Can I save the Gondians in Baldur's Gate 3?

Saving the Gondians in Baldur's Gate 3 is a challenging but achievable goal that requires careful planning, strategic combat, and thoughtful decision-making. The Gondians are a group of skilled engineers and inventors who are enslaved by the Steel Watch Foundry in the Lower City of Baldur's Gate. Their fate is tied to the main questline, particularly in Act 3, where you must navigate a series of encounters and choices to ensure their survival. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to save them.

First, itÔÇÖs important to understand the context. The Gondians are being forced to work on the Steel Watch, a powerful army of mechanical soldiers controlled by the villainous Gortash. To save them, you must infiltrate the Steel Watch Foundry and disrupt the production of these machines. This involves a multi-step process that includes combat, dialogue choices, and environmental interactions.

The first step is to gather information about the Gondians and the Foundry. You can do this by speaking with NPCs in the Lower City, such as the Gondian workers who are hiding or trying to escape. They will provide clues about the FoundryÔÇÖs layout and the conditions inside. Additionally, you can find notes and documents scattered throughout the city that reveal more about the GondiansÔÇÖ plight and the FoundryÔÇÖs operations.

Once you have enough information, you can plan your infiltration. The Foundry is heavily guarded, so youÔÇÖll need a strong party with a mix of combat and utility skills. Characters with high stealth, lockpicking, and persuasion abilities are particularly useful. ItÔÇÖs also a good idea to have a balanced party with a mix of melee and ranged fighters, as well as spellcasters who can handle both single-target and area-of-effect damage.

When you enter the Foundry, youÔÇÖll encounter several waves of enemies, including Steel Watchers, guards, and traps. The key to success is to use the environment to your advantage. The Foundry is filled with machinery and explosive barrels that can be used to deal massive damage to enemies. Positioning your party strategically and using area-of-effect spells like Fireball or Thunderwave can help you clear rooms quickly.

As you progress through the Foundry, youÔÇÖll come across the Gondians themselves. They are being held in various parts of the facility, and youÔÇÖll need to free them by defeating their captors and disabling the machinery that controls them. This often involves solving puzzles or completing timed challenges, so be prepared to think on your feet.

One of the most critical moments comes when you reach the central control room. Here, youÔÇÖll face a powerful boss fight against the FoundryÔÇÖs overseer and their elite guards. This fight is challenging, but with careful planning and coordination, you can emerge victorious. Focus on taking out the guards first, as they can overwhelm you if left unchecked. Use crowd control spells like Hold Person or Sleep to disable key enemies, and make sure to heal your party regularly.

After defeating the overseer, youÔÇÖll have the opportunity to free the Gondians. This is where your dialogue choices come into play. YouÔÇÖll need to convince the Gondians to trust you and follow your lead. High persuasion or intimidation skills can make this easier, but even if you donÔÇÖt have these skills, you can still succeed by making logical and empathetic arguments.

Once the Gondians are free, youÔÇÖll need to escort them out of the Foundry. This is another challenging part of the quest, as youÔÇÖll face additional waves of enemies and traps. Keep your party close to the Gondians and use defensive spells like Shield or Sanctuary to protect them. If any Gondians fall in combat, you can use healing spells or potions to revive them, but itÔÇÖs best to avoid this by keeping them out of harmÔÇÖs way.

Finally, once youÔÇÖve successfully escorted the Gondians out of the Foundry, youÔÇÖll need to deal with the aftermath. Depending on your choices earlier in the game, you may have the option to ally with the Gondians and use their expertise to help you in the final battle against the gameÔÇÖs main antagonist. This can provide significant advantages, such as access to powerful weapons and armor, as well as strategic support.

In terms of D&D rules and mechanics, saving the Gondians involves a mix of combat, skill checks, and role-playing. The combat encounters are designed to test your partyÔÇÖs ability to handle multiple enemies and environmental hazards, while the skill checks require you to make smart use of your charactersÔÇÖ abilities. The role-playing aspect allows you to shape the story and determine the fate of the Gondians based on your choices.

Common mistakes to avoid include rushing into combat without proper preparation, neglecting to use the environment to your advantage, and failing to protect the Gondians during the escort mission. Advanced techniques include using stealth to bypass certain encounters, using crowd control spells to disable enemies, and optimizing your partyÔÇÖs equipment and abilities for the specific challenges youÔÇÖll face.

In conclusion, saving the Gondians in BaldurÔÇÖs Gate 3 is a complex and rewarding quest that requires careful planning, strategic combat, and thoughtful decision-making. By following the steps outlined above and keeping these tips in mind, you can ensure the survival of the Gondians and gain valuable allies for the final battle.