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The Eastern Tunnels
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn

The Eastern Tunnels

Walkthrough for The Eastern Tunnels in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Learn how to escape, defeat enemies like Mind Flayers and Umber Hulks, and find valuable items.

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Walkthrough for The Eastern Tunnels in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Learn how to escape, defeat enemies like Mind Flayers and Umber Hulks, and find valuable items.

You will be captured upon entering The Eastern Tunnels and thrown into a cell. Consider casting Chaotic Commands on a front-line fighter while you wait. Your ogre jailer will soon inform you that you are to fight for the entertainment of the Mind Flayers.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    After questioning the ogre jailer, you will fight three Umber Hulks.
  2. 2
    Upon returning to your cell, the jailer will give you five Potions of Extra Healing. You can now open the other door in your cell and speak with the prisoners, a group of Githyanki led by Simyaz, who were attempting to recover a stolen silver blade when their ship was capsized.
  3. 3
    Simyaz and his crew will depart to fight, then return to inform you that your groups are to fight next, and he has a plan to create a disturbance using their psionic powers to allow everyone to escape.
  4. 4
    Your jailer will express his support, and you will find yourselves in the arena with Simyaz's crew and a group of Kuo-toa.
  5. 5
    Defeat the Kuo-toa.
  6. 6
    Pick the lock of the door leading back to the prison area. The jailer is hostile but has a lot of HP and should be defeated easily. Search the table for the Hilt of the Equalizer.
  7. 7
    The northern passage contains two locked doors you cannot open yet, but you can find Methild's Harp in a wall niche, which can remove stun effects. Return to the prison room. You can pick the locks to other cells for more fighting: the top cell contains a Sahuagin Prince and Baronial Guard, and the bottom cell houses two Kuo-toan Warriors.
  8. 8
    Proceed through the door to the east. Scout ahead as there is a Mind Flayer in the room. Killing it will cause another to take its place, allowing for XP grinding.
  9. 9
    Interact with one of the vats around the room's edge to acquire some Illithid Serum.
  10. 10
    Return to the prison room and go south. Defeat the two Mind Flayers in the next room.
  11. 11
    In the following room, interact with one of the nine unconscious slaves three times using the Illithid Serum to wake them up. Their leader will explain they were used to power machinery that creates Control Circlets. Use the machine on the left to create four Control Circlets before it runs out of power.
  12. 12
    Equip a Control Circlet to your quick item slot. Return to the room where you acquired the Illithid Serum. Use the Control Circlet on the waiting Mind Flayer to bring it under your control.
  13. 13
    Go to the northern room where you found Methild's Harp. Have the controlled Mind Flayer approach the western door, which will open. After defeating the now-hostile Mind Flayer, Simyaz and his crew will teleport in and depart.
  14. 14
    Each party member receives 25000 XP. The room with the area exit is now accessible but blocked by a door that requires dealing with the Master Brain.
  15. 15
    Head west. Approach the next room cautiously, as it contains Umber Hulks, Mind Flayers, and Ulitharids. Consider using an invisible Mage protected by Chaotic Commands to cast Cloudkill into the room and retreat, which should damage or kill many enemies. Mop up survivors, using summoned allies as shields and withdrawing when party members are targeted by "Devour brain."
  16. 16
    Go through the northern door. The room at the top contains more Mind Flayers and Ulitharids. Interact with the brine pools to create up to eight Brine Potions, which grant psionic immunity.
  17. 17
    Return to the previous room and head west for another large battle against Umber Hulks, Mind Flayers, and Ulitharids. Use Cloudkill for Umber Hulks and block the corridor with Skeleton Warriors while attacking Mind Flayers with ranged weapons.
  18. 18
    From this room, the northern door requires a controlled Mind Flayer to open. The northeast door leads to a room with an Umber Hulk, two Mind Flayers, and an Ulitharid. Search the tables for the Staff of Command +2, which allows casting Domination with no save.
  19. 19
    Return to the previous room and go south to a prison room with three cells. The cells contain an Umber Hulk, an Insane Dwarf Warrior (who drops a Ring of Fire Control), and a Kuo-toan Priest.
  20. 20
    Return to the serum room, acquire another Mind Flayer, and bring it back to the northern room to open the door. Defeat the hostile Mind Flayer and proceed north. Unlock the door to the Master Brain's lair, guarded by an Umber Hulk, a Mind Flayer, and an Ulitharid. The Master Brain will summon endless Brain Golems, which are only harmed by blunt weapons. Concentrate attacks on the Master Brain before dealing with its guardians. Killing the Elder Brain yields Elder Brain Blood for a quest in Ust Natha. Loot the Master Brain's area.
Tips
  • Casting Chaotic Commands on front-line fighters can be beneficial before entering the tunnels.
  • The Mind Flayer room allows for grinding experience points as they respawn.
  • Use summoned allies as meat shields against powerful enemies like Mind Flayers and Ulitharids.
  • Brine Potions grant immunity to psionics, which is useful against Mind Flayers.
  • The Staff of Command +2 is a powerful item for controlling enemies.
  • Brain Golems are only vulnerable to blunt weapons.
  • Hilt of the Equalizer
  • Methild's Harp
  • Control Circlets
  • Staff of Command +2
  • Ring of Fire Control
  • Elder Brain Blood
  • 25000 XP per party member

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