My Three-Phase Battle Against Auntie Ethel in Baldur's Gate 3

It was a sunny afternoon in the Sunlit Wetlands when our party first stumbled upon the commotion. An old woman, kindly and distressed, was being accosted by two burly men. They were accusing her of knowing something about their missing sister, Mayrina. My companions and I, ever the helpful adventurers, stepped in. I remembered a piece of advice from a seasoned traveler: sometimes, the best solution isn't the most violent one. So, we chose to knock the boys out using non-lethal attacks. The old woman, who introduced herself as Auntie Ethel, was so grateful. She invited us to her cottage for a proper thank you. Little did I know, this simple act of mediation would lead me into one of the most treacherous and layered encounters of my journey through the Sword Coast.

How I Prepared for the Hag

Call it paranoia, but something about her twinkling eyes felt off. Before heading to her cottage nestled in the swamp, I made sure we were ready. First, I had Gale memorize the Create Water spell. You never know when you'll need to douse a fire, and swamps can be deceptively dry in places. We took out a few wandering Redcap foes lingering outside her home quietly, ensuring they wouldn't join any potential fray. Most importantly, we initiated a long rest. Facing any powerful foe on an empty spell slot is a fool's errand. Entering her quaint cottage, the smell of herbs and decay hung in the air. You do have the option of having an amicable relationship with Auntie Ethel, she offered us tea and a deal. But the whispers from the masked faces on her walls told a darker story. This was no kindly grandmother; this was the Hag, a predator with a long list of victims. For Mayrina's sake, and for the sake of any future victim, we had to fight.

Phase One: The Illusion Shatters

The conversation in her parlor was a masterclass in deception. She feigned ignorance, then concern, then finally a twisted form of benevolence. She revealed her true, green-skinned, warty form as a Hag and admitted she had Mayrina. The party may ask the Hag for help curing themselves or begin the fight, she taunted. I'd heard the horror stories of those who took her "help"—a permanent loss of an eye, a curse disguised as a boon. We drew our weapons. The fight in her cottage was strangely easy. She will only allow the party to knock her down to half health, after which she cackled and vanished into the fireplace—an illusion! We followed through the magical doorway into the damp, root-infested tunnels below.

Phase Two: The Masked Prisoners

The air grew thick with despair. We were met by a Gnarled Door, a tortured face formed from tree roots, another of her illusions. The compassionate path was to quickly don a Whispering Mask, pass through, and rip it off before its madness took hold. We chose a more direct route and pushed through, hearing its agonized cry as the Hag set it aflame behind us. The next chamber held her other victims, each wearing a porcelain mask, their bodies fighting against her control. They will not always attack during their turn on the initiative; sometimes they would shudder and stand still, a brief victory of their will. It was heartbreaking. The party can either kill them or use non-lethal attacks to take them down, but the masks were fused to them; removal meant death. We used non-lethal blows, laying them gently on the damp ground. Another alternative to fighting or killing the victims is sneaking past them, but we knew the victims can be pulled into the initiative when facing the Hag later. We couldn't risk that.

Phase Three: The Final Confrontation

Past a waterfall, a path was blocked by poisonous gas. A quick perception check (which Astarion thankfully passed) showed us the way: a Fire Bolt cantrip ignited the gas, clearing it momentarily, and we shoved a spare boot into a Ruptured Stone vent to seal it. Tiptoeing past explosive mushrooms, we reached the final chamber. There was Mayrina, desperate and pregnant, in a cage suspended over a pit. The Hag stood nearby, gloating. We spotted a side passage. The party can perform another long rest if they loop around through a hidden exit to a fast-travel point. We were prepared, so we advanced.

The fight was chaos. True to her nature, the Hag will have a habit of splitting herself into clones. Luckily, a debuff from a previous spell still shimmered on the real one, making her easy to identify. Her first act? The Hag will immediately attempt to set her on fire. I shouted at Gale, who promptly doused the cage with Create Water. Later, she clone herself to look like Mayrina instead. We had to use weak, non-lethal attacks to avoid harming the real captive while focusing our fury on the disguised Hag. She constantly tried to paralyze us with Hold Person, but with healing potions flowing and spells flying, we wore her down. Her final cackle echoed as she fell. Looting her body yielded powerful rewards, a small consolation for the grim task.

Afterwards, we spoke with a grieving Mayrina. She had made a terrible pact to bring her husband back. The game, in its profound way, gave us a choice: honor her misguided wish and use the wand she obtained to create a shambling, undead husband, or convince her to let go and find a new path. I chose the latter, watching her walk away, alive and free, albeit heartbroken. The fight with Auntie Ethel wasn't just a boss battle; it was a story of manipulation, tragic choices, and the small, hard-fought victories against evil that define an adventurer's life in Baldur's Gate 3. It taught me that preparation is key, compassion has a cost, and sometimes, the most monstrous foes wear the kindest smiles.