Reach Moonrise Towers

Key takeaways

Use the first visit to Moonrise Towers as an information-gathering and preparation phase rather than assuming every occupant must be fought immediately.

• Protect the party from the curse The Shadow-Cursed Lands are hazardous to traverse, so plan how the party will maintain protection while approaching and moving around the tower.
• Explore before committing The tower contains several levels and distinct areas, including a prison and a throne room. Search and speak with people before triggering a hostile transition.
• Watch the quest state Completing certain late-game objectives elsewhere can change the tower's state and eliminate peaceful opportunities, merchants, or other interactions.
• Bring companions with relevant stories Astarion, Karlach, and Wyll can produce additional narrative interactions or character development when present during this part of the game.

Reach Moonrise Towers overview

Reach Moonrise Towers is the party's entry point into one of the most important locations in Act Two of Baldur's Gate 3.

The quest takes place in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, a region where ordinary exploration is dangerous without suitable protection from the curse. Moonrise Towers is not merely a destination on the map: it is a major stronghold and the base of operations for Ketheric Thorm and his army. Reaching it gives the party a chance to move through the enemy's territory, learn more about the forces controlling the area, and decide how aggressively to deal with the tower's occupants.

Moonrise Towers is built as a multi-level location rather than a single combat arena. Its prison, throne room, and other chambers support different kinds of play, including exploration, conversation, investigation, and combat. The party can therefore gain more from the quest by searching the building and speaking with its important inhabitants instead of treating the first visit as a simple march toward a battle.

The timing of the visit matters. Certain late-game objectives elsewhere can cause the tower to enter a hostile state, removing or changing opportunities that are available while the party is still able to move through the location more freely. A careful approach is to explore, gather information, and resolve useful interactions before committing to objectives that clearly lead toward the final assault or a major change in the region.

Where this sits

Requirements

The quest becomes relevant after the party enters the Shadow-Cursed Lands during Act Two. Survival and access depend more on preparation and timing than on a fixed character level.

• RequiredAct Two progressThe party must have advanced into the Shadow-Cursed Lands far enough for Moonrise Towers to become the relevant story destination.
• RequiredProtection from the Shadow CurseBring or obtain a reliable way to survive the curse while travelling through the surrounding region and approaching the tower.
• RecommendedExploration suppliesHealing, spell resources, and equipment for both conversation-led exploration and possible combat make the visit more forgiving.
• OptionalCompanion selectionConsider bringing Astarion, Karlach, or Wyll if you want to see their possible narrative interactions in or around the tower.

Objectives

1. Reach Moonrise Towers through the Shadow-Cursed Lands.Arrive at the stronghold while maintaining protection against the Shadow Curse.
2. Infiltrate the tower and gather information.Use the tower's inhabitants and accessible areas to learn about Ketheric Thorm and his army.
3. Explore the tower's major areas.Investigate the prison, throne room, and other chambers rather than limiting the visit to the entrance.
4. Prepare for the enemies within.Use the information and opportunities available before later objectives change the tower's state.
5. Preserve useful interactions before the final assault.Complete peaceful conversations and other time-sensitive opportunities before committing to late-game objectives elsewhere.Optional

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Cross the cursed region safely

   Prepare protection from the Shadow Curse

   Before crossing the surrounding Shadow-Cursed Lands, make sure the party has a way to survive the curse. Travelling without protection can turn the approach into a damaging attrition sequence and may leave the party poorly prepared before it reaches Moonrise Towers.

   Location: Shadow-Cursed Lands

   TipTreat curse protection as a travel requirement, not merely a convenience for optional exploration.

2. 02

   Reach the tower

   Approach Moonrise Towers

   Follow the route available through the Shadow-Cursed Lands until Moonrise Towers becomes accessible. Keep the party together and avoid spending all of its healing or combat resources on incidental danger before reaching the stronghold.

   Location: Outside Moonrise Towers

   Watch outThe region remains dangerous even when the destination is close; arriving with depleted resources makes later exploration less flexible.

3. 03

   Infiltrate the tower

   Enter the stronghold and assess its occupants

   Once inside Moonrise Towers, do not assume that the first conversation must become a fight. Observe the tower's inhabitants, gather context about Ketheric Thorm's organization, and note which areas appear accessible before making choices that could change the building's attitude toward the party.

   Location: Moonrise Towers

   TipSave before major conversations if you want to compare the consequences of different approaches without losing your progress.

4. 04

   Investigate the lower levels

   Search the prison and lower areas

   Explore the prison and other lower sections as part of the investigation. These areas are easy to overlook when the party is focused on the tower's upper rooms, and searching them can reveal additional information, encounters, and loot connected to the stronghold.

   Location: Moonrise Towers prison

   Watch outSome opportunities in the tower can disappear after the location becomes hostile, so do not postpone every exploration task until after late-game objectives.

   Missable
5. 05

   Gather information about the tower

   Visit the throne room and upper chambers

   Continue through the tower's principal interior spaces, including the throne room and other chambers containing secrets. Speak with important figures when possible and search for clues before treating the location as a straightforward combat route.

   Location: Moonrise Towers throne room and chambers

   TipBring companions whose personal stories are relevant to the people or factions encountered here; their presence can unlock additional dialogue.

6. 06

   Reduce immediate threats

   Deal with isolated threats when useful

   If combat is necessary, consider whether a dangerous guard or enemy can be handled in a smaller encounter rather than allowing every nearby defender to join at once. This approach can weaken the tower's defenses while preserving more resources for the later conflict.

   Location: Moonrise Towers

   Watch outStarting an open fight in the wrong place can turn a limited encounter into a hostile state for the wider tower.

7. 07

   Preserve opportunities

   Complete available interactions before advancing late-game objectives

   Before pursuing objectives that clearly move Act Two toward its final confrontation, finish the conversations, investigations, and useful exploration that you want from the tower. The state of Moonrise Towers can change after such objectives, and the earlier version of the location may no longer be available.

   Location: Moonrise Towers and surrounding Act Two areas

   Watch outThis is the main timing warning for the quest: late-game progress elsewhere can make the entire tower hostile and remove peaceful opportunities.

   CheckpointMissable

Mission mechanics

The quest combines environmental survival with social infiltration. The Shadow-Cursed Lands make protection a practical concern during travel, while Moonrise Towers rewards a slower approach based on observing, talking, and searching. The party is not required to treat every inhabitant as an immediate target, so the first visit can function as reconnaissance as much as progression.

Moonrise Towers' vertical layout supports different routes through the same broader objective. The prison, throne room, and surrounding chambers do not serve identical purposes, and the party can lose useful context by rushing directly toward the most prominent room. Exploration is especially valuable before the tower's overall state changes.

Combat is shaped by positioning and escalation rather than by a single scripted boss sequence for this quest. Smaller, isolated confrontations can be easier to control than a fight that alerts the tower, but an aggressive approach carries consequences beyond the immediate encounter. The safest plan is to separate optional exploration from the point at which the party commits to open hostility.

Companion presence also matters. Astarion, Karlach, and Wyll may respond differently to people or situations connected to the tower, giving the quest additional character context. These interactions are not required for reaching the location, but they can make party composition part of the investigation rather than a purely mechanical decision.

What works and what does not

Phases

1. 1

   Cursed-land approach

   Starts: Entering the Shadow-Cursed Lands on the way to Moonrise Towers.

   The party must manage the regional curse while travelling toward the stronghold. This phase is about maintaining protection and preserving resources rather than winning a single named battle.

   • Shadow Curse exposureTell The party is travelling without adequate protection in the cursed region.Answer Secure a means of protection before committing to a long approach or extended exploration.
   • Do not arrive at the tower after exhausting the party's healing and spell resources on avoidable hazards.
2. 2

   Infiltration and reconnaissance

   Starts: Entering Moonrise Towers while it is still possible to interact with its inhabitants without a general hostile response.

   The party can gather information, speak with important figures, and examine the stronghold's layout. This is the best phase for deciding which areas and interactions matter before the location changes state.

   • Explore deliberately and save before decisions that may affect the tower's attitude.
3. 3

   Controlled confrontation

   Starts: Choosing to fight selected guards or other threats inside the tower.

   A limited encounter can be preferable to an open battle if the party can prevent the whole stronghold from joining the fight. Positioning, isolation, and awareness of nearby defenders are more important than rushing the first target.

   • Consider the escape routes and nearby witnesses before starting a fight.
   • Do not assume a local victory will remain local if the alarm spreads.
4. 4

   Hostile tower state

   Starts: Completing certain late-game objectives elsewhere or otherwise committing the story to open conflict.

   The tower can become broadly hostile, changing the character of the quest and ending peaceful access to some earlier opportunities. Treat this transition as a major point of no return for exploration.

   • Finish the interactions you care about before deliberately advancing into this phase.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Investigate Moonrise Towers while maintaining a non-hostile approach.

  The party can gather information and make use of conversations and exploration before the tower's later hostile transition.

• Attack isolated guards or enemies before launching a wider assault.

  The party may weaken local defenses in manageable encounters, but a poorly contained fight can alert more of the tower.

• Complete certain late-game objectives elsewhere before finishing tower interactions.

  Moonrise Towers can become hostile as a whole, changing available encounters and removing some peaceful opportunities.

  Spoiler
• Bring Astarion, Karlach, or Wyll during the visit.

  The party can see additional companion-specific narrative interactions and character development connected with the tower or its inhabitants.

Checklist

• Secure protection from the Shadow Curse before travelling to the tower.The approach crosses the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
• Reach Moonrise Towers with healing and combat resources available.The location may be explored before the major confrontation.
• Speak with important inhabitants before starting an unnecessary open fight.Conversation can provide information that combat alone does not.
• Search the prison and lower levels.These areas are part of the tower's broader exploration space.Optional
• Inspect the throne room and other chambers.The tower contains secrets beyond its entrance and main route.Optional
• Consider travelling with Astarion, Karlach, or Wyll.These companions can add narrative interactions.Optional
• Resolve important tower interactions before advancing late-game objectives.The location may become generally hostile afterward.
• Save before major decisions or fights.This helps preserve access to alternate approaches if the tower's state changes.Optional

Collectibles and secrets

• 01
  Potions

  Where: Various chambers within Moonrise Towers

  Exploration of the tower can uncover potions among its miscellaneous loot.

• 02
  Soul Coins

  Where: Moonrise Towers

  Soul Coins are among the types of loot that may be found while searching the stronghold.

• 03
  Potential permanent character buffs

  Where: Interactions and exploration within Moonrise Towers

  The tower can offer opportunities for permanent character improvements, but the exact availability depends on the party's actions and interactions.

  Missable

Failure conditionsSpoilers

• The party travels through the Shadow-Cursed Lands without adequate protection.The curse can make the approach dangerous and can consume resources before Moonrise Towers is reached.
• A local fight escalates into a general confrontation.Starting combat near other defenders or allowing the alarm to spread can make the entire tower hostile.
• Late-game objectives are completed before desired tower interactions.Certain objectives elsewhere can trigger a hostile state and remove peaceful conversations or other opportunities.
• The party commits to the assault before exploring the location.A rushed transition can prevent the party from seeing optional information, companion interactions, and loot available during the earlier visit.

Characters in this mission

• AstarionCompanion whose presence can produce unique narrative interactions.
• KarlachCompanion whose presence can produce unique narrative interactions.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• Moonrise Towers serves both as a story destination and as a functioning base of operations for Ketheric Thorm's army.
• The location's prison and throne room make it a vertically structured area with different exploration priorities.
• Araj Oblodra is identified as a merchant at the tower, making the location relevant to shopping as well as investigation.
• The quest can reward careful social navigation before it rewards open combat.

Relationships