Search the Barracks in Moonrise

Key takeaways

Use the barracks as a preparation area rather than treating it as a simple room-clearing exercise.

Search before advancing Explore the barracks and nearby chambers before proceeding to the Shadowfell so that useful objectives, information, and loot are less likely to be missed.
Control the alarm risk Scrying Eyes and nearby guards can turn a local investigation into a response from the entire floor. Check sightlines and avoid careless movement when crossing exposed areas.
Prepare Moonrise for later Quietly clearing or bypassing parts of the barracks reduces the resistance that may be present during the eventual assault on Moonrise Towers.
Inspect side chambers The tower’s chambers can contain the Derivation Cloak as well as scrolls, elixirs, and other gear, making systematic searching worthwhile.

Overview

Search the Barracks in Moonrise is an optional investigation in the main-floor barracks of Moonrise Towers during Act 2.

The barracks is a working part of Moonrise Towers, the cult’s headquarters in Act 2. It functions as housing for the soldiers and cultists stationed at the tower, so the area is not merely an empty side room: exploration takes place around an active guard presence and can become dangerous if the occupants are alerted.

Searching the barracks and its surrounding chambers gives the party an opportunity to gather information, collect supplies, and remove or bypass guards before the later assault on Moonrise Towers. A quiet investigation can therefore make the eventual siege easier, while a careless approach can turn a contained search into a wider confrontation across the floor.

The area rewards thorough examination rather than a direct rush. Scrying Eyes and other guards must be watched while moving between rooms, and the tower contains useful consumables and equipment, including the Derivation Cloak in one of its chambers. Complete relevant exploration and objectives before proceeding to the Shadowfell, because doing so helps avoid missing content connected with the tower.

Where this sits

Reach Moonrise TowersEnter the cult headquarters

Investigate the barracksCurrent quest area

Prepare for the assaultReduce danger and gather supplies

Proceed to the ShadowfellComplete time-sensitive exploration first

1Moonrise TowerslocationThe barracks is located on the main floor of the tower.
●Search the Barracks in MoonrisequestThis optional investigation occupies the current position in the Act 2 exploration route.
3ShadowfelllocationFinish relevant Moonrise exploration before continuing here.

The barracks is best handled as part of Moonrise preparation, before the party commits to the Shadowfell.

Requirements

Reach the barracks on the main floor of Moonrise Towers and be prepared to investigate an occupied cult facility.

RequiredAccess to Moonrise TowersThe barracks is a functional area within the cult headquarters, so the party must be able to reach the tower and its main floor.
RequiredTime before the ShadowfellComplete relevant investigation and elimination objectives before proceeding to the Shadowfell to reduce the chance of missing content.
RecommendedA cautious exploration planScrying Eyes and other guards can expose the party and alert the entire floor. Stealth, careful positioning, or a deliberate combat plan is recommended.
OptionalRoom for gathered suppliesThe barracks and nearby chambers may contain scrolls, elixirs, gear, and other loot, so inventory space makes a thorough search easier.

Objectives

Investigate the barracks and surrounding areasSearch the occupied rooms and nearby chambers for information, useful supplies, and equipment.
Manage the guard presenceAvoid or deal with Scrying Eyes and other guards without allowing an unnecessary alarm to spread across the floor.
Prepare Moonrise Towers for the later assaultClear or quietly bypass relevant threats so the eventual siege is less difficult.
Finish relevant objectives before the ShadowfellTreat the Shadowfell as a progression point and complete the barracks investigation beforehand.Optional

Walkthrough

01
Reach the barracks and begin searching
Enter the barracks on Moonrise Towers’ main floor
Begin the investigation in the barracks, a functional housing area for the soldiers and cultists stationed at Moonrise Towers. Do not assume the room is safe simply because it is an interior location; the occupants and surveillance devices make careless exploration risky.
Location: Moonrise Towers, main-floor barracks
02
Identify guards, Scrying Eyes, and safe routes
Survey the area before crossing it
Look over the surrounding rooms and routes before committing to movement. The main danger is not only the guards immediately nearby: Scrying Eyes can expose the party and cause an alarm that alerts the entire floor.
Location: Barracks entrance and adjoining rooms
TipA slower inspection is safer than moving directly toward every visible container or doorway.
03
Continue the investigation without losing control of the area
Choose between a quiet search and a controlled fight
The barracks can be investigated while avoiding attention or while deliberately removing threats. If combat begins, keep the engagement contained where possible, because an alarm can bring additional resistance from elsewhere on the floor.
Location: Barracks and surrounding areas
Watch outTriggering an alarm may alert the entire floor and make later exploration more dangerous.
04
Gather information and useful loot
Search the housing rooms and nearby chambers
Examine the barracks and its surrounding areas rather than stopping after the first room. Search for information, scrolls, elixirs, supplies, and other gear, checking chambers that are easy to overlook when the party is focused on the guards.
Location: Barracks and nearby tower chambers
05
Look for the Derivation Cloak
Inspect chambers for the Derivation Cloak
The Derivation Cloak can be found within the tower’s chambers, so include side rooms in the search instead of restricting the investigation to the central barracks area. The supplied material does not identify a precise room or route, so use a thorough room-by-room search rather than relying on an unsupported waypoint.
Location: A chamber within Moonrise Towers
TipCheck containers and less prominent chambers after the immediate guard problem has been addressed.
06
Reduce or bypass resistance before the assault
Deal with remaining guards or leave them bypassed
Once the useful areas have been searched, decide whether the remaining soldiers and cultists should be eliminated, avoided, or left in place. The best choice depends on the party’s current approach, but reducing threats can make the later assault on Moonrise Towers significantly easier.
Location: Barracks and adjacent areas
07
Complete missable exploration and preparation
Finish the investigation before going to the Shadowfell
Use the barracks visit as part of wider Moonrise preparation and complete relevant objectives before proceeding to the Shadowfell. Advancing first can cause the party to miss content that was easier to access while the tower was being explored.
Location: Moonrise Towers before the Shadowfell
Watch outDo not postpone relevant Moonrise objectives if you intend to return after entering the Shadowfell.
Missable
08
Complete the preparation phase
Leave Moonrise prepared for the later assault
After searching the area and deciding how to handle its occupants, leave with the information and supplies you found. A quietly investigated or partially cleared barracks gives the party a more manageable position when the inevitable siege of Moonrise Towers takes place.
Location: Moonrise Towers
Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

The central mechanic is alert management. The barracks is occupied by soldiers and cultists, and Scrying Eyes provide an additional way for the party’s presence to become known. An alarm is especially costly because it can alert the entire floor rather than limiting the response to the room where the party was discovered.

Exploration and preparation are closely connected. Searching the area can provide supplies and information, while removing or bypassing guards changes how difficult the later assault on Moonrise Towers may be. This makes the barracks useful even when the party is not looking for a single mandatory objective.

The safest general method is to separate movement, searching, and confrontation into deliberate decisions. Inspect routes first, search side chambers when the area is under control, and avoid assuming that a visible container is worth crossing an exposed sightline. The available source material does not establish a fixed enemy count or a single required route, so the encounter can vary with the party’s choices.

What works and what does not

Strengths

Exploring before the Shadowfell can preserve access to content that might otherwise be missed.
Quietly clearing or bypassing threats can make the later assault on Moonrise Towers easier.
The barracks and its surrounding chambers offer information, supplies, and equipment rather than only combat.
A thorough search can uncover the Derivation Cloak, scrolls, elixirs, and other gear.

Weaknesses

The area is occupied, so an apparently simple search can become a larger fight.
Scrying Eyes make careless movement dangerous and can spread an alarm across the entire floor.
The precise route and enemy layout are not fixed in the supplied material, so a universal room-by-room combat solution cannot be confirmed.

Best uses

Treat the barracks as a preparation sweep before the tower’s final assault.
Use it to gather consumables and equipment before committing to later Act 2 progression.
Prioritize information and threat reduction over rushing directly to the next major objective.

Checklist

Reach the barracks on the main floor of Moonrise TowersConfirm that the investigation is taking place in the tower’s functional housing area.
Inspect the surrounding rooms and chambersThe useful search area extends beyond the most obvious barracks room.
Watch for Scrying EyesAvoid giving surveillance devices an easy opportunity to trigger an alarm.
Decide whether to avoid or remove guardsA controlled approach can reduce the difficulty of the eventual assault.
Search for scrolls, elixirs, and other gearCheck the area thoroughly instead of leaving after the first objective.
Look for the Derivation CloakThe cloak is located in one of the tower’s chambers; the supplied material does not specify the exact room.
Complete relevant objectives before the ShadowfellThis is the main timing precaution for the investigation.
Leave Moonrise prepared for the later siegeUse the information, loot, and threat reduction gained from the barracks.Optional

Collectibles and secrets

01
Derivation Cloak
Where: A chamber within Moonrise Towers
The cloak is identified as an item found within the tower’s chambers. The supplied material does not establish the exact chamber or a confirmed route, so search beyond the central barracks area.
Missable
02
Scrolls, elixirs, and other gear
Where: Barracks and surrounding chambers
The area contains supplies and equipment worth collecting during a thorough investigation. Individual item names and exact container locations are not confirmed by the source pack.

Failure conditions

Triggering an alarmScrying Eyes and other guards can alert the entire floor, expanding a local discovery into a wider confrontation.
Rushing past the exploration windowProceeding to the Shadowfell before completing relevant Moonrise objectives can result in missed content.
Leaving the area without searching side chambersThe Derivation Cloak and other supplies are associated with the tower’s chambers, so a limited search may leave useful items behind.

On failure

The source pack does not specify exact autosave points, combat reset behavior, or a unique game-over condition for this investigation.

AftermathSpoilers

Finish Moonrise preparation first

Before proceeding to the Shadowfell, complete the barracks investigation and any other Moonrise objectives you do not want to miss. The area can be cleared quietly or searched for supplies, and reducing its threats helps make the later assault on Moonrise Towers more manageable.

Trivia

The barracks is described as a functional area rather than a purely decorative section of Moonrise Towers.
Its role as housing explains why the area contains stationed soldiers and cultists.
Kressa Bonedaughter is associated with the barracks in the Mind Flayer Colony version of the area, not simply as a general Moonrise resident.
The barracks is one of several parts of Moonrise Towers that can be cleared quietly before the siege.

Sources

Moonrise Towers barracks and preparation guidance — youtube.com
Search the Barracks in Moonrise reference — hamell.net
Community reference for Moonrise Towers exploration — steamcommunity.com
Moonrise Towers area reference — bg3.wiki
Moonrise Towers walkthrough reference — fextralife.com

Relationships

Location

Moonrise TowersLocated inThe barracks is a functional area on the main floor of Moonrise Towers.

Progression

ShadowfellComplete beforeRelevant barracks objectives should be completed before proceeding to the Shadowfell.

Characters

Kressa BonedaughterAssociated characterKressa Bonedaughter is associated with the Mind Flayer Colony version of the barracks area.