What is the secret to solving the puzzle in the House of Healing in Baldur's Gate 3?

The House of Healing in Baldur's Gate 3 features a puzzle that requires careful observation and interaction with the environment. This puzzle is tied to the story of the Shadow-Cursed Lands and involves a group of undead nurses and a surgeon named Malus Thorm. The goal is to resolve the situation peacefully or through combat, depending on your choices. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to solve the puzzle and navigate the encounter.

The puzzle in the House of Healing revolves around the undead nurses and Malus Thorm, who are obsessed with healing and surgery. The key to solving this puzzle lies in understanding their motivations and using dialogue or environmental clues to manipulate the situation. The nurses are fixated on the idea of healing, and Malus Thorm is a surgeon who has lost his mind, believing that pain is necessary for healing. To solve the puzzle, you need to either convince Malus Thorm to stop his experiments or defeat him in combat.

First, when you enter the House of Healing, you will encounter the undead nurses. They will not attack you immediately but will instead ask you to submit to their "healing." You can choose to engage in dialogue with them or attack. If you choose dialogue, you can persuade them to let you pass by convincing them that you are already healed or that you are there to help. This requires a successful Persuasion or Deception check. If you fail the check, the nurses will become hostile, and you will have to fight them.

Once you pass the nurses, you will encounter Malus Thorm in the operating theater. He is surrounded by more undead nurses and is in the process of "healing" a patient. To solve the puzzle, you need to interact with Malus Thorm. You can choose to engage in dialogue with him, and if you succeed in certain skill checks, you can convince him to stop his experiments. This requires a high Charisma score and proficiency in Persuasion or Intimidation. If you succeed, Malus Thorm will turn on his nurses, and you can avoid combat entirely.

If you fail the skill checks or choose to attack, you will have to fight Malus Thorm and his nurses. This is a challenging combat encounter, as Malus Thorm has powerful healing abilities and can summon additional undead to aid him. To optimize your chances in combat, focus on taking out the nurses first, as they can heal Malus Thorm and make the fight more difficult. Use area-of-effect spells like Fireball or Spirit Guardians to deal with multiple enemies at once. Additionally, try to position your party members to avoid being surrounded, as the undead can overwhelm you if you are not careful.

One important tip is to use the environment to your advantage. The operating theater has several objects that can be interacted with, such as surgical tools and medical supplies. These can be used to deal damage or create distractions. For example, you can throw a vial of acid or alchemist's fire to deal damage to multiple enemies. You can also use the environment to block line of sight or create chokepoints, making it harder for the enemies to reach you.

Common mistakes to avoid include rushing into combat without preparing your party. Make sure to buff your characters with spells like Bless or Shield of Faith before engaging in combat. Additionally, avoid splitting your party too much, as this can make it easier for the enemies to pick off your characters one by one. Instead, keep your party close together and focus on taking out the most dangerous enemies first.

Advanced techniques include using stealth to gain the upper hand in combat. If you have a rogue or a character with high Dexterity, you can sneak into the operating theater and position your party members before initiating combat. This allows you to set up ambushes and deal significant damage before the enemies can react. Additionally, using crowd control spells like Hold Person or Hypnotic Pattern can disable key enemies and make the fight much easier.

In terms of D&D rules, the encounter with Malus Thorm and the undead nurses is a good example of how dialogue and skill checks can be used to resolve conflicts without combat. This is a core mechanic in Dungeons & Dragons, where players are encouraged to use their skills and abilities creatively to overcome challenges. The encounter also highlights the importance of understanding enemy motivations and using the environment to your advantage, which are key aspects of D&D combat.

In conclusion, the puzzle in the House of Healing can be solved through careful dialogue and strategic combat. By understanding the motivations of the undead nurses and Malus Thorm, you can manipulate the situation to your advantage. Use the environment, prepare your party, and focus on taking out the most dangerous enemies first to succeed in this challenging encounter. Whether you choose to resolve the situation peacefully or through combat, the House of Healing offers a unique and memorable experience in Baldur's Gate 3.