There are tons of powerful items hidden throughout the world in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Iron Flask is one such mysterious container located in Act One of the game, though you can easily miss it.
Upon finding the magical artifact, you will immediately be posed with the question of whether to open it or leave the Iron Flask alone. Given the item’s menacing appearance, you might be conflicted on what to do with it. If you’re stuck between using or abandoning the item, here’s what you need to know.
Where to find the Iron Flask in BG3
The Iron Flask can be found in Act One of BG3 as part of an early side quest called Missing Shipment. The Iron Flask will be located in a Gnoll-infested cave near the Risen Road at (X:33 and Y:603). Gnoll Warlords and gnolls are on their way to assault two travelers, and if you lend a hand, the two travelers will make their escape, leaving you on your own.
What we did was use our tadpole powers to subdue the Gnoll Warlord and convince them to fight the other Gnoll standing in our way. This choice will allow the Gnoll Warlord to choose your side against the other enemies. After the fight, the warlord will essentially dispose of itself, and you will be done with the fight.
After clearing out the cave of Gnolls, the two travelers will not allow you to get close to the Caravan Strongbox. You will either have to knock them out or kill them. After dealing with the travelers, you will be able to lockpick the Caravan Strongbox, though it will require a Sleight of Hand skill check.
If you succeed, you will be able to loot the mysterious item and add it to your inventory. From this point, you can always elect to pawn off the Iron Flask, which goes for 414 gold, or you can always select to examine it, which will present you with a unique cutscene.
How to use the Iron Flask in BG3
After you decide to examine the Iron Flask in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can open it anytime you want. Simply open your inventory and double-click it to choose the dialogue “Remove the Stopper.” However, before you open, you might want to consider all three options first:
- You can make an Arcana check to gain further insight into the nature of the mysterious item.
- Place it back in your bag and save it for later.
- You simply open the Iron Flask.
Opening the Iron Flask will unleash a Spectator, a weaker version of the Beholder. This monster is immediately hostile and will attack anything in front of it, including your party. Thankfully, this Spectator is not too difficult to deal with, as it only contains 95 hit points.
Defeating the Spectator will give you a good amount of XP, however, it might be in your best interest to use it for other reasons.
If you decide to put the flask away, there is no consequence, and you can simply carry it with you further on your journey. It is good to carry the flask on you just in case you get into a tough situation.
The best way, and our personal favorite use for the flask is to use it as a projectile. If you find yourself in a tough encounter, you can elect to throw the Iron Flask, and the Spectator will appear wherever the item lands. Note that the Spectator will both attack you and your enemies, though if you keep your distance, it is likely to take out your opponents for you.
