When you first enter the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3, it is an absolutely massive area with a ton of places to explore. My strategy was to start off with the left side of the map and gradually loop around. If you take a similar route, the first new area you’ll reach is the one containing an epic looking Arcane Tower. Don’t get distracted though, there are Arcane Turrets there waiting to zap you and they deal some pretty huge damage.
Lets go over what you need to do to get past them, into the tower as well as how to go about powering the tower back on and deactivating those pesky turrets.
How to Get Into the Arcane Tower and Power it up in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
Getting Past the Arcane Turrets
You’ll have to use the Tactical mode to get past the Arcane Turrets. Then using methods such as sneaking, hiding behind objects, jumping, and sprinting, you should be able to move each member past the Arcane Turrets and up the stairs to the Tower entrance. Once you’ve made it past the initial Arcane Turrets and up to the front door of the tower, you’ll notice it’s locked. Lucky for us there’s a wide-open window to jump through just off to the left.
After you enter the room, there will be another Arcane Turret Make sure you’re in Tactical mode and immediately make a move to exit the first door on the left. You’ll now be on a balcony and out of sight of the turret. What you need to do now is jump onto the the big blue mushroom just below you and continue down to the balcony. From here, the easiest way is to use a character top make the leap down from this balcony to the mushroom below. It’s a big drop, so if you have a Feather Fall spell or something to help you negate some damage, you should use that here. You also only need to have one character make the jump down. You’ll want to ensure the character you choose has good lockpicking capabilities and some Thieves Tools on them.
Once you’ve made that leap down, head to the ledge on the left and proceed around the back of the tower. You’ll find a bright, glowing area with a special Arcane Tree in it. Underneath the tree, you’ll find a Sussur Bloom. Pick this up and you’ll lose the ability to use magic, but only while you’re near it.
Now if you turn around, you’ll see a door to enter back into the Arcane Tower at this base level. Saving now could be a good idea, just in case the rolls go against you. Head on over to the door and lockpick it. In the middle of the room you’ll find a contraption. Click on it, place your Sussur Bloom into the empty socket, and boom, you’ll power up the Arcane Tower!
Not only does it light up the whole place, but the Arcane Turrets will deactivate, so you can explore freely now. You’ll be able to use the Arcane Lift in the middle of the tower rooms now as well, just click on Ascend or Descend to change floors. Feel free to explor,e but you should know there is a strong foe awaiting you on the rooftop of the Arcane Tower. Make sure you’ve had a long rest and save the game before heading to the roof. That covers off the Arcane Tower area in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s not an easy area to get through and the fight at the top of the tower is tough, but you do get some cool things for your efforts.
For more on Baldur’s Gate 3, check out our guides for How to Make Elixir of Arcane Cultivation, as well as How to Dye Armor. And if you’re just starting out, watch Destructoid’s excellent beginner’s guide to Baldur’s Gate 3.
