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One of the weirder parts of the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Arcane Tower. After managing to fix the escalator between the floors, you can find the powerful Construct boss, Bernard, at the top of the Arcane Tower. This humble enemy will speak to you in poetry, making most players confused. There are a few answers you can give Bernard, but most of them will end up in a fight. So, in this guide, we will tell you what happens for all the answers you can give Bernard in Baldur’s Gate 3 and all the commands you can give him afterward.
All Answers Repercussions and Commands You Can Give Bernard in BG3
To give the right answers to Bernard in BG3, you will first need to read a book. If you don’t, all of the possible answers will end up in a fight, no matter if you tell him that you are a friend or a foe.
To give Bernard the right answer and avoid a fight, you will need to read The Roads of Darkness, a book you can find right on the floor below the fight, in the southeastern corner of the room.
If you read The Roads of Darkness, you can tell Bernard “Or art though friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” This will result in him assuming that you are his master. After this, you can give him commands to receive a few things.
There are 5 floors in the Arcane Tower. Here is how we will refer to them, from the one at the bottom to the one at the top: bottom floor, lower floor, middle floor, upper floor, top floor.
Here are the books you need to read to unlock new commands and answers for Bernard, and what you will get if you select them in BG3:
- Threadbare Book (lower floor) – “How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?”
- Bernard will give you the Guiding Light ring, which allows you to cast Light.
- Dusty Book (middle floor) – “There is a light in every living thing. / It’s crawling t’wards the surface to survive.”
- Bernard and the other Constructs will attack you.
- Torn-Out Paper (upper floor, same as The Roads of Darkness) – “The silence stretches on – I’m all alone. / Please, can I hold your hands, for just a while?”
- Bernard will offer to hug you.
- Patched Parchment (top floor) – “These empty sheets are all that’s left on you. / The last of all the thoughtless gifts you gave.”
- Bernard will give you a Potion of Greater Healing.
Should You Fight Bernard in BG3?
If you fight Bernard and defeat him in BG3, you can get 70 experience from him and 40 xp from every Animated Armour. This means that you can get 230 xp by drafting Bernard and his fellow troops.
However, if you just give him the poetry line from The Roads of Darkness and affirm yourself as his master, you will get 75 xp. If you attack him afterward, you won’t get any extra xp from defeating him, but you can still get that 160 xp from defeating his crew.
Still, it would be faster and more convenient to just give him the line and then get the free xp, potion, and ring without any real effort.
And that is all you need to know about all the answers and commands you can give Bernard in Baldur’s Gate 3. Check out other interesting BG3 guides and articles:
