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Save the First Druid
Save the First Druid is a sub-quest of Act One's main quest, Remove the Parasite. It can be started by speaking to various Non-Player Characters at the Druid Grove, including Rath and Nettie.
 | Spoiler warning: The following content contains unhidden spoilers. Read at your own risk. |
Objectives
- The druid Halsin was last seen on an expedition into goblin territory.
- The druid Rath told us that the First Druid Halsin might be the only one capable of stopping Kagha from finishing the ritual.
- The adventurers were with Halsin when he disappeared. They might know what happened to him.
- We learned that Halsin turned into a bear during the chaos of the failed expedition. He could still be disguised in that shape.
- We learned that the goblins imprisoned the survivors deep within their camp. Halsin could be held captive there - if he survived.
- We found a group of goblins massacred by some kind of animal. Could this have been the work of the missing druid Halsin?
- We saved a large bear who turned out to be a druid named Halsin. He asked us to kill the goblin leaders so he could restore peace to the grove.
- We killed Dror Ragzlin, the goblin king.
- The drow commander Minthara is dead.
- We ended Priestess Gut's rituals - and her life.
- We defeated all three goblin leaders. We should report to Halsin.
- The goblins left to attack the grove. We should report to Halsin.
- The goblins have begun their raid on the grove. Halsin has gone there to fend them off - and hopefully mend the rift between the druids and tieflings.
- We saved a large bear, and it ended up being the druid Halsin himself. He asked for help defeating the goblins before they destroy the grove.
- We helped Halsin save the grove. Hopefully, he can resolve the conflict between the tieflings and the druids. We'll find out when we meet him there.
- Halsin has returned to the grove. We should speak to him.
- A large bear we saved turned out to be a druid named Halsin. He told us to meet him back at the grove.
- The large bear we saved was actually the missing druid Halsin. He told us to meet him back at the grove.
- Halsin thanked us and said that Rath would surely reward us for our efforts.
- Halsin was defeated.
- Rath was grateful and pointed us to a hidden vault locked by runes in the Enclave Library.
- The tieflings left for Baldur's Gate - the grove will be at peace now. Rath should have something for us.
- The tieflings left for Baldur's Gate - the grove will be at peace now.
- The grove was sealed before we could find Halsin. He won't be needed at the grove anymore.
- The tieflings and the druids were defeated. The grove has been destroyed.
- Rath thanked us for saving the grove.
- Rath is dead.
- Halsin thanked us for saving him.
- The surviving tieflings have left, and we haven't found Halsin. The grove would likely still benefit from his return.
Walkthrough
Halsin can ultimately be found in the Worg Pens area (X: 393, Y: -60) of the Shattered Sanctum, in the interior area of the Goblin Camp. There, the player finds him wildshaped as a bear, being harassed by his Goblin captors, whom are unaware of the animal's true identity. The details on how to approach the Goblin Camp and freeing Halsin are elaborated on below.
This quest can also be completed successfully by completing the quest Raid the Grove - by revealing the location of the Druid Grove to Minthara, but betraying her during the siege. This effectively lures a good portion of the Goblin forces to the grove, and Halsin frees himself and returns there once the siege defense is successful.
If the party kills two out of three Goblin Leaders and then takes a Long Rest, Halsin breaks out on his own and rejoins the grove.
Entering the Goblin Camp
There are various check-point encounters on the path to the proper Goblin Camp. There are multiple methods the player can use to approach these, including by not limited to:
- A full-frontal assault.
- Note, this approach may lead to turning the entire camp hostile if an alarm drum is successfully sounded.
- A mixture of diplomacy checks, such Persuasion and Deception.
- Alternatively, a player can brute force through all diplomacy checks by utilizing the dialogue Tadpole Power.
- Drow, or characters disguised as one via the Disguise Self spell, also have special dialogue options that helps you bypass diplomacy checks.
- Avoiding the check-points through stealth or finding an alternative path (i.e. approaching the camp from the North-West).
- Note, approaching from the North-Western path requires the player to figure out methods to deal with some sleeping guards (who can be woken if jumping character land near them). A Silence spell can effectively cover this.
Once the player successfully bypasses the check-points and enters the camp proper, they are free to partake in the camp activities, converse with the partying Goblins, and take on various side quests (more information on the Goblin Camp page). Specifically for this quest, we must continue and venture into the interior of the temple.
The Shattered Sanctum
There are two entrances into the Shattered Sanctum - the main door, or through the cracked wall on the 2nd level of the camp (X:-106, Y:481).
The main entrance:
- The entrance is guarded by Warrior Trinzas, who can be persuaded through diplomacy, Tadpole Powers, or Drow special dialogue like the previous check-points.
- Violence is always a viable alternative, however, there is a risk the fighting draws the attention of other goblins in the area, leading to the alarms being sounded and the goblins turning hostile.
The cracked wall:
- The wall is an object with 22 Hit Points, Sturdy, and immunity to all damage types except piercing (resistant), and force (vulnerable).
- This makes force-damage items/spells/abilities that can clear the 10 damage threshold - like Smokepowder Bombs or Eldritch Blast - ideal for breaking this wall.
- As there are sleeping guards situation close to the wall, using the Silence spell on the explosion or the guards to cover the noise is recommended, if you wish to avoid a confrontation.
There is technically a 3rd entrance to the temple from the Selûnite Outpost in the Underdark, but that door is inaccessible externally, and requires the player to have opened it from inside of the Shattered Sanctum first.
Freeing Halsin
Once inside, the player must approach the ornate door at the Eastern Side of Shattered Sanctum (X:342, Y:32) to enter the Worg Pens, where Halsin is held. As long as the alarm was not raised, no one will stop you, assuming you are either a True Soul or a welcomed visitor.
Alternatively, the player can also get taken to the Worg Pens by getting themselves captured - either by offending the goblins (i.e. getting caught pick-pocketing), or through the potential events of the Ask the Goblin Priestess for Help quest (drinking Gut's potion of sleep while not being resistant to it). In this case, the player is taken to the prison at the Worg Pens, and has the option to break out and find Halsin that way.
Regardless, once in the Worg Pen, approaching the cages triggers a cutscene where the Goblins harass Halsin, who is disguised in his bear wildshape. Using the Speak with Animals spell allows the player to understand Halsin in his animal form. The player has various dialogue options to react to the scenario at hand. Regardless of what happens, in order to free Halsin, the goblins guarding the area must be fought, which includes:
At the start of the fight, the Goblin youths that were harassing Halsin try to make a break and call for assistance. If they are successful, they draw in the guards outside the doors - Sharp-eye Neem, Sharp-eye Eef, and Sharp-eye Nass.
Once freed, Halsin offers to join up with the player's party as a temporary companion. Note, accepting his offer turns the entire camp hostile.