Baldur’s Gate 3 Runepowder Barrel: How to get the most powerful explosive

❘ Updated: 2023-12-22T10:35:21

A close up of the Runepowder Barrel in Baldur's Gate 3

In Baldur’s Gate 3, if you’re looking for a way to overcome enemies without conventional attacks, the Runepowder Barrel is an excellent choice. This guide will show you how to acquire it.

With many spells and several abilities at your disposal, adding a straightforward yet formidable explosive like this to your arsenal can be game-changing in Baldur’s Gate 3.

If you like that line of thinking, we have something special for you. This is perhaps the most destructive force you’ll find in your time in Faerun. However, getting your hands on the whole Runepowder Barrel will require you to be a little devious. Here’s how to get the equivalent of a nuke in the game.

How to get the Baldur’s Gate 3 Runepowder Barrel

Getting the Runepowder Barrel is a little tricky, and will take a bit of ingenuity on your part. In order to get hands-on with it. Your opportunity comes during the Save the Grymforge Gnomes quest, which runs through Travel through the Underpass missions.

You’ll have gotten to the point where you need to save True Soul Nere, who is buried under rubble. If you listen in on the gnome slave’s conversations while they try to clear the rubble, you can find out about Philomeen. She escaped a couple of days prior to your arrival, escaping to a hidden place she told the gnomes about, complete with some explosives that would help clear the rubble.

In order to find her, go North East of the Underdark – Grymforge fast travel point:

The location of Philomeen in Baldur's Gate 3

Here’s where you can find Philomeen

Once here, you will need to break how this encounter is supposed to go. When you talk to her she will threaten to explode the Runepowder Barrel. However, through dialogue, you can have her part with a vial, which will let you free Nere. We’re here for the whole thing, though.

Once you’re in the conversation with her, you can switch to another member of your party. Have them hide and sneak behind Philomeen. To do this, use your most sneaky of companions – or use something like Misty Step to teleport behind. If you’re detected, Philomeen will explode the barrel and kill you. So, avoid that.

Lae'zel sneaks to steal a Runepowder Barrel in Baldur's Gate 3

Sneaking is the easiest ways to get your hands on the barrel

After you have the barrel, you can swap back to the character in the conversation and finish it. Philomeen will not exclaim about the barrel being gone, and the game doesn’t seem to have a contingency for you taking the barrel. Indeed you’ll even get the Runepowder Vial out of it.

What should you do with the Runepowder Barrel?

You’ve heard of Barbenheimer, now why not try Bauldenheimer? You now have the power to level an environment into a world of flame for a couple of turns. What you do with that is up to you.

Be wary though – as far as we know there’s only one of these in the game. (We will update this post if there are more). Thus you should only use it in a once-in-a-save situation. Choose your moment wisely.

Also an important note, you’re only going to want to use this in a situation you can set up beforehand. This is not something you want to pull out in the middle of battle. Igniting the Runepowder Barrel will explode everything, including your entire team.

You don’t want to be anywhere near the explosion when the Runepowder Barrel goes off.

We suggest you set it up, then split up your team and have three members stand really far away. Then have one character use a ranged weapon on it at the maximum distance away. The explosion deals 50-120 damage in an 18-meter radius, so will kill most things.

How much can you sell the Runepowder Barrel for?

The other use is to just sell the bomb. It will go for a pretty penny too. You can sell the Runepowder Barrel for 2,500 gold. The only real challenge will be finding a vendor with that much cash on hand. However, if you find one – congratulations, you are now a nuclear arms dealer. We’ve no idea if handing some unknown NPC their own personal nuke could have consequences later in the game though. It’s feasible! Dealing with advanced weaponry is a complex game so no promises it won’t bite you later.

That should be everything you need to know getting this very powerful weapon. However, why not look at our other Baulder’s Gate guides for further help?