Baldur's Gate 3 Walkthrough: Act 3 Part 1, Rivington and the Lower City

Part 5 of our Baldur's Gate 3 walkthrough covers the first half of Act 3. You arrive in Rivington, cross Wyrm's Crossing into the Lower City, start the companion quests and take down the Steel Watch. It ends when you're ready to face Orin and Gortash.

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The whole walkthrough

The goal of Act 3

Two of the three leaders behind the Absolute are still alive: Lord Enver Gortash and Orin the Red. Each one carries a Netherstone. You need both stones to have any chance in the final battle. This part sets up both fights. Act 3 is huge, so plan to do it in stages.

1. Rivington

Act 3 begins in Rivington, the poor district just outside the city walls. Explore it fully before you cross the bridge:

• Find the gnome Wulbren and the Gondians if you freed them from Moonrise. Wulbren blames the Steel Watch, Gortash's metal guards, for his people's trouble. His quest points you to the Steel Watch Foundry.
• Visit the Circus of the Last Days and the Open Hand Temple. Both have quests that lead deeper into the city's problems.
• Check in with the tieflings and other people you saved in Acts 1 and 2. Many of them turn up here and can help later.

2. Wyrm's Crossing and Gortash's coronation

Wyrm's Crossing is the big bridge into the city. Its fortress, Wyrm's Rock, is where Gortash is being crowned Archduke. Go to the coronation.

• Gortash offers you a bargain: work with him against Orin. You can accept, refuse or play along.
• Don't start a fight here yet. His fortress is full of Steel Watchers, and it's far easier after you disable them.
• Look around the crossing for shops and side quests. It's a good place to sell loot.

3. The Lower City

The Lower City is the heart of Act 3. It's packed with quests, so use your journal and do them in clusters. Places worth visiting early:

• Sorcerous Sundries: a magic shop and library with some of the best items in the game.
• Szarr Palace: home of Cazador, the vampire who made Astarion.
• The House of Grief: a temple of Shar, important for Shadowheart.
• The Devil's Fee: a shop with a link to Raphael's plans.
• The Lower City sewers: they lead to Orin's hideout, covered in the next part.

4. Companion quests

Most companions finish their personal stories in Act 3. Talk to them at camp often. Short notes:

• Astarion: Cazador plans a ritual that uses Astarion and thousands of other spawn. If Astarion takes the ritual's power himself, he becomes far stronger but changes as a person. If you stop him, he stays who he is and is free of Cazador.
• Wyll: his father, Duke Ravengard, is a prisoner in the Iron Throne. Rescuing him is part of the Steel Watch quest below.
• Karlach: her infernal engine is getting worse. Keep her talking and look for help with it.
• Shadowheart: her path ends at the House of Grief, and depends on what she chose at the Nightsong.
• Gale and Lae'zel: their stories tie into the final battle, so keep them close to the end.

5. Raphael and the Orphic Hammer

Raphael's home, the House of Hope, holds the Orphic Hammer. You need the hammer if you want to free the prisoner inside your artefact at the end of the game. Without it, Raphael offers one last deal before the final fight. The House of Hope is a hard dungeon with a tough boss, so go in rested and at a high level. Read Raphael's deals very carefully: they always cost more than they seem to.

6. Disable the Steel Watch

Before you take on Gortash, deal with his army of Steel Watchers. There are two ways:

The Iron Throne

• The Iron Throne is an underwater prison. Get there by submersible.
• Once things go wrong, the prison is on a time limit. Free as many prisoners as you can, then get out. Plan your route before you start.
• Use Dimension Door, Misty Step and Dash to move fast. Don't fight more than you have to.
• If you didn't hand the githyanki egg to Lady Esther in Act 1, another quest, Retrieve Omeluum, starts here.

As soon as the Steel Watch is disabled, Wyrm's Rock becomes hostile. Go there only when you're ready to fight Gortash.

Tips for this part

• Don't try to do everything at once. Pick one district, finish it, then move on.
• Long rest often. Act 3 has lots of camp scenes that only trigger after rests.
• Many Act 3 quests are timed by story events, such as the Iron Throne. Do the urgent ones first.
• Spend your gold. Act 3 shops sell gear that makes the last fights much easier.
• Get to level 10 or higher before the big fights in the next part.

My take

Act 3 can feel like too much at first, because the city has a quest on every corner. Once I started doing it district by district, it became my favourite part of the story. Which companion quest hit you hardest?

FAQ

How long is Act 3?

It's as big as Act 1 for many players. Expect 25 hours or more if you do the companion quests and big side quests.

Should I save the Gondians or blow up the Foundry?

Saving the Gondians disables the Steel Watch and lets you rescue Duke Ravengard. Blowing up the Foundry also works, but the Duke dies, which hurts Wyll's story.

Do I need the Orphic Hammer?

Only if you want to free the prisoner in your artefact at the end without Raphael's deal. It's in the House of Hope.

Where does Act 3 start?

In Rivington, just outside the city. Wyrm's Crossing leads from there into the Lower City.

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