Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3 throws a major curveball at you with one of the most complex decisions to make: should you visit the Shadowfell before going to Moonrise Towers in BG3, or should you hold off until later? It’s not an easy choice, especially in a game where your one choice can remove many important quests, change how the story unfolds, and even impact the difficulty of the fights you’re going to face.
Once you reach the entrance of Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3 which is actually a portal accessible after completing Gaunlet of Shar, the game even pops up a message with a warning that there are some other crucial things to do before entering this area. That’s because getting into this mysterious, dark realm too soon can have some major consequences. But then again, you may think that Moonrise Towers is the final part of Act 2 in BG3, so you go there later but that’s not exactly what you imagine. So, what is the best order to handle these two major areas? This guide breaks it down and helps you make the right choice to avoid bad consequences.
What Lies Beyond the Portal in Shadowfell?
If you’re new to the Forgotten Realms—Baldur’s Gate 3’s setting—Shadowfell is a dark, dreary parallel area built by the goddess of Shar where the sun never shines, everything’s in grayscale, and the environment is generally spooky. In this popular RPG, accessing this game’s important area isn’t as simple as just walking through a door. You’ll find the entrance deep inside a temple dedicated to the goddess Shar, hidden beneath a mausoleum. Shadowfell is the final location to visit in your journey to complete the Gauntlet of Shar and you have to obtain the four Umbral gems before entering this place.
It’s a series of trials to test your party’s strength, cunning, and resolve. This situation particularly becomes more interesting if you’ve Shadowheart in your party. She has a personal stake in this, considering her quest to become a Dark Justiciar of Shar. But even if you’re not following Shadowheart’s storyline, the Gauntlet of Shar is still a key part of Act 2’s progression.
Why You Should Enter Moonrise Towers Before the Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Shadowfell is described as the area of no return, entering this plane too early or before Moonrise can seriously mess with your game.
If you step into the Shadowfell before visiting the Moonrise Towers, you’re going to slam many doors shut on multiple interesting quests and encounters; these are major storylines that you might regret missing out on. For example, because of the tadpoles in the heads of your party members, everyone in the Moonrise will consider them as True Souls. It provides the best opportunity to wander around in the tower, talk to NPCs, and explore without instantly getting into fights. If you go to the Shadowfell first, though, that option flies right out the window as folks in Moonrise Tower will become hostile, and you will have a much tougher time.
One of the biggest quests you’ll lose out on if you visit the Shadowfell early is the rescue mission for the Tieflings and Gnomes. These poor souls are locked up in Moonrise Towers, and it’s up to you to rescue them. This mission isn’t the only one to miss out; you’ll find many other fascinating interactions within Moonrise. Even if you choose a more wicked character, going to the Shadowfell prematurely won’t give you any benefits—it just narrows your choices and makes the final segments of Act 2 tougher.
What are the Consequences of Entering Moonrise After the Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3?
One of the biggest downsides is that a lot of key quests get removed immediately as we already told above most importantly the rescue objective. But things don’t stop here—if there are any remaining quests of Act 1 that you have to complete will no longer be available in your whole storyline the moment you cross into the Shadowfell. The game will even throw up a warning screen to let you know exactly which objectives you’re leaving behind, so pay attention to that.
Entering the Shadowfell early can also mess with your relationships and companion storylines. For example, Astarion quest is deeply related to Act 2 that you’ll lose. The same goes for Lae’zel’s quest where you must go to Mountain Pass to finish off the tasks there. And one of the important BG3 companions Karlach, you will even lose her quest. Just like that, there will be no turning point to go back to Act 1 and then the removal of a lot of missions related to important characters in the game.
Moreover, Moonrise will be in a very chaotic situation and turn into a battlefield. Every peaceful interaction you might have experienced there such as chatting with NPCs, purchasing items from merchants, or simply exploring—gets swapped out for combat. So, if you want to explore Moonrise Towers without everyone trying to kill you, make sure you do it before heading into the Shadowfell.
The Shadowfell and Ketheric Thorm: The Key to Victory in Act 2
You might wonder, “If the Shadowfell is such a bad place, why would I even bother to go there?” Well, you can’t ignore Shadowfell’s visit as well. The main reason is one of the biggest encounters in Act 2 with Ketheric Thorm. He is the king of Moonrise Towers with dangerous power up his sleeves and one of the toughest opponents to face in Act 2. But his immortality, or at least a big part of his strength, is tied to something hidden deep within the Shadowfell. Basically, if you want to stand a chance against him, you’ll need to take a trip to the shadows world.
But you don’t have to worry about accidentally triggering the showdown with Ketheric on your first travel to Moonrise. When you go there before the Shadowfell, you can explore most of the tower without running into him directly. You can reach close to where he’s present in the hall. Although, this visit is safe for now but there is a limit to where you should go and where to stop for now. Interestingly, the game is pretty good about making it clear when you’re about to cross that line, with characters telling you to stop, doors inaccessible, or areas being marked in red warning signals. So, no need to stress about accidentally starting something you’re not ready for.
If you play your cards right, you can make your way through Moonrise Towers, gather intel, even talk with some of Ketheric’s followers, and then decide when it’s the right time to head into the Shadowfell. In fact, if you’re doing a playthrough when you try to work with Ketheric or at least make him think you’re on his side, you’ll have to go to the Shadowfell anyway.
When to Enter the Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)?
The answer is pretty simple: wait to visit the Shadowfell later on when the game asks you to go there.
Moreover, you’ll want to make sure you’ve leveled up enough and have the strong items in your inventory before heading into the Shadowfell. That place is no joke, and walking in there under-leveled or under-prepared could turn what’s already a tough challenge into a nightmare. By taking your time by initially going to Moonrise to explore and get much-needed information, you’ll be in much better shape when it’s finally time to depart into the shadow region.
In short, the best order for Act 2 is to clear out as much of Moonrise Towers as possible, complete all the important quests before, and then—only then—head into the Shadowfell when the game practically insists on it. This is the recommended way to keep all your options open and get the most advantages in your Baldur’s Gate 3 through Moonrise Towers and Shadowfell.
