Wondering how to find and use the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3? In your travels across Faerun, you’ll get your hands on all sorts of magical items and artifacts. Some have neat rewards in store, while others, like the ominous Iron Flask with its eerie visage, make players hesitate, and they should so.
Players will find the Iron Flask as they probe into the Missing Shipment quest in Act 1. Much of the description regarding the item is vague, but it holds a trapped Spectator, primed to let loose its bottled fury. Interacting with this item can lead to various outcomes, shaping the progression of the quest.
In our case, curiosity led us to release the Spectator from the Iron Flask, resulting in our party’s swift death. After all, this formidable threat requires a party that’s sufficiently leveled up. With that said, let’s look into what this sinister-looking bottle in Baldur’s Gate 3 has in store for us!
Finding the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3
As said above, the Iron Flask is part of the Missing Shipment quest, and it’s located inside a Strongbox chest in a cave (X: 33, Y: 609) on the Risen Road. You’re going to need to make your way there through a broken bridge, north of the Blighted Village.
Along the way, you’ll also need to fight your way through a pack of gnolls and pick up the Shipment Order near the ravaged caravan to initiate the quest. A new quest marker will then appear to the north, guiding you to the cave’s location.
Once near it, you’ll find two merchants trapped inside at the mercy of another gnoll pack led by a Gnoll Warlord. We had to trick the Gnoll Warlord into fighting against her lackeys and end her using our tadpole’s power, as she was way too powerful for us at this point.
With the gnolls out the way, one of the merchants – Rugan – strikes up a conversation. This can shape up your means of getting the Strongbox chest holding the Iron Flask. However, if you pull off a History check, you can convince him to hand it over without resorting to combat or stealth tactics.
Using the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3
There are various ways to go about with when it comes to using the Iron Flask in BG3, and we’ve mentioned each one right below:
- Remove the stopper and release the Spectator.
- Throw the Iron Flask at enemies to unleash the beast and catch them offguard.
- Feed the item to Gale.
- Return the chest as it is to Zarys.
While the choice is yours, we’ve found that throwing the Iron Flask at enemies or returning the chest in its original state to Zarys yield better results. If you try engaging the Spectator in combat, you’ll only earn a smidgen of XP upon beating it. On the other hand, there are far worthless magical items that can quench Gale’s thirst.
The Spectator, once unleashed, can wreak havoc and will fight anything in its path. Simply throwing the Iron Flask at a group of enemies can lead to chaos, essentially putting a dent in their numbers.
Better still, you can opt to return the chest to Zarys in the Zhentarim Hideout. This choice will reward you with coins and the rare Harold Bow, with Zarys promising more missions and even better rewards in the future. However, it is crucial not to tamper with the chest in any way, as doing so will cause every NPC there to turn hostile.
This covers everything you need to know about the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3. Hopefully, you’ll choose wisely before interacting with the magical artifact. If you’re trying to rescue Volo and find Druid Halsin in the Goblin Camp, there’s no better moment than this to release the abomination against the camp’s bosses.
