The Shadow Cursed Lands is one of the most challenging areas to traverse in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Moon Lantern is one way you can safely pass through this area. While you can get a complete Moon Lantern, you’re most likely to get a broken Moon Lantern.
How to get a Moon Lantern in Baldur’s Gate 3
Although getting a working Moon Lantern is possible, you’re more likely to get a broken Moon Lantern. There is also more than one Broken Moon Lantern. Here is where you can get all broken Moon Lanterns:
- In the Underdark, you can kill True Soul Nere and loot one off of him.
- You will find one by looting Kar’niss’ body if you decide to kill him.
The truth is, they are all practically useless in terms of Shadow-Curse protection. So, unless you need an extra 30 gold, keeping all three broken lanterns is useless. However, these broken Moon Lanterns do hold a secret.
How to fix a broken Moon Lantern in Baldur’s Gate 3
There is no way to fix a broken Moon Lantern in Baldur’s Gate 3. Later in Act Two, you will discover Moon Lanterns are powered by pixies trapped inside the lantern.
Whether it be Kar’niss’s or another’s Moon Lantern, you will be prompted to let the pixie free or keep it trapped inside.
Should you free the pixie in the moon lantern?
Though the Moon Lantern is vital for fending off the health-draining Shadow Curse that infects the Shadow Cursed Lands, it is better to free the pixie. Along with a feel-good cutscene, you will also gain a blessing from the Pixie that will make you permanently immune to the curse’s damage.
Of course, if you are playing an evil or chaotic character, you can also choose to shove the Pixie back in its prison or, worse, slay the poor creature moments after it was freed.
Free the pixie to get permanent immunity to the curse damage. If you’re on an evil path, you can put it back in the lamp or kill it.
How do you stave off the curse?
If you don’t free the Pixie, there are a few ways to stave off the Shadow curse. Remember, it is also possible to get a working moon lantern, which we’ll discuss further in this article. If you do not find a working moon lantern, you will be forced into turn-based mode, struggling in the dark.
Here are a few tips for avoiding the curse:
- Make sure everyone in your party has a torch. This will help keep the curse at bay.
- Bring plenty of light sources and spells.
- Isobel at the Last Light Inn (coordinates: X:-49; Y:144) will eventually give you a spell that stops the curse.
- Shadowheart is not affected by the curse, so having her on the team is useful.
- Bring the Blood of Lathander since it has Holy Light. It is simply a good light source but not an antidote to the curse.
How to get a working Moon Lantern in Baldur’s Gate 3
There are various routes to the Moonrise Towers in Baldur’s Gate 3. I sided with Jaheira in my playthrough after reaching the Last Light Inn. With Jaheira as a companion, whenever we set an ambush against Kar’niss, I managed to steal his working Moon Lantern to help me traverse through this difficult area.
Again, Moon Lanterns have a hidden secret inside the lantern that might change how you view the tool. Aside from Moon Lanterns, you can use torches and other lighting spells to help you get through the zone, though both are less effective.
Do you need Moon Lantern to traverse the Shadow Lands?
In short, yes. Act Two will center around reaching the Moonrise Towers, though there are multiple paths to reach this destination. But you need a working Moon Lantern to access certain areas in this area to keep the curse away.
Essentially, a working Moon Lantern is pertinent for extremely dark areas and story progression into the next act.
However, a simple torch, light cantrip, or glowing weapon will help you get from Point A to Point B and keep the curse at bay.
If you are trying to fix a Moon Lantern in Baldur’s Gate 3 or find a working one, this is everything you need to know about Moon Lanterns and how to fix them in BG3.
