Uncover the Secrets of Barcus Wroot: A Complete Guide to Rescuing the Gnome and Locating His Precious Pack in Baldur's Gate 3

In Act 1 of Baldur's Gate, an interesting event occurs just outside the Blighted Village, a destination in the early stages of the game that offers multiple areas to explore and secrets to uncover. After navigating through the Village, players should make their way up a small staircase situated at the northwest corner outside the village.

Upon reaching a clearing ahead, the player and their party will come across a group of impolite goblins gathered around a large windmill. These goblins are taunting and harassing a helpless gnome named Barcus Wroot, who has been tied to one of the windmill's blades. This article provides all the necessary information for players to save the gnome from the windmill and uncover his treasure in Baldur's Gate 3.

Starting the Quest “Rescue the Gnome”

As the windmill turns and the goblins cackle with amusement, the party halts to converse with Fezzerk, the leader of the goblin gang, in their attempt to proceed. With a smug grin, Fezzerk mentions gleefully that they are thoroughly entertained by the gnome-go-round and suggests that the player should consider putting an end to their merriment.

Convince the Goblins to Leave

The player is faced with two options to resolve this situation. Through dialogue choices, they can either try to bypass the group or they can immediately insist that the goblins stop tormenting and release the gnome. Skill checks can be utilized to persuade the goblins to peacefully leave the area. Alternatively, engaging in combat becomes a possibility, either by directly choosing it or if the Intimidation checks fail.

To peacefully persuade the goblins to retreat without engaging in combat, players have the option to utilize their Persuasion and Intimidation skills. It is advisable to choose a character with a strong Charisma attribute to successfully navigate this conversation, and Astarion, the companion, emerges as an excellent choice for this task.

If the player manages to intimidate Fezzerk, he will promptly depart with his band of merry torturers. On the other hand, opting to persuade Fezzerk will result in him demanding an exorbitant sum of gold from the player in exchange, which is undeniably not worth the price. The player can react by scoffing at the inflated amount and attempting to negotiate using any of the persuasion options available. Fezzerk, being unaware of the true value of gold, will "raise" his asking price to a mere 5 gold. At this point, the player can choose to pay the 5 gold to dismiss Fezzerk and his group from the area.

Defeat Fezzerk in Battle

The conversation will escalate into a violent confrontation and players will be engaged in battle with Fezzerk and his crew if any of the skill checks fail. It should be noted that defeating Fezzerk alone is sufficient for success, and players can choose to disregard the other goblins in the fight. However, if the player wishes to gain experience and loot from the battle, they should eliminate the remaining goblins first. If the player is a Cleric or has Shadowheart in their party, they have the option to use the skill Command (if it has been learned) to compel Fezzerk to surrender by forcing him to drop his weapon.

After defeating Fezzerk, the player has two options. The first option is to spare Fezzerk's life, and as a result, he will gather his goblin followers and depart from the area. This choice grants the player access to the windmill. On the other hand, the player can choose to kill Fezzerk and obtain the Very Heavy Greataxe, an uncommon weapon. Regardless of the choice made, the player can now proceed to converse with Barcus Wroot, as Fezzerk and his group are no longer present.

How to Rescue Barcus Wroot

Once the goblins have been cleared, Barcus Wroot insists that the player untie him from the windmill. In order to halt the windmill and save the gnome, make your way to the rear of the windmill. You will observe substantial damage to the structure, which grants you access.

Within the windmill, there is a panel containing two levers that can be manipulated by the player. The left lever is labeled as the "Brake Lever," while the right lever is referred to as the "Release Break Lever." To assist in making the correct selection, the player can press the Alt key to display the labels for both devices.

To safely release Barcus, utilize the "Brake Lever." This action will halt the rotation of the windmill blades and enable the player to untie him.

Activating the Release Brake Lever will result in the windmill spinning forcefully, propelling Barcus away into the distance. Although entertaining, this will unfortunately lead to the gnome's demise, which players would not want to happen as he reappears in Act 2.

Where to Find Barcus Wroot’s Backpack

After being released, Barcus immediately jumps to conclusion and accuses the player of attempting to extort him, expressing his displeasure towards the entire ordeal. He reveals that the goblins were actually after his belongings and offers the player the opportunity to search for his pack and take its contents as a reward. This action marks the completion of the quest "Rescue the Gnome."

To find the gnome's pack, go towards the right side of the windmill. There, you'll notice a wooden hatch on the ground next to it. Open the hatch and collect the items inside, including Barcus' backpack and a chest. Although the loot isn't particularly amazing, it's still free stuff. Afterward, you can exit the area and anticipate another unpleasant encounter with Barcus Wroot in the following Act.

Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on macOS and PC, and it's coming to PS5 on September 6.