Summary

  • Ever wondered why we keep finding immaculate loot in ancient tombs?
  • As it turns out, Mystra has Elminster planting treasure for "later folk to find".
  • This was revealed way back in the 1998 novel The Temptation of Elminster.

Isn't it strange that all of the ancient tombs in Baldur's Gate 3 have perfectly pristine loot waiting for us in plain sight where anyone could find it?

Surely, over the hundreds of years these dungeons have sat collecting dust, the treasure would've gotten damaged if other travellers didn't get to it first, anyway. That should be the case, but the loot itself isn't ancient. In fact, we have Elminster to thank for all those goodies.

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At Mystra's bidding, Elminster travels Faerûn "visiting ruins and the tombs of dead mages, planting 'old' scrolls, spellbooks, minor enchanted items, and even the occasional staff for later folk to find".

This explanation comes courtesy of the 1998 Dungeons & Dragons book The Temptation of Elminster. 26 years after it was published, SurroundBulky4109 shared this extract on the Baldur's Gate 3 subreddit, finally giving us a reason behind all of the immaculate treasure we come across in our adventure to stop the Absolute.

Where Can You Read The Elminster Books?

There are seven Elminster books you can read if you want to find out more about Gale's grumpy old cheese-eating friend. In order, they are:

  • The Making of a Mage
  • Elminster in Myth Drannor
  • The Temptation of Elminster
  • Elminster in Hell
  • Elminster's Daughter
  • Elminster Must Die

The last few sound like Gale's personal Wattpad.

You can pick them up on Kindle pretty cheap these days (the hardcover and paperbacks tend to be on the pricey side). Most are only £5.99, with the most expensive being £6.39. You can even buy audiobooks if you want to hear more about Elminster's life while you play Baldur's Gate 3.

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    Baldur's Gate 3

    RPG Systems 5.0/5 25 9.4/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 98% Released August 3, 2023 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Larian Studios Publisher(s) Larian Studios Engine Divinity 4.0
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    Baldur's Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor.

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  • Dungeons & Dragons

    Created by E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson Latest Film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves First TV Show Dungeons and Dragons First Episode Air Date September 17, 1983 Video Game(s) Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, Baldur's Gate 3, Neverwinter, Icewind Dale, Dungeons and Dragons: Dark Alliance

    Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that first took the world by storm in the 1970s, and continues to enchant millions of players today. With a seemingly endless number of modules and campaigns for you to play, as well as the possibility to do your own thing, you'll never get bored of playing D&D. 

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