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Apothecary's Cellar
“A hidden laboratory full of abandoned experiments. Colour me in my element.„
Overview[edit | edit source]
Access[edit | edit source]
The Apothecary's Cellar is located underneath the Blighted Village, and is accessible from a hatch in the abandoned apothecary building.
Main Cellar[edit | edit source]
This section has a share of potions and alchemical ingredients scattered around in containers (mostly wooden barrels) and on the shelves, as well as in the wooden chest near the northern wall. On the desk next to the chest is a 
Healer's Log and 
Potion of Healing Recipe. Reading the former book helps to proceed into the Necromancer's Lab (see below).
A lever is hidden behind a stack of crates at X: -704 Y: -353. It is highlighted after passing a passive 
DC 15 Perception check, but can also be found through normal investigation. Pulling it opens a hidden passage behind a bookcase at X: -695 Y: -350, leading into the next chamber.
The Cavernal Antechamber[edit | edit source]
This natural cavern has eight mouldering caskets scattered around. The casket closest to the tunnel entrance holds the 
Scroll of Summon Quasit along with two bottles of 
Alchemist's Fire and a 
Poo-Scraper. The scroll can be used to cast the spell immediately, or scribed by a 
character.[1] Casting the spell summons Shovel - previously the familiar of the former owner of the laboratory. Talking to her sheds some light onto the personality of her master.
Interacting with any of the other caskets caused a skeletal guardian to burst out of it, 
the party. Apart from attacking the party, the skeleton tries to run off to the other caskets, breaking them open and spawning more undead. There can possibly be three Robust Guardians and four Agile Guardians in total. Attacking any of the caskets still causes the skeletons to emerge, but without surprising the party.
Defeating all spawned skeletal guardians before they smash up remaining caskets prevents other guardians from appearing; extra xp and loot is then forfeited.
An effective strategy for dealing with the guardians is to drag all the caskets (by clicking and dragging) into a pile or stack and use 
or similar persistent ground attacks on them, breaking them all and wounding all guardians simultaneously and over multiple turns. This ensures loot and experience from all. Also, several fissured stalactites on the cavern vault can be shot down to damage whoever stands under them.
At X: -669 Y: -318 a passive DC 15 Survival check reveals hidden treasure. When the casket at X: -664 Y: -315 is opened or destroyed by a fellow guardian, a 
Dark Journal falls out. Reading it reveals more information on the lab owner, progresses the 
, and provides an additional option when interacting with the Ornate Mirror (see below).
At the south end of the cave is a wooden platform with a magical Ornate Mirror on the wall. Interacting with it can open the way forward into the hidden lab. Convincing the mirror to let the party through earns the 
for the characters with the 
background.
Failing to convince the mirror causes it to unleash a floating flaming sphere which circles around the room, leaving a trail of fire. It takes a route throughout the cavern and partly into the tunnel leading in before losing power and returning into the mirror. The sphere attacks any object on sight, dealing 2d6
, with a DC 12 
Dexterity saving throw to halve the damage. After two appearances, its power dwindles, and it is possible to interact with the mirror again. This can be done as many times as needed.
For the details and possible dialogue options to operate the mirror, see the Ornate Mirror page. Also, the mirror can be destroyed by attacking it or choosing certain dialogue options.
Necromancer's Lab[edit | edit source]
The lab itself is a vast hall with the main workspace in the centre and several smaller rooms around it. Various containers in the lab and in the rooms contain alchemical ingredients, notably 
Acorn Truffles, which can rarely be found freely while exploring.
In the centre of the lab there is an alchemists's workspace, where a 
Scroll of Feather Fall and some 
Basilisk Oil can be taken. Also, several documents and books describing the lab owner's concerns can be found.
The lesser rooms when coming around from most-eastern are:
- A storeroom (almost across the entrance) with several containers with alchemical components. A lever in the far end moves a wall section to get back into the main cellar [2]. On the shelf is a
Rusted Key (Apothecary). - A room with a stuffed bear. A wooden chest at X: -679 Y: -370 contains several random scrolls.
- A small library. The gilded chest at X: -656 Y: -369 contains the
Bracers of Defence.
On the east side is a gated off cavernous area which holds the real prize of this lab, the 
Necromancy of Thay. A Marble Plate just before the rusted iron gate can be detected by a DC 15 Perception check. It activates the traps inside: two Gargoyle Statues on the each side and a pressure plate on which the tome itself is placed.
A DC 15 Sleight of Hand check can pick the gate lock, or the party can use the Rusted Key from the storeroom shelves. Each of the four traps here can be disabled with a DC 10 Sleight of Hand check. Otherwise, turn-based mode can be used to take the book and replace it with any other object, or simply rush out before the fire bolts from gargoyle statues are hurled.
The first interaction with the book updates the quest, adding to the journal two subquests to it: and . Astarion, Karlach, and Wyll may prompt their opinion on the tome, if they are in the party.
Once the 
Dark Amethyst is acquired, any party member can try to read the tome, binding it to them permanently. The full list of possible interactions with the book, as well as companions' approval towards each of them, can be found at Necromancy of Thay page.
Related locations[edit | edit source]
Characters and Creatures[edit | edit source]
- Agile Guardian
- Ornate Mirror
- Robust Guardian
- Shovel - optional
Loot[edit | edit source]
Bracers of Defence
Necromancy of Thay
Scroll of Summon Quasit inside a mouldering casket X: -667 Y: -330
Hidden treasure[edit | edit source]
- Wooden chest at X: -679 Y: -369
Literature[edit | edit source]
This list does not include books which can be also obtained elsewhere in the walkthrough.
Related quests[edit | edit source]
Achievements[edit | edit source]
- Rude, Crude, and Full of Attitude
- Find and summon the quasit Shovel. Or is her name... Fork? Maybe Basket?