The first dungeon players are likely to encounter in Baldur's Gate 3 will likely be the Overgrown Ruins. The monsters and enemies inside are dangerous but nothing come close to the trap right inside the front door. If players don't know what to do, the entire party can wipe out.
The Sarcophagus trap is one of Baldur's Gate 3 best and most deadly, easily capable of killing players who aren't aware of its presence. Even when players do explode in a fireball, they may not understand why. This guide will help any party safely loot the Sarcophagus.
Disabling The Sarcophagus Trap
- Loot the room except for the Sarcophagus.
- Move all but one party member to the exit toward the inside of the dungeon (not the entrance).
- Have the remaining party member move an object on each of the six vents.
- Enter turn-based mode.
- Have the remaining party member move next to the Sarcophagus and end the turn.
- Have all other party members skip their turns.
- Loot the Sarcophagus with the remaining party member.
- Exit toward the inside of the dungeon and rejoin the party.
The first step, whether playing with friends or solo, is looting everything else in the room except for the Sarcophagus. Then have to have all but one party member wait by the door exiting to the next room. Do not wait by the front door.
Players can select objects such as the vases and crates in this room and drag them to cover the six vents on the floor. This will prevent the gas from releasing so the fire arrows will have nothing to detonate. Players who don't have a high perception may not see some of these plates. If so, consult the following picture.
Finally, enter turn-based mode and have the other party members skip their turns. Have the one party member move to the head of the Sarcophagus for an easy exit. Then skip a turn before looting the Sarcophagus to avoid getting hit by fire arrows. Loot it and run on the next turn. If it's too much gear, send heavy items to the Traveller's Chest to maintain top speed.
That's all there is to it. Fire arrows now fire across the room constantly but there are two other exits for the dungeon. If it's critical, players can activate turn-based mode again and cross the room back to the entrance carefully.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available in Early Access on PC and will be available on August 3rd, 2023. The PlayStation 5 version will be available on September 6th, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X/S is still in development.