How to complete Search the Cellar quest in Baldur’s Gate 3

Anmol David
A character from Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has several quests that involve hidden locations, and Search the Cellar is one such mission. So here’s how to complete ‘Search the Cellar’ in Baldur’s Gate 3 and acquire some decent loot.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has massive maps where all the quests take place, and exploring them thoroughly is worth the effort. You’ll come across side quests that are only found by exploring every nook and cranny. You’ll want to do as many quests as possible if you want to level up quickly.

One such quest, ‘Search the Cellar,’ is found in the Blighted Village in Act 1, but it leads to a completely different questline that concludes in Act 3 and involves necromancy.

So, without further ado, here’s how to finish the ‘Search the Cellar’ quest in Baldur’s Gate 3.

The Blighter Village in Baldur's Gate 3.
The Blighted Village is where the cellar is located.

Search the Cellar: How to open Blighted Village Cellar in Baldur’s Gate 3

The first objective you need to complete to progress in Baldur’s Gate 3’s Search the Cellar quest is to open the Blighted Village Cellar door and pull a secret switch.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

  1. Your mission marker takes you to a Cottage that you need to enter.
  2. Inside, you’ll find a variety of household objects – including a bookcase.
  3. You’ll need to manually move a bunch of crates out of the way next to it.
  4. Once you’ve done that, move the bookcase to reveal the switch in question.
  5. Finally, pull it to reveal and open the Cellar door.

Once you open the cellar door, be prepared for a fight as there are a significant amount of enemies in the area.

The cellar during the Search The Cellar quest.
The cellar is an important part of the Search the Cellar quest.

Search the Cellar: How to get past Ornate Mirror in Baldur’s Gate 3

Continuing through the cellar will lead you to a mirror named the Ornate Mirror, where you’ll need to answer a few questions to progress in Baldur Gate 3’s Search the Cellar quest.

  • Question: Spea-k your name.
  • Answer: Try and use your real name or the generated name.
  • Question: If you are known to my mas-ter, step forward and de-clare yourself an ally.
  • Answer: Yes, an ally! I’m an ally of your master’s!
  • Question: What do you th-ink of the Zulkir known as Szass Tam?
  • Answer: A foul lich. May he die a thousand more deaths.
  • Question: T-tell me, why might one use balsim ointment?
  • Answer: To clean a wound?
  • Question: …if you could see an-ything in me, what w-ould it be?
  • Answer: I’d look for whatever spell will rid me of this worm in my head.

Once you answer all the questions correctly, the mirror will respond with a message that says “Be wel-come.” Proceed, and you’ll come to the workshop.

The Ornate Mirror in Baldur's Gate 3.
The Ornate Mirror is a fun addition to the Search The Cellar quest.

Open or destroy Necromancy of Thay book in Search the Cellar?

The third part of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Search the Cellar quest will present you with two options. You’ll either have to destroy the Tome using a spell or proceed to find a key for the book. Read on to see the consequences of both choices.

Destroy the Tome

If you choose to destroy the book, you’ll need to cast a radiant damage spell on said book. This will prompt your party to agree that the book was an evil object and that its destruction was necessary.

Open the Tome

If you choose to open the book instead, you’ll need to find a Dark Amethyst. Here’s how you can do that:

  1. Head into the Whispering Depths.
  2. You will likely encounter the formidable Phase Spider Matriarch boss.
  3. Explore the area and you will eventually come to the Dark Amethyst.
  4. Pick it up and use it on the book.
  5. If you can survive several Wisdom tests, you will gain a ton of XP, learn the Speak with Dead spell, and finally add the quest to your completed list.

That’s all you need to know to complete the Search the Cellar quest in Baldur’s Gate 3. For more on the title, check out our articles below:

Does Baldur’s Gate 3 have crossplay & cross-platform progression? | Can you play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam Deck? | Baldur’s Gate 3 voice actors for all characters | Baldur’s Gate 3 pre-release bonuses & edition differences | Is Baldur’s Gate 3 coming to Xbox? | Is Baldur’s Gate 3 single-player? | Baldur’s Gate 3 Mind Flayers explained: Who are the Illithids? | Baldur’s Gate 3 proficiency explained

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About The Author

Anmol is an Evergreen Writer at CharlieIntel. He graduated from Amity University (Noida) with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism in 2021. He's previously worked as an esports and Minecraft writer for Sportskeeda and now specializes in covering all things Roblox for CharlieIntel. You can contact Anmol at [email protected].