Act 2
Difficulty: 🟢 Easy · 🟡 Medium · 🔴 Hard · ⚫ BOSS — see the general encounter notes for the full legend, the pre-fight ritual checklist, and the run-killer mistakes list.
🟢 Easy
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wandering Shadows | Shadow-Cursed Lands | Stay in light (Light cantrip, torches, Moonlantern). Vulnerable to radiant. |
| Kar’niss the Drider escort | Approach to Last Light | Optional ambush — let him reach Last Light if you want him captured by Harpers; ambush him for loot. Manageable at 5+ with surprise. |
| Soul Coin merchant scene | Last Light Inn | Negotiation, no fight unless you provoke. |
| Tieflings vs Ogres | Approach to Last Light | NPCs handle most; just clean up. |
| Reithwin Town shadows | Reithwin (after liberation) | Wandering low-tier shadows. Easy XP. |
| Mason’s Guild outer guards | Reithwin | Few cultists. Light fight. |
🟡 Medium
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soft-Step Trial (Shar’s Gauntlet) | Gauntlet of Shar | Stealth puzzle. Pass Without Trace + careful movement. No combat if successful. |
| Faith-Leap Trial | Gauntlet of Shar | Invisible bridges. Detect Magic OR Light cantrip on platforms. |
| Self-Same Trial | Gauntlet of Shar | ⚠️ Fight clones of your party. Clones inherit YOUR stats and gear. Only one character enters the trial — pick a weak/under-geared party member, OR strip your main’s gear before they enter. |
| Apostle of Myrkul (early) | Mind Flayer Colony | Multi-phase fight; phase 1 is just minions. |
| Drider patrols | Reithwin / Moonrise | Web + poison + multiattack. Concentrate fire. |
| Gerringothe Thorm (Toll Collector) | Moonrise approach | Talk her down with Insight/Persuasion (DC 18). Otherwise hard fight — she has high HP and AoE necrotic. Mostly skippable. |
| Thisobald Thorm (drunkard) | Moonrise tavern | Drinking contest OR fight. Drink him into stupor for free win. |
| Malus Thorm (surgeon) | Moonrise hospital | Convince his nurses to attack him via Persuasion. |
| Rolan vs gnolls (rescue) | Reithwin | Light fight. Save Rolan → Sorcerous Sundries discount in Act 3. |
🔴 Hard
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yurgir | Gauntlet of Shar | ⚠️ Optional but mandatory for Astarion. Talk him into killing himself via Persuasion (huge XP boost) OR fight — he’s Raphael’s hitman with multiple imps + invisibility. Heightened Hold Monster lands. |
| Justiciar Yves + party | Sharran fight (multiple) | High-tier Sharrans with smites. Counterspell their Hold Person. |
| Mind Flayer Colony fights | Mind Flayer Colony | Several mind flayer encounters. Tadpole removal scenes — protect Rolan/civilians. Resist mental attacks. |
| Disciple of Lathander (Aylin) | Shar Gauntlet end | Aylin’s chains release fight. If freeing her, the cell guards engage. |
| Z’rell + Absolute thralls | Moonrise interior | Mass cultist fight. AoE-friendly. Twin Hold Monster on Z’rell. |
| Kar’niss + spider lieutenants | Moonrise outskirts | Drider + 3-4 phase spiders. Burn moonlantern oil. |
| Balthazar | Mind Flayer Colony | Necromancer with permanent ghouls and zombies. Dispel his Banishment spell if he hides. Kill the body in the morgue first → fight is much easier. |
⚫ BOSS
| Encounter | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apostle of Myrkul (Act 2 final) | Mind Flayer Colony top | ⚫⚫ ACT 2 BOSS — three phases. Phase 1: Ketheric Thorm + necromantic adds in throne room. Use Aylin’s mythal beam to break his immortality. Phase 2: chase him down to the Mind Flayer Colony. Phase 3: Apostle of Myrkul (giant skeleton), summons Necromites every turn. Heroes’ Feast pre-cast. Attack the head. Aylin and Isobel may help if you saved them. |
| Ketheric Thorm (Tower phase 1) | Moonrise rooftop | Massive HP, smite damage. Aylin breaks his immortality if Nightsong was spared. |
| Marcus (kidnapping Isobel) | Last Light Inn rooftop | Triggers if you delay too long after entering Last Light. Save Isobel = save the entire inn from shadow curse. Counterspell Marcus’s Wing-related spells. |
Honor mode warning for Act 2 boss: the Apostle of Myrkul fight has 3 phases back-to-back, no rest between. Save spell slots. Heroes’ Feast (L11) is your best pre-cast. Bring 5+ Greater Healing Potions. Two long rests’ worth of resources should be available going in.