Regarding boss fights, Baldur’s Gate 3 has some of the most epic we’ve experienced in a long time. The combination of turn-based combat and DnD mechanics makes these intense encounters all the more gripping. If you’re reaching the end of Chapter 2, you might’ve encountered Ketheric Thorm, the nefarious force behind the Shadow-cursed Lands, voiced by the one and only J.K. Simmons. While the first chapter presented players with several challenges, nothing compares to this first big fight. So, for those who are struggling, here’s how to defeat Ketheric Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Ketheric Thorm Boss Fight Strategy in Baldur’s Gate 3
Before you start the Ketheric Thorm fight in Baldur’s Gate 3, it is important to know that the difficulty of this encounter varies depending on what you choose to do with the Nightsong. If you haven’t found her, we have a useful guide about how to reach her in the game.
Depending on your choices, the fight will vary in its difficulty. Yet, we’ve made this guide to help you prevail in all the phases of this boss encounter. Before we delve into the tactics, beware of spoilers! We’ll mention one or two characters that are crucial to the story. Without further ado, let’s begin.
First Phase
The first phase begins on top of Moonrise Towers, and you’ll face Ketheric Thorm alongside his faithful hound, a cultist, and several undead enemies. This fight isn’t too challenging, especially if you free Nightsong. She’ll join the fight and help you take down most of the enemies. However, for those who didn’t, the strategy is quite simple.
- Attack the groups of Necromites (skeletons) on the platforms with AoE spells.
- Send your melee fighters toward Ketheric Thorm.
- Focus on Ketheric first and get him to 30-40% HP (this will trigger a cutscene and make him disappear).
- Take down the cultist and leave the Necromites to the end.
Second Phase
For the second phase of the Ketheric Thorm fight in Baldur’s Gate 3, things will get a bit more challenging. Chances are that Isobel is helping him if you fail to rescue her, and he’ll have more Necromites, a Mind Flayer, and Intellect Devourers. While this looks grim, Nightsong is trapped in the far right side of the room. To make this fight easier, do the following:
- Have a character use the Misty-Step spell.
- Teleport the character past the Intellect Devourers on the right side and have another character target them with an AoE spell, preventing them from following the first character.
- Once you reach Nightsong, use the help action to free her.
- Have one melee character go up the platform to face Ketheric, and the other focus on Isobel.
- Your ranged characters should focus on attacking the Mind Flayer and any Necromites that spawn when Ketheric casts “Incubate Death.”
- The fight has another phase after this, so we recommend beating as many enemies as possible before progressing.
Third Phase
After being blessed by Myrkul, Ketheric Thorm will become a giant bone abomination that’ll take the center of the stage. This part isn’t too challenging because Ketheric doesn’t move from where he is, yet the challenging part here is the Bone-Chill effect. This effect prevents characters from getting healed, so before you get them all next to Ketheric, heal them and approach the enemy. If you cleared all the abovementioned enemies, this final part is straightforward; all you have to do is beat Ketheric. The best advice we can give is to split your party. Leave the ranged ones on the platforms on the side, and don’t put your melee fighters together.
Quick Boss Guide
Whether you’re trying the boss with a different class or party composition and just want some quick pointers, here’s a summary of how you can tackle this fight easily:
- Use your casters to take skeletons down with AoE attacks.
- Send your tank to keep Ketheric occupied in all phases.
- For the second phase, bring a scout to rush toward Nightsong and free her.
- Eliminate all other enemies before focusing on Ketheric; this applies to all three phases.
- Spread your characters during the final phase to avoid getting the Bone-Chill effect on your team.
Related:
How To Beat Commander Zhalk in Baldur’s Gate 3
And that’s a wrap on how to beat Ketheric Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3. As you can see, the fight isn’t too challenging if you focus on certain enemies and prevent others from spawning. One thing that’ll help a lot is Radiant Damage, so if you have a Paladin, bring them to the fight, and you’ll breeze through it.
