Baldur's Gate 3 guide image title screen

Image source: Larian Studios

A pesky puzzle, indeed

In Baldur’s Gate 3, you’ll encounter dangerous Guardian statues that pose a threat to you and your party. To overcome these deadly devices, Larian Studios has provided multiple solutions. There are two ways to deal with them; here’s how to disable the Guardian Statues in Baldur’s Gate 3, including additional suggestions to help you navigate past these statutes. These solutions apply to any party composition, so regardless of your companions, you can utilize them.

Disabling the Guardian Statues in Baldur’s Gate 3 Explained

One of the early encounters with Guardian statues occurs in the Underground Passage, linking to Druid Grove. To bypass them, you have two options: destruction or deactivation. The destructive approach is straightforward—employ powerful ranged attacks like Eldritch Blast for Warlocks and keep attacking until the statue crumbles.

Deactivating the statues requires a bit more effort. Nearby each statue, you’ll find tablets with a blue glow. Identify the hostile one by its red glow on the face. To turn it off, you must either pass a stealth check or employ something to obscure yourself, such as casting Fog Cloud.

An effective stealthy tactic involves selecting one character and having the rest of the party stand back, reducing the number of individuals needing to pass stealth checks. Once you’ve reached the switch and clicked on it, the red glow on the statue will fade, making that part of the Underground Passage safe to traverse without getting blasted.

Just so we’re clear, here’s the process broken down into steps:

  1. Locate the tablets: Near each Guardian statue, you’ll find tablets with a blue glow.
  2. Identify the hostile statue: Look for the one with a red glow on its face, indicating it’s the hostile Guardian.
  3. Stealth or Fog Cloud: To deactivate the statue, either pass a stealth check or cast Fog Cloud to obscure yourself.
  4. Use a stealthy tactic: Select one character to attempt the deactivation, while the rest of the party stands back, reducing the number of stealth checks needed.
  5. Reach the switch: Approach the statue cautiously and access the switch.
  6. Click to deactivate: Click on the switch to turn off the statue.
  7. Observe the result: The red glow on the statue will fade, ensuring safe passage through that part of the Underground Passage without triggering any blasts.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently available on PC, with support for Steam Deck. The PS5 release is set for September 6, and an Xbox port is in progress, expected to arrive in 2024.