Overgrown Ruins

Wilderness
Emerald Grove
↑
Roadside Cliffs	←	Overgrown Ruins	→	River Chionthar
↓
Ravaged Beach

The Overgrown Ruins is a Location within the Wilderness in Act One of Baldur's Gate 3. There are the remnants of what appears to have once been a chapel, though time has eroded many of the clues as to who exactly was revered here.

Overview

The ruins consist of the exterior Chapel Entrance and the interior Refectory and Dank Crypt. Four bandits can be found at the entrance standing guard while the other six are in the Refectory searching for loot.^[1]

Entering this area will grant the party 10 XP at level 2, 30 XP at level 3, and 40 XP at level 4.

Accessing the ruins

There are four entrances into the ruins:

Chapel Entrance X: 285 Y: 375 - The door opens with DC 7 Sleight of Hand check. Alternatively, the party can convince the guard behind the door to grant them access into the Refectory.
Ravaged Beach X: 285 Y: 305 - The door opens with DC 20 Sleight of Hand check. This entrance leads into a trapped room within the Dank Crypt.
Chapel Entrance X: 315 Y: 365 - The hatch opens with DC 20 Sleight of Hand check. The hatch leads into the Shrine of Jergal within the Dank Crypt.
Chapel Entrance X: 285 Y: 350 - The party can snap the coiled rope holding up a foundation block. The force of impact will break the stone ground, allowing the party to jump into the Refectory.

Chapel Entrance

The Chapel Entrance, showing the structure of the upper ruin, and looters prepared for an ambush.

The Chapel Entrance is an exterior location in the Wilderness, which spans the upper section of the Overgrown Ruins. Four looters have set up base and are arguing whether to hold their post, or to search the Nautiloid Wreck to the south. The Chapel Entrance contains a door to the Refectory and a hidden hatch to the Dank Crypt.

Several patches of Twisting Vines and a loose cracked stone may punish the unwary.

Refectory

The shrine inside the Refectory

The Refectory can be accessed via the Chapel Entrance^[2] at X: 285 Y: 375. If the party fail to convince Andorn to open the door peacefully, he will plant a trap in the entryway, and all looters inside will be prepared for combat.

A total of six bandits are in the refectory. Their exact locations will vary based on whether they were alerted of the party's presence.

Within the Refectory, a door leading to the Dank Crypt at X: -178 Y: -322 can be unlocked by activating the switch at X: -174 Y: -362. The Dank Crypt can also be accessed by destroying the door or entering through the hatch or Ravaged Beach. This door can also be opened by entering the Refectory through the Dank Crypt and lighting the two candles adorning it.

Dank Crypt

The Dank Crypt (also known as Temple Ruins) is overgrown and strewn with ancient sarcophagi.

Trapped sarcophagus

The southern room with a sarcophagus in the centre at X: -293 Y: -325 is heavily trapped. It contains an Engraved Key and The Watcher's Guide. The key opens the heavy oak doors to the north. When the sarcophagus is opened, gargoyle heads lining the west and east walls will shoot firebolts. Meanwhile, gas vents will emit flammable gas and Grease traps will flood the ground. All these traps require passing a DC 15 Perception check to identify. Pressing the button on the middle pillar along the eastern side of the room will turn off the traps, but only after they have been triggered. The button does not require a perception check.

Gas vents can be blocked by placing crates, vases, and other similar items on top of them.
The vents, grease traps, and gargoyle heads can be disarmed using a Trap Disarm Toolkit. However, this is a risky option due to the large number of traps in this room and limited access to tool kits early in Act One.
The sarcophagus can be disarmed, which will remove the sole trigger for all the traps in the room.

Shrine of Jergal

In the north room, an imposing skeleton statue stands at the centre of an overgrown chamber. The eastern wall has collapsed to reveal a seaside cave routing back to the Roadside Cliffs, which can be accessed through a hatch at X: -250 Y: -270. To unlock the hatch, the lever next to the ladder must be pulled.

A DC 15 Religion check identifies the statue as Jergal, the divine scribe and former deity of death.

A Heavy Key can be looted from the Entombed Scribes at X: -311 Y: -252 to unlock the Ancient Door near the Overgrown Ruins waypoint. South of the Entombed Scribe at X: -310 Y: -260, a separate room toward the west houses additional sarcophagi and a Book of Dead Gods, which can be obtained at X: -321 Y: -269. To read the book, a character must initially pass a DC 15 Arcana, or Strength check. Wizards may instead pass a DC 10 Intelligence check and Clerics can pass a DC 10 Wisdom check. After the initial check, the character must pass a DC 10 Religion check, which grants the Secrets of the Sundering for Sages and Divinity Undone for Acolytes. A Scroll of Ray of Enfeeblement will fall out of the book after succeeding or failing the Religion check.

Additionally, a Soul Coin can be found in this room within the sarcophagus at X: -324 Y: -274.

In the main room with the statue, a button can be pressed at X: -300 Y: -235 to reveal a hidden room. However, pressing the button will cause the four Entombed Scribes and one Entombed Warrior in the room to attack the party.

The enemies can be disarmed before triggering the fight by looting their weapons.
Lighting the candles and braziers throughout the room will prevent the enemies from capitalizing on dim light using Darkvision. Spells such as Fire Bolt can light the braziers near the ceiling.
Attempting to manipulate the skeletons' positions by picking up or moving the bodies will instantly trigger combat regardless of whether the button has been pressed.

Withers

Withers, being awoken from his slumber, asks a question.

If the party enter the secret room and interacts with the sarcophagus within, Withers will emerge to ask the interacting party member a question. He will later join the party as a Follower in their camp. Withers will offer resurrection, hireling, and respec services in the camp. Meeting Withers for the first time grants the Unfamiliar Unfamiliarity for the Haunted One. If the party do not meet Withers in the Dank Crypt, he will eventually appear in the camp.

Characters

Camp followers

Withers

Looters (Chapel Entrance)

Looters (Refectory)

Creatures

Related quests

Explore the Ruins

Notable loot

Notable items obtained in this location, whether looted, purchased, or obtained as a quest reward:

Ancient Scroll - in a vase at X: -189 Y: -313
Bandit's Key - carried by Andorn, in the Refectory at X: -160 Y: -290
Book of Dead Gods - X: -321 Y: -269
Engraved Key - X: -293 Y: -323
Heavy Key - carried by an Entombed Scribe at X: -310 Y: -250
Portrait of Fane - on the wall at X: -182 Y: -296^[3]
Scroll of Protection from Evil and Good - in a Gilded Chest at X: -281 Y: -301
Soul Coin - in a sarcophagus at X: -324 Y: -274
Soul Coin - in a sarcophagus near the south exit X: -304 Y: -323
Soul Coin - in Withers' sarcophagus at X: -290 Y: -235
The Amulet of Lost Voices - in a Heavy Chest next to Withers' sarcophagus at X: -290 Y: -235
The Watcher's Guide - X: -293 Y: -323

Notes

↑ If the party dropped the foundation block through the floor of the Chapel Entrance, the looters inside are immediately hostile.
↑ In early access, the Refectory was known as the Bedchamber.
↑ Portrait of Fane is only available if the Digital Deluxe Upgrade was purchased.

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[1] If the party dropped the foundation block through the floor of the Chapel Entrance, the looters inside are immediately hostile.

[2] In early access, the Refectory was known as the Bedchamber.

[3] Portrait of Fane is only available if the Digital Deluxe Upgrade was purchased.

[1]

[2]

[3]