Master every room, recruit allies, and fight strategically to conquer this crucial opening challenge.
🚀 Embark on the Escape the Nautiloid quest and learn everything you need to survive the ship! 🧠⚔️ This guide offers a full walkthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3’s intro mission—how to recruit allies like Lae’zel and Shadowheart, fight off dangerous enemies, collect rare items, and make impactful decisions that shape your journey. 🎮✨
🚀 Escape the Nautiloid: Full Guide to the Start of Your Adventure in BG3
Learn how to survive Baldur’s Gate 3’s first major challenge and gain an edge from the very beginning.
🛸 Waking Up on the Nautiloid
🧟 You wake up amid chaos, surrounded by mind flayer pods and disturbing noises. This is the start of the Escape the Nautiloid mission, and every second counts. The environment is hostile and the tension is high—the game throws you right into the action. Before leaving the starting room, explore everything: there are useful items and a terminal that requires a skill check to operate.
💢 Room 1: The Nursery
🎮 The Escape the Nautiloid quest begins in the Nursery, where your character awakens trapped inside a pod. You’ll quickly notice other empty pods scattered around, suggesting there may be more survivors aboard.
In the center of the room is a pool full of larvae—the nursery itself. If you pass an 
Investigation DC 10 check, you’ll notice the shell is fragile. But be warned—touching it causes an explosion that deals damage. If that happens, rush to the west corner of the room (
X: 33 Y: -428) and use the Restoration device to heal.
Heading east from the Nursery, there’s an elevated path leading to the northwest side of the room. On a table there ( X: 50 Y: -408), you’ll find an 
Onyx Stone and a 
Runic Tablet. Interacting with the tablet gives you a vision of the Nautiloid traveling through planes. A bit further along the path, you’ll find a 
Cartilaginous Chest containing valuable loot.
South of the room, you can loot a dead mind flayer for a random gem ( X: 43 Y: -429). Farther along an upper path, another Cartilaginous Chest with random loot awaits at ( X: -43 Y: -440).
To proceed with Escape the Nautiloid, go through the door next to the healing device on the west side ( X: 24 Y: -423).
🧠 Room 2: Myrnath’s Mysterious Brain
🧩 Early on in the Escape the Nautiloid mission, you’ll come across Myrnath—his skull cracked open, revealing a brain ( X: 2 Y: -435). A successful Arcana DC 10 check reveals it’s an Intellect Devourer! You now have three choices: free it, ignore it, or destroy it.
Read also: How to Recruit and Control the Brain (Us) in Baldur’s Gate 3
🧠 If you choose to free it, you’ll learn its name is… Us. 😂 It will then ask for your help reaching the helm to take control of the Nautiloid. It can even become a temporary companion!
📚 On an Illithid Bench ( X: 1 Y: -42), you’ll find three Runic Tablets. Reading them reveals more about the Nautiloid. These insights are extremely useful later in the quest 
Help Omeluum Investigate the Parasite. When he asks about the ship, you’ll be able to unlock extra dialogue options thanks to your newfound knowledge.
🛡️ Allies and Combat: Meeting Lae’zel
🧭 Continuing your journey southwest, you’ll enter a new area where you meet Lae’zel, a Githyanki warrior who joins your party in hopes of escaping.
Read also: How to Permanently Recruit Lae’zel after Leaving the Nautiloid
⚔️ If you’re playing as Lae’zel, Losiir appears instead and joins your group with the same goal: survive and get out.
🧠 As Lae’zel jumps in to fight, a mental link forms between her and your character. She realizes you’re not under mind flayer control and insists on reaching the helm to pilot the ship. 😤 But to get there, you’ll need to defeat three infernal imps blocking your path. Prepare for an intense fight!
🔥 If you recruited Us the Brain, it will help you during this battle. 💥 After defeating all the imps, loot everything—you’ll find valuable items on both the imps and nearby mind flayers. Finally, heal at the Restoration device, then follow the arterial passage ( X: -45 Y: -366) into the next room.
🔓 Room 3: Freeing Shadowheart
🧠 In the middle of the Heart Chamber, you’ll see two unconscious prisoners: an elf and a human—victims of the mind flayers. 🧬 Next to them is a panel with three mysterious buttons: “Release,” “Aggression,” and “Annihilate.”
The first sends out a surge of psychic energy, the second initiates a fight against the cultists, and the third… simply kills them. 😵💫 If you choose “Aggression” and defeat the two enemies, you’ll earn 10 XP as a reward!
🧊 In the northeast corner of the room, Shadowheart is trapped inside a mind flayer pod. 🧪 Speaking to her triggers the quest Rescue the Illithids’ Captive. If she’s your main character, the pod will be empty.
To free her:
-
Warlocks, Wizards, and Sorcerers can pass an
Arcana DC 7 check. -
Barbarians need to succeed on a
Strength DC 10 check. -
If no one passes, head east to the Ceremorphosis Chamber and loot a
Preternatural Rune from the Dead Thrall ( X: 62 Y: -355).
With it, you can open the pod and choose to recruit or ignore Shadowheart during the Escape the Nautiloid mission.
🗝️ Nearby, you’ll find an Illithid bench with an Exquisite Reliquary, which can be opened with a Golden Key found on a Dead Thrall ( X: 31 Y: -355). 💀 Alternatively, use Prestidigitation.
🔥 Want the Everburning Blade without fighting Commander Zalk? Then be sure to finish Rescue the Illithids’ Captive, because Shadowheart already knows the 
Command: Drop spell! 🧙♀️✨ That way, you can disarm the boss and claim one of Act One’s best weapons without a fight. 💥
👉 Check out our full guide on how to get the Everburning Blade early in Baldur’s Gate 3!
🐙 Connecting the Transponder’s Nerves
🐙 Your final objective in Escape the Nautiloid is to reach the Transponder and connect the nerves to escape the ship.
-
Strategic Movement: You have 15 turns to reach the Transponder. Watch for imp attacks.
-
Use Strong Abilities: Shadowheart’s
Guiding Bolt is especially effective here. -
Interact with the Console: Once you reach the Transponder, trigger the final cutscene.
🎯 Why is Escape the Nautiloid an Essential Mission in Baldur’s Gate 3?
🚀 Completing Escape the Nautiloid is absolutely worth it—it introduces core story elements, key characters, and tests your combat and decision-making skills. Your choices can even affect Act 2 events!
🧩 In this guide, we covered the full walkthrough—from waking up in the ship to activating the Transponder. We showed you how to find allies like Lae’zel and Shadowheart, defeat enemies, and collect valuable items.
❓ FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Escape the Nautiloid
What is Escape the Nautiloid in Baldur’s Gate 3?
📌 It’s the game’s opening mission, where players must escape a mind flayer-controlled alien ship.
How many turns do I have to reach the Transponder?
📌 You have up to 15 turns to connect the console before the ship explodes.
Can I recruit allies during Escape the Nautiloid?
📌 Yes! You can recruit Lae’zel, Shadowheart, and even Us the Brain.
What happens if I fail skill checks on ship panels?
📌 Usually, you’ll miss out on items or interactions—but the mission continues.
Is it worth saving the prisoner in the pod?
📌 Definitely. Freeing Shadowheart unlocks future quests and adds a powerful ally to your party.
What’s the best item to get during this mission?
📌 The Everburning Blade is one of the best early-game weapons in Act One.
Who is Us the Brain and how does it help?
📌 It’s a sentient brain you can free to fight as a temporary companion.
Do my choices in Escape the Nautiloid affect the rest of the game?
📌 Yes, your actions here can influence future story events and character interactions in Act 2.
What’s the best way to escape the Nautiloid in BG3?
📌 Explore carefully, recruit allies, fight smart, and make good use of strong spells like Guiding Bolt.
🔍 Note to readers: If you come across any outdated or incorrect information about the Escape the Nautiloid, feel free to leave a comment so we can update it as quickly as possible. This content was carefully crafted using official sources and adapted from the Escape the Nautiloid article on the official Baldur’s Gate 3 website. We hope this guide helped you uncover all the secrets of this legendary forge. Good luck on your journey, adventurer! 🎮✨
