How to Defeat Arcane Turrets in Baldur's Gate 3

By the end of Chapter One, you’ll face several decisions regarding how you wish to approach the end of this act. You can go through the Mountain Pass or head through the Underdark. For players who picked the latter, there are several areas you can discover that, while they hold fantastic loot, are quite dangerous. If you’ve encountered the Arcane Tower while playing Baldur’s Gate 3, you might’ve noticed some Arcane Turrets blocking your way. These devices can be challenging and annoying, halting your freedom of exploration. Thankfully, there are many ways to circumvent these mechanical menaces.

Baldur’s Gate 3: How To Disable Arcane Turrets

Arcane Turrets Puzzle — Image Source: Larian Studios via The Nerd Stash

Instead of defeating the Arcane Turrets in Baldur’s Gate 3, you must look for a way to disable them. To do it, you’ll need to do some sneaking, jumping, and infiltrating. We’ve listed the steps below:

When you face the Arcane Turrets, send your character with the highest Sneak and Sleight of Hand skills behind the tall rock in the Arcane Tower’s front yard.
You’ll enter turn-based combat mode; use it to keep hiding from the turret’s line of fire (represented by a line toward your character).
Face the front gate of the Arcane Tower and head left to where the giant mushrooms are.

Baldur's Gate 3 Underdark — Image Source: Larian Studios via The Nerd Stash

Leap from the red mushroom to the blue mushroom and make your way down.

When you reach the Arcane Tower’s garden, pick up a Sussur Bloom.

Pick the door’s lock or enter through the small hole on the side of the tower (you’ll spot it on your way to the garden).

Hidden Entrance — Image Source: Larian Studios via The Nerd Stash

Enter the Arcane Tower and head to the Power Generator.

Insert the Sussur Bloom in the Power Generator to disable the Arcane Turrets.

Is It Necessary to Visit the Arcane Tower?

While it doesn’t have any main quest-related objectives, visiting the Arcane Tower isn’t a bad idea. Here, we went for it because we were trying a Sorcerer build that focused on Lightning spells, and the Sparkswall ring you get from the basement is quite useful. Besides, there’s a helpful staff that augments Bless spells, making it crucial for the game’s hardest difficulties. So, if you have the time and want some experience, take a small detour to this place.

How To Fix Companions Not Following in Baldur’s Gate 3

Following the above steps will allow you to disable the Arcane Turrets in Baldur’s Gate 3 quickly. After disabling them, the elevator of the Arcane Tower will activate, letting you explore this structure with your whole party. Remember that these devices are immune to damage, so don’t waste your spells or skills trying to fight them. Instead, look for a sneaky way to disable the Tower’s defenses.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.