One of the earliest side quests you’ll encounter in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be quite a challenge for an underleveled party emerging fresh from the wrecking of the Mind Flayer ship after the game’s intro. That’s why most Baldur’s Gate 3 players will come back to the ruins at a later date, likely warded off by the dangerous bandits lurking within. Unfortunately, leaving the ruins alone for long enough will lead to a nasty bug that prevents you from completing the quest.
How to Explore the Ruins in Baldur’s Gate 3
The ruins in question are the first major structure you’ll find after waking up on the beach after the game’s introduction. If you didn’t free Shadowheart from the pod on the Mind Flayer ship, you’ll find her there. There’s a handy teleport waypoint outside of the front door, but the door itself is locked. To get in, you’ll need to head through the wreckage and make your way to the temple on the cliff above.
Once you make it inside, you’ll find a bunch of bandits guarding a Dank Crypt. Defeating the bandits and making your way into the crypt will result in a battle with some skeletons, after which you’ll be able to open a strange sarcophagus and meet Withers. He joins you permanently at your camp and allows you to change your class at will.
However, if you ignore the ruins for long enough, Withers will show up at your camp automatically. This messes with the Explore the Ruins quest progression though, making it seemingly impossible to complete. Thankfully, there’s an easy fix.
How to Fix the Sarcophagus Quest Bug
If you can’t complete the Explore the Ruins quest in Baldur’s Gate 3, then you likely already have Withers at your camp. Make sure you’ve spoken to him at least once to introduce yourself, and then venture to the depths of the Dank Crypt and find his sarcophagus.
Naturally, the sarcophagus will be empty since Withers is already at your camp. To advance the quest, read the plaque next to the sarcophagus. Then, return to Withers and you’ll find a new dialogue option about it. Talk to him about the plaque and the quest will complete.
Even if you solve the quest this way, you’ll still get the same amount of XP and other rewards. The main point of the quest is to find Withers and unlock the ability to respec, so crossing the quest off of your list after recruiting him to your camp is just a formality. With this quest out of the way, you can enjoy a cleaned-up quest log and focus on more pressing matters, like rescuing Halsin so you can enjoy some spicy bear romance.
