Baldur’s Gate 3: How to easily beat Gortash without activating traps

Emily Stander
Gortash in Baldur's Gate 3

While Gortash may not be Baldur’s Gate 3’s toughest boss fight, the way his fight is structured can be extremely difficult to navigate. This is because of the mountain of traps you need to avoid, so here is how you can do it. 

Gortash is one of the Dead Three in Baldur’s Gate 3, one of the main big bads of the game that are revealed at the end of Act 2. After defeating Ketheric Thorm and getting into Baldur’s Gate, he is also the first to meet you face-to-face and offer you a deal

Whether or not you take this deal, you have the option to fight him later on. This can be a pretty tough fight, especially if you are not prepared for all the traps he has laid out. 

Do not fret, though, as we have a way to defeat Gortash without triggering any of his traps in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here is how you can do it. 

Where to find Gortash in Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 players can find Gortash in the Wyrm’s Rock Fortress, just before you enter the Lower City in Act 3. 

Wyrms' Rock Fortress in Baldur's Gate 3
To defeat Gortash, you’re going to need to travel to Wyrm’s Rock Fortress.

The first time you meet Gortash, you will have the option to make a deal with him. Essentially, he wants you to bring him Orin’s Netherstone so you can control the Netherbrain together. 

Whether or not you take this deal, you will have the option to fight him later if you wish. However, taking it initially means you will have an easier time around the city, as the Steel Watchers will largely leave you alone. 

How to defeat Gortash in Baldur’s Gate 3 without triggering traps

To defeat Gortash in Baldur’s Gate 3 without triggering traps, you need to navigate around the Wyrm’s Rock Fortress after finding a hidden lever in the mess hall

Before you embark on your journey to kill Gortash, there are a few things you need to prepare: 

  • Make sure you have a high Perception character in your party.
  • Bring plenty of Thieves’ Tools
  • Make sure your characters are able to Fly or use Misty Step.
  • Bring invisibility potions or scrolls with you.

Once you have gathered everything, getting to Gortash without triggering his traps involves walking around the outside of the fortress by finding a lever hidden in the mess hall. 

Make sure you complete the Steel Watch Foundry first, however, as this will make your fight against Gortash a lot easier. Step by step, here is how to avoid Gortash’s traps: 

  1. Fast travel to Basilisk Gate and head back to the Wyrm’s Fortress from here. 
  2. Cross the bridge and fight against the Flaming Fists who will attack you immediately. 
  3. Head left into the mess hall
  4. Go past the door to the Audience Hall and get to a small room on the left
The Auditorium in Baldur's Gate 3
Find the lever to get outside behind the boxes here.
  1. Find the lever behind some boxes and pull it. 
  2. Travel all the way around the Wyrm’s Fortress until you reach a ladder and climb it.
  3. When you reach the top, lockpick the door and head inside
  4. Go through the door on the right side of the room.
Wyrm's Crossing in Baldur's Gate 3
Follow the path around the Fortress until you reach this ladder.
  1. Once you see some scaffolding, use Misty Step or Fly to get to the ladder at the top
  2. Climb the ladder and go into a little room to your immediate right
  3. Climb the ladder inside the room and jump across the gap to the roof of the bigger building
  4. Climb the ladder here and head through the door on your right. You will need to lockpick this door.
Wyrm's Rock Fortress in Baldur's Gate 3
Make sure you go into the little building on the left and jump from roof to roof.
  1. There is a lever on the far side of the room, pull it and climb down the ladder. 
  2. Separate your party and enter turn-based mode
  3. Drink your invisibility potions and sneak up on Gortash
Wyrm's Rock Fortress in Baldur's Gate 3
You can find the last lever to lower the ladder here.

It’s important to note that while you are traveling around Wyrm’s Rock Fortress, you will need to climb a few vines to get to the ladder mentioned in the steps, so don’t stress too much if you find yourself climbing and jumping a bit before you get there.

Once you have surrounded Gortash, make sure you hit him with some powerful attacks to make sure you can stun and one-shot him. There are a few ways you can do this, but using abilities like Smite is the most reliable way. 

As we all know, though, Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on RNG and you may not manage to one-shot him immediately. 

Nonetheless, you will have surprised him, so you will have a significant advantage in the first stages of the fight without having to have used your spell slots on the enemies the floor below or triggering his traps. 

That’s how you can get past Gortash’s traps without triggering them and getting a significant jump on him in the fight. If you want to know more about how to navigate Baldur’s Gate 3, you can check out our guides list below.

Baldur’s Gate 3: How to use Withers’ Wardrobe of Wayward Friends | Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Rogue build: Race, subclass, background, more | Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger build: Race, subclass, background, more | Best weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3: Stats, tips & where to find them 

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About The Author

Emily is a Games Writer at CharlieIntel. Most of the time, you can find her playing RPGs and platformers - but she enjoys engaging in the rage of Overwatch 2 or Apex Legends from time to time. Emily has a Masters in Media Studies and has been working as a journalist for over 5 years, both freelance and full-time. You can contact her at [email protected]