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Balthazar Baldur's Gate 3
Screenshot by Prima Games.

Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Solve Balthazar’s Bookcase Puzzle (BG3)

This man loves chopping people up

Balthazar just loves finding fun ways to kill you. And if you head into his study in the Moonrise Tower, there’s a very good chance that’ll happen if you fail to solve his puzzle correctly. So, here’s how to solve Balthazar’s bookcase puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3.

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Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Solve the Moonrise Bookcase Puzzle Explained

Speak to the Disciple of the Absolute on the first floor of the Moonrise Tower, and you’ll be told to go into Balthazar’s study. It’s a gruesome place that’s full of viscera and boobytraps. But boobytraps usually mean treasure, and that’s certainly the case here.

The primary source of loot is hidden behind Balthazar’s bookcase. And solving this puzzle is actually relatively easy. On this bookcase, there are four protruding sets of books. Three of them will trigger booby traps. But the one on the top right is the one you’ll want to click.

Screenshots by Prima Games

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Find the Secret Stash in Moonrise Tower Prison (BG3)

Once you’ve clicked it, the pedestal beside the bookcase will open. Turn around and head to the stone table, where you’ll find a head and a heart. Take the heart, then interact with the pedestal.

Screenshots by Prima Games

A menu will open up, asking for you to insert the correct item. Open the inventory of the character who picked up the heart, then drag the heart into the pedestal menu.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Find the Hidden Treasure in the Moonrise Towers

Once you do, the bookcase with the protruding books will slide to the side, revealing a new room. You’ll learn a little more about Balthazar and Ketheric Throm’s relic here. But the real treasure is in the locked Opulent Chest, which contains a Coldbrim Hat and an Elixir of Necrotic Resistance.

And also the pile of Broken Moonlanterns, which are worth 30 gold each.


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Author
Image of Daphne Fama
Daphne Fama
A Staff Writer at Prima Games since 2022, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she’s not gaming, she’s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms