In Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s no shortage of puzzles, treasures, and rewards you come across every corner of the map—whether they be guarded by traps or hidden behind clever riddles. One of the early game challenges involves the Rune of the Wolf, important to unlock the Hidden Vault in the Enclave Library of Emerald Grove. This BG3 guide tells you where to find Rune of the Wolf, how to use it, and discusses a common issue when the rune doesn’t work and the possible ways to solve it.
How to Get the Rune of the Wolf in Baldur’s Gate 3
To get Wolf Rune in BG3, there are a few methods for obtaining it depending on your playstyle:
- Save Halsin: The most heroic route is to rescue the Halsin from the Goblin Camp. This requires you to take down three Goblin leaders, which sounds easier than it is—especially since Halsin himself is in bear form when you find him. After defeating the Goblins there, return to Rath in Emerald Grove. He’ll reward you with the Rune of the Wolf and tell you the details about getting to the vault.
- Pickpocket Rath: If stealth and trickery are more to your liking (or if you’re impatient), the quick way is to pickpocket the rune from Rath’s pocket. I recommend using a character like Astarion who is good at sneaking for this task. Make sure to save beforehand, because getting caught can cause a mess in the druid camp.
- Kill Everyone: Alternatively, the last and not the best option is to slaughter everyone in the Druid’s Emerald Grove to loot Rath’s body. Not advised though—aside from the obvious moral issues, you will end up losing many Baldur’s Gate 3 quests and involved characters’ relationships and obviously, the type of game ending you can have by going that route.
Where to Use the Rune of the Wolf in Baldur’s Gate 3
Once you’ve got the rune (one way or another), it’s time to put it to use; head to the Enclave Library in Druid Grove. In the library, there’s a stone pedestal with an empty socket—place the Rune of the Wolf in it. Open the combine items window and insert the rune.
After that, you’ll see that there are four pedestals in total, each representing a different animal: Rune of the Bear, Rune of the Eagle, Rune of the Elk, and, Wolf Rune. Interact with each of the remaining three pedestals. When all of them are activated, the large Wolf statue in the room will go down revealing hidden spiral stairs leading down into the vault.
In typical RPG fashion, the hidden area is filled with a lot of goodies. The most valuable reward to collect here is two-handed Sorrow, a unique Glaive with the Ensnaring Strike ability, which causes thorny vines to trap and damage enemies. Be warned, though: each time you land a hit with this weapon, the wielder takes a point of Psychic Damage. Not the worst trade-off, but it can add up if you’re not careful.
Other treasures include useful scrolls, potions, poisons, and the Robe of Summer, which resists Cold damage. You should check out all the loot crates or treasures at every nook and cranny of the vault without missing anything to collect all the rewards this place has for you.
Troubleshooting: Rune of the Wolf Not Working in BG3
You might find yourself in a bit of a pickle where the Rune of the Wolf doesn’t seem to work. It’s a common issue that many players have encountered. Although the order of activating the pedestals isn’t supposed to matter, some players report success by interacting with them in a specific sequence. Try starting with the Wolf pedestal first, followed by Bear, Eagle, and Elk.
Alternatively, you should double-check your inventory. Sometimes the rune may not transfer properly from one character to another. Ensure that the character interacting with the pedestal is the one carrying the Rune of the Wolf. Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t without its bugs (it is an RPG, after all), so if the rune is still not working, try reloading a previous save. If all else fails, restart the game and attempt the puzzle again. If you can’t use Rune of the Wolf in your first attempt usual try, this method will hopefully do the job for you. Anyway, it’s not the first bug we have seen in BG3.
