2 NPCs give you some of the best buffs in the game, but they want your eyes on them

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In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can take advantage of some of the best buffs early on. All you have to do is sacrifice your eyes. MeinMMO tells you how to do it all and what advantages it brings.

Who are the 2 NPCs? The enigmatic Auntie Ethel and the gifted Bard Volo each present you with their own unique ways of swapping eyes.

For your sacrifice, you will receive some of the best buffs in the game. When something sounds too tempting to be true, there’s often a catch.

Please note: The guide contains story spoilers about encountering the relevant people.

Here are a few tips for your Baldur’s Gate 3 run:

5 helpful tips for Baldur’s Gate 3

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Spoiled for choice: which eye should it be?

This is what Auntie Ethel’s eye does:

  • Visually, your character will get an impressive dull eye
  • You gain the “Paid the Price” condition: +1 on Intimidation rolls
  • Disadvantage on Perception checks
  • Disadvantage when fighting witches

    • Basically, this isn’t a bad deal if you want to intimidate a particularly large number of people. So the eye is best suited for an evil campaign. Your companions will be delighted if you create many intimidations.

    How to get the Eye of Ethel:

    In Baldur’s Gate 3 you meet Auntie Ethel while she is being interrogated by two brothers at the edge of the field. Follow the quest line and find Auntie Ethel in her tea hut.

    A grim offer awaits you at Aunty Ethel’s. The old woman doesn’t seem as cute as she pretends to be. She will promise to remove the Mindflayer parasite from your brain. In return, she demands an eye from you.

    You are free to choose which of the two eyes is sacrificed. Aunty Ethel will rip the desired eye out of your socket and put it back in place with a new shine.

    Caution: You only get the option if you haven’t gone through the illusion wall yet. Ethel must not be hostile towards you either.

    This is what Volo’s replacement eye does:

    The magic eye grants a party member the ability to see invisible units. This eye allows you to see invisible creatures within 30 feet. The ability gives a huge advantage in many areas of Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s best to give the eye to a melee fighter among you.

    Unlike Ethel Eye, there is no downside to Volo’s Eye other than facing a nasty surgical scene.

    How to get Volo’s eye:

    Before you can get the “Replacement Eye” side quest, you have to save the gifted bard first.

  • Speak to Volo in the Druid Grove for the first time
  • Go to the ruined village and walk west – until you come across the goblin camp
  • Find Volo in the center of the camp and talk to him
  • Rescue Volo from the goblin camp
  • Talk to Volo again and invite him to your camp

    • Now you tell Volo about your parasite in the brain. He will look for options to help you. Lie back and, after a long rest, talk to Volo again. Then it’s off to a good start.

    One of the strangest and most haunting scenes is upon you. As an amateur surgeon, Volo performs eye surgery on you that almost ends in a lobotomy. You have to pass a few checks while he keeps poking you in the eyeball.

    Can I swap both eyes? In Baldur’s Gate 3 you have the option to replace one of your two eyes. However, both eyes cannot be exchanged. Choosing between Auntie Ethel’s murky eye and Volo’s backup eye depends on your playstyle and party composition.

    Both options offer unique advantages. No matter which eye you choose. One thing is for sure: Baldur’s Gate 3 is often about making sacrifices to get stronger.

    MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus got involved in the deal with Auntie Ethel, that’s how his personal feud began: Baldur’s Gate 3: The personal feud with a witch cost me 3 hours of life – the solution took less than 30 seconds

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