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Zhentarim Basement
“Hells with this - I was promised steady coin, not some stlarning cave.„
Overview[edit | edit source]
The Zhentarim Basement is a large subterranean cave beneath the Waukeen's Rest inn. It features deep basins spanned by stone arcs and bridges. Various levels of the paths are connected with wooden ladders and footways. In its far end is a descend to the Underdark.
The cavern is occupied by the Zhentarim, an association of traders and mercenaries with dubious morals, who are using it as a base of operations in the region. Prior to the game events, however, the inn above their hideout was ransacked by goblins and drow. The Zhentarim are concerned the Flaming Fists might find the cavern while investigating, and are feverishly preparing to abandon and destroy the hideout in order to cover up any tracks of their activity. The cavern is already cluttered with 
Smokepowder Barrels, oily paths connecting them, and laden with unique type of traps, Proximity Explosives (see below).
However, the Zhentarim cannot leave until their recent business of transporting a certain valuable 
cargo is concluded. Despite them actively packing, the party can freely long rest before the Zhentarim leave.
Access[edit | edit source]
There are two ways to access the Zhentarim Basement:
- Through a barn on the western side of Waukeen's Rest at X: -114 Y: 612. Upon approaching, party members passing a
DC 15 Perception check can detect movement inside. Behind the shelves, Salazon is crouched. He asks for a password, threating to hurl a 
. As there are several 
Oil and 
Firewine Barrels stacked inside near the entrance, the consequences may be severe.
- Salazon lets the party pass if he hears the correct password, or if the player character succeeds a DC 15 intimidation or Persuasion check.
characters have an additional option: to show him a "profit" hand gesture, with earns approval from 
+1, 
+1, 
+5, and 
+1. The password can be obtained by using 
on Salazon. Otherwise, it can be learned from Rugan - the Zhentarim agent escorting the long-awaited cargo - or wrested from his corpse via 
. - If placated, Salazon provides the party with the
Engraved Key and tells them to use the hatch in the far corner of the barn. If the attempt to convince Salazon is not successful, he ignites the barrels and flees back to the hideout.
- The other entrance to the basement is through the Underdark: in the far end of the cavern, behind the illusionary wall, is an elevator which descends to the Storehouse hidden in its depths. However, the elevator initially is locked from the cavern side; only after unlocking it from the Zhentarim hideout can the party then use it in both directions.
The Cellar[edit | edit source]
Down through the hatch, the party finds themselves in a vast cellar, cluttered with numerous crates, trunks and heaps of junk. Most crates contain various Camp Supplies, which can be looted freely. Near the desk at X: 382 Y: -258 a wooden crate contains the spare key to a secret passage. The passage itself is concealed behind the wardrobe in the far corner of the cellar. Once opened, it becomes an interactable object named "Hidden Stairs".
Exploring the Hideout[edit | edit source]
After descending into the hideout proper the first time, an automated dialogue is triggered approximately at X: 272 Y: -278 with Zarys, the leader of this particular Zhentarim group. She feels at liberty to decide the intruders' fates. The layout of the dialogue depends on several conditions:
- Whether the party have already met the agents escorting the cargo: Rugan and Olly
- Whether the party have saved them from gnolls and / or spared them afterwards
- Whether the party have bargained with Rugan about selling the cargo
If Rugan survives the encounter with the gnolls and delivers the cargo to the hideout, he intervenes and convinces Zarys to let the party in peacefully.
If neither survive, the party must convince Zarys, which requires various ability checks. All possible options are listed on Zarys's page.
If Rugan and Olly survive and the party strike a deal with Rugan about splitting the profits from divesting the cargo, both agents can then be found in the hideout: Olly is already dead, while Rugan is tied to a chair and being tortured by Zarys for betrayal.
Successfully convincing Zarys to let them proceed grants the 
inspiration to characters with the 
background. Otherwise, the Zhentarim become hostile, and the party must fight their way through. On the way down three granitic rocks can be detected with DC 20 Perception check). These are pressure plates and can be disarmed with DC 10 Sleight of Hand check. If Zarys is placated, she orders to deactivate the traps. A red-outlined lever at X: 310 Y: -259 locks the iron gate leading to the main part of the hideout and activates the rocks.
The shipment of the Zhentarim[edit | edit source]
In order to effectively interact with any character in the hideout, the party must first talk to Zarys. She is standing on a high cliff across the entrance to the hideout, barking orders from time to time to hasten the pace of her crew below - Bellar, Brem and Garias.[1] If the 
has not been started yet, Zarys tells them that she might use someone brave and bold enough to accomplish this mission. If the party agree, the quest starts. If the quest is already in progress, the cutscene goes respectively to the player character's choices throughout it.
- If the party saved Rugan and Olly (or at least retrieved the Caravan Strongbox), Zarys thanks them, awarding gold and a rare crossbow
Harold. She also offers to look into the special stock of Brem (see below). This outcome grants the inspiration to characters with the 
background. - If the party bargained with Rugan on splitting the profits from cargo, Zarys may still excuse the party's mistake. To this end, she demands the player character execute Rugan and then deliver the strongbox to Baldur's Gate.[2] If they agree, Brem's special stock is still available, unlike other possible awards.
- If the party opened the strongbox and took the
Iron Flask from it, Zarys and the other Zhentarim become hostile to the party.[3] Taking the flask grants the inspiration to characters with the background.[4]
- If the Zhentarim turn hostile to the party, the iron gate at the entrance is locked. It can be unlocked with the Iron Key held by Garias or with the aforementioned lever nearby.
Attacking Zarys and her crew after successfully delivering her the cargo is considered an oathbreaking action for 
and 
.
Various containers on the cliff where Zarys's stands contain Camp Supplies, while crates in the basin below can be looted for random Valuables potions, grenades and plain weapons.
Brem's special stock[edit | edit source]
Brem's special stock is locked behind certain quest and dialogue choices. These items only appear in Brem's inventory if gaining Zarys's trust. If antagonizing Zarys in any way, the Zhentarim turn hostile and the items do not appear in Brem's inventory.
If the party convinces Rugan to cross the Zhents and let the party take the shipment, then the only way to gain Zarys's trust is to follow her order to kill Rugan. It is not possible to obtain the shipment, spare Rugan's life, and get access to Brem's special stock. If the party angers the Zhentarim after completing the quest, however, some items from Brem's special stock can be looted from his corpse.
The Pet Artist[edit | edit source]
The only character initially present in the hideout who is not aligned with the Zhentarim is Oskar Fevras, an artist from Baldur's Gate captured by Brem. However, Brem still has not decided how to profit from his prisoner.
If the party convinces Zarys to let them in, Oskar can then be spoken with. He begs to ransom him from the Zhentarim, so he can return to Baldur's Gate and his patron, Lady Jannath. If they agree, is added to the journal. The party must then speak to Brem and have him free the artist. This can be done either by paying Brem 1000 
Gold, or by convincing him that Oskar is more a liability than a source of profit. Possible dialogue options with companions' respective approval are as following:
- Buying Oskar:
- Pay him.
-1 +1 +1 
-1 +1 - I don't have that much gold. I have plenty of steel, though. (DC 20)
- You're insane if you think I'm going to pay that much. (DC 15)
- Too much. Cut your price down to size or I'll cut you down to size. (DC 20
) - THEN LOWER THE PRICE. OR DIE. (DC 20 )
- Pay him.
- Convincing Brem to set Oskar free without any payment:
- We can skip threats and go straight to blades, if you like. (DC 20) +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 [5]
- If he's as talented as you say, someone will be looking for him. (DC 20) +1 +1 +1 +1 +1
- If this artist were to tragically expire, his portfolio would become finite - therefore priceless. (DC 15 )
- ROAR. (DC 20 )
- Here's my offer: give me your slave, or become mine. (DC 15 ) +1 +1 +1 +1 +1
- Slavekeeping's bad for business with any halfway-moral customer. Let him go. (DC 15)
- Art's more valuable once the creator is dead. I can arrange that. (DC 15 ) +1 +1 +1 +1 +1
- We can skip threats and go straight to blades, if you like. (DC 20)
Options to convince Brem (and therefore to save Oskar without any expenses) listed here are available only when talking to him the first time.[6] Each party member has a single chance to convince him. If they proceed to the trading straightaway, choosing the options "I just want to trade." or "I do cut a fine figure. I'll take one.", this choice cuts off subsequent options to convince him, leaving only the possibility to pay his ransom.
If the player character agrees to sit for a portrait (regardless of whether they talked to the artist prior), Brem sends them to Oskar, but he refuses to draw for them under these circumstances. The party still can acquire the portrait later in Act Three, provided they save Oskar from the Zhentarim now and successfully complete the quest afterwards.
Convincing Brem to set Oskar loose grants one of the following inspirations:
- inspiration for the characters with
background - inspiration for the characters with
background
If freed, Oskar also asks for additional 200 gold "for the road". Giving him the money earns approval -1 +1 +1 -1 +1. On the contrary, calling him a slave twice provides +1 -5 +1 -5. [7]
If a battle with Zhentarim starts, Oskar runs to the corner at X: 271 Y: -263 and cowers there until the fight is over. However, two Smokepowder barrels stand there, and if the party or the Zhentarim ignite them, he dies. Talking to him after defeating the Zhentarim adds the quest to the journal and progresses it to its furthest available point in Act One.
Basement office and storehouse[edit | edit source]
At the far end of the vast cavern another group of Zhentarim can be encountered; Jarg, Karad and Vol are patrolling this part of the hideout, accompanied by three wolves Isbeth, Indra and Istor. If Shadowheart is in the party, she rolls a passive Wisdom check when approaching the wolves, provided this has not happened prior. If failed, she prompts a dialogue with the player character, which can progress her .
This part of the hideout is laden thickly with Proximity Explosives, planted in plain sight. Initially all these traps are inactive (glowing orange). They are connected in a system triggered by a button at X: 286 Y: -178. If the Zhentarim become hostile to the party, any of the guards mentioned above can activate the system. In this case, the mines become green and change color to yellow and red if a potential target comes close enough. A party member can also press the button to get a leverage in a fight with the Zhentarim, if such occurs. Pressing the button without any means of stealth is considered a transgression.
Two small rooms in the farmost part of the cavern are locked behind iron gates: the one at X: 304 Y: -177 is an office, and the other at X: 282 Y: -174 is storage. A burrow hole behind the crates at X: 272 Y: -176 allows Small or Tiny characters and summons of appropriate size to access the storage, but doing so (even by a 
) without any means of stealth causes the Zhentarim to become hostile. The gates to both rooms can be opened with certain Zhentarim Keys. Two such keys kept by Zarys and Vol open the storage room, while Jarg's key opens the office.
In the storage room, two trapped chests contain gold, potions and a piece of 
Infernal Iron. Each chest requires DC 10 Sleight of Hand check to disarm, and both can be opened with the Ornate Key carried by Vol.
In the office a heavy chest can be found; it contains the 
Abyss Beckoners. It is neither locked nor trapped.
Several crates around both iron gates contain random scrolls, arrows, potions, grenades and plain weapons. At X: 319 Y: -214 a chest is buried, containing random Valuables. It can be revealed with a DC 10 Survival check and, like all lootable items in the hideout, is red-outlined. However, it is located in the most shadowed part of the cavern, where none of the guards approach; it can be dug up and looted in relative safely.
Entrance to the Underdark[edit | edit source]
The Zhentarim Basement is one of four entrances to the Underdark. A secret elevator leads to there, hidden behind an illusionary wall at X: 268 Y: -190 and revealed by a DC 10 Investigation check. Talking to Istor and to Indra via 
can give the party hints the elevator's location and on where it leads as well.
The elevator winch is initially locked. It can be unlocked with the Mechanical Key held by Karad or lockpicked with a DC 10 Sleight of Hand check. Doing so in either way grants the inspiration to party members with the background. Passing through the wall and unlocking the winch does not cause anyone to become hostile.
Waypoints[edit | edit source]
This location contains the following Waypoint
Zhentarim Hideout X: 256 Y: -295
Related locations[edit | edit source]
Characters[edit | edit source]
Creatures[edit | edit source]
Loot[edit | edit source]
Brem's Store[edit | edit source]
The following items are offered by Brem once gaining the trust of the Zhentarim:
Hidden treasure[edit | edit source]
- A buried chest at X: 319 Y: -214
Related quests[edit | edit source]
Related Literature[edit | edit source]
Listed here are only items which cannot be found or bought in any other location.
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ If saved from the gnolls, both Rugan and Olly stand up on the cliff near Zarys.
- ↑ Despite the fact that Zarys stands up on the cliff, after the cutscene ends Rugan (or his body) can be found in the corner at X: 271 Y: -263.
- ↑ The flask can be a helpful asset in completing difficult tasks, primarily among them, the early acquisition of the Silver Sword of the Astral Plane, but also any battle where a significant distraction is wanted. Therefore, it is advisable to either keep the strongbox or to steal it back from Zarys after delivering it to her.
- ↑ This inspiration can also be earned by returning the strongbox to Zarys and pickpocketing her afterwards, or attacking the Zhentarim and looting Zarys for the flask afterwards.
- ↑ This option is not available to
characters.
- ↑ The dialogue layout differs depending on whether the quest has been started already.
- ↑ The latter option is available only if the player character indeed paid Brem a ransom, not convinced him.