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Everything that happens inBaldur’s Gate 3leads up to one final moment: a confrontation with the Netherbrain. This Elder Brain,also called the Absolute, has evolved thanks to long contact with the Crown of Karsus and become far more dangerous than any other Elder Brain in the illithid empire.
As the final boss ofBaldur’s Gate 3, this fight is a tough one even for a level 12 party covered in endgame gear. The second phase of the fight is especially brutal thanks to the way the Netherbrain fights. Fortunately, a little preparation can go a long way towards making this fight much easier for any party composition.
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Phase One
After enduring a two-stage fight against Absolutist forces, players can use a full-restore object and then climb up the Netherbrain’s spinal cord. The Netherbrain will lift into the air, but not before the party climbs aboard. Once the party reaches the top, phase one of the final battle will begin. Enemy forces include:
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The goal of this fight is to get the party illithid (whoever it is) to the Crown of Karsus on the opposite end of the brain. The party illithid must then spend their action to influence the Netherbrain. If they get hit withIncapacitated, Stunned, Polymorphed, or Knocked Out, they must start again. If they don’t, a portal to the Netherbrain’s psyche will open and phase two will begin. Bear in mind that Karsus' Compulsion has a 20-foot range, so the caster must get close.
With so many moving parts, players can feel overwhelmed. However,a good strategy can help the party pull throughand reach the second phase.
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Phase Two
Karsus' Compulsion opens a portal to the Netherbrain’s Psyche. Characters appear on a random platform around 60 to 70 feet away from the Unbreakable Will of the Netherbrain, and the goal of this phase is to deal 200 damage to the UWN in under five rounds. If the party fails to do so, the Netherbrain will transform them into mind flayers and the game will end.
The UWN can’t move, but it has two ways to hurt the party. First,it has a reaction called Psionic Retributionthat can hit the attacker and any nearby party member with Psychic damage and the Mindbroken condition. Fortunately, the UWN only has one reaction per round.
Second, the UWN can create Orbs of Negation on its turn. These orbs take one turn to activate and also deal Psychic damage, but more importantly they also destroy every nearby platform. If a party member is on one of these platforms when it disappears, they die instantly. Fortunately, the affected platforms glow red, making them easy to spot. Just make sure to move any Mindbroken characters to safety before trying to have them attack.
Because the UWN destroys platforms every round, this fight gets harder the longer it goes on. That’s why players should bring every party member close to the Crown of Karsus before opening the portal. If the party canhit the UWN with everything they haveduring the first round of phase two, it’ll go down before it can create even one Orb of Negation.
Another factor in this fight is how well players didduring the first attempt to dominate the Netherbrain. While even a natural 20 against the DC 99 check won’t win the game instantly, it’ll apply a special condition called Against the Odds that causes the UWN to start with fewer hit points.
Once the Unbreakable Will of the Netherbrain falls, the party illithid will attempt to either destroy or dominate the Netherbrain. If the illithid isn’t the protagonist, players can betray them to choose the other option. Either way, all that’s left of the game is to have a chat with the party about what happens next.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available now on macOS, PC, and PS5.
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