Traveling in the Shadow Lands is no easy feat inBaldur’s Gate 3.With the Shadow Curse corrupting everything it touches, journeying into this land is not for the faint of heart. Even Isobel’s blessing won’t be enough to save you from the darkest shadows.

While the task of reaching Moonrise first seems insurmountable, there is one item that will see you safely across the perilous lands: a Moonlantern. Unbroken and carrying a magical secret within, this singular item shall be your guide. That is, if you’re willing to fight for it.

Cleric Casts Darlight On Themselves Before Leaving Last Light Inn Sanctuary

Updated Jul 09, 2025 by Alexis Campbell:Added new strategies and information regarding Kar’niss the Drider with Patch 6 Legendary Action, Sanctuary changes, and alternative approaches in higher difficulties.

Beginning The Quest For The Moonlantern - Meeting The Harpers First

The Moonlantern quest can only be started once you’vespoken to Isobel, defended her, and received her blessingagainst the Shadow Curse. This takes place at Last Light Inn.

From the inn, you’ll need towalk back to the entry bridge of the sanctuary. Here, a group of Harpers will be waiting to speak with you. Tell them togo ahead and set up the ambush, stating either for them to lead and you follow or that you’ll meet them there.

Drider Kar’niss Holds Moonlantern While Speaking To Goblins

Follow the quest icon on your mapsouth, south-eastward to a decrepit building. Make sure toavoid the main roadnear the quest-marker, avoiding the sight of the person carrying the Moonlantern nearby.

When traveling through the lands to the ambush site,having spells likeDaylightor Light is recommended. Otherwise, all members of your party should be equipped with a torch until reaching your destination.

Player highlights the Spider’s Lyre item inside their camp inventory in Baldur’s Gate 3

Inside, a cutscene will trigger, where you’ll begiven the choice of when the ambush starts.

The best time to give the signal for the ambush ison your second promptingafter the Drider, Kar’niss, has killed one of the goblins for running off. Instead of risking his high perception to hide,give the signal to initiate combat and surprise the foes.

Kar’niss tells the goblins to not wander into the dark in Baldur’s Gate 3

If you fail to hide from Drider or step out, combat will begin with the goblins and the Dridergetting the advantage and surprise against you.

Starting The Moonlantern Quest - Meeting The Goblins First

Rather than teaming up with the Harpers, you may have firstencountered the goblins at their camp on the north side of the Shadow-Cursed Lands map.In this camp, they’ll tell you that they’re waiting on a guide to take them to Moonrise Tower and the person with the Spider’s Lyre.

The Spider’s Lyre can be taken from either Minthara or Nere, andplaying the lyre will summon the Drider, Kar’niss,to the camp to escort you to Moonrise Towers.

Player distracts Z’rell with thoughts of Astarion to pass her test in Baldur’s Gate 3

The Drider will tell you to stay close by as you venture into the Shadow-Cursed Lands, sofollow his lead.Eventually, you’ll encounter a cutscene where you may notice an ambush from the Harpers in the decrepit building.

From here, you canchoose to either side with the Harpers or side with Kar’niss.

Player finds an intact Moonlantern in Balthazar’s Room in Baldur’s Gate 3

How To Craft A Moonlantern

To craft your own Moonlantern, you’ll need toenter Moonrise Towersandgo through the cinematics with Ketheric Thormin the throne room. After,venture upstairs to speak with Z’rellin front of Ketheric’s audience chamber.

Should you pass Z’rell’s inspection, she will give you akey to Balthazar’s room.

Player finds the arcane sigil for crafting Moonlanterns inside Balthazar’s secret room laboratory in Baldur’s Gate 3

you may alternatively try sneaking into Balthazar’s room and lockpicking the door. The DC on most doors in Moonrise Towers, however, is quite high. You’ll need a skilled lockpicker or the Knock spell.

From where you’re standing, turn around and go through the rich, red office room on the far side. Past the bookshelves and a desk, you’llfind the door to Balthazar’s room.

Player looks at the Broken Moonlantern inside inventory in Baldur’s Gate 3

Solving Balthazar’s puzzleby pressing the far upper right book and placing a bloody heart in the sacrificial bowl, you’ll gain access to his laboratory.

Inside, you should notice asigil on the table to your right. As a Wizard or with Gale in your party, you will have the ability touse this sigil to craft a Moonlanternautomatically or will otherwise need to pass a DC30 Arcana check.

Goblin Uses Cloud Of Daggers On Harpers During Moonlantern Ambush

If you’re not sure whether you should use or dispel the circle, refer to our official guide on theconsequences of crafting a shadow lantern.

You will be required toinsert a Broken Moonlantern and a Dead Pixiein the sigil slots. The reagents required should be automatically added to your inventory, but if they are not, Dead Pixies are on the table, and you may find Broken Moonlanterns:

Gale Casts Ice Knife On Goblin Outside Harper Ambush House

184

19

9m

16 (+3)

18 (+4)

13 (+1)

12 (+1)

Feats

Spindleweb Fanaticism

Kar’niss and its allies deal an additional 1d6 Psychic damage, and Kar’niss’s movement is increased by 3m.On Tactician and Honour Mode Only: Enemies of Kar’niss within range of his aura (5m) have a -4 to their AC.

Advantage on saving throws against being Charmed or Frightened.

Dual Wielder

Can use two weapons in dual-wielding even if they aren’t Light.

Alert

+5 to initiative (Karniss’s total is now +8) and cannot be surprised.

Improved Critical Hit

Kar’niss can make Critical Hits on a natural 20 and 19.

Multi-Attack (Wounded Target)

Kar’niss can make another attack against a creature that has less than its maximum HP.

Sting the Helpless

When a drow wields this weapon (e.g. Kar’niss), deal an additional 1d4 Poison damage against Restrained targets.

Sunlight Sensitivity

While in sunlight, Kar’niss has disadvantage on attack and perception rolls that rely on sight.

Isn’t slowed by Web surfaces and cannot be Enwebbed.

Sanctuary (Spell)

Kar’niss can only cast one spell:Sanctuary. It can be casted a bonus action.

Spindleweb Sanctuary (Reaction Spell; Tactician and Honour Mode Only)

Kar’niss can reaction cast a form of Sanctuary called “Spindleweb Sanctuary.” On top of normal Sanctuary bonuses, when Kar’niss makes an attack against another creature, his Sanctuary explodes to deal 3d8 Psychic damage to all nearby creatures (even allies).

Cull The Weak (Tactician and Honour Mode Only)

Kar’niss deals an additional 2d6 Slashing damage to enemies below 50 percent HP.

Fanatic Retaliation (Legendary Action; Honour Mode Only)

When killing an ally of Kar’niss marked as a Spindleweb Fanatic (any ally within 5m), Kar’niss will retaliate against the attacker by

Attacks

Main Attack - Cruel Sting:

+6 to hit, 5ft; Kar’niss deals 1d8 + 3 Slashing damage and 1d6 Psychic damage. If the target is Restrained, he also deals another 1d4 Poison damage.

Off Hand - Moonlantern

+6 to hit, 5ft; Deal 1d6 Bludgeoning damage.

When combat begins, Kar’niss willattempt to castSanctuaryon himselfalmost every round at the end of his turn. For this reason, it’s a good idea tobring someone with the ability toCounterspellor useSilence.Otherwise, you won’t be able to target him.

Several Harpers will be aiding you in this fight, butdon’t get overconfident.The goblins here are powerful and boast high levels with area attacks (like Cloud of Daggers) and powerful abilities (like Rage: Wolf Heart), so it’s best totread here with caution and focus.

You can make this fight several times easier if you decide to kill all the goblins at camp first before summoning the Drider. This will allow you to take on the entirety of this fight, focusing only on Kar’niss.

However, it cannot be done if you triggered the questline at Last Light Inn as the goblins will have already left.

Nearby, there’s aladder on the left side of the building.Use that ladder for any ranged support characters that would appreciate staying out of melee range and attack from the roof.

Spellcasters withspells likeFireballor Lightning Bolt should be used on Turn Oneto prevent any Harpers from getting mixed up in the attack.

Have one person (preferably a tank) focus on helping the Harpers with Kar’nisswhile the others focus on the goblins below. Arguably, thegoblins are more dangerousand pressing than Kar’niss himself since he can only focus on one person at a time and will waste turns on Sanctuary.

You should beware on higher levels of difficulty that even the most stout of tanks can be obliterated by Kar’niss alone.

The Harpers are best used as cannon fodder for him as you cut down on other enemies.

Beware, however, that Kar’niss’s Legendary Action in Honour Mode is not bound by distance. It can, however, be Counterspelled.

You’ll want toprevent the goblins from reaching inside the home.With their area attacks, they can become quickly problematic and also take away your height advantage.

Move around where necessary, especially when they throw flaming area effects like Alchemist’s Fire at you, but be wary of trailing too far away from Kar’niss or your party’s source of light as you may fall under the effects of the Shadow-Curse if you aren’t careful.

Their fire effects can also take out the ladder on top of the home. You’ll have to sacrifice 2-4HP when leaving the roof later if they destroy the house, provided you have noMisty SteporFeather Fallto descend safely.

When the other goblins are taken care of, you canfocus on Kar’niss at the end.

In all levels of combat, Kar’niss isexceptionally weak to area-effect spells, and thespellWitch Boltwill continue to be effective each turnso long as you casted it on a turn where his Sanctuary was inactive and you continue to concentrate.

To keep him away from your spellcasters,we recommend having a hardy tankstand beside himwith the Sentinel feat, preventing him from sneaking away to butcher your squishy backline.

Upon killing him, you cantake his special sword, Cruel Sting, and the Moonlantern.

The Moonlantern is an item with a strange truth to it. Beyond being a key item that will protect you from the Shadowcurse, ithouses a peculiar creature inside: a pixie.

Whether you choose totrust and release the pixie or keep itwithin the Moonlantern will be up to you, and your decision could have dire consequences on your travels to Moonrise. Continue on your adventure, or look below if you don’t mind spoilers.

Should I Free The Pixie?

Spoilers Ahead

There’sa trade-offbetween keeping the Moonlantern or freeing the Pixie. Neither is necessarily worse than the other.

If you choose to free the Pixie, you’ll still be given ablessing to protect youfrom the Shadow Curse. You canmove in the realm freely- all of your characters. However, you’llneed another light sourceto reveal enemy Shadows and Wraiths.

If you choose to keep the Moonlantern, you’ll befreed from the Shadow Curse and able to see enemies.However, yourmovement of your party will be limitedaround the lantern, and you’ll have togive up your primary handto hold it. Additionally, the Pixie willscream profanities at youoccasionally.

If you choose to keep the Moonlantern butchange your mindabout freeing the Pixie,you may free her any timeby interacting with it while you hold the lantern via a button on your hotbar. You can free it and still receive the blessingup until you’re in the depths of Moonrise Towers.