Baldur’s Gate 3’s Arcane Tower basement is full of hidden secrets

Baldur’s Gate 3 has many secrets to discover, and even a year after its release and tons of hours of playtime, players are still getting surprised by new discoveries. As one fan found, the Arcane Tower has a lot more to hide than you may originally expect.

The Arcane Tower in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most interesting places you can find in the Underdark, with puzzles, fan-favorite character Bernard, and some powerful items to enjoy. 

What many players may not know, though, is that the Tower has a basement. It takes a bit of effort to get there, but it’s worth it for the powerful Staff you find while you’re exploring it. 

Firstly, you need to make sure you have the Guiding Light ring Bernard gives you for solving his riddle. This ring will show you a secret button on the elevator which takes you to the basement.

Because discovering the basement depends on what many would see as ‘completing’ the Arcane Tower, it’s actually pretty easy to miss. In fact, one player didn’t know it was possible until 550 hours later.

“I’m nearing 550 hours in the game and am at my fourth playthrough and just now discovered that there is a basement floor in the Arcane Tower,” ‘joxthunder’ shared on Reddit. “There is no way I was the only one that didn’t know this floor existed.”

Once you’re in the basement, you can go up the stairs to find the Staff of Arcane Blessing next to some bookshelves. This is an uncommon Quarterstaff that gives you the Bless spell, but the main attraction is Mystra’s Blessing passive since it grants an additional 1d4 to Saving Throws and Attack Rolls, and an extra 2d4 to Spell Attack Rolls. 

So, the next time you find yourself in the Underdark, be sure to check out the basement of the Arcane Tower before you leave. And, while you’re exploring, be sure to check out how you can make sure to never run out of gold and supplies.