Baldur's Gate 3: Destroy the Elder Brain Baldurs Gate 3 guide, walkthrough
On this page of the tutorial you will learn how to solve the main quest Destroy the Elder Brain and thus complete the game.
Last update: 21 September 2023
Destroy the Elder Brain is the final task in the game. Completing it leads directly to the finale and end credits. On the following guide page, you will learn how to complete the main quest while remaining an Ilithid.
This page contains spoilers concerning various stages and the end of the game.
How to gather a team?
Baldur's Gate is in flames, and you are its only hope. Orpheus, who is a monk and can cast a useful fireball, is joining your party. Move forward and talk to Voss - he will be very grateful to you for saving Orpheus and will lend you his strength in the fight against the enemy.
Move on until you enter the building. A cutscene will trigger in which the current allies will declare their support.
- Volo will help you with his knowledge - this is possible if you've saved him from the angry mob in the city.
- Valeria offers support to the city guard - she will help if you didn't kill her during the Murder Tribunal encounter.
- Astarion will only be able to summon Creatures of night into battle if he has completed the ritual in Cazador's Dungeon.
- The Strange Ox will help you with its transformation abilities if you have smuggled him to the city.
Moreover, you will find a merchant here - stock up on potions and other necessary items for the fights because there will be plenty of them ahead of you.
How to get to the Netherbrain?
Move forward - ahead of you will be a huge square, where one of the biggest battles in the game awaits you. Before you start it, try to climb the tower near the gate on the right.
Start the fight from there. You can use the Call Your Allies option to summon a powerful area attack or necessary allies. Regardless of the decision, eliminate the opponents one by one until you reach the gate.
Move to the left - another fight will start for a second. This time, you will also have to handle area attacks of the Nautiloid, which deals about 30 to 50 fire damage at the end of the turn. Avoid the marked areas and also eliminate enemies while staying on the move.
Eventually, you'll reach the top of the tower, where you'll be able to climb to the Netherbrain.
Take a short rest or drink a potion that has a similar effect. Prepare your potions, because the last fight in the game awaits you.
How to defeat the Elder Brain?
Your goal is to reach the Crown of Karsus and cast a spell owned by a character transformed by Illithid. Meanwhile, your team will have to deal with the four Dream Guardians, who possess several control effects such as Charm, Disarm, and Stun. Additionally, the Emperor with the red dragon will join the fight if you have decided to free Orpheus. At the end of the location, you will also find four Ilithids who cast a Magic Missile each turn, dealing about 50 damage.
If you are playing on the lowest difficulty level and your team is mobile, just ignore the opponents and go to the Crown as quickly as possible. Use spells like Misty Step or Dimensional Door, and when you get there, let the character transformed into Ilithid cast control over the Crown of Karsus.
If you play at higher difficulty levels, the matter gets a bit more difficult. Kill the Emperor first if you freed Orpheus, ignore the dragon, and have your fastest character go to the four Ilithids in the back and eliminate them because you won't last long. After eliminating about half of them and the Emperor, you can leave someone behind to act as bait for the remaining opponents. If any of your allies dies here, it doesn't matter because after you defeat the Netherbrain, they will be automatically resurrected, including Orpheus.
Go through the portal - you need two characters who can deal damage, preferably from a distance.
The Netherbrain each turn will destroy the platforms where characters that have ended their turns are. Stay together and jump from one to the other as you complete your actions. Once per turn, the Netherbrain will cast an area attack that takes one action and deals damage, but if you have a high Constitution attribute, you can counter this effect. Regardless of the tactic, you will eventually kill Netherbrain.
End of the game
A cutscene will be displayed, summing your accomplishments and allowing you to make some decisions related to your companions. In this case - it's how you will be remembered by the people of Orpheus, the fate of Lae'zel, and above all, the fate of your character turned into an Ilithid. After all this, you will receive another short cutscene with Withers, and at the very end, after the credits, a scene with Raphael.