Baldur's Gate 3 - Part 78 - Pressed For Time

Storyline outline (Baldur’s Gate 3 – Part 78)

• The party races against time after learning that Orin has taken Lae’zel hostage and is forcing a series of murders to obtain the stones needed for her plan.
• The party considers a “cleaner” approach: follow Orin’s instructions in the short term—kill Gautach/Gauthach, then take Orin’s stone as well—to reduce total deaths while keeping Lae’zel alive.
• In the Lower City, they investigate the murder targets of the Cult of Bhaal, discovering these killings are connected to a resurgent Bhaal cult rather than random violence.
• They follow leads to multiple locations tied to targets, including the Elf Song Tavern, where a murder investigation points to Inspector Devela, and separately to an investigator named Valyria.
• Valyria explains a deeper historical conspiracy: a past “Bhaal revival” involving Saravok Anchev, the Iron Throne, and arms-dealing. Now the cult appears to be back, continuing Saravok’s work in a new form.
• Later, the party infiltrates a major property controlling influence over public narrative: the Baldur’s Mouth Gazette / printing works. They prevent a “tomorrow’s headline” by using a Gondian-made magical printing press.

Gameplay highlights & key moments

Combat and exploration: “rats in the basement”

At the Elf Song Tavern, a comedic situation escalates into combat when they must deal with an aggressive swarm of rats in the cellar/basement.

Tactics used:

• Gale contributes AoE damage, including Twin Spell Fireballs / fire-based control.
• They take advantage of environmental hazards—rats catch fire when rushing through.
• Magic Missile cleans up remaining enemies efficiently with guaranteed hits (noted as level 2).
• Eldritch Blast helps with cleanup and multi-target damage when sorcery points are limited for Karlach/Lae’zel-type casters (the notes mention Arya is out of sorcery points at one point, limiting spell spam).

Investigating cult evidence through notes, objects, and loot

The party finds blood-written notes suggesting surveillance, clandestine meetings, and references to “tribunal” contexts.

They search rooms and bodies for:

• murder-related letters,
• cult-linked effigies/notes,
• and key items (e.g., a map of a murder, rings, poison bottles).

They also identify a poison source:

• A “strange bottle” reveals a strong paralytic poison, described as likely tied to “Master Messil’s carabasin’s gift.”
• They find mutilation details (including a severed hand and a missing hand, with a ring left behind), reinforcing a consistent cult pattern.

Social/combat-light objectives: renting rooms + managing fear

They secure an inside camp by renting a top-floor room in the Elf Song Tavern.

• Bribery/persuasion/intimidation help bargain down the price.
• The tavern host (Chef Ravier) is concerned about knives and murder activity, but the party uses a “you’ll be safe / people will calm down” approach to keep things under control.

Rooftop/stealth + time pressure: stopping the press

They use flying and turn-based mode to infiltrate the printing works while Steel Watchers patrol restricted areas.

Strategy to bypass watchers:

• move carefully around line-of-sight,
• use minor illusion to distract a watcher for a turn,
• enter/exit rooms to desync patrol timing,
• time movements so the party crosses thresholds when a watcher walks away.

They then read the press “manual” and:

• replace the planned story with something harmless (“an incredibly cute cat”),
• stop the presses so the malicious/hostile headline won’t publish.

They discover the press is Gondian-built and magical—tying into the broader technology/magic themes and connecting to the Steel Watcher ecosystem.

Cult resurgence: the historical explanation

Valyria explains the “Bhaal cult” revival:

• Saravok Anchev connects to murder-as-instrument and the Iron Throne.
• The Bhaal temple was destroyed once, but cult operations likely continued.

She argues the killings match Saravok’s brutality, but adds a new element:

• the murders now show explicit “worship” reverence and ritual-like precision.

Strategies / key tips emphasized in the subtitles

• Avoid sewers/toilet-hole detours when possible—getting lost in lower levels costs time.
• Use arcane recovery (explicitly called out for Gale) to regain spell slots at the right moment.
• Side alleys + “no real witnesses” logic: some NPCs count as witnesses differently, allowing the party to loot/lockpick without triggering major detection.
• Turn-based mode is crucial for patrol-heavy stealth against Steel Watchers.
• Use fire and burst AoE for swarms, especially when enemies can be corralled into damaging zones.
• Bargaining and reputation tools: intimidate/persuade effectively to secure lodging and reduce inconvenience (saving both time and safety).

Gamers / sources featured

• Many a True Nerd (John) — narrator/host (e.g., “I’m John… welcome back…”).
• Gale / Karlach / Lae’zel / Astarion-type party members are referenced as in-game characters; no other real-world gamers or external sources are credited beyond that.