Baldur’s Gate 3 | Adamantine Forge Quest Guide (Where to Find the Adamantine Forge)

One of the best parts about Baldur’s Gate III is how authentically D&D it is in how it promotes the idea of exploration. You can wander any area for a small amount of time and come away five sidequests richer with a pocket full of magical items and plenty of choices under your belt. There’s so much to do, so much to explore and so much to learn that it can honestly feel a bit overwhelming at times. However, certain quests and events certainly stand out and they’ll attract the attention of players far more than others: one primary example is the mystery of the Adamantine Forge and how you can use it to create legendary items. 

The Adamantine Forge is a rather chunky quest in the Underdark region of Baldur’s Gate 3. If you’re able to find the Forge, solve its mysteries and defeat its Guardian, you can use it to create powerful Adamantine gear that will help you in the entirety of your journey through Faerun. Finding the Adamantine Forge is hard, though, as is learning how it works and that isn’t even mentioning defeating the creature guarding it. 

Here’s how to find the Adamantine Forge and use it to create some powerful new gear in Baldur’s Gate 3. 

Want more Baldur’s Gate 3 guides and content? You can find more here on KeenGamer:

1. Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to Change Classes, Multiclass and Respec
2. Baldur’s Gate 3 | Defiled Temple Moon Plate Puzzle Guide (How to Get Into the Underdark)
3. How to Get Permanent See Invisibility Early in Baldur’s Gate 3 (Volo’s Ersatz Eye Guide)

Learning About the Adamantine Forge (How to Start the Adamantine Forge Quest)

Before you can visit the Adamantine Forge, you need to learn everything you can about how it works and what’s defending it. This involves tracking down the three Drow apprentices who were searching for the Forge in the Underdark. In truth, you only really need to find the final apprentice to continue and find the Forge, but locating the other two helps tie everything together and prepare you for what’s to come. 

Additionally, finding the location of Dhourn, Filro or Xargrim will start the Find the Adamantine Forge quest in your journal. All of the Drow (and the Adamantine Forge itself) are located in the Underdark. If you want an easy guide on how to get into the Underdark, you can find our guide on it here.

Into the Underdark

Where to Find Filro the Forgotten

The first of these apprentices is called Filro the Forgotten. You’ll find him right next to the Under Sussur Tree Waypoint, which is to the west of the overall Underdark map and can easily be accessed via the Underdark Beach Waypoint. Filro is stationed high up on the Sussur Tree with a Hook Horror and they’ll both attack you on sight if they see you: even if you want to, you cannot talk Filro out of a fight as he’s gone mad, so get ready for a brawl. 

Upon defeating Filro, you’ll find a strange scribbled note on his body. This note is scattered, chaotic and mentions something called the Guardian of the Adamantine Forge. The main takeaway here is that the Guardian seemingly rose from magma and it can only be destroyed in magma. Filro’s letter also mentions a fellow apprentice by the name of Dhourn and how he seemingly knows where the Forge is located.

An interesting thing with Filro (and all of the other apprentices, actually) is that you can cast Speak with Dead on their corpses to learn more information. 

Where to Find Dhourn the Wizard

Next, we’ll be finding the Drow spoken of in Filro’s letter, Dhourn. This is the most inconsequential of the three apprentices but it can still be worth finding him. 

The best way to locate Dhourn is to head to the Underdark Seulunite Outpost Waypoint. As soon as you spawn in, walk directly forward and you’ll exit the Outpost via a broken grate. Then, climb down a thick mass of vines to reach a wide open platform populated by many stone statues. In truth, these statues are petrified Drow and their captor is waiting for you ahead.

Walk a bit further and you’ll be ambushed by a Spectator, a lesser version of the terrifying Beholders. Even at level, this beast is a terrifying monster, with the ability to attack multiple times in a single turn and unpetrify the surrounding Drow to serve as its minions. In fact, at the very start of the fight, the first Drow that becomes unpetrified is our target: Dhourn.

The Spectator

At this point, you can either defeat the Spectator without killing Dhourn (which is far easier said than done, especially when the Spectator begins unfreezing more and more Drow) or you can kill them both and make things a bit easier for yourself. Either way, the item you’re looking for on Dhourn’s person is a Memory Shard. When successfully activated, this Shard will reveal the Adamantine Forge to you and show you what it looks like, as well as a hint on where it can be found.

Speaking with Dhourn via Speak with Dead will reveal that he was petrified after an argument with a fellow apprentice, Xargrim. It will also direct you to use the Memory Shard to learn of the Forge’s location. 

Where to Find Xargrim the Conjurer

Finally, we come to the third and most important apprentice. Through him, you’ll learn how to actually operate the Adamantine Forge, but first, you’ll need to complete a small separate questline. East of the Sussur Tree where you found Filro is a Myconid Colony, a race of mushroom creatures who communicate telepathically. When you first approach the colony, you’ll be greeted by the Sovereign, who asks you to visit them to discuss how you can help chase away some recent invaders.

Said invaders are a group of cutthroat Duregar who stalk the beaches of the Underdark (specifically, near the Underdark Beach Waypoint) looking for an escaped Deep Gnome. All you need to do is kill them and you’ll be well on your way to finding the Adamantine Forge. Before you leave the Myconid Colony, search for a Myconid by the name of Glut as they’ll help you in the fight against the Duregar, making the battle significantly easier. 

Sovereign Spaw

After slaying the Duregar warband by the Beach, return to Sovereign Spaw (or Glut, depending on your choices). They’ll name you Peace-Bringer and, as a reward, will open a previously locked grove in the Myconid Colony. Inside this grove is another Drow corpse, this time of the final apprentice, Xargrim. He has several strange odds and items on his person that you’ll want to pick up, but the most interesting one is a book titled Flumph’s Mating Rituals. 

Reading this book will prompt you with an Intelligence check. Succeed and the true nature of the book is revealed, divulging that it is actually a book by the name of The Great Furnace of Gyrmforge. This will tell you the history of the Adamantine Forge as well as how you can operate it using a combination of special moulds and raw mithral ore. Speaking with Xargrim’s corpse will reveal the true nature of the book in case you failed the aforementioned checks.

Where to Find the Forge

The Adamantine Forge itself is located in the Gyrmforge location of the Underdark. This is where you need to go to escape the Underdark into the Shadowlands and continue the main campaign: it’s also where you need to go to finish the sidequest chain for the Sovereign in the Myconid Colony. To reach here, you must take a Duregar boat docked on the shore by the Underdark Beach Waypoint. 

Once you’re in Gyrmforge, head up the stairs past the Gyrmforge Waypoint and then make an immediate right and head down the corridor to the other end. In the end, you’ll find a group of Duregar whipping two Deep Rothes in an attempt to get them to clear some debris from the path. You can either just kill the Duregar outright and clear the debris yourself, or convince the Deep Rothe to clear it using Animal Handling or Speak with Animals (which still makes you kill the Duregar).

Entering the Forge

This cleared path leads to the most direct way into the Adamantine Forge. The following is littered with traps so have your resident Rogue sneak ahead and disarm them all to save you some trouble. While walking on the main path above the Forge, keep an eye out for a large ladder on the left side. This takes you to two levers which control an iron platform.

From here you’ll need to split the party. Have one person stay at the levers then have another jump over the main catwalk in the middle. At the same time, have a third character stand on the iron platform being controlled by the levers. Once that’s all in place, do the following: 

1. Have the character controlling the platform send said platform to the other side of the catwalk.
2. The character standing on the platform should now get off it and make their way to the very far right on the opposite side. This will take them to a different set of levers controlling a different platform.
3. Meanwhile, the character sitting on the central catwalk should walk to the very end, which is above the main chamber. 
4. Underneath the catwalk is the second controllable platform. Have the catwalk character jump down onto it.
5. Then, just like before, have the second character control the levers to send the platform over to the opposite side.
6. From there, they can simply get to the end of the walkway and activate the Ancient Forge Waypoint.

However, if you have access to Fly, Enhanced Leap or some other form of enhanced jump such as the bonus given by the Tiger Barbarian Path, there is a much simpler way inside. From the Gyrmforge Waypoint, head to the main area where you encounter True Soul Nere and the trapped Gnome Miners (essentially, keep following the main path up the stairs from the Waypoint). When you get there, there should be a narrow walkway allowing you to cross the lava to a small outcropping on the other side.

Once you’re there, you can activate your enhanced mobility tool and leap over to the other side, clearing the lava and avoiding the upper walkways altogether. From here, just activate the Ancient Forge Waypoint and then teleport all of your party members over to have a much easier time. 

The Easier Way into the Forge

How to Make Adamantine Gear in Baldur’s Gate III

Now that you’re actually at the Adamantine Forge, you can begin crafting Adamantine gear. Before you can, you’ll need to make sure you have the two main materials: a Forge Mould and a piece of raw Mithral Ore.

The Ore is in limited supply but rather easy to find. On your way down to the Adamantine Forge from the Ancient Forge Waypoint, keep an eye on for an exit on the left before reaching the Forge proper. You’ll have to jump over a small lava stream and you’ll be ambushed by a group of fiery Mephits, but on the other side will be a Mithral Vein which, when destroyed, will give you a raw piece of Mithral Ore. You’ll find a second vein on a hidden path to the right of the Ancient Forge Waypoint. 

As for the Moulds, you’ll find them scattered all across the Gyrmforge. By collecting as many as you can, you can create different types of Adamantine Gear, making it paramount that you find as many as possible. The main ones to be on the lookout for are the Adamantine Scale Mail Mould (which lets you create the incredibly strong and useful Adamantine Scale Mail) and either the Mace, Splint or Longsword Mould depending on your weapon preferences. For a hint, you can find the Longsword Mould on the catwalk you used to enter the Forge the correct way. 

Once you’ve gathered all the things you need, return to the Adamantine Forge and you can begin creating. 

1. Place the Forge Mould you want to create into the Mould Chamber.
2. Put a single piece of Mithral Ore into the Crucible.
3. Pull the lever to the right of the Adamantine Forge to bind the Ore.
4. Once the platform has lowered to the bottom of the Forge, turn the valve on the opposite side to let the lava flow. 
5. Pull the lever one more time after unleashing the lava to finish the binding. 
6. Retrieve your finished Adamantine item from the Mould Chamber

So long as you have the Mould and the Mithral Ore, you can create as many pieces of Adamantine gear as you see fit. Just be warned and come prepared for a fight on your first excursion, though, as the Forge’s Guardian won’t all you to use the Forge without a test. 

Adamantine Scale Mail

Gyrm the Guardian, Eternal Protector of the Forge

Before you can claim your prize, you need to defeat the Guardian. The first time you attempt to create something and turn the lava valve, Gyrm the Guardian will come flowing out with it, intent on stopping you from using the Forge.

Gyrm, Eternal Protector of the Forge, is a level 8 Construct with 300 HP and an Armour Class (AC) of 18. The only thing Gyrm is weak to (at least, while it has the Superheated debuff) is Bludgeoning damage. It has very high Strength and Constitution and it resists or nullifies a wide range of attack types:

• Completely nullifies (takes no damage from) Necrotic, Fire, Lightning, Psychic, Poison and Radiant damage.
• Resists (takes half damage from) Slashing, Piercing, Acid, Thunder, Frost and Force damage.

Gyrm, Eternal Protector of the Forge

The most dangerous thing about Gyrm isn’t its massive health pool or indomitable strength: it’s Gyrm’s Adamantine Skin notable feature. If the Adamantine Skin buff is active, Gyrm will be indestructible and will nullify every type of damage, even those it is normally resistant or weak. The only way to avoid this and strip Gyrm of Adamantine Skin is to make the Guardian stand in the lava, which will give it the Superheated debuff and all you to normally deal damage again. Superheated remains while Gyrm is standing in the lava and will last for 2 turns if Gyrm steps outside of it. 

Another interesting quirk of Gyrm’s is its Vengeful Guardian passive effect. Thanks to this, Gyrm will always target and attack the creature who last attacked it before its turn. This will manifest on the field as a red beam of light on the chosen character, signifying that they’re Gyrm’s primary target. While daunting at first glance, you can use this effect to your advantage, so long as you keep it in mind when battling it. 

One final thing to note is that, while battling Gyrm, lava will flood the Adamantine Forge. This will leave a few pockets and raised platforms for you and your party to fight on without standing in the lava: if you do happen to be unlucky enough to fall into it, you’ll suffer a massive amount of burn damage that can easily wipe out a character and put them out of commission. 

The Guardian

Gyrm Fight Strategy

One of the luckier things about Gyrm is that, despite its immense power, it only has a singular attack per turn. Paired with the Vengeful Guardian effect, you can easily exploit this and make the fight far simpler than it first seems. So long as you have a more tanky character, such as Shadowheart or Karlach, you can bait Gyrm into always attacking them: you just need to ensure that they land the final blow on Gyrm each round. This way, your ranged attackers and spellcasters can pick at Gyrm from a distance without fear.

Another great tip is to use as many summons or additional targets as possible. If you’re able to use Find Familiar or can summon a Spiritual Weapon, that’s another target for Gyrm to focus on that isn’t your primary party. Landing the final attack with a summon gets Gyrm off your back for another turn or two, allowing you to survive for a lot longer and without fear.

The most important thing to know about the fight, though, has to do with lava. While it is flowing freely at the start of the fight, it will quickly disappear within a few rounds. If you recall what we said previously, this is very bad because it means that Gyrm will soon gain the Adamantine Skin buff once it loses Superheated. To avoid this, have one of your party members (preferably a ranged attacker or healer) stand by the lava valve for the duration of the fight. Whenever the lava wains, they can turn the valve using their Action to release it once again, ensuring that Gyrm stays nice and toasty for the entire battle.

Vengeful Guardian

Aside from those main tips, you just need to go all in when fighting Gyrm. Position your tankiest character (or, more accurately, the one who’ll be most often targeted by Gyrm) at the edge of the platform when fighting to ensure that Gyrm stays in the lava and doesn’t decide to wander off early. Additionally, be aware of its resistances and weaknesses and plan accordingly: using an ordinary mace or Warhammer will deal far more damage than an enchanted longsword thanks to the Bludgeoning weakness, for example.

Keep all this in mind when fighting and, after a gruelling fight, Gyrm, the Eternal Protector of the Forge, will fall. Now, you can come and go as you please and use the Adamantine Forge to create whatever you want. Don’t forget to pillage Gyrm’s body to obtain the Gyrmskull Helm, a very rare Heavy Helmet which grants the user resistance to Fire damage, immunity to Critical Hits and the ability to use Hunter’s Mark once per long rest. 

The Adamantine Forge

That was how to find and use the Adamantine Forge in Baldur’s Gate 3, as well as how to defeat the Forge’s Guardian.