Baldur’s Gate 3 is rife with interesting Boss Fights and dungeons. One of the first you will encounter is that of the Goblin Camp, where the people of the Emerald Grove have sent you to kill the Goblin Leaders and rescue Halsin. If you’ve decided to side with the Druids and forgo romancing Minthara, you’ll be in for a rough fight.
Although the enemies in this dungeon aren’t particularly high-level, they are numerous and dangerous. To defeat the goblin leaders successfully, you’ll need to use your wits to outsmart them. Keep reading for the best way to take out each Goblin Leader, including when to call in Halsin and which Leader to fight first.
Updated by Abigail Angell on October 20th, 2023: To help players decide whether it’s worth preserving the body of each goblin leader, a short explanation of their loot has been added to this article.
Where To Find The Goblin Leaders
The Goblin Leaders are located in a camp past the Blighted Village. To reach it, you can enter via the main gate (at the bottom of the map pictured) or via a jump puzzle to the East. If you choose to enter through the side entrance of the camp, the goblins will warn you to enter through the main gate if you are spotted. If you do not turn back, the camp will become hostile. If you enter through the main gate, you will have the chance to talk your way in using Charisma-based checks or your Mindflayer powers. If you are a Drow, they will welcome you without any checks being necessary.
Once inside the camp, the leaders are through the door to the temple. There is an Ogre guarding the main door, which you will need to talk or fight your way past (depending on how you got into the camp). Alternatively, you can climb up to the second level past several passed-out goblins, knock down a cracked wall after passing a perception check, and enter via the rafters of the building. The temple is quite large and full of a small army, but it can be fought in sections if you are careful.
It is generally much easier to talk or sneak your way into the camp and then turn on the leaders once inside. Not only will this save your resources instead of wasting them on the goblins outside the temple, but it will allow you to pick off the leaders in an order of your choosing.
Where To Find Halsin & When To Rescue Him
To find Halsin, go to the Worg Pen area of the Goblin Camp. You’ll need to fight the guards and their Worgs to free him. However, once you have done so he will join your party as a guest fifth member. Halsin’s priority is to kill the goblin leaders, and he warns you that he will not be able to resist attacking goblins on sight – this is very important information. You cannot take Halsin with you if you plan to use Stealth or Deception. For this reason, it is best to rescue him after you’ve killed Minthara and Dror Ragzlin.
How To Beat Priestess Gut
Priestess Gut is the first leader you’ll get eyes on as you enter the temple. She is in the largest room of the Shattered Sanctum, perched atop a throne. Look for a religious effigy in front of a set of stairs going down to an iron gate to help you locate her.
Despite being the first leader you see, it is advised to leave the Priestess for last. There are several drums in her room, and she will prioritize calling reinforcements above all other actions – fighting her when the rest of the army is still alive is too risky.
Instead, walk past her without starting a conversation to the rear of the room. Kill Dror Ragzlin and Minthara first, rescue Halsin, and then let his bear form loose in the Sanctum. Killing True Soul Gut this way doesn’t allow her to call for help because they are all dead.
While Fighting her on the ground is doable, you can also enter the rafters above the Shattered Sanctum using a Cracked wall above the entrance to the Defiled Temple. From the rafters, a character with a high-damage burst attack can knock over the statues flanking the space, crushing goblins underneath and making the fight significantly easier.
Once you’ve killed Priestess Gut, loot her body to receive: a lore note, Absolute’s Warboard, Absolutes’ Talisman, the key to her office, a scroll of Burning Hands, A Potion of Healing, a Potion of Greater Healing, a Potion of Sleep, an Onyx, and 34 gp.
How To Beat Dror Ragzlin
Dror Ragzlin, like Priestess Gut, is leading a ritual when the player first sees him. He is on a wooden dais with several goblins kneeling around a Mindflayer corpse in the large room directly behind the Spider pit. For the best results, ignore him at first and come back to him after killing Minthara. Players can walk around the edge of the room to avoid disturbing the goblin’s ritual. If they attempt to watch the ritual or get too close, then the goblins will attack.
After killing Mithara, you’ll head back to Dror Ragzlin’s room. He will still be speaking to his followers if you’ve avoided alerting the floor when you fought Minthara. At this time, take the ladder against the wall in the Spider Pit area up to the rafters. Then, walk over the rafters into Dror Ragzlin’s room. Here, you can shoot down Dror Ragzlin and his friends without them returning fire easily. By the time they climb up the ladders to face you, many should already be dead.
Unlike many of the bosses in Baldur’s Gate 3, Dror Ragzlin has very little on his person. He carries a single gem and his hammer Faithbreaker. Instead, open the gate behind him to access his treasure hoard.
How To Beat Minthara
Minthara is the most secluded Goblin Leader. She is located in an isolated chamber on the northeast corner of the Temple’s first floor. To get to her, you’ll need to walk through the rooms of Dror Ragzlin and Priestess Gut. She is the best one to kill first because of her location.
To start the fight, have a character speak with her. Then, switch view to your other characters and leave the dialogue in progress. While she is speaking with one character, have two others sneak, then break the bridge to her room and the drum on the high ground in the corner. This will prevent any reinforcements from coming – even better if you can have a character stand on the spot that is the narrowest jump over the gap (where the bridge was) – the Goblins aren’t very good jumpers, and this may prevent some of Minthara’s guards from making it into the fight.
Once the initiative has been rolled, you will want to have three characters focus on Minthara while the fourth takes out the spectator. This enemy is capable of flying and may alert goblins in some neighboring rooms if allowed to take a turn.
For best results, use magic against the Spectator, as it is resistant to piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing damage.
Minthara is tanky with a lot of damage, so you’ll need something with an equal burst power, such as a Paladin Smite or Rogue Sneak Attack, to take her down before she party wipes you. Alternatively, you could push her into the abyss – but then you won’t get any of her loot. She carries the Xyanyde mace, the Spidersilk Armor, an Amulet of Misty Step, Boots of Striding, and her camp clothes.
The solitary guard that stands next to Minthara doesn’t carry anything of value and can be thrown off the cliff at your leisure.