before entering the deep underground
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The Lower City presents Baldur’s Gate as a place where trade, religion, organised crime, political power and supernatural threats occupy the same few streets. The city’s public institutions often conceal private functions: a funeral shop conceals a Bhaalist tribunal, a healing house conceals a Sharran cloister, a dock warehouse conceals a route into the Iron Throne, and a wealthy mansion may belong to an undead merchant.
The Undercity deepens this contrast. Beneath the active commercial district lie the remains of an older city, ancient ruins and passages that connect criminal, religious and cult infrastructure. The setting therefore uses vertical geography as social history: respectable businesses above, hidden power structures below.
Real-world and series context
The Lower City belongs specifically to the Baldur’s Gate 3 presentation of the city and should not be automatically equated with identically named districts in earlier games or tabletop material. Older Baldur’s Gate games also depicted the city, but their maps, district boundaries and accessible buildings are not interchangeable with the Act Three layout in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Lower City in this guide refers to the base game’s Act Three region and its directly associated underground areas, not every Baldur’s Gate location across the wider Forgotten Realms continuity.
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Is the Undercity part of the Lower City?
No. The Undercity is a separate region beneath the Lower City. It is connected to the surface through the Lower City Sewers and several building entrances, but it has its own hierarchy, landmarks and progression.
Is Wyrm’s Crossing part of the Lower City?
No. Wyrm’s Crossing and Wyrm’s Rock Fortress are neighbouring areas on the route into the Lower City. The Lower City begins after the North Span transition.
Where should I shop first?
Visit Sorcerous Sundries for spell-related stock, Devil’s Fee for specialist magical goods, Bonecloak’s Apothecary and Crimson Draughts for alchemy, Stormshore Armoury for weapons and armour, Facemaker’s Boutique for clothing and dyes, and Elfsong Tavern for camp supplies and food. Merchant availability can change with quests.
Which Lower City quests are most dangerous to postpone?
The Iron Throne rescue, Steel Watch Foundry sequence, companion finales and Orin-related investigations deserve early planning. The precise consequences depend on the party’s quest order, so save before committing to major faction actions.
Where is the route to Minsc?
Minsc’s recruitment route runs through the Guild and the Abandoned Cistern. The cistern is reached through the sewer network after solving its sluice-gate problem or overcoming the relevant physical obstacle.
Where do I find the Murder Tribunal?
The entrance is through Candulhallow’s Tombstones. The shop is a front for the Tribunal and is separate from the ordinary sewer routes.
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Sources
- Lower City - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Undercity - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- List of traders - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- List of locations - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Lower City Pass - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki
- Category:Characters in the Lower City - bg3.wiki — bg3.wiki