When to Enter Shadowfell in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

After completing the Gauntlet of Shar in Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll discover the Shadowfell entrance, which can fulfill a quest from the dark goddess. Although you may be eager to explore the mysterious Shar’s realm, it is best to tie up any loose ends, or you will skip out on several storylines. With that being said, we’ll show you what missions you should complete first before accepting the ‘Shadowfell point of no return’ notification.

All Quests to Complete Before Entering Shadowfell in BG3

In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Shadowfell acts as a point of no return, pushing the story forward to the next section, locking you out of areas that were previously accessible, and potentially changing the world around you. When players receive the Shadowfell warning, they must either press forward or choose stick around the area for a bit longer to complete other active missions.

It is highly recommend to complete all side quests and explore available areas in full before venturing into the Shadowfell, as any encounters or items located within Act 1 or Act 2 will be permanently lost upon moving forward.

After entering the Shadowfell, you will also wind up in several difficult encounters, first with Balthazar (depending on your choices), then with Z’rell, and lastly with Ketheric. Because of the difficulty of these battles, you may find yourself severely struggling to claim victory if you have not completed enough Quests beforehand to gain EXP and raise your level to an appropriate standard.

Here are some Quests and activities within Act 1 and 2 that you should aim to undertake prior to entering the Shadowfell, as they could be completely missed if you fail to do so:

Act 1 & Mountain Pass:

• Investigate Kagha
• Save Mayrina / Fight Auntie Ethel
• Rescue Volo
• Visit the Githyanki Creche
• Steal a Githyanki Egg
• Find the Blood of Lathander
• Defeat the Phase Spider Matriarch and obtain the Dark Amythyst
• Search the cellar
• Unlock or destroy the Ancient Tome
• Visit the Myconid Colony
• Save Baelen
• Visit Grymforge & Save the Gnomes
• Free True Soul Nere
• Deliver Nere’s Head
• Fix the Arcane Tower
• Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite

Act 2:

• Avenge Glut’s Circle
• Decide Minthara’s fate
• Seek Protection from the Shadow Curse
• Find Arabella’s Parents
• Find Zevlor
• Find Mol
• Investigate the Selunite Resistance
• Save Arabella
• Visit Last Light Inn to meet Jaheira
• Save Isobel
• Find Rolan in the Shadows
• Kill Raphael’s Old Enemy / Break Yurgir’s Contract
• The Hellion’s Heart
• Find Rolan in the Shadows
• Find the Githyanki Creche
• Lift the Shadow Curse
• Punish the Wicked
• Rescue Wulbren and Tieflings
• Wake Up Art Cullagh
• Speak to Araj Oblodra

Apart from Quests, you’ll also want to ensure you’ve scavenged all previous areas such as Emerald Grove, the Underdark, the Mountain Pass, and the Shadow-Cursed Lands for any valuable items, as this is often your only chance to nab them for the entirety of your playthrough. While not every item is a must-have, here are a few key powerhouse items that you should add to your checklist:

• Warped Headband of Intellect: Increases the wearer’s INT score to 17. Obtained from Lump the Enlightened’s body at Blighted Village.
• Gloves of Dexterity: Increases the wearer’s DEX score to 18 Purchased or looted from A’jak’nir Jeera at the Githyanki Creche.
• Amulet of Restoration: Grants usage of the Spells Healing Word and Mass Healing Word. Purchased from Derryth Bonecloak at the Myconid Colony in the Underdark.
• Titanstring Bow: The Titanstring Bow is unique in the form that it operates using the wielder’s Strength Modifier, rather than Dexterity. This means it is a brilliant choice for utilizing as a ranged weapon on your Fighter, or even your Barbarian, in case they don’t have Rage up. This Bow can be purchased from Brem at the Zhentarim Hideout.
• Potent Robe: Your cantrips deal additional damage equal to your Charisma Modifier. At the beginning of the wearer’s turn, the robe activates, granting them temporary hit points equal to their Charisma Modifier. You can nab this one as a thank you gift from Alfira for saving the Tieflings from Moonrise Towers.
• Incandescent Staff: This staff grants one use of the Fireball Spell per Long Rest and unlimited uses of the Fire Bolt Cantrip, saving you useful Spell Slots to replace with others and widen your utility. This is a brilliant melee weapon for any strong spellcaster, such as a Wizard or Sorcerer. This one can be purchased from Quartermaster Talli at Last Light Inn.
• Least Expected: This bow is perhaps the most powerful ranged weapon a Gloomstalker Ranger or Assassin Rogue can wield. This is due tot he fact that while the wielder is obscured by shadows, the weapon will grant a +1d4 bonus to damage of every hit.

The Shadowfell entrance is directly related to the Find Ketheric Thorm’s Relic side quest, where you attempt to discover the source of Ketheric’s invulnerability. Generally, you should visit Moonrise Towers first since you will get a mission that will direct you to Shadowfell, earning you some extra EXP along the way.

You also definitely want to rescue Wulbren and the Tieflings from the dungeon. If you complete the Shadowfell first, you won’t encounter the prisoners and will automatically fail the side quest, with the prisoners all dying as a result. This quest extends further into Act 2 and even Act 3, where you may gain further quests and encounters with the characters involved.

Lastly, exploring the Moonrise Towers before the Shadowfell is also better for the story. After all, there are multiple vendors to spend your hard-earned gold with (or pickpocket) to gain some extra gear for your builds, as well as some unique characters you can meet, such as the likes of Araj Oblodra, a strange drow woman who is very interested in the blood of True Souls. As soon as you enter the Shadowfell, you will be locked out of exploring Moonrise Towers freely, as the story progresses towards the big boss fight against Ketheric to close off Act 2.

After completing the Quest inside the Shadowfell, you will be pushed to rush straight to Moonrise Towers for this fierce combat and then continue into Act 3 for good. Because of this, it is highly important to only enter the Shadowfell once you are content with the level of your party, have completed every Quest you wished to do, and rounded up all items and conversations from the people at Moonrise.

Now that you know the best time to enter Shadowfell, consider checking out other Baldur’s Gate 3 guides on Twinfinite. For instance, you can read our article for the most popular classes in BG3 to see how other fans play the game.