Facebook
Reddit
Email
This Zhentarim treasure appears to be of high value, but should you open the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Up on the Risen Road, Zhentarim guards are keeping a close eye on a large, locked strongbox. Their precautions suggest that there must be something quite valuable inside, and for most players, the possibility is too tempting to resist. When you finally open it, the only thing you find is an Iron Flask with a fiery smile and a malevolent nature. Should you break the seal and open the Iron Flask?
In the following guide, we’ll break down the risks and consequences of opening the flask, and the optimal way you can proceed to get both a reward and the Flask later on. Therefore, this will include some spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3. Mostly for parts of Act 1, but a little for Act 3, as well.
Related:
Finding the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3
To find the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3, first, you need to find the Caravan Strongbox and the Zhentarim guarding it. The two guards are in a cave up in the north of the Act 1 map, in between the Toll House and Waukeen’s Rest. When you first walk up you’ll find the cave entrance surrounded and the two guards under attack from a group of Gnolls.
To get to the Caravan Strongbox you’ll first have to defeat all of the Gnolls. The toughest enemy in this fight is Gnoll Fang of Yeenoghu you appear to have some Cleric-like powers and can cast a Spell called Soul Offering. If the cast is successful, it will prevent your character from taking any bonus actions or making any reactions in combat. Additionally, the Soulnumbed condition requires a Charisma saving throw to prevent, but will only last two turns while active.
Choosing to Open the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3
After you’ve defeated all of the Gnolls, the Zhentarim guards may or may not be alive, depending on how the fight went. If you attack the Gnolls from behind, the guards will retreat to the save to leave the ‘heroics’ to you. Consequently, chances are they will survive.
When speaking to the guards afterward, you’ll discover that they were transporting a shipment to Baldur’s Gate for a very wealthy and powerful person. If you wish to take the Strongbox for yourself you’ll have to pass a 15DC Intimidation check, followed by another 15DC Intimidation or Persuasion check. Pass both checks and Rugan will give up the box. If Rugan has died and Olly is alive, he’ll hand over the box without any fuss. Finally, if you fail to pass Rugan’s dialogue checks then the only way to get the Strongbox is to steal the chest.
However, if you want to avoid dealing with the guards entirely, you can use your tadpole connect to command the gnoll Warlord Flind to kill the humans inside the cave. Or, if your character isn’t a particularly upstanding citizen, they can initiate another fight and kill the guards outright.
Consequences of Opening the Caravan Strongbox in Baldur’s Gate 3
The first major choice before you get the Iron Flask is whether or not you should open the Caravan Strongbox. The box is very valuable and the Zhentarim is committed to delivering it to their patron. If you lock-pick and break open the Strongbox now, then you will immediately get the Iron Flask item.
However, doing so will mean angering the Zhentarim. They have a secret hideout in the basement of a storage building next to Waukeen’s Rest. Rugan will mention the hideout during your conversation if he lived. If he didn’t survive you can find out about it by using the Speak with Dead spell on his corpse.
If you return the Caravan Strongbox to their leader Zarys in the hideout without breaking the lock, then the Zhentarim will be grateful. She’ll reward you with the Harold crossbow and you’ll be able to move freely within the hideout. More importantly, you’ll unlock the special stock with the trader Brem. He carries the weapons Giantbreaker and the Titanstring Bow. Both are great ranged weapons for the early game and this is the only way to get them.
Be aware that you cannot lock-pick the Caravan Strongbox, but leave the Iron Flask inside and remain on the Zhentarim’s good side. Tampering with the lock will break their agreement with the buyer and therefore make them hostile to you.
Finally, you can return the Strongbox for the rewards and still collect the Iron Flask. In the Guildhall in the Lower City of Act 3 at a later point in the story there will be a coup attempt against the current leader Nine-Fingers Keene. At the end of this fight, you should be able to loot the Strongbox from a dead woman named Slick Inatra. The Iron Flask will still be inside.
Consequences of Opening the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3
Once you have the Iron Flask in your possession, it is easy enough to ‘Inspect’ the item from your Inventory. The game will then give you a dialogue option to remove the stopper on the bottle. Should you choose to do so, a powerful Spectator will appear and immediately start to attack anyone unlucky enough to be standing nearby.
The Spectator is not a companion or even a summoned ally to your party. You have no control over it, and it will attack you and anyone else that gets too close.
If you’re willing to accept the risk, the better way of using the Iron Flask is by clicking the Throw action during combat. Ideally, you should choose a high Strength character for this task, given that you want to throw the bottle as far away from you as possible. Wait for a combat situation filled with a large amount of enemies and then toss the Iron Flask into their midst.
Hopefully, the Spectator will immediately fight all of your enemies instead of any party members and allies. Furthermore, the idea is that the Spectator and your opponents will cut each other down. If the Spectator does survive, its health pool will likely be lowered enough that you won’t have too much trouble finishing it off.
Looking For More About Baldur’s Gate 3?
Thank you for reading Should You Open the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3? guide. We also provide the latest news and create guides for Baldur’s Gate 3. Additionally, watch me play games on Twitch or visit my YouTube channel!
