Quick Links
- The City Sewers
- The Abandoned Cistern
- Related Quests
There's just as much activity in the caves and sewers underneath the Sword Coast as in the forests and towns on the surface. In Baldur's Gate 3, players can see some of this variety in locations like the Underdark, Whispering Caverns, the Hag's subterranean headquarters in Acts 1 and 3, along with a vast area encompassing the sewers of Baldur's Gate itself.
Baldur's Gate is one of Faerun's major cities, with an equally vast sewer system, and even the old Baldur's Gate games had all kinds of disgusting, strange, and valuable mysteries hiding beneath the ordered streets. One of these mysteries in BG3 is the Sluice-Gate Puzzle. This puzzle not only opens up the Cistern and another access point to the surface but is required to complete a quest and recruit a legacy character.
Updated August 8, 2024 by Kristy Ambrose: It's been a year after the game's official launch, and adventurers are still exploring the city's seamy underbelly and discovering the Sluice-Gate Puzzle. Even protagonists that aren't interested in saving Minsc as part of the quest still have to confront the Stone Lord, and there's more than one quest that leads through this gruesome gauntlet whether the main character likes it or not. For those who are new to the game, and also to returning gamers enjoying the adventure yet again, there's more useful information about solving the Sluice-Gate Puzzle.
The City Sewers
A Detailed, Cryptic Area Filled With Secrets, Treasure, And Disgusting Goo
Players can also use the following locations to access the sewers, which is where the Sluice-Gate and Cistern are located. The complete map of the sewers underneath Baldur's Gate includes the Lower City sewers, the Temple of Bhaal, and the Undercity Ruins, along with a few other locations.
There are three Waypoints in the sewers for fast travel, one near The Temple of Bhaal, another just outside the temple's door by the Undercity Ruins, and one more by the City Sewers that leads to a central location near the lower level of the Thieves' Den. The City Sewers is the most centrally located and is the closest to the Sluice-Gate Puzzle.
Directions To The Sluice Gate From The City Sewers Entrance
- The Basilisk Gate Waypoint is the closest fast-travel point to the City Sewers entrance. It's on the eastern side of town next to the Basilisk Gate Barracks.
- Walk south a short way and take a right. Move west and watch out for oil and acid on the ground.
- Follow a winding path along a pipe, which includes a battle with some goblins and Bhaal cultists, to a room with two large valves.
- Players can find the abandoned Cistern in the western corner of the Lower City sewers.
Other Access Points
- The Graveyard: Either pick the locks or loot the keys to get into any of the various tombs and crypts in the graveyard. Some of them also lead into the sewers.
- Thieves Guildhall: If a character comes into contact with Nine Fingers in her lair, their partnership comes with access to the sewers from her Guild Hall.
- Danthelon's Dancing Axe: Players who are allied with the Harpers and have access to their sanctuary in the basem*nt of this shop can use a hatch in the cellar to access the sewer.
- The Manhole Cover: There's one just south of the Janneth Estate that players can use to enter the sewers, located just north of the City Sewer Waypoint.
The Abandoned Cistern
Not So Abandoned, In Fact It's Rather Crowded
- When players first enter the Sluice-Gate Puzzle Room, they'll see two round valves. The one on the left is labeled Water Level Valve, and the one on the left is marked as the Water Temperature Valve. These are what players use to change and manipulate the water pressure and temperature.
The Note
There's a Note To Sanitation Workers pinned next to the Temperature Valve. It gives the player a clue as to how the puzzle can be solved. It says the water and heat have to be at "optimum" levels. This means the most ideal temperature, not the highest, so keep this in mind if the valves read too low or too high. This is also a time-sensitive puzzle, and the water levels will be reduced if left untouched for too long.
Turning The Valves
When the cursor moves over the valves, it turns into a small gear, allowing the player to interact with them. If the levels are wrong and the player wants to start over, there's an Emergency Release Valve tucked next to the Temperature Valve that resets both mechanisms.
- Interact with the Water Valve on the left first. Turn it until it says "Perfect Water Level." This won't last, so move quickly to manipulate the gear to the right.
- Interact with the Temperature Valve on the right. When it reads "Perfect Warmth" the gate below the scaffold will open on its own, as long as the Water Level on the left still reads as "perfect."
After the gate is opened, it can't be closed again, even from the other side. It might seem inconvenient, but at least that makes it impossible to get locked in the Cistern.
The Sluice Gate and the adjoining Cistern have puddles of acid and brine in various spots at ground level. Take care to avoid AoE damage from these acrid substances when the party is walking through the oversized pipe to the Cistern.
Visit The Counting House And Thieves' Guild First
- Some quests and storylines will take the main character to these locations anyway, and some of these quests are long chains that start in Act 1 and continue into Act 3.
To complete the quest to recruit Minsc , players must open up the Sluice-Gate and gain access to the Cistern. Players also need to have Jaheira in their party and be prepared to use non-lethal combat against Minsc.
- Aid the Underduke. The "Underduke" in this case is Nine-Fingers, the leader of the Thieves Guild, and she needs help taking out a new crime boss vying for her position. The Stone Lord is Minsc, being manipulated by a doppelganger that resembles his old friend Jaheira, and Tav has to stop him either by capturing or killing him.
- The High Harper. Closely related to the Aid the Underduke quest, these steps occur if the player includes Jaheria in their party and enough of the Harpers survive through Act 2. Bring her to Denethelon's Dancing Axe to meet the other Harpers and decide on a course of action.
- Return Rakath's Gold. If Rakath Glitterbeard survives the encounter with the Stone Lord and his minions, the protagonist can speak to him about the stolen gold and get this quest. Roan Moonglow, the recurring character that represents the Zhentarim, happens to be carrying the goods. Slay her to take it back, or join up with her and take a cut.
OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Rating:96/100 Critics Recommend:98% Developer(s) Larian Studios Franchise Baldur's Gate Released August 3, 2023 Platform(s) PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X Publisher(s) Larian Studios Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Engine Divinity 4.0 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence How Long To Beat 100+ Hours Steam Deck Compatibility yes X|S Enhanced yes PS Plus Availability N/A Split Screen Orientation Vertical Only Number of Players 1-4 Local Co-Op Support 1-2 Players Cross Save yes Cross-Platform Play Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t support crossplay Expand
