Spellhold Tests – Baldur’s Gate II

This guide will walk you through the Spellhold Tests in Baldur’s Gate II.

Overview

When you enter this part of Spellhold, you’ll get attacked by several goblin and kobold commandos (worth 35 xp each). After the battle, an apparition will appear. He’ll tell you that you’re required to take “the tests of madness.” If you accept what he says (answers 1 or 2), then you’ll start out on the “good” path for the tests. But if you get angry at the apparition (answers 3 or 4), then you’ll start out on the “bad” path, which will result in you earning much worse rewards. The tests are described below.

Test 1

For this test, if you’re on the “bad” path, then you’ll have to fight a greater otyugh, two myconids, and three mephits (worth about 10,000 xp total). If you’re on the “good” path, then you’ll only have to fight a single spore colony (worth 410 xp).

After the battle, regardless of your path, the apparition will appear again, and he’ll ask you a riddle. The answer is “a splinter.” If you answer correctly, then you’ll move to the “good” path. If you answer incorrectly, then you’ll move to the “bad” path.

Test 2

For this test, if you’re on the “bad” path, then you’ll start out in a desolate chamber, and you’ll have to fight a lesser earth elemental, an umber hulk, and four mephits (worth about 8000 xp total). After the battle, nothing will happen right away, which will give you a chance to rest and save. When you eventually walk to the western side of the chamber, the apparition will appear again, and he’ll ask you about your surroundings. If you’re hopeful or non-committal (answers 2 or 4), then you’ll move to the “good” path. If you’re angry or uncooperative (answers 1 or 3), then you’ll move to the “bad” path.

If you’re on the “good” path, then you’ll start out in a banquet hall with four apparitions sitting around a table. Before talking to the apparitions, you should loot a Cloak of Reflection from the table. When you talk to the apparitions, they’ll ask you four riddles. The answers are:

• nothing
• a river
• fear
• memory

Different things will happen depending on how many answers you get right:

• If you answer either of the first two riddles incorrectly, then you’ll switch to the “bad” path and move to Test 3.
• If you answer the third riddle incorrectly, then you’ll have to fight two lesser fire elementals, three mephits, and a salamander (worth about 7000 xp). Afterwards, the apparition will send you to Judgment (where you’ll still be on the “good” path).
• If you answer the fourth riddle incorrectly, then you’ll be sent to a strange machine, and the apparition will allow you to tinker with it as much as you want. Next to the machine, you’ll find Lium’s Journal of Malevolent Magicks, which will give you clues for how to arrange the levers on the machine. The correct order is mithral, ruby, emerald, sandalwood, jade, and then onyx.
  
  Note: To figure out the order of the levers, start with the sandalwood/onyx clue. The only two possibilities are sandalwood to 4 and onyx to 6, or sandalwood to 2 and onyx to 3. But for sandalwood to move from 6 to 2, that would be the largest change in ranking (since jade could move at most from 2 to 6), making it invalid. From there, jade has to move to 5 (so its change in ranking is 3), mithral has to move to 1 (so its change in ranking is 2, the same as with sandalwood), emerald has to move to 3 (or else its change in ranking would be 3, the same as jade), and ruby has to move to 2.
  
  If you place the levers in the wrong order, then the machine will shoot out a lightning bolt. If you place the levers in the right order, then the machine will give you Bracers of Defense AC 5, and you’ll earn 10,000 xp. After solving the machine (or telling the apparition that you’d like to leave), you’ll move on to Judgment (where you’ll still be on the “good” path).
• If you answer all of the riddles correctly, then you’ll stay on the “good” path and move to Test 3.

Test 3

For this test, if you’re on the “bad” path, then you’ll have to fight a sahuagin baron and two sahuagin baron guards (worth about 1500 xp total). After the battle, the apparition will appear again, and he’ll send you to Judgment.

If you’re on the “good” path, then you’ll find yourself in a large cavern, where you’ll get attacked by a spectral troll, a troll, and a troll shaman (worth 6300 xp total). They’ll drop a Giant Troll’s Head and a Heart of the Mountain (Enhanced Edition only) when they die. As you make your way to the back of the cavern, you’ll find an altar and your friend the apparition. You should tell the apparition that you’re not ready to leave yet, and then place the troll head on the altar. This will produce a Bone Club +2, +3 vs. Undead for you. Then when you tell the apparition that you’re ready to leave, he’ll send you to Judgment.

Judgment

After taking the tests, the apparition will judge your performance. If at any point you appeared on the “bad” path, then the apparition will punish you by summoning a mind flayer (worth 9000 xp), and each character in your party will earn 41,250 xp. But if you stayed on the “good” path for all of the tests, then each character in your party will earn 52,150 xp.

Either way, the apparition will depart, and you’ll be allowed to leave the testing area via a staircase on the eastern side, which will take you to Spellhold Level 2.