Baldur’s Gate 3 – How To Save Duke Ravengard And The Gondians

The Grand Duke quest in Baldur’s Gate 3 spans the entirety of the campaign. But, it seems that every time he’s within reach, you learn that he’s been moved to another location. That ends in the game’s third act, as you’ll finally have a chance to pull off a heroic rescue. Our guide discusses how you can save the Gondians and Duke Ravengard in Baldur’s Gate 3, as well as the time-sensitive nature of the encounter. Likewise, please be aware that this article contains spoilers.

How to Save Duke Ravengard and the Gondians in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Baldur’s Gate 3 Duke Ravengard and Gondians objective takes place in an underwater prison known as the Iron Throne. If the location sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a landmark from the first game in the series– not exactly the chair that everyone in Game of Thrones wants to sit on.

In any case, the key factor that leads to this task is Wyll’s survival and presence in your group, given that Duke Ravengard is his father. Here are the things that we did during our playthrough:

• Act 1: We saved the Tieflings in the Druid Grove. The alternate route, where you massacre them, leads to Wyll’s departure.
• Act 2: We rescued Zariel’s Asset (i.e. Mizora) in the Mind Flayer Colony. Her death would cause Wyll to get dragged to the fiery hells of Avernus.
• Act 3: Mizora made an offer (more on this below). After a short while, we were able to romance her. Shadowheart was our main squeeze, not Wyll, though he did express his disapproval.

Wyll’s Pact: Proposals From Gortash and Mizora

Upon reaching Wyrm’s Fortress, an area between Rivington and the Lower City in Act 3, you’ll be told to attend Lord Gortash’s proclamation as Archduke of Baldur’s Gate. In the throne room, Wyll finally sees his father. Do not fight Gortash here since you’ll likely lose due to all the Steel Watch mechs. That, and because Duke Ravengard will be hostile to you.

After the proclamation, you’ll learn that Ravengard is being controlled by an Illithid Tadpole. Pass the dialogue check, and he’ll ask for your help. Shortly thereafter, Mizora will present an impossible choice:

• She’ll tell you where Duke Ravengard is imprisoned, and she’ll even help with the deed. However, she’ll also claim Wyll’s soul in the end.
• Wyll can be completely free of this demonic pact, but Duke Ravengard won’t survive.

To be clear, we chose the first option since we thought that it would keep the duke alive. Fortunately, you can actually pick the second option. Mizora won’t tell you the location of the prison, but our guide here will help you get there.

Flymm Cargo and Redhammer’s Submersible

The next step for the Baldur’s Gate 3 Duke Ravengard objective is to reach Flymm’s Cargo. It’s in the southwestern portion of the Lower City (X:-155; Y:-164). The doors at the ground level are locked, and people will spot you. As such, you’ll want to climb on the rooftops so you can lockpick the balcony door. Take out the enemy creatures that pop up.

Once inside, look for a bunch of crates covering a hatch. Click and drag to move them to another spot. This will let you go down the hatch.

Below, you’ll meet Redhammer the Deviser. Tell him that you’re looking for the duke, and pass the dialogue checks. He’ll then pilot his submersible to the Iron Throne.

The Iron Throne Underwater Prison

Upon reaching the Iron Throne, Gortash says that he’s aware of your plans. He warns you that everyone in the underwater prison will die if you don’t leave. Naturally, we’re going to push through with our plan to rescue Duke Ravengard in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here’s what you need to know:

• When the encounter starts, you have six turns to explore the area before the prison gets destroyed. As of the time of this writing, we’ve yet to discover a way to extend this duration. We can only guess that this might be dependent on how early, or late, you tackled this objective.
• There are also Sahaguin enemies that will periodically spawn.
• You should have spells and scrolls that grant Misty Step, Greater Invisibility, and Haste.
• Likewise, you need abilities or gear pieces that boost your movement range. You have a lot of ground to cover and speed is of the essence.

Where to Find the Prisoners

Here are some tidbits about the prisoners in this area:

• Gondians – You can interact with the levers in front of the cells to free prisoners, some of which are Gondians that can help you bring down the Steel Watch mechs later on. This act would be an immense help in the upcoming battle against Lord Gortash.
• Duke Ravengard – Your main goal is to locate and free Duke Ravengard, who’s in one of the cells in the eastern portion of the facility. If you accepted Mizora’s proposal earlier, she’ll pop up and cast Freedom of Movement and Haste on the duke, allowing him to reach safety rather quickly.
• Omeluum the Mind Flayer – You should also rescue Omeluum, the friendly Mind Flayer that you may have met in the Myconid Colony in the Underdark. He’s in the southeastern section past a flooded corridor. You only need to send one character to free Omeluum. He’s got a spell that instantly teleports the both of them back to the submersible.

Be mindful of the turns that wind down. Your characters need to climb up the first (i.e. lower ladder) to reach the docking bay. This ensures their survival. Those who do not make it in time will die, but they can be revived if you talk to Withers in your camp.

What’s Next for Wyll

After you complete the Baldur’s Gate 3 Duke Ravengard and Gondians objective, you’ll be back in the submersible. Upon exiting, you might be accosted by NPCs belonging to the Waveservants faction (they’ve been looking for Redhammer). Feel free to decide as you see fit.

In any case, Duke Ravengard will go to your camp. Talk to him and tell him of his son’s heroic deeds. He’ll become an ally for the final battle, and he’ll also share a secret: an ancient protector that might be able to help. We discuss this further in our Wyrmway and Legend of Ansur guide.