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It can be overwhelming when players visit the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. It's a massive cavern system with a lot of dangerous creatures hiding in the darkness, and if the party isn't at a decent level, the fights can be tough to handle.
Still, not every group of creatures in the Underdark is hostile, or at least not hostile without good reason. One such group is the Myconid colony on the north end of the map. If players approach them peacefully and speak to them honestly, the Myconids will allow the party to enter their colony in peace. Doing so will let players meet a being called Omeluum and potentially start the Baldur's Gate 3 main quest, "Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite."
Starting the 'Investigate The Parasite' Quest
First, players must visit the Myconid colony, Ebonlake Grotto. There's a hobgoblin trader called Blurg located just northeast of the Myconid Colony fast-travel point. If the party attacks the Myconids, Blurg won't turn hostile, but it's easier to speak with him if the Myconids are friendly.
If players tell Blurg the truth about their condition, he'll summon a fellow member of the Society of Brilliance, Omeluum. Omeluum is a mind flayer who broke free from his people's control, and while players can attack him, they can also ask him for help.
If they do, Omeluum will suggest that he can connect to the parasite and learn more about it, but first, the party must gather two rare mushrooms: a Tongue of Madness and Timmak Spores. Players will only find these mushrooms in the Arcane Tower, the home of Lenore, a reclusive cleric of Mystra.
Approaching the Arcane Tower
The Arcane Tower is south of the Decrepit Village and west of the Selunite Outpost. Players must be very careful when approaching the tower because there are several arcane turrets in front of the entrance. Baldur's Gate 3 will automatically drop players into turn-based mode the first time they get close, but after that, it's up to players to do so manually.
The turn-based mode is useful here because the turrets will only fire on the party if they have a clear line of fire. Several stone pillars and ledges will block this line, and players can use them to get around the turrets. The turrets also have hit points, the same as any object, but they're so tough that players likely won't be able to destroy them.
The best option for getting past the turrets is to send one party member alone. Astarion is a good choice for this since he can dash twice every round thanks to Cunning Action, but Lae'zel is another solid option since she has a long jump distance, the inherent ability Githyanki Psionics: Jump, and enough hit points to take a few turret hits if players aren't careful enough. Players can also use spells like Misty Step and items like the Potion of Speed to get extra movement speed.
To get past the first turret, the chosen party member should run to the stalagmite between the entrance and the first turret. Next, run to the base of the ledge to the right of the stalagmite. The party member can jump to start climbing the ledge but stay low at first to avoid the turret on the stairs. The next good hiding spot is behind the statue behind the second turret.
Navigating the Tower
At this point, players have two ways to go. One option is to dash past the second turret and jump across to a set of shelf mushrooms that lead down to the base of the tower. However, the chosen party member will need a good jump distance to reach the mushrooms.
The other option is running up the stairs and into the tower. The door is closed and locked, but a window to the left of the door is open, and the party member can jump through it to get in. However, players should remember that two more turrets are on this floor.
Players can avoid the turrets by hiding behind a nearby pillar, but after that, they should run over to the balcony on the left. There are a set of shelf mushrooms growing out of the side of the tower that players can jump to that leads to the next floor down. This floor has a supply of both the needed mushrooms: tongues of madness are in a planter to the right, and timmak spores are on a shelf on the far wall.
Going back up the same shelf mushrooms can be tricky because a party member with normal strength can't jump high enough to go back up. Instead, players should use a strong character or one with Misty Step or Jump.
Players can still get their party member off this level without any of these abilities, but they'll have to jump down to some other shelf mushrooms (which can involve taking damage) and figure out how to reactivate the tower so that the mystic elevator starts working and the turrets shut down.
The party can now return to Omeluum and take the potion. The following conversation involves several Intelligence or Wisdom saving throws, and failing them will inflict damage and conditions on the speaking character. Fortunately, this damage will always leave the character with at least one hit point.
While Omeluum isn't able to extract the tadpole, he does offer a Ring of Mind Shielding as compensation. If players told him about the squid ship they were on during his introduction, they could get the ring for free by describing it in detail. Otherwise, players can buy it from him for 140 gold.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC, macOS, and Stadia. The PS5 version launches in September.