Philomeen

Philomeen is a Deep Gnome character in Baldur's Gate 3. She can give you a Runepowder Vial.

“

Hold it. I swear to Ironhand, one more step and I blow us to chunks!

„

— Philomeen's greeting

Involvement

Act 1

Brithvar mentiones that a deep gnome fled with some smokepowder. Philomeen was fed up with the Duergar's cruelty towards her and her people so she has escaped. She also took a Runepowder Barrel with her and hid.

Philomeen wants to bring the Runepowder - an explosive of immense power handed down to them by their war-god Gaerdal Ironhand - back to Baldur's Gate. She'd like to have her clan with her, but she knows the mission must come first. Her clan are freedom fighters and they need this powder to "prove a point", that's all she can say.

The party must then calm her down using one of the following options:

• [PERSUASION] Laridda sent me. The gnomes need your help. (DC 10)
• [INTIMIDATION] If I was a True Soul, you'd be dead. Stand down before you hurt yourself. (DC 15)
• [BERSERKER] [INTIMIDATION] KILL THE FIRE. OR DIE. PAINFULLY. (DC 15 )
• [PERSUASION] Smile sincerely and hold out your hand. (DC 15)
• [PERSUASION] Are you sure about this? Once you're dead, that's it. It's over. (DC 15)
• [DETECT THOUGHTS] [WISDOM] Cast Detect Thoughts.
  • You will not serve Ironhand in death. But you might still serve him in life.

If calming her down, she will refuse to give up the barrel but will agree to give the party a Runepowder Vial.

If failing to calm her down she will explode the barrel along with her, which results in completely losing the barrel item and potentially wiping out the entire party.

It is possible to obtain the barrel without her detonating by sneaking past her and moving it away from her or stealing it while hidden. The party can obtain both, barrel and vial, by first accepting her deal, then stealing the barrel, while still in conversation. If pickpocketing the vial from her and then stealing the barrel before talking to her, then she'll notice and become hostile.

Another way to acquire both explosives is to steal the barrel first, which will initiate dialogue and then pickpocket the vial from her in turn based-mode after the talk is over and she starts to run away.

Act 3

If she escaped alive, Philomeen shows up in Angleiron's Cellar with the rest of the Ironhand Gnome resistance. She's just as zealous about her clan's plans for the city, and confirms she broke up with Laridda for good.

Related quests

•  Avenge the Ironhands
•  Deal with the Gnomes
•  Deliver Nere's Head
•  Free True Soul Nere
•  Save the Grymforge Gnomes

Notable loot

• Runepowder Barrel
• Runepowder Vial - given freely in dialogue

Related literature

• Hand-Drawn Map

Bugs

• Philomeen will claim that she knows the player character must be a True Soul because she saw them "sail in" and be greeted by the Duergar, even if that didn't actually happen (because the party first entered Grymforge via the elevator from the Shadow-Cursed Lands).

See also

• Community gags - Philomeen's page on this wiki has been a subject of meta-jokes.