How To Get To The Underdark In Baldur’s Gate 3

The Underdark is one of the most vibrant and mysterious regions within Baldur’s Gate 3, offering rich quests and narratives in Act 1. With plenty of valuable loot to obtain, enchanting and magical spots to explore, and exhilarating boss battles, it is a rewarding path to navigate toward the Shadow-cursed Lands.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can access the Underdark from Act 1 through any discovered entrance, not solely as a passage to the Shadow-cursed Lands. Even if you explore the Mountain Pass to visit the Githyanke Creche, you can revisit these locations anytime before progressing to Act 2. This flexibility ensures you won’t miss any content, allowing you to collect all valuable loot and complete quests in each area.

All Underdark Entrances In Act 1

The Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3 features four entrances, each leading to distinct locations within this hidden realm, as showcased on the Underdark map. Choosing an entrance near a Waypoint is recommended for easier navigation. Accessing the Underdark involves traversing perilous zones in Act 1, indicating its challenging accessibility. Despite potential hostile encounters on these paths, the reward is discovering a new, secret world within the game.

Navigating the Underdark’s harsh environment requires a minimum of Level 3, though ideally, players should aim for Level 5 or higher to comfortably handle its challenges.

The Whispering Depths Entrance

Jump Down The Chasm

The Whispering Depths offer one of the simplest routes to the Underdark, involving minimal to no combat if you choose to strategize wisely. Accessible by descending the Well in the Blighted Village, follow the tunnels westward to a large pit encircled by webbed paths. The seemingly ‘bottomless’ pit actually leads to the Underdark. Here, you may encounter the Phase Spider Matriarch field boss, which poses little threat and can be defeated using long-range tactics.

For easier navigation, equip the Spiderstep Boots found on skeletal remains along the first right path from the well. These boots prevent the wearer from being enwebbed.

To defeat the Phase Spider Matriarch in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can push it into the chasm using a strength-based character or cast a knockback spell like Thunderwave. Alternatively, setting the webbed pathways on fire using a spell or arrow will cause them to burn, dropping the spider into the Underdark.

To safely descend, cast Feather Falling (via a Scroll if necessary), preventing death by fall damage for your party. Upon landing, you’ll find the spider’s corpse available for looting. For a stealth approach, remain out of sight behind rocks or use Invisibility to avoid combat, waiting for the spider to position itself on the webs over the chasm.

Although skipping the spider boss and jumping straight down is an option, you will miss out on valuable items from the spider, which require minimal effort to loot. Items include the Poisoner’s Robe, which grants the wearer 10 Armor Class. This uncommon garment enhances Poison Damage spells by an additional 1-4 Poison Damage and can be sold for 250 Gold.

Upon landing, you will arrive at the western side of the Underdark, and be immediately ambushed by Minotaurs that you must engage in combat.

The Zhentarim Hideout Entrance

Use The Guarded Elevator

Accessing the Underdark via the Zhentarim Hideout presents minimal obstacles, allowing for an easy passage with just a bit of strategic planning to dodge any hostile encounters. This route also enables players to complete the ‘Rescue The Trapped Man’ quest in BG3.

The Zhentarim Hideout is located at the northwest extremity of the Act 1 map, north of the Waukeen’s Rest Waypoint. A seemingly dead end with a deceased Ox hides a secret west of the burning house surrounded by the Flaming Fist. North of this spot, a small shed obscured by crates serves as a covert entrance to the hideout of the notorious criminal faction, the Zhentarim.

You must pass a Deception of Persuasion Check to gain entry into the hideout.

When you enter the Zhentarim Basement in Baldur’s Gate 3, avoid engaging in combat to prevent the entire faction from turning hostile. Instead, ascend the ladders to the upper pathways and head northeast until you encounter an illusory wall, revealed by a Perception check and guarded by a wolf. Near the wolf, stealthily pickpocket the Mechanical Key from a guard named Karad using a character skilled in Sleight of Hand.

Ensure your party crouches to stay out of sight of Karad and the wolf, then proceed through the illusory wall to find a secret elevator. Use the key on the Elevator Switch to interact with the Elevator and descend into the Underdark.

The elevator descends to the Zhentarim Hideout’s Storehouse in the Underdark, conveniently located near the Myconid Colony, a village of friendly indigenous inhabitants. This area is home to several vendors and offers a wealth of quests, providing a solid starting point for your Underdark adventure with immediate objectives to pursue.

The Defiled Temple Entrance

Solve The Moon Puzzle

The Defiled Temple is located beneath the Goblin Camp on the west side of Act 1’s map in Baldur’s Gate 3. Although it is generally dangerous, players seeking an audience with Priestess Gut can freely access it. You can always return here to confront and kill the Goblin leaders later unless you plan to recruit Minthara in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Inside the Shattered Sanctum, proceed west to Priestess Gut’s quarters and lockpick the door. You can bypass an ogre bodyguard inside through combator by succeeding in a Persuasion or Deception check, granting you to roam freely within the area.

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Navigate the hallways to discover a room featuring four rotatable circles on the floor, marked by several filled and empty slots. solve the Defiled Temple Moon puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3 to access the subsequent room and descend into the Underdark, leading directly to the Selunite Outpost.

Arriving at the Selunite Outpost in the Underdark presents immediate dangers. Spitting gargoyles guard the entrance, and just outside the gates, a menacing Minotaur awaits. More threatening is the presence of a Spectator to the right, accompanied by petrified Drow lackeys brought to life to fight alongside it.

The Riverside Teahouse Entrance

Find Auntie Ethel’s Ancient Abode

Accessing the Underdark via Auntie Ethel’s home offers a perilous yet engaging challenge for those intent on defeating the evil hag and rescuing Mayrina. Located southwest of the Blighted Village, players initially encounter Auntie Ethel in her disguised form in the surrounding woods. Entering her house and extinguishing the fireplace uncovers a hidden passage to her secret underground lair, setting the stage for a daring adventure.

ChucksLucks on YouTube provides a full walkthrough of how to navigate the Overgrown Tunnels until you reach a waterfall. Ensure to collect the Whispering Mask from a table in the cauldron room en route, an item crucial for Underdark access via this path. Leap through the waterfall and proceed cautiously along the path to circle back to a twisted door right next to the waterfall’s entrance, wary of traps. Make a final jump to the door and equip the mask to unveil the illusion concealing it.

Upon entering the Ancient Abode, you will encounter a mushroom portal that transports you to a platform above the Arcane Tower in BG3 in the Underdark, with another mushroom circle leading downwards. Given the various challenging entrances into the Underdark, each presenting potential hostile encounters or puzzles, the best entry point depends on your desired arrival location within Baldur’s Gate 3. The Whispering Depths and the Zhentarim Hideout are the safest and least effort-intensive options.

Video Credit: ChucksLucks/YouTube