Baldur's Gate 3: The Ultimate List of NPCs with Worthwhile Loot

(Image Credit: Larian Studios)

Baldur's Gate 3, the latest installment in the cherished franchise, rides the wave of anticipation with its intricate gameplay and deep narrative. As players delve into the world of Faerûn, they encounter a myriad of non-player characters (NPCs) each holding secrets and, more importantly, valuable loot. This guide focuses specifically on the act of item looting in the early access version of Baldur's Gate 3 Act 1, aiming to unravel the most rewarding encounters while traversing this vast, interactive landscape. The journey through Baldur's Gate 3 is not just about combat and exploration; it's a strategic endeavor to engage with NPCs in a manner that keeps alliances strong and conflicts at bay, ensuring players can unlock all traders and journey into the depths of the Underdark with minimal casualties.

The essence of Baldur's Gate 3 gameplay, deeply rooted in the Dungeons and Dragons 5e rule set, offers players a collaborative storytelling experience that is both challenging and rewarding. With an emphasis on strategy, character development, and meticulous planning, this guide sheds light on the NPCs that are pivotal for acquiring worthwhile loot. As players navigate through the game's narrative, understanding the mechanics, stats, and skills becomes crucial for success. This article serves as a comprehensive list of NPCs in Baldur's Gate 3 with valuable loot, tailored for players looking to optimize their gameplay while experiencing the rich story and dynamic combat system that the game offers.

1. Raphael

Raphael stands out as one of the most intriguing NPCs in Baldur's Gate 3, not just for his complex character but also for the valuable loot he offers. As a cambion and heir to the archdevil Mephistopheles, Raphael combines fiendish cunning with a flair for the dramatic, making every encounter with him a memorable experience.

Key Characteristics and In-Game Role:

• True Identity: Raphael, in his human disguise, presents with dark hair and subtly red skin, but his true form reveals bright red skin, decorative curved horns, and three glowing, yellow eyes, enhancing his devilish aura.
• Residence: He operates from the House of Hope in the Nine Hells, drawing in desperate souls to barter their futures.
• Personality: Known for his narcissism, Raphael enjoys poetry, theatricality, and manipulating mortals with tempting offers.

Quests and Encounters:

• Involved Quests: Raphael plays pivotal roles in quests like 'Deal with the Devil' and 'Break Yurgir's Contract', providing players with complex challenges and moral dilemmas.
• Impact on Companions: First interactions affect companion approvals differently, e.g., Astarion: -5, Gale: -1.
• Locations: Throughout the game, Raphael can be encountered in various settings including the Last Light Inn during Act Two and Sharess' Caress in Act Three.

Loot Overview:

• Helldusk Armour: Acquiring this potent piece of equipment is a high point of defeating Raphael. Attributes include:
  • Armor Class: 21
  • Special Abilities: Grants proficiency with heavy armor, immunity to fire damage, and the ability to cast the Level 3 spell Fly.
• Raphael's Diaries: These provide deep insights into his strategies and historical lore, valuable for understanding enemy tactics.
• House of Hope Treasures: The location offers multiple high-value items:
  • Helldusk Gloves: Cast Rays of Fire, adds fire and necrotic damage to attacks.
  • Amulet of Greater Health and Gauntlets of Giant Hill Strength: Boosts constitution and strength significantly.

Engaging with Raphael not only tests the player's strategic and moral compass but also rewards them with some of the most powerful items in Baldur's Gate 3. Whether choosing to confront this cunning foe or navigate his complex quests, players are guaranteed a richly rewarding experience.

2. Commander Zhalk

Commander Zhalk, a formidable optional boss in Baldur's Gate 3, presents a unique challenge and opportunity for players. Encountered near the end of the Prologue aboard the Nautiloid ship, he is embroiled in a fierce battle against a Mind Flayer. This encounter is part of the 'Escape the Nautiloid' quest, where Commander Zhalk reveals his prowess and the loot he guards.

Key Stats and Abilities:

• Health: 150
• Armor Class (AC): 18
• Base Speed: 9m
• Passive Features: Darkvision
• Abilities:
  • Strength: 18
  • Dexterity: 18
  • Constitution: 16
  • Intelligence: 14
  • Wisdom: 15
  • Charisma: 16
  • Proficiency Bonus: +2
  • Initiative: +4
• Attack & Spells: Main hand attack
• Resistances: Commander Zhalk is resistant to slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, fire, lightning, cold, and poison damage.

Loot and Strategy:

• Experience Gained: 75
• Loot: Everburn Blade, a powerful magic greatsword that deals additional fire damage.
• Combat Strategy:
  1. Preparation: Free Shadowheart and ensure Us the Intellect Devourer is on your side before engaging.
  2. Positioning: Position a character with strong ranged attacks near the transponder console; other party members should focus powerful attacks on Zhalk.
  3. Handling Minions: Prioritize killing Zhalk's minions as he will ignore players while battling the Mind Flayer.
  4. Radiant Damage: Since Zhalk has high defenses and resistance to many damage types, radiant damage proves most effective.
  5. Timely Execution: Be aware that two more Cambions join the fight by turn five, necessitating a swift finish to the battle.

The confrontation with Commander Zhalk not only tests a player's tactical acumen but also rewards them with the Everburn Blade, enhancing their arsenal significantly. The blade boasts an 80% acquisition success rate using the 'Command' spell, which can be strategically cast after weakening Zhalk to about 20 hit points and setting up explosives for a decisive blow. This high-stakes encounter underscores the rich, strategic gameplay of Baldur's Gate 3, making every decision and battle a potentially game-changing moment.

3. Malus Thorm

Malus Thorm, a sinister character in Baldur's Gate 3, is a follower of the Dark Faith and a surgeon known for his gruesome practices. He resides in the House of Healing located in Reithwin Town within the Shadow Cursed Lands, a place marked by coordinates X:-214 and Y:-24. This eerie surgeon, along with his Undead Nurses, presents a unique challenge, either through combat or cunning conversation.

Approaches to Confronting Malus Thorm:

• Combat Strategy:
  • Malus has the ability to revive his Undead Nurses, making it essential to eliminate the revived nurse each turn. This strategy allows the rest of the party to concentrate attacks on Thorm, gradually weakening him for a final takedown.
• Diplomatic Strategy:
  • Players can opt for a less violent approach by manipulating the nurses to turn on each other, suggesting they practice their surgical skills amongst themselves. This leads to their mutual demise.
  • Successfully passing a Deception check of 21 will convince Malus Thorm to end his own life, avoiding a direct confrontation.

Loot Details:

• Malus Thorm’s Loot:
  • Coins: 64 cold coins
  • Items: Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet, Battered Lute, A Key, A Supply Pack, A Sylvan Stone, A Timmask Spores, A Pegasus Feather
• Undead Nurses’ Loot:
  • First Sister Hunna: Karabasan’s Gift, Bonesaw
  • Sister Geanne: Karabasan’s Gift, Artificial Leech
  • Sister Anya: Karabasan’s Gift, Syringe
  • Sister Vanessa: Karabasan’s Gift, Trepan
• Additional Find: Nearby the House of Healing, players can discover Poisoner’s Gloves in a chest, adding a valuable asset for those specializing in stealth and poison tactics.

Engaging with Malus Thorm and his eerie entourage in Baldur's Gate 3 offers players a blend of tactical combat and strategic dialogue choices, each leading to valuable loot and deeper immersion into the game’s dark world. Whether you choose to fight or finesse your way through this encounter, the rewards are both rich and strategically beneficial.

4. Lyrthindor

Lyrthindor, the enigmatic Dark Justiciar, emerges as a formidable adversary in Baldur's Gate 3, combining his tragic past with his powerful command over dark magics. Residing in the Shadow Cursed Lands, his story is one of loss and vengeance, having lost both his wife and daughter, fueling his relentless pursuit of power.

Key Stats and Abilities:

• Level: 7
• Stats: Strength: 18 (+4), Dexterity: 12 (+1), Constitution: 12 (+1), Intelligence: 10 (0), Wisdom: 20 (+5), Charisma: 10 (0)
• Armor Class: 16
• Hit Points: 145
• Initiative: +1
• Proficiency Bonus: +2
• Saving Throws: Strength: +4, Dexterity: +1, Constitution: +1, Intelligence: 0, Wisdom: +5, Charisma: 0

Special Abilities and Features:

• Legendary Resistance and Tactician: Adds +10 to the next 3 saving throws
• Movement Benefits: Immunity to being paralyzed or restrained, and unaffected by difficult terrain
• Vision and Combat: Darkvision, Opportunity Attack, Shar's Sight (cannot be blinded)
• Spells: Blight, Beckoning Darkness

Lyrthindor's Loot:

• Justiciar's Scimitar: A visually striking weapon, enhanced with dark enchantments.
• Justiciar's Greatshield: Offers robust defense with a touch of dark magic.

Quest Involvement - "Secret or Hidden Quest of the Rats":

• Quest Giver: Yurgir
• Start Location: Gauntlet of Waypoint, Temple of Char
• Key Actions:
  1. Interacting with Rats: Use the Speak with Animals spell or a potion to communicate.
  2. Reading the Book: Triggers dialogue with the rats.
  3. Dialogue Choice: Select 'I want to see Lyrthindor' to advance the quest.
  4. Combat Encounters: Defeat enemies and navigate through dialogues to progress.
  5. Final Showdown: Confront and defeat Lyrthindor at the quest's climax.
  6. Loot Collection: Explore and collect treasures along the path, including the rare Boots of Brilliance.

This quest not only challenges players with a blend of combat and strategy but also rewards them with unique and powerful items, enhancing both their offensive and defensive capabilities. Engaging with Lyrthindor offers a deep dive into the lore of Baldur's Gate 3, presenting a rich narrative intertwined with the thrill of high-stakes gameplay.

5. Mystic Carrion

Mystic Carrion, a lesser-known yet crucial NPC in Baldur's Gate 3, offers a treasure trove of magical items and alchemical ingredients that are as mysterious as they are valuable. Known for dwelling in the shadowy recesses of the Underdark, Mystic Carrion's collection is a must-explore for players keen on enhancing their magical and alchemical prowess.

Key Items and Their Details:

• Magical Items:

  • Staff of Cherished Necromancy: While its specific abilities remain shrouded in mystery, this staff is a coveted item for those practicing the dark arts.
  • Armour of the Sporekeeper: Another enigmatic piece, its origins and powers are as intriguing as they are unknown.
  • Veil of the Morning: Priced at 2720 gold and weighing 1.8 units, this item's precise nature and use are yet to be discovered by the adventurers.

• Scrolls Collection:

  • Scroll of Eyebite: For 1020 gold, this scroll allows the caster to afflict a target with debilitating psychic pain.
  • Scroll of Cloudkill & Scroll of Phantasmal Killer: Priced at 680 and 306 gold respectively, these scrolls unleash powerful spells capable of turning the tide of battle.
  • Scroll of Fly & Scroll of Speak with Dead: Essential for tactical flexibility, priced at 170 and 111 gold respectively.
  • Scroll of Darkness: Offers strategic advantage in combat for 111 gold.

Alchemy Ingredients and Their Uses:

• Divine Bone Shard & Beholder Iris: Used in crafting elixirs like the Elixir of Universal Resistance and the Supreme Elixir of Arcane Cultivation, priced at 99 and 77 gold respectively.
• Night Orchid & Putrefied Tumour: These ingredients are crucial for concocting Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation and Oil of Bane, available for 29 and 19 gold.
• Imp Patagium & Chasm Creeper: Useful in creating potions of invisibility and elixirs enhancing physical prowess, costing 15 and 12 gold.
• Hastening Spores & Poison Spore: These are used in crafting Haste Spore Grenade and Noxious Spore Grenade, priced at 7 and 5 gold, enhancing combat versatility.

Engaging with Mystic Carrion not only enriches the player's inventory with potent magical and alchemical items but also deepens the immersion into the mystical world of Baldur's Gate 3. Each item holds the potential to significantly impact gameplay, making Mystic Carrion a critical stop for resourceful players.

6. Strange Ox

The Strange Ox in Baldur's Gate 3 is not just an ordinary beast; it's a multi-faceted NPC with significant roles across different acts, offering both challenges and rewards. Here's a detailed look at its characteristics and how players can maximize their interactions with this unique creature:

Key Characteristics and Encounters:

• Locations: Found in Druid Grove (Act 1), Last Light Inn stables (Act 2), and a barn in Rivington (Act 3).
• Abilities: Blindsight, Caustic Strikes, Darkvision, Extra Attack, Opportunity Attack.
• Resistances: Slashing, Lightning, Acid.

Strategic Interactions:

• Act 1:
  • Communication: Use a Potion of Animal Speaking or have Wyll, who can cast Speak with Animals.
  • Combat Caution: Killing the Strange Ox results in an acid explosion, damaging nearby party members. Best done when fewer NPCs are around to avoid additional conflicts.
• Act 2:
  • Hostility Level: Increases, and the ox attacks if provoked.
  • Loot: Defeating it here yields the Shapeshifter's Boon Ring, the Hat of Fire Acuity, and two Malachite gems.
• Act 3:
  • Quest Opportunity: Engage in the "Help the Devilish Ox" quest by speaking and not questioning its identity.
  • Alliance Potential: If not killed in previous acts, the ox aids in the final battle.

Loot Breakdown:

• Shapeshifter's Boon Ring: Especially useful for shapeshifters like Halsin but also enhances disguise abilities for any party member.
• Hat of Fire Acuity: Boosts magic-related stats, pivotal for spellcasters.
• Additional Gems: Malachite gems can be used in various crafting recipes or sold for gold.

By understanding the Strange Ox’s patterns and leveraging the opportunities it presents, players can significantly benefit from both its combat challenges and the strategic advantages it offers in Baldur's Gate 3. Engaging thoughtfully with this NPC not only enriches the gameplay experience but also equips players with valuable items that can be game-changers in their quest through Faerûn.

Conclusion

Throughout the early access version of Baldur's Gate 3, engaging with the NPCs described not only enriches the gameplay experience but also strategically equips players for the many challenges that Faerûn presents. Whether it's confronting the likes of Raphael or deciphering the secrets of Mystic Carrion, each interaction and ensuing loot collection allows players to delve deeper into the game's rich narrative. Mastery over these encounters emphasizes the importance of strategy, negotiation, and combat prowess, underscoring the meticulous planning and understanding required to optimize gameplay.

In summary, Baldur's Gate 3 offers a complex web of interactions with NPCs that are not just mere obstacles but opportunities to enhance one’s journey through a meticulously crafted world. As players navigate through these encounters, they not only uncover valuable assets but also experience the depth and breadth of the game’s storytelling. The guidance provided on engaging with these key NPCs serves as a crucial resource for those looking to leave no stone unturned in their quest through the Underdark and beyond, ensuring a rich and rewarding experience that is both strategic and immersive.