Search the Cellar: How to Open the Necromancy of Thay | Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)｜Game8 (2024)

The Necromancy of Thay is a book that can be unlocked using a Dark Amethyst obtained in the Search the Cellar side quest in Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Read on to find out how to open the Necromancy of Thay, how to unlock the Ancient Tome, and how to do the Search the Cellar side quest!

Search the Cellar Details

How to Get the Necromancy of Thay

Enter the Secret Hatch in the Tavern

There's a secret wooden hatch behind the counter in a tavern to the left of Blighted Village's main entrance. Open it and climb down to enter in what appears to be an apothecary's room.

Read the Healer's Log

There will be a book called Healer's Log which is sitting on a chemistry table near the curtains. Read the book as this will come in handy later on.

Go Through the Hidden Passageway

Destroy the boxes near the portrait of mountains to reveal a lever. Pull it down and a hidden passageway will open. Enter it and follow the path until you come across a field with wooden coffins.

Keep venturing onwards until you come across an ornate mirror.

Talk to the Ornate Mirror

Approach the ornate mirror and talk to it. It will ask you 5 questions that all need to be correctly answered in for the mirror to let you through. Choose the dialogue choices in the order below:

• Tell it your name.
• Yes an ally! I'm an ally of your master's.
• Szass Tam is a foul, wretched creature.
• I read a doctor's journal - he used balsam to clean a wound.
• I'd look for whatever spell will rid me of this worm in my head.

As you may have noticed, the answer on the balsam ointment question came from reading the book you found earlier in the Apothecary's room.

Failing to choose the correct answer will force the mirror to unleash a floating sphere that will emit flames that will damage you.

Open the Iron Gate and Take the Book

The Necromancy of Thay is locked behind an Iron Gate. Take the Rustic Key which can be found on a shelf beside a lever leading to the exit.

Use it on the Iron Gate to unlock it and grab the book. This will trigger a flamethrower trap but you won't have to worry as you'll enter turn-based mode and all you have to do is walk out of the room.

How to Open the Necromancy of Thay

Obtain a Dark Amethyst in Whispering Depths

To open the Necromancy of Thay, you need to unlock it with a Dark Amethyst which you can find in the Whispering Depths underneath the Blighted Village.

How to Enter the Whispering Depths

There are two ways to enter the depths: Roping down the well located at the town center of Blighted Village, or breaking down a weak wall in the basem*nt of a house to the right of the village's main entrance.

Regardless of which entryway you choose, you'll still start your underground expedition at almost the exact same spot.

Venture Through the Depths

Keep on following the narrow path in the Whispering Depths while battling all the Phase Spiders and Ettercaps that you'll encounter along the way.

There are lots of climbable ledges around so use the High Ground to your advantage and get that sweet +2 bonus to your Ranged attack rolls.

Advantages of High Ground

Defeat the Phase Spider Matriarch

The Phase Spider Matriarch is a deadly mini-boss found at the end of the depths, and is deadly enough to wipe your whole party down with poisonous acids.

Despite her menacing offensive skills, her defense is lackluster and you can take her down easily by casting your most powerful spells from a safe distance.

A good method of fighting the Phase Spider Matriarch is to wait for it to land on the webbigs. These webbing are weak to fire and can easily be burned by fire attacks. This will make the Phase Spider to fall and take huge amounts of damage while inflicting Prone.

Be Wary of Phase Spider when on Low HP

When the Phase Spider is brought to critical levels of HP, the Phase Spider will go berserk. This can cause her to deal increased damage and be able to attack twice in a single turn. It is recommended to attempt to fight the Phase Mother Normally first before using the webbing to avoid this critical phase of the fight!

Pick Up the Dark Amethyst

Once the Matriarch is dead, climb down the vine to the left of the lair's entrance, and go to the giant hole in the middle. You'll find the Dark Amethyst lying on the ground, pick it up and exit the depths.

Open and Read the Book

Unlock the Necromancy of Thay by inserting the Dark Amethyst through a dialogue option upon interacting with it in your inventory.

You'll be rolling three Wisdom checks each time you turn a page. The first has a 10 DC, the second has 15 DC, and the last one has a 20 DC.

Rolling at least one successful check will reward you with the Forbidden Knowledge passive feature which gives a +1 bonus to Wisdom saving throws and Ability Checks.

What is Wisdom?

Failing a Check Gives You Debuffs

Failing one will give you the Whispers of Madness condition, and failing two gives you the Baleful Knowledge condition which both provides the same effect of imposing a disadvantage on all your future Wisdom checks.

How to Finish the Necromancy of Thay

Travel to Baldur's Gate For the Last Page

Head over to Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur's Gate. Once inside interact with the Clasped Book on the shelf to teleport to the Sorcerous Vault.

Go through the Oak Door and enter the succeeding doors in this order: Silverhand, Evocation, and Wish. Pull the lever in the final room and go back to the first room you came in, and enter the Elminister Vault.

Read the Tharchiate Codex which is required to finally finish the Necromancy of Thay book. Reading the final page requires a Wisdom check (20 DC) and you'll get the Speak with Dead and Summon Ghoul spells as your rewards.

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

List of All Side Quests

Prologue Side Quests

Act 1 Side Quests

Druid's Grove Quests

The Risen Road Quests

Blighted Village Quests

Goblin Camp Quests

Nautiloid Crash Region Quests

Underdark Quests

Mountain Pass Quests

This section is currently under construction. Check back later for updates!

Act 2 Side Quests

Last Light Inn Quests

Gauntlet of Shar Quests

Mind Flayer Colony Quests

Act 3 Side Quests

Rivington Quests

Lower City Quests