As players explore the coast region in the first act ofBaldur’s Gate 3, they may stumble upon an ambushed caravan with packs of hyenas and gnolls on the hills by Risen Road. This leads parties to a relatively short side quest involving survivors of the ambush and the precious cargo they were attempting to deliver.
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Like most things inBaldur’s Gate 3,aiding the survivors and securing their cargo isn’t so clear-cut. There’s a big fight to be fought, choices to be made, and consequences to consider. For players who want to err on the side of caution, here’s a guide that explores all the possible outcomes of this side quest.
This guide covers important items, NPCs, dialogue, and events that may spoil parts of the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Missing Shipment Quest
To start this side quest, go past the Blighted Village and either jump across the bridge by the barn or cross the stream below. Players will encounter ruined cargo wagons along with some Bloated Hyenas in the middle of the road. Ignore these and sneak up toward the hillside to find a pack of gnolls eating villagers. Get rid of them, and follow the trail of blood and paw prints toward a larger horde of gnolls and two men stuck inside a cave.
The gnolls here are at least Level 4, with the Flind the Warlord being Level 5. Players can brute-force their way through the horde or use the Mind Flayer parasite to turn the Warlord against her friends. Alternatively, Flind and her gnollscan be coerced into charging the two menin the cave — they will take damage during the scuffle, softening them up for the player’s own party. Let one turn to pass without killing Flind to trigger this scene.
The outcome of this battle is where the quest will start to diverge.
Visiting the Zhentarim Hideout
If the two men survive, the man named Rugan will invite players to the tavern at the Waukeen’s Rest Inn due west of the cave. Upon arriving at the inn, players will find that it’s been raided by Drow and Goblins. Choose to either help the NPCs or head straight to the back of the compound and enter the underground cellar, where one companion of the caravaneers lies waiting.
Persuade the man or use the password given by the survivors at the cave, and he will tell the party to enter the nearby hatch. This leads to a basement area with a secret entrance leading to the Zhentarim Hideout. Once there, Rugan will invite the party inside,effectively deactivating the trapsleading to the inner sanctum and preventing hostilities.
Speak with Zarys and tell her the truth about what happened. She will give players a bunch of gold along with Harold, a rare magic crossbow that has a chance to inflict Bane on enemies it hits.
Loot the Shipment
If players massacre the gnolls and the caravaneers, they’ll be able to loot everything inside the cave, including the sealed shipment the two men were supposed to deliver.
The lock on this chest has a Difficulty Class (DC) of 20, so make sure to havesomeone who’s very proficient at picking locks. If this isn’t an option, players can take the chest to Zarys at the Zhentarim Hideout themselves and claim the rewards mentioned above.
Should players manage to open the chest, they’ll find some gold and a curious Iron Flask. Removing the stopper from this hideout will spawn a hostile Beholder, one of the most iconic monsters inDungeons and Dragons. Doing so will also prevent all future friendly interactions with the Zhentarim as well as their client, who is rumored to be a powerful wizard in Baldur’s Gate.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available now on PC, with a PS5 version coming soon.
