Auntie Ethel is one of the strongest bosses in Baldur’s Gate 3. This powerful level 5 Hag can be found in the Overgrown Tunnel during Act 1. Head to the Sunlit Wetlands and the Riverside Teahouse to reach her lair. When you first encounter Auntie Ethel, she’ll be disguised as a human trader. You can buy items from her, including healing potions. She’ll offer to remove your tadpole parasite for a price. Agreeing to this deal will give you a permanent Paid Price debuff. As you’ll soon learn, Auntie Ethel cannot actually remove the parasite.
Best Way of Defeat Auntie Ethel in Baldur’s Gate 3
You can attack Auntie Ethel before the conversation gets into a surprise attack. This can help whittle down her health. During the conversation, be careful with your word choices. Agreeing to stop her will lead right into combat. When she reaches half health, she will flee to the next area. Follow her through the illusory fireplace.
The real battle begins when you head down into Auntie Ethel’s Galley Gnarled Door. You’ll spot Mayrina locked in a burning cage that will be destroyed in a few turns. To save her and defeat the hag, carefully position your party before starting the fight.
- Gale should be ungrouped on the right side, equipped with the Magic Missiles spell. The rest of your melee fighters should be on the left. Move Gale first to trigger Auntie Ethel’s appearance. She’ll summon three clones and teleport to the left side near your melee party. Gale can quickly eliminate the clones with Magic Missiles while the others focus fire on Auntie Ethel.
- If time is running out to save Mayrina, have Gale press the button along the north side of the chamber. Otherwise, burst down the hag as fast as possible. With the clones destroyed, she should be easy to defeat.
- Auntie Ethel has some deadly abilities to watch out for. She will summon masked minions to swarm your party. Use area-of-effect spells and abilities to clear them out quickly. The hag can also create duplicates of herself, so focus fire on the original.
How to Save and Help Mayrina?
You must quickly save Mayrina before Auntie Ethel’s flames destroy her cage. If you have a character that knows Create Water, cast that spell on the cage to extinguish the fire. Alternatively, check your party’s inventory for any water bottles. If you have one, use it on the burning cage. This will douse the flames and prevent further damage.
The other option is to trigger the Control Orb as soon as possible. This will lower and open the cage, allowing Mayrina to escape before the fire consumes it entirely. For more information, see our guide to saving Mayrina.
That’s everything covered on how to beat Auntie Ethel in Baldur’s Gate 3. Check out our BG3 section for more interesting guides like these, right here on Gamer Tweak.