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Sorcerous Vault

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The portal leads from the Sorcerous Sundries into the vault
The Sorcerous Vault is a Location within Sorcerous Sundries in Act Three of Baldur's Gate 3.
“
Books as temperamental as these are not on sale. They are secured in our vault, where none can harm them, nor can they do any harm.
„
— Tolna Tome-Monger

Overview[edit section | visual editor]

Combined map of the vault with hidden rooms

The Sorcerous Vault is the main storage of both Ramazith's Tower and the Sorcerous Sundries. It is a hidden part of the tower and is available only by teleportation the tower or the magical shop's office.

The vault consists of series of small rooms filled with traps and peculiar, but dangerous items. However, its coffers also contain a small fortune of Valuables, potions, rare alchemical ingredients and spell scrolls of various grade.

While the party are inside the Sourcerous Sundries vault, they cannot fast travel or move to the Campsite.

The Sorcerous Vault is also a location where several major quests can be progressed, including Gale's Gale's personal quest.

Access to the Vault[edit section | visual editor]

There are two ways to access the Sorcerous Vault:

  • From Ramazith's Tower: Pressing the Weave Button labelled 'Vaults' in teleports the party to the northernmost room of the Vault. The pedestal with the button can be reached by jumping down to the middle level using the magically suspended furniture at X: 4980 Y: 706 or using movement spells such as Feather Fall Feather Fall, Misty Step Misty Step, Fly Fly, or Dimension Door Dimension Door.
Pressing the button teleports only the the interacting character to the Vault.

Vault layout[edit section | visual editor]

Portal hall of the vault
(a template by Tim Wilmsen)

For convenience, the rooms here are described in their position with respect to the portal room, which lies approximately in the centre of the vault.

The portal room features bookcases and stacks of scrolls lining up the walls. The bookcases cannot be interacted with, while stacks of scrolls may contain random spell scrolls from common to Very rare. Several metal crates here contain alchemical ingredients.

Northern part[edit section | visual editor]

To the north of the portal is a brick wall section. A passive DC 15 Perception Check DC 15 Perception Check reveals a button at X: 369 Y: 1033 which moves the wall apart, opening the passage. From the other side, the wall is opened with a lever.

In the passage are two wooden chests. The one at X: 361 Y: 1039 can be opened with the  Sorcerous Sundries Basement Chest Key or with DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check.

The chest on the opposite side requires DC 10 Sleight of Hand Check DC 10 Sleight of Hand Check and does not have a corresponding key. The wall behind the chest is illusory; walking through it leads into a hidden room, which is empty save for the Peculiar Lamp.

Peculiar lamp[edit section | visual editor]

The interior of the djinni's lamp
(by Stimona Milanova)

This lamp is mentioned in a  Note pinned on the notice board in Tolna's office, calling it "far too dangerous to be displayed openly".

Interacting with the lamp swaps the interacting character or creature with whoever is currently stuck in the lamp. Initially, the lamp dweller is Yafeu Yafeu the djinni. The first party member who interacts with the lamp will be stuck inside. The lamp contains a number of useful items such as Uncommon and Rare potions, gold, Valuables and Camp Supplies, as well as the djinni's  diary.

Upon breaking loose, Yafeu initiates a dialogue with the nearest party member outside the lamp. He honestly warns them about the lamp, which must have a tenant. The party can ask Yafeu for gold or provoke him when he tries to leave.[1] He gives 1000  gold as a compensation; if killed, he grants 250xp but does not drop any items.

Escape the lamp[edit section | visual editor]

  • Summon any creature (for example Mage Hand Mage Hand or Spiritual Weapon Spiritual Weapon) and having them drag the lamp to swap places with the trapped party member (it is not possible to use the throw action on the lamp). There is a  Scroll of Summon Quasit in one of the gilded chests at X: -1602 Y: 113.
  • Summon Scratch Scratch inside the lamp. If the imprisoned character has  Scratch's Ball in their inventory, it can be used to swap places with Scratch while he remains inside. Scratch can be recovered immediately after taking a Short Rest right there and then summoning him. By doing this a dead duplicate of Scratch replaces the lamp for a brief moment before disappearing.[verify]
  • Summon Connor Vinderblad Connor Vinderblad inside the lamp, if the character has the  Second Marriage wand. The sequestered party member is transported out while Connor remains inside. The lamp is destroyed at the end of his temporary duration, and Connor appears dead where the lamp previously was.
  • The imprisoned character can use Banishment Banishment on themselves to escape the lamp. The spell sends its object to the nearest plane of existence, which in this case is the hidden room with the lamp (the caster can still make a successful saving throw against themselves).

After the last trapped creature leaves the lamp (assuming it was the only occupant), the lamp is destroyed.

Northern vault room[edit section | visual editor]

The northern vault
(by Tim Wilmsen)

If the party enter the vault from Ramazith's Tower, they start here. There is no way to teleport back to the tower from this part of the vault.

The red-glowing display case at X: 368 Y: 1056 is locked, requiring DC 20 Sleight of Hand Check DC 20 Sleight of Hand Check to lockpick. It holds the legendary book  The Red Knight's Final Strategem. Upon reading it, the interacting party member gains a unique spell scroll, the  Scroll of Artistry of War (a powerful version of Magic Missile Magic Missile). This scroll can be transcribed into a wizard's spellbook.

Several Gilded Chests and metal crates nearby may contain random loot from precious gems and Very rare spell scrolls to useful potions to alchemical ingredients.

Southern part[edit section | visual editor]

To the south of the portal room is another passage. Like in the northern part, two wooden chests stand on two side grounds here. The chest at X: 371 Y: 1011 can be opened with the  Sorcerous Sundries Basement Chest Key or with DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check; it contains several random precious gems. The other chest requires DC 10 Sleight of Hand Check DC 10 Sleight of Hand Check. Also by this chest is an illusory wall which conceals a hidden room.

This room apparently serves as Lorroakan's Lorroakan's private study. It features several bookcases with Very rare spell scrolls inside them and a bookshelf, where lies the legendary tome  Caution Before the Seelie. Reading it awards the interacting character the  Scroll of Bestial Communion, another unique spell scroll which allows them to summon a Deva Deva to fight at the party's side. This scroll can also be transcribed into a wizard's spellbook.

On a table here are several documents, including Lorroakan's personal notes, which reveal his utmost fear of impending age and infirmity. A Gilded Chest on the top of a bookcase contains gold.

The passage ends with a locked door labelled "Ramazith", which can be opened with the  Sorcerous Sundries Mystery Door Key from the bottom level of the Ramazith's Tower. Otherwise, it requires DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check DC 15 Sleight of Hand Check to lockpick. A plaque beside it warns any trespasser "will be disintegrated".

Southern vault[edit section | visual editor]

The interior of the Karsus vault
(by Tim Wilmsen)

Behind the door is a series of rooms offering the party a puzzle: each room has four labelled doors teleporting the interacting party member(s) between them. All rooms are heavily trapped with Marble Plates, gas pits and / or Gargoyle Heads hurling fire or ice bolts. It is recommended that the party use See Invisibility See Invisibility effect to safely traverse the puzzle area, as each room contains an invisible lever which disables all traps in that room.

The initial room has three doors labelled "Silverhand", "Elminster" and "Karsus". The last two doors are locked, and impossible to lockpick (but the Knock Knock spell can be used to open them). Approximately in the centre of the room all party members roll a passive DC 15 Arcana Check DC 15 Arcana Check to recognize the names on the doors, and comment on a success.

The ultimate goal of the room puzzle is to follow the correct door sequence to make the way to the rooms containing levers which unlock these two rooms, and there are two documents in Sorcerous Sundries which offhandedly describe the door sequences leading to these two rooms.

  • The note titled  The Path to Elminster lies under Tolna Tome-Monger's counter in the main trade hall.
  • The note titled  The Path to Karsus lies on a desk in a small bedroom on the first floor. The entrance to the room is at X: -3 Y: -97.

Below is a chart showing the puzzle rooms' details.

Room Room A Room B Room C Room D
Doors
  • Elminster (locked)
  • Karsus (locked)
  • Silverhand -> Room B
  • back to passage
  • Abjuration -> Room D
  • Evocation -> Room C
  • Illusion -> back to Room A
  • Transmutation -> back to Room A
  • Foresight -> back to Room A
  • Gate -> back to Room B
  • Invulnerability -> back to Room A
  • Wish -> Lever to Elminster
  • Demon -> back to Room A
  • Shadow -> back to Room B
  • Silver -> Lever to Karsus
  • Wild -> back to Room A
Traps
  • Four round marble plates in front of each door trigger the nearest one of four gas pits with Cloudkill Cloudkill in the octagon corners
  • The lever to disable is at X: 369 Y: 1003
  • Four rectangular marble plates in front of each door; any of them triggers a gas pit in the centre, which produces a Void Cloud Void Cloud
  • The lever to disable is at X: 364 Y: 946
  • Four Gargoyle Heads shooting ice (2d6⁠Cold⁠Cold) if the weight is lifted from the marble plate in the centre
  • The lever to disable is at X: 414 Y: 958
  • In the Wish room: two gargoyle heads cast Disintegrate Disintegrate if any of three marble plates in the middle is triggered.[2]
  • Four Gargoyle Heads hurling fire (2d6⁠Fire⁠Fire) if the weight is lifted from the marble plate in the centre
  • The lever to disable is at X: 326 Y: 958
  • In the Silver room: two gargoyle heads cast Disintegrate Disintegrate if any of three marble plates in the middle is triggered.[2]
Loot
  • No loot
  • No loot

In Room C and Room D there is an unmistakable way to discern the correct door which hides the vault-unlocking lever: it is marked with the Door icon when pointing the cursor at it, while all others show the Interaction icon (two engaged cogs).

The Elminster vault[edit section | visual editor]

At X: 416 Y: 998 is the locked display case with the  The Tharchiate Codex inside. Lockpicking it requires DC 20 Sleight of Hand Check DC 20 Sleight of Hand Check. After opening the case, the first party member who interacts with the book is stricken with its aura, and immediately gains the permanent Tharchiate Withering Tharchiate Withering curse (it can be cured with Remove Curse Remove Curse). Once cured, this character gains the Tharchiate Vigour Tharchiate Vigour buff instead, which is permanent as well. Also, reading this book allows the character to finish reading the  Necromancy of Thay and thus complete the unlock the Ancient Tome⁠unlock the Ancient Tome quest.

In the vault are two small Gilded Chests with random precious gems and rare alchemical ingredients. Also two Opulent Chests are initially invisible and can be revealed with any means of See Invisibility See Invisibility. One of them contains the  Pyroquickness Hat, while the other one random valuables and arrows.

The Karsus vault[edit section | visual editor]

At X: 318 Y: 997 is a stone bookshelf with the  Scroll of Dethrone, a  Gold Chalice,  The Annals of Karsus and a  letter written (allegedly) by Karsus himself. Reading the book awards the interacting party member with another copy of Scroll of Dethrone.

The book mentions three artefacts created and left by Karsus: the Crown (currently worn by the Netherbrain), the Orb[3], and the Sceptre. The latter item was unimplemented in the release version of the game, but there is a mod on NexusMods which can restore it.

This room also has two initially invisible Gilded Chests, one of them contains  Foebreaker, while the other keeps a Very rare spell scroll and minor loot. Four stacks of scrolls contain from one to three Very rare scrolls each. On weapon stands around the room a collection of +1 enchanted Uncommon weapons is displayed, including a  Merregon Halberd.

Companion interactions[edit section | visual editor]

Gale reads The Annals of Karsus
“
Just think of it... the power of the gods in mortal hands at last. We'd be free of doctrine and dogma, confined only by the limits of our imaginations.
„
— Gale, arguing for seizing the Crown of Karsus

Reading The Annals of Karsus is a pivotal point for Gale's Gale's personal quests (both as a companion and as an origin). He has a unique dialogue when interacting with the book, which puts him to a choice of paths concerning the  Crown of Karsus. The dialogue is initiated if Gale is chosen to interact with the book, regardless of whether he is a companion or an origin. Any other character simply reads the text and receives the aforementioned spell scroll.

If Gale is in the party as a companion, but another character interacts with the book, Gale initiates the conversation, asking to let him read the book as well. Refusing Gale twice lowers his approval of the player character by Gale disapproves -20.

If the character in question agrees, Gale starts reading through the book immediately, concluding that it contains not only the description of the crown, but relates the whole Karsus' plot to unseat Mystryl and ascend to godhood in her stead. The interacting character then has several options to support Gale's enthusiasm or discourage him. Gale's ambition, however, leads him to conclude he can likely succeed where Karsus failed.

Related locations[edit section | visual editor]

Related quests[edit section | visual editor]

Characters[edit section | visual editor]

Loot[edit section | visual editor]

Legendary books[edit section | visual editor]

Unique spell scrolls[edit section | visual editor]

Weapons and armour[edit section | visual editor]

Related literature[edit section | visual editor]

This list does not include four legendary plot-involved books.

Notes and references[edit section | visual editor]

  1. ↑ Both choices earn approval/disapproval from various companions. To get the gold, the interacting party member can ask for money directly or tell the djinni they did not like the now-trapped person anyway.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 This trap system has no lever to disarm, but the plates can be disarmed or jumped over (which is much simpler).
  3. ↑ By its description, this is seemingly the very same blot of the Weave nested in Gale's chest. Gale, however, does not match the Karsite Orb described in the book with the one he carries inside.
  4. ↑ Apart from the importance of these books for various quests, each one of them is worth 2000 gold pieces (by nominal cost).
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