Our editor Alex has spent more than 100 hours with Baldur's Gate 3 and has also come across the Arcane Tower. Here, he reveals how to activate the rundown magical building.
In this guide, you will learn:
In the first act of Baldur's Gate 3, you will eventually stumble upon a tower in the Underdark, also known as the Arcane Tower or Destroyed Tower. As the first name suggests, it is a magical structure that has seen better days.
However, you can (no, you must) change that by reactivating it. But how exactly can you do that? Our editor and Baldur's Gate expert, Alex, provides guidance below.
The Arcane Tower is located in the southwest of the Underdark. You can simply enter it, but the building is protected by Arcane Cannons at several locations. These devices are quite unpleasant as they shoot down anyone who even remotely approaches them.
So, you need to disable the Arcane Cannons, but how do you do that? Well, for now, you and your party have no choice but to take a few hits. Disabling the magical weapons is only possible by using a generator on the first floor, and unfortunately, it's not as simple as switching it offline with a button or lever.
Your first destination is the backyard of the tower, where you can find some specimens of the magic-absorbing Sussur plant. You must throw their blossoms (Sussur Bloom) into the generator, but one step at a time. Simply go straight from the entrance of the Arcane Tower; you will then see an Arcane Cannon on your left and a staircase on your right.
Ascend the staircase under cannon fire and enter the tower through the large door. You can create illusions (with Gale) or duplicates (with Shadowheart) before running, but they will be quickly eliminated by the cannons.
In the room behind the door, you can already see the upper part of the generator on the right. However, you can't do anything with it, so leave the room to the upper left. There is a door to the balcony. At the latest, while opening the door, the nearby cannon will fire at you unless you try illusions again and have a bit of luck.
Outside on the balcony, your path leads you over several large mushrooms to the bottom left. "You" in this case either means a wizard from your group (Gale) or Astarion or Shadowheart. Gale may already have a teleportation spell that can make the climbing easier, while Astarion would ideally be equipped with a Feather Fall potion.
Astarion's advantage over Gale is that he is naturally skilled in lockpicking. However, Shadowheart also does well in this discipline, which is essential because you will need to pick a lock down in the backyard.
Once you reach the bottom, follow the path to a withered tree with apparently magical leaves. At its roots, you will find Sussur blooms that you need to pick up. Now turn around and walk straight towards another door. It is locked, so pick the lock.
In the room behind the door is the generator. Interact with it to open a combination menu. Now drag and drop the Sussur blooms into the free field on the right. This way, you throw the blooms into the generator. Since they absorb magic, they drain the magical energy from the generator, putting the cannons into a deep sleep.
And more: In a short cutscene, you will see all the braziers of the Arcane Tower ignite, and magic returns to the building. The activation is now complete. If you go up the stairs in the same room, you can teleport your companions to the elevator or waypoint there.
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