How to Open the Elaborate Chest in Baldur’s Gate 3

Want to know what's in the box on the Nautiloid in Baldur's Gate 3?

by Drew Kopp
Image: Attack of the Fanboy

The first hour of Baldur’s Gate 3 forces you to trudge through a crumbling Mind-Flayer spaceship with little supplies. However, eagle-eyed adventures will probably notice an elaborate chest tucked away in one of the final rooms of the Nautiloid. Sadly, the trunk is locked, and the game isn’t forthcoming on how to unlock it. We’ve figured out how to open the Elaborate Chest in Baldur’s Gate 3, so keep reading if you need to know what’s in the box.

How to Unlock the Elaborate Chest in Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldurs-Gate-3-Golden-Key-Location
Image: Attack of the Fanboy

Baldur Gate 3’s elaborate chest can be found in the same area where the Half-Elven Trickery Cleric Shadowheart is imprisoned. It’s in the southeastern corner of the room, right next to a green disembodied brain. Since you’ll only be outfitted with your class’s starting equipment and whatever you’ve managed to loot off of corpses and Imps, you’ll probably want to open the chest as soon as you see it.

There are a few ways to open the chest; the first will become apparent as soon as you inspect it if you are playing a Rogue. Just like in mainstream Dungeons & Dragons, a lock is nothing more than a minor inconvenience to Rogues, and you will be presented an opportunity to pick the lock once you’re close enough to the chest. Hopefully, you’ve invested enough points in your Dexterity stat to give you the finesse to tickle the chest’s stubborn tumblers into submission.

Related: Is Baldur’s Gate 3 Coming to Nintendo Switch?

If you aren’t a Rogue (or fail to unlock the chest), there’s still hope. Proceed through the doorway to the east, and you’ll quickly stumble across a Dead Thrall on the floor. Looting this corpse will yield a Golden Key, which you can use to open the chest.

Unfortunately, the chances that the reward waiting inside the chest won’t be as good as the epic prize you were thinking of is very high. The elaborate chest contains about fifty gold and a randomized semi-rare item that may or may not be helpful depending on your character build. However, fifty gold is still fifty gold, and unlocking the chest will give you enough funds to purchase valuable items and weapons from early-game shops.

- This article was updated on August 3rd, 2023

About The Author

Drew Kopp has been a writer at Attack of the Fanboy for three months and has covered Baldur's Gate 3, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Ahsoka. He has a Bachelor's in Creative Writing and loves writing about indie games and celebrity gossip. When he isn't writing, he can be found reading fantasy books or rocking out as Bard in Dungeons & Dragons.