Summary
Act 3 ofBaldur’s Gate 3is the most difficult, given the sheer number of big boss fights waiting for players. Between Gortash, Orin, Raphael, and Cazador, there are plenty of big bads players will need to prepare for. Thankfully, for those not big on the boss battles, particularly creativeplayers have found ways to bypass some of the grueling combat - likepushing Raphael off a cliffuntil he ends the deal he’s proposed. Another creative player has found a hilarious way to defeat Cazador easily.
Reddit userKitsune_808shared in a post thatwith the Flesh to Gold spell, they managed to permanently petrify Cazador, turning the vampire into a golden statue that was unable to move or take turns. With a +4 to constitution saving throws, it was unlikely Cazador would fail the initial check and be restrained - but this user lucked out and turned the vampire to stone. “I ran away and went to camp, revived the dead and took a long rest. Stocked up, got ready, went back down and sure enough, gold statue Cazador was still right where I’d left him,” they shared.
Because of this,the user was able to take out all of the vampire’s cohort,essentially nerfing the typically difficult boss fight. Not only did it give them the chance to long rest and return to a hard fight, but it made the most dangerous opponent unable to attack or make any moves.
Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Find (& Beat) Cazador
Cazador is the former vampire master of Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3 who you can find and beat in Act 3 to help your companion gain ascended powers.
The Flesh To Gold Spell In BG3 Has Mixed Results
How To Get The Flesh To Gold Spell Scroll
Technically, turning Cazador to stone does not defeat him - as explained by the spell’s description, a target that has failed three saving throws after being hit with the Flesh to Gold spell will receive the condition Turned to Gold, essentially turning them into a solid-gold statue.Turned to Gold is a permanent condition, though the target should be able to make a Constitution saving throw at the end of its turn to attempt to remove the condition.
That said,Turned to Gold also petrifies the target- something that can only be undone with Basilisk Oil or the spell Greater Restoration. Players in the comments of Kitsune_808’s post shared mixed results with this spell. Some stated that their chosen target ultimately shook off the Turned to Gold condition after a few long rests, while others claimed to have statues back at their camp of other evil characters. Because of this, results may vary for those attempting to recreate this creative solution to a difficult boss battle.
Even if the condition does not turn out to be as permanent as this Reddit post has made it seem,temporarily petrifying Cazador is a great way to pick off his cronies and create some breathing room. It’s unclear what this would do to Astarion’s quest line, as Kitsune_808 doesn’t share the subsequent ramifications of leaving Cazador stuck in gold. But this is one possible solution to quicklychecking off everything to do in Act 3.
The only way a player can cast the spell Flesh to Gold is by obtaining the Signed Trade Visa, found in Act 2. The scroll can be obtained bypaying Gerringothe Thormthe entirety of the money in their pockets(assuming that money is at least 5,000 gold pieces). Players can then steal their gold back from Gerringothe after defeating her in the Reithwin Tollhouse. Unlike most other scrolls inBaldur’s Gate 3,this cannot be copied to a wizard’s spell book, making it strictly a single-use spell.
