The Elder Brain is one of the most dangerous foes you will face in your journey through Baldur’s Gate 3. This grotesque creature rules over the colony of mind flayers inhabiting the underground dungeon known as the Gauntlet of Shar.
Defeating the Elder Brain is a monumental task, but doing so grants fantastic rewards and completes a major milestone in Baldur’s Gate 3. This guide provides everything you need to know to locate the Elder Brain within the Gauntlet of Shar and ultimately emerge victorious against this formidable enemy.
The Elder Brain Location in BG3
The Elder Brain resides within the Chamber of Command, located deep inside the Gauntlet of Shar dungeon. To reach this chamber and confront the Elder Brain, you must first successfully traverse the dungeon and pass its trials.
The entrance to the Gauntlet of Shar is found beneath the Thorm Mausoleum in the Underdark. Travelling through winding passages and fighting dangerous creatures, you will encounter the three preliminary trials:
- The Self-Same Trial– Defeat magical copies of your party in single combat.
- The Soft-Step Trial– Sneak past patrolling duergar guards undetected.
- The Faith-Leap Trial– Make a perilous leap across a deep chasm.
Passing these trials opens the path deeper into the dungeon. Continue navigating the Gauntlet’s traps and battling mind flayers to reach the Chamber of Command.
When you arrive at a massive set of doors engraved with mind flayer iconography, you have found the Elder Brain’s lair. Step through the threshold and prepare for an intense battle.
Elder Brain Abilities and Tactics
The Elder Brain possesses powerful psionic abilities that make it a formidable opponent. It can rip thoughts and memories from minds at will and psychic scream, dealing massive mental damage.
The Elder Brain has the following abilities:
- Mind Blast– Psychic wave that deals damage and stuns.
- Psychic Scream– Massive AOE psychic damage.
- Dominate Monster– Charms a target to fight for the Elder Brain.
- Telepathic Link– Allows telepathic communication with mind flayer allies.
- Mental Fortress– Boosts the Elder Brain’s resistance to psychic damage.
The Elder Brain will also summon mind flayer arcanists and dominated creatures to assist it in battle. It rarely moves from the pool of briny fluid at the center of the room, relying on its minions and devastating mental powers.
Stay mobile and use line-of-sight to block the Elder Brain’s abilities. Focus on disrupting its concentration and psychic attacks to reduce its control over the battle. Target and eliminate its minions quickly to reduce the number of threats facing your party.
How to Defeat the Elder Brain in BG3
While immensely powerful, the Elder Brain can be defeated with proper planning and strategy:
- Attack its psyche– The Elder Brain is vulnerable to psychic damage. Prioritize spells, abilities and enchanted items that can exploit this weakness.
- Control its minions– Spells that paralyze, restrain or stun the Elder Brain’s summoned allies are extremely useful. Neutralize its pawns first.
- Disrupt its concentration– Break the Elder Brain’s concentration to end its devastating mind-focused spells and abilities.
- Remove enchantments– If your party members become charmed, act quickly to remove the Elder Brain’s magical control over them.
- Keep moving– Stay mobile to avoid its large AOE attacks. Use line-of-sight to block damaging spells.
- Exploit the environment– Use explosive barrels and other objects in the chamber to damage the otherwise protected Elder Brain.
With persistence and by targeting its mental vulnerabilities, the vilified Elder Brain can ultimately be slain.
Phase-by-Phase Battle Breakdown
Here is a detailed battle plan for defeating the Elder Brain:
Phase 1 – Eliminate Entry Threats
- Use ranged attacks against the two Enslaved Gith flanking the Chamber entrance. Target the southern Gith first to pull it away from the northern one.
- Once separated, the monk should stun the northern Gith while the ranged characters focus fire the southern one. Eliminate threats one at a time.
- The wizard casts Protect from Evil on the party to shield their minds from charm effects.
Phase 2 – Advance & Disrupt Minions
- Advance cautiously forward using the columns and walls for cover. Do not group up.
- When the first mind flayer appears, the wizard casts Hypnotic Pattern to incapacitate it.
- The cleric banishes the next minion that spawns. Focus fire any remaining minions.
Phase 3 – Attack the Elder Brain
- When no minions are present, target the Elder Brain directly. Flank it using multiple angles.
- The rogue uses Dash to reach the Elder Brain quickly. On arrival, they use Sneak Attack then retreat back behind cover.
- The warlock casts hunger of Hadar to blind and damage the Elder Brain. The cleric follows up with Inflict Wounds.
Phase 4 – Counter Psychic Attacks
- When the Elder Brain uses Psychic Scream, the monk catches fleeing allies with Step of the Wind while the wizard Counterspells it.
- The warlock shuts down Mind Blast using Eyebite to inflict the stunned condition on the Elder Brain.
- Dispel Magic removes any charms placed on allies. Protection from Evil is recast if needed.
Phase 5 – Finish It
- When below half health, the Elder Brain becomes frenzied. Bait and endure its attacks while executing your strategy.
- Use mobility, cover, and control abilities to counter the increased chaos. Whittle its health down.
- When assured victory, unleash your most powerful abilities simultaneously to finish off the Elder Brain for good.
While this plan requires coordination and luck, it serves as an effective blueprint. Adapt it to match your party’s composition and playstyle. With tenacity and teamwork, your party will claim victory over this deadly foe!
Rewards for Defeating the Elder Brain
Destroying the Elder Brain yields phenomenal rewards:
- Elder Brain Artifact– This powerful psionic relic boosts mental abilities when equipped.
- 20,000+ XP– More than enough XP to level up most parties to Level 12.
- Gauntlet of Shar Quest Completion– Vanquishing the Elder Brain finishes this lengthy Baldur’s Gate 3 questline.
- Rescued Captives– Any surviving mind flayer thralls found in the Gauntlet will be freed.
- Treasures– The Chamber of Command contains many treasures under your determined team has exhaustingly searched it.
Few accomplishments in Baldur’s Gate 3 offer rewards as generous as felling this mighty psionic tyrant.
Optimizing Your Party
To maximize your chances of success, bring a well-optimized party to the battle against the Elder Brain:
- Psychic Damage– Prioritize party members that can deal psychic damage like warlocks, wizards and some clerics.
- Crowd Control– Heroes that can paralyze, stun or restrain the Elder Brain’s minions are extremely valuable.
- Dispels– Bring characters that can remove enchantments and end the Elder Brain’s dominate effects.
- Healing– Have clerics or druids that can quickly heal and revive charmed or downed allies.
- Mobility– Rogues, monks and ranged characters that can reposition quickly work very well.
With a diverse party covering these key roles, you gain multiple tools to manage the various threats posed by the Elder Brain and its minions.
Approach and Positioning
How and where you engage the Elder Brain strongly impacts your likelihood of success. Follow this approach:
- Eliminate Entry Threats– Deal with the two Enslaved Gith flanking the Chamber entrance first. Use ranged attacks before engaging in melee.
- Advance Cautiously– Move forward deliberately, using cover to block line-of-sight from the Elder Brain.
- Focus Fire Minions– Quickly overwhelm each summoned mind flayer before targeting the next. Control and contain them.
- Flank Elder Brain– Attack from multiple angles to bypass its resistances. But avoid being flanked yourself.
- Rotate Heavily Damaged Allies– Keep vulnerable, injured characters behind cover and away from the central domination aura.
With knowledge of the chamber’s layout and smart positioning, you can dramatically tilt the odds in your favor.
Alternative Approaches and Tactics
While exploiting its weaknesses with psychic spells is very effective, other creative approaches can work:
- Rushed Assault– Use mobility and Haste spells to quickly reach and unleash devastating melee attacks against the Elder Brain before it can respond.
- Kiting– Keep distance and wear it down with ranged attacks and cantrips. Stay mobile and out of range.
- Brute Force– Lean on your most damaging spells and abilities to overwhelm the Elder Brain through raw damage.
- Controlled Defense– Focus on buffs, debuffs, healing, and protection rather than attacking directly. Outlast its onslaught.
- Environmental Attacks– Use explosive barrels, glyphs of warding, and other objects to indirectly damage the Elder Brain.
- Sneak Attack– Keep your rogues hidden, then strike from the shadows for critical damage when opportunities present themselves.
With clever tactics and adaptive on-the-fly adjustments, you can find the formula that leads your party to victory.
Common Questions – August 28, 2023
Here are some common questions about facing the Elder Brain:
What level should I be to defeat the Elder Brain?
You should be at least 10th level before fighting the Elder Brain. Any lower risks a quick defeat.
What class is best against the Elder Brain?
Rogues, Wizards, and Clerics fare well. Bring a diverse mix of classes and damage types.
How do I avoid the Elder Brain’s stun attacks?
Improved Constitution saves, the Resilient feat, and protective spells like Shield of Faith help protect against stuns.
Can I sneak past the Elder Brain?
No, the Elder Brain must be defeated to complete the Gauntlet of Shar questline.
Should I fight the Enslaved Gith when entering?
Engaging them first reduces threats before battling the Elder Brain, but sneaking by is also viable.
What if the Elder Brain controls my party members?
Restore them quickly with Dispel Magic and Protection from Evil. Stunning controlled allies can also help.
How do I recover from a TPK against the Elder Brain?
Reload an earlier save and reconsider your party composition, gear, and tactics before trying again.
When prepared properly and approaching the battle strategically, your party can absolutely defeat the Elder Brain, even if it takes multiple attempts. Persistence and learning from each setback will eventually lead to victory over this fierce foe.
Conclusion
The Elder Brain is one of the deadliest and most iconic foes in all of Baldur’s Gate 3. Defeating it requires intense preparation, group coordination, and knowledge of its abilities. But with the right party composition, equipment, positioning, and strategies, your team can ultimately topple this telepathic tyrant.
While the battle is sure to test your skills to their very limit, do not become discouraged. Learn from each failed attempt, optimize your tactics, and stick to your plan. Persistence and rigor will eventually see the Elder Brain fall.
The rewards for rising up and defeating this horror are well worth the effort. Treasure, experience, and unique artifacts await any adventurers brave enough to face the Elder Brain within its lair. Lead your party to victory, and claim your rightful prize!
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