Home » How to Open the Ancient Tome in Baldur’s Gate 3 and Find a Way to End the Necromancy of Thay
Contents
- Nekromancy of Thay
- Who to Give the Tome To
- Unlocking the Ancient Tome
- Where to Find the “Key”
- Reward
- How to Finish Reading
- Searching for the Codex
- Reward
- What Happens if You Destroy It
Nekromancy of Thay
Nekromancy of Thay is a unique book that allows you to learn new spells, but only if you manage to read it. The book can be found in the first act in the basem*nt of the apothecary’s house in the deserted village, but it cannot be fully unlocked immediately.
Who to Give the Tome To
Before reading, think carefully about who should receive all the bonuses and spells from the Nekromancy of Thay, as changing the character later will be impossible. Companions like Gale and Astarion will be interested in Nekromancy of Thay, but the choice of character is yours. If you give the book to Astarion upon his request, you will get additional cutscenes in the camp where the blonde elf tries to read it.
Unlocking the Ancient Tome
Where to Find the “Key”
Once you find the ancient tome in the basem*nt of the apothecary’s house, you will not be able to open it right away because it is securely locked. Choose the option to take the book during dialogues and then go in search of the key — a dark amethyst. The dark amethyst can be found in the same deserted village.
- Near the rune circle “Deserted Village,” there is a dried-up well. You need to descend into it to access the dungeon “Whispering Abyss.” There, you will encounter small spiders and a boss — the Phase Spider Matriarch. It patrols directly above the spot where the dark amethyst lies.
With the amethyst in hand, you can not only open the ancient tome in Baldur’s Gate 3 but also read it. To do this, simply click on the book in your inventory. A cutscene will appear where you can choose: “Insert the amethyst into the slot in the book’s binding.”
After full reading, the tome will close, and it will only be able to be opened again in Act 3.
Reward
After inserting the dark amethyst into the slot on the ancient tome, you will need to pass three wisdom checks of difficulty 10, 15, and 20. It is best to choose a character with the highest wisdom attribute, such as a cleric, druid, monk, or ranger, to facilitate the checks.
- Bonus “Forbidden Knowledge” — gives +1 to wisdom checks.
- Spell “Speak with Dead” — you automatically learn a spell that allows you to ask five questions to some humanoid dead creatures without using a spell slot.
How to Finish Reading
Searching for the Codex
You will find a way to finish the Nekromancy of Thay through Gale’s personal quest “Wizard of Waterdeep.”
In the third act, upon arriving at Baldur’s Gate, you will need to visit the store “Magical Supplies” and speak with Tonna the Librarian on the first floor.
With a [Persuasion][Intimidation][Deception] check of difficulty 18, she will reveal that all necessary books are in the basem*nt, and the entrance is located in her office on the second floor. Since she does not want to give you permission, you will need to use your wits to get into the basem*nt.
Once in the basem*nt, besides the “Annals of Karsus” needed by Gale for the story, you should not miss the book “Tharciate Codex.” Otherwise, you will not be able to finish reading Nekromancy of Thay.
The Codex is located in Elminster’s sanctuary. You can access it either by opening the doors in the following order:
Or by using the “Knock” spell to immediately open the door “Elminster”.
Reward
You need to have the character who will continue to read the Nekromancy of Thay also read “Tharciate Codex.”
After this, it’s time to reopen the necromancy book. Thanks to the Codex, a new Wisdom check (difficulty 20) appears.
Then the character will receive:
- Spell “Horrid Dance” — allows you to summon 4 ghouls to aid you until the next long rest.
- Curse “Tharciate Withering” — the character receives a -5 decrease in endurance. This negative condition can be removed with the “Remove Curse” spell.
What Happens if You Destroy It
If you wish to destroy the Nekromancy of Thay, interact with the book and choose the option in the dialogue: “Throw the ominous tome with the intention to destroy it.”
Then attack the tome with any radiant damage spell, which Shadowheart has by default.
But that’s not the end. Three shades will appear that you need to fight. After defeating them, you will gain nothing except experience and an early end to the book’s story.
FAQs
With both the Dark Amethyst and the Necromancy of Thay in the party's inventory, click on the Necromancy of Thay. This starts a dialogue with the party inspecting the tome. Select 'Place the amethyst in the slot on the book's cover' to unlock it.
How to open the ancient door in Baldur's Gate 3? ›
The ancient door you tried to get through early can be found in the large tomb room in the deeper part of the ruins. From the inside, it's far easier to lockpick open. You can also find a key on one of the skeletons nearby that'll let you open it normally.
Should you open the tome in BG3? ›
Unless your character is specifically deadset against using any evil artifacts, such as a Paladin, or for roleplay reasons, I would suggest unlocking the tome, as the +1 bonus to Wisdom Saving Throws and Ability Checks can come in handy over the course of your adventure.
How to unlock Necromancy tome bg3? ›
To unlock the Necromancy of Thay book in Baldur's Gate 3, obtain it from the Apothecary's Cellar in the Blighted Village, then insert a Dark Amethyst found by slaying the Phase Spider Matriarch. Once completed, you can decide on one of three options with implications in Act 3.
How to use ancient tome? ›
Usage. By combining the Ancient Tome and an Enchanted Book in an Anvil and spending 35 levels, it will increase the enchantment one level higher than its maximum vanilla level. It will cost another 35 levels to apply the newly created Enchanted Book to a tool or item.
How to unlock the ancient tome? ›
With both the Dark Amethyst and the Necromancy of Thay in the party's inventory, click on the Necromancy of Thay. This starts a dialogue with the party inspecting the tome. Select 'Place the amethyst in the slot on the book's cover' to unlock it.
How to get the key of the ancients in BG3? ›
Dropped or pickpocketed from Findal in the Underground Passage that connects to the Druid Grove. Also dropped by Nettie.
What do you do with the ancient tome in Baldur's Gate 3? ›
When coming across the Ancient Tome, it's definitely best to avoid destroying it, no matter how dangerous the object might seem. Giving it to Astarion or Gale is the safest route for minor benefits, while reading it poses a certain risk but provides more benefits in the long run.
Should I let Astarion bite me? ›
Should you Let Astarion Bite You? Letting Astarion bite you is an easy way to get approval with him. The simple answer is yes, as the only downside is gaining the Bloodless debuff, while Astarion gains the Happy buff and his approval rating of you increases.
Can you be evil in BG3? ›
1: Yes, going evil will have some companions leave you (specifically Karlach, Wyll, and Gale... though I think you can persuade Gale into staying.). In return you do get a couple evil companions. 2: While it is entirely possible to do an evil playthrough, doing so cuts out a massive portion of the game's content.
In this case, you should definitely choose to sacrifice your Forbidden knowledge from reading the Necromancy of Thay, as that will let you choose a +2 even if you failed the Religion check.
How to destroy the ancient tome in BG3? ›
Destroying the book is simple - drop it on the ground. Then, attack the book with divine spells, such as Guiding Bolt. Be forewarned that destroying the tome summons several shadow enemies.
What happens if you open the Necromancy of Thay? ›
Opening the book will prevent you from receiving the option to give the book to Gale. However, you will automatically gain an at-will special casting of "Speak with the Dead" regardless of how you roll the saves required to peruse the book.
How do I find ancient tome? ›
Obtaining. Ancient Tomes can not be crafted or created and can only be found in dungeons or villages as loot, or as a reward from Bountiful quests from villagers--the first way being the quickest and most consistent way of finding them.
How to use ancient? ›
Examples of ancient in a Sentence
Adjective The people in the village still observe the ancient customs of their ancestors. a grove of ancient oak trees The practice was more common in ancient times than it is now.
How to get an ancient tome minecolonies? ›
The Ancient Tome is a glowing book that's dropped by raiders (barbarians, pirates, vikings, egyptian raiders, etc) during raids. The Ancient Tome cannot be crafted and is only available as a drop.
How do you open the sinister door in BG3? ›
With both the Szarr Family Ring and the Kozakuran Dictionary in your inventory, you'll be able to interact with the Sinister Door and open it easily. When you speak the password and show the ring to the door, it will open to reveal a ballroom rife with werewolves, wolves, and rats.
How do you open the locked doors in Baldur's Gate 3? ›
What you need is a Thieving Tool and a character that can lockpick with a high chance of success. If you don't have any character that can do that well make sure to recruit Astarion into your group. He can also be found at the Ravaged Beach and he can lockpick the door for you.
How do you open the door in the cellar in Baldur's Gate 3? ›
On the north wall of the cellar, you'll find a hidden lever behind some crates that you can pull. This opens the Secret Cellar Door behind the bookcase nearby, allowing you to enter a hidden area.
How do you open the door in the chapel Baldur's Gate 3? ›
In the depths of the Chapel Ruins is a locked Door to the Refectory. It can be lockpicked with a DC 7 Sleight of Hand check. Alternatively, if you interact with the door, the guard inside, Andorn, will speak with you. He can be Persuaded or Intimidated to open the door.
