The Apostle of Myrkul is a test of preparedness and skill in Baldur's Gate 3 Honor Mode. Serving as a major boss toward the end of Act 2, the Apostle of Myrkul boasts a massive HP pool and the ability to heal itself the longer the fight stretches on. Additionally, in Honor Mode, Myrkul acquires the Gaze of the Dead, a legendary action that can frighten and make party members immobile.

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If you're gearing up to face one of Baldur's Gate 3's toughest bosses in Honor Mode and advance to Act 3, this guide offers effective strategies and key recommendations to help you defeat the Apostle of Myrkul with ease.

Pre-Fight Preparation For The Apostle Of Myrkul

Ketheric Thorm challenges the player character in Baldur's Gate 3

It's important to note that once you enter the mind flayer colony, you are locked from taking any long rests until the Apostle of Myrkul is defeated. Therefore, you must thoughtfully assemble your party before facing Act 2's final boss. You can, however, take a long rest after Ketheric Thorm retreats to the mind flayer from the Moonrise Towers.

Astarion Posing with a bow and flute in Baldur's Gate 3

The Apostle of Myrkul is a stationary boss, but he's supported by his spellcasting Necromites, who continuously spawn for the duration of the combat. While Myrkul himself cannot move around the map, he does have access to spells that can pull creatures into melee range, and his Necromites are capable of casting ranged necrotic spells.

Bearing this in mind, the following is a recommended party composition to comfortably clear the mind flayer colony and defeat the Apostle of Myrkul:

  • Archer: Include an archer in your party — preferably a Swords Bard archer — who can deal devastating damage with their Slashing Flourishes.
  • Wizard/Sorcerer: Consider including either a Sorcerer or Wizard who is capable of casting high-damage AoE spells like Glyph of Warding and Chain Lightning.
  • Cleric: Clerics can concentrate on Calm Emotions to counter the Apostle of Myrkul's Gaze of the Dead ability. They can also cast Sanctuary to protect party members.
  • Monk: Way of the Open Hand Monks with the Tavern Brawler feat are capable of dealing massive damage to Myrkul per turn.
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Elixirs and potions from Baldur's Gate 3

Unlike in Tactician or lower difficulties, health restoration pods in Honor Mode are one-time use only. Just before descending to Myrkul's arena, parties should consider restoring their HP and spell slots at the restoration pod. It’s worth noting that any buffs applied before interacting with Ketheric Thorm will continue to run out while the cutscene plays. To avoid encountering this situation, consider skipping the cutscene as quickly as possible. The following are the recommended party buffs, besides the common buffs like Longstrider and Warding Bond, to increase your chances of beating the Apostle of Myrkul comfortably:

  • Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength: Monks and archers (if using Titan String Bow) should consider consuming the Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength to set their Strength to 27, gaining a +8 Strength modifier to their attack and damage rolls.
  • Elixir of Bloodlust: Archers should consider using Elixir of Bloodlust to gain an additional action per kill, which requires them to take out at least one Necromite per turn.
  • Elixir of Battlemage's Power: Wizards and sorcerers can gain a +3 bonus to spell save DC with the Elixir of Battlemage's Power, increasing their likelihood of succeeding on spells they cast.
  • Haste: In case your party includes a sorcerer, they can cast Twinned Haste on two party members, preferably the monk and archer.
  • Calm Emotions: Clerics can concentrate on Calm Emotions to counter the frightening condition received from Myrkul's Gaze of the Dead.
Baldur's-Gate-3-25-Best-Items-For-Strength

While consumables and buffs raise your party's combat efficiency and performance, the gear you equip them with is equally crucial, as that's how they primarily deal damage and improve their defense:

  • Critical Hit Immunity Gear: Items like Grymskull Helm, Adamantine armor, and Adamantine shield are all great choices for frontline fighters and spellcasters.
  • Spell Save DC Items: Wizards and Sorcerers can raise their Spell Save DC with staves and robes, but Bladesinging Wizards, in particular, can greatly benefit from equipping the Infernal Rapier.
  • Titanstring Bow: Archers should consider equipping the Titanstring Bow as it’s the strongest bow in Act 2. To gain the maximum benefit from this bow, archers must consume an Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength to set their Strength to 27.
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Apostle Of Myrkul Combat Strategy

Player character witnesses the emergence of Apostle of Myrkul in Baldur's Gate 3

Whether you decide to persuade Ketheric Thorm to surrender or defeat him in battle until he transforms into the Apostle of Myrkul, your priority must be to first take the sole mind flayer out of combat. The mind flayer can wreak havoc if ignored, including dominating the Nightsong and stunning multiple party members for one turn.

Therefore, it's highly recommended that your party has a higher chance of rolling better initiative, allowing them to go before Ketheric Thorm/Apostle of Myrkul and the mind flayer.

It's also worth noting that when first attacked, the mind flayer can retaliate with a charm spell, which can prevent the attacker from targeting the mind flayer for one turn. Considering that, it's advised to first attack the mind flayer with a support party member instead of a fighter or archer.

With the mind flayer out of combat, the party can focus their attention on the Apostle of Myrkul. Since Myrkul can heal himself the longer the combat stretches on, you should strategize on inflicting massive single-turn damage to the boss. The following strategy will help you defeat Myrkul in two to three turns:

  • Since Myrkul is stationary, your archer can fire an Arrow of Darkness to blind the boss and impose disadvantage on his attack rolls while allowing your party to attack with advantage.
  • It's highly advised to bring along Scratch and turn him invisible by throwing a Potion of Invisibility on him. Scratch can use his invisibility to walk up to the Nightsong and free her from the soul cage, making Ketheric Thorm vulnerable.
  • The platform surrounding Myrkul imposes the Bonechill effect on all creatures standing on it, preventing them from healing.
  • Clerics can also cast the Create Water spell on Myrkul, making him vulnerable to lightning damage, allowing wizards and sorcerers to deal double damage with powerful lightning spells like Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt.
  • If your archer can concentrate on spells, they can equip the Boots of Striding to prevent being moved by Myrkul's AoE attacks. The Grymskull Helm enables its wearer to concentrate on the Hunter's Mark spell, which improves ranged attack and damage roll while granting critical hit immunity.
  • If the mind flayer manages to dominate the Nightsong, you can knock out Nightsong without risking her death.
  • Avoid standing close to Necromite eggs as they deal AoE necrotic damage upon hatching. It's worth dedicating a party member to taking out these eggs before they hatch.

As mentioned earlier, rolling high initiative will dramatically increase your party's chances of securing a quick victory over the Apostle of Myrkul, spanning only 2–3 rounds of combat.

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Baldur's Gate 3 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Baldur's Gate 3
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RPG
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
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Released
August 3, 2023
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Larian Studios
Publisher(s)
Larian Studios
Engine
Divinity 4.0
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Full cross-platform play.
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Cross Save
Full cross-platform progression.
Div
Franchise
Baldur's Gate
Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical Only
Steam Deck Compatibility
Verified
PC Release Date
August 3, 2023
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
December 7, 2023
PS5 Release Date
September 6, 2023
Genre(s)
RPG
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Local Co-Op Support
1-2 Players
How Long To Beat
100+ Hours
X|S Optimized
yes
PS Plus Availability
N/A