While adventuring in Baldur’s Gate 3, players can find a Defiled Temple that houses a puzzle involving the moon phases. This moon puzzle controls a nearby door, which leads to the Underdark. Players will have to breach this door to continue on the Reach Moonrise Towers quest. Unfortunately, aside from some small clues, there’s very little instruction on how to figure out the solution.
We’ll walk through the moon puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3 below. By the time we conclude, the Defiled Temple door will be open, allowing users to search out other secrets.
What’s the solution to the Moon Puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3?
The big clue to figuring out how to solve the moon puzzle in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be found on the body of the Ogre, Polma, who is the Bodyguard of the High Priestess (remember to have a short rest before fighting her). Once she’s dead, players can find the Priestess Journal, which reads:
“Thus the interlocking circles will bring the full moons to match the stars, while casting darkness where it belongs at the bottom. That chasm to the Underdark will stay sealed.
I confess the design is not foolproof to outsiders, but I had to sacrifice complexity for material resilience. I’ve always wondered why Selune took me from the Hall of Wonders to serve at this temple as a priestess. Perhaps this was the reason.”
This cryptic clue isn’t too hard to decipher. The darkness is the new moons (black circles) that must be brought into the light. Likewise, the light of the full moons (white circles) must be brought into the dark. Rotate the rings until the pattern matches the image above, and the door will open.
Like many conundrums in Baldur’s Gate 3, there is another solution to this issue. Players can bypass the puzzle entirely by searching one of the Selune symbols on the wall. If a character is perceptive enough, they’ll notice a lever. Using it will lock the lever. However, if a player uses Thieves’ Tools on the lever after it locks, it can be freed and then used to open the door.
