I Got Through Baldur's Gate 3's Shadow-Cursed Lands In The Dumbest Way, But It Worked

is a really complex game, and part of what makes it so great is the abundance of player choice and all the different routes one can take. This is especially true at the end of Act 1 into Act 2 when players are forced to march through a cursed realm of the Shadow-Cursed Lands to reach the Last Light Inn and eventually Moonrise Towers to start Act 2.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the end of Act 1 in Baldur's Gate 3]

By now, many veteran players likely know all of the options when it comes to this potentially confounding portion of the game, whether that be a guided tour by the strangest NPC Kar'niss or obtaining the Moonlantern to prevent the Necrotic debuff from being in the darkness. That said, some players like me probably had no idea what to do and didn't want to look up guides to avoid spoilers. Ultimately, because I'm stubborn and hard-headed and also sometimes forget to listen to more important parts of the lore, I just brute-forced my way through this portion of the game.

Baldur's Gate 3 can end in a number of different ways, but the overarching plot will generally remain similar between different endings.

When introduced to the Shadow-Cursed lands, players are meant to quickly go from brazier to brazier to avoid the Shadow Curse. This annoying debuff does 2d4 necrotic damage every turn when without a suitable light source. While a traditional torch is fine in the earlier portions of the run, things get a lot darker as one makes their way through the area, and a regular light source just won't cut it after the Last Light Inn. What's worse, if a companion succumbs to the curse, they'll become a Shadow-Cursed Undead with reduced stats and won't be able to use spells or weapon actions.

Another downside to the area is that if one has never been there before, it's easy to become lost. Without the aid of a superior magical light source like the Moonlantern, it's all too easy to get caught in really dark areas and then be ambushed by shades and