Investigate Cazador's Palace - Baldur's Gate III Guide - IGN (2024)

Investigate Cazador’s Palace is a side quest in Baldur’s Gate 3 where you are asked to rescue children from the vampire lord living in Baldur’s Gate. Since this quest requires finding specific items, this walkthrough will guide you to each, and give tips about beating Cazador himself.

How to Start Investigate Cazador’s Palace

To start this side quest, you can explore the east side of Rivington in Wyrm’s Crossing, northeast of the Abandoned Windmill. There you will discover a Gur Camp, inhabited by a tribe that has been victimized by Cazador. Their people have been slaughtered and their children kidnapped, and Astarion himself played a role in these atrocities in the past. Whether or not you can convince Astarion to help, you can offer to discover where Cazador lives and attempt to save the children, if they’ve survived. This will add the quest to your journal.

The Lower City

Once you arrive in the Lower City, you’re able to go after Cazador at any time. Getting to him and defeating him is another story, so you should definitely consider waiting until you’re level 12 to go after him. If you’re ready, head to the Lower City Central Wall Teleport Sigil, then ascend the tower that it’s embedded on.

When you’ve reached the top of the wall, head north into the building; you’ll be stopped by a group of enthralled guards. You can persuade them to let you through, otherwise you’ll have to fight them. Following the path out of the tower leads you to the palace.

As you head into the palace, you’ll come across a large set of double doors that can’t be lockpicked. Instead, you need to find a Signet Ring and a Kozakuran Dictionary to get through the door. Head right down the hallway and the staircase until you come across a door with necrotic energy pouring out of it. Break the door down and jump to the far corner of the room, then check the wardrobe beside the bed; it contains the dictionary you’ll need.

Leave the room and continue down the hallway until you find the kennel with Godey inside. You can convince him that you’re there to turn Astarion in, and you need a key to enter the depths of the palace.

Once you have both, be sure to read the dictionary, then head back up to the door and open it. You’ll find a couple of enemies to fight in the ballroom. When they’re dealt with, you can use the lift in the southwest corner of the room to descend to Cazador’s ritual.

The Ascension Ritual

When you’ve descended, head north. Along the way you’ll be interrupted when you pass by cells full of Cazador’s vampire spawn. Head further north until you reach the stage for the ritual, then approach Cazador to start the fight.

If Astarion is in the party, Cazador will abduct him for the ritual, placing him at the rear end of the stage, then the fight will begin. Cazador receives a buff for each of his seven vampires in the ritual. Standing on the circle in front of a vampire allows your character to take the buff instead, but only for as long as they’re in the circle, but this can also apply to companions or other summons, like Shadowheart’s Spiritual Weapon spell.

The three most vital vampires to stop or intercept are Astarion and the two neighboring vampires; Astarion so he doesn’t die, and the other two because they provide extra AC and health regeneration. To free Astarion, one of your party members needs to use the Help action on him, thus freeing him up to fight and permanently removing his contribution to Cazador’s buff. If you don't free Astarion, Cazador will complete the ritual after a few turns, killing Astarion permanently, so make freeing him a priority. When you defeat Cazador, he'll run to his sarcophagus in the center of the arena; interact with it to finish him off.

Once the fight is over, Astarion can take the opportunity to complete the ritual for himself, but if he does all the vampire spawn are killed, including the children you promised to look for. If you convince Astarion not to complete the ritual, and spare the vampire spawn, the Gur will be waiting for you by the lift, thankful that you saved their abducted children, although they're understandably upset that they were turned into vampire spawn and released into the underdark. Regardless, as a reward, the Gur will stand with you when you need it most.

For more side quests in the region, use the links below:

• Free the Artist
• Visit the Emperor's Old Hideout
• Stop the Presses