The Spectator, also known as the beholder, is a monster in Baldur’s Gate 3 that you can fight several times in Act 1. This monstrous head with a giant eye is one of the most difficult optional bosses and rewards an amazing amulet.
As this boss has two variants with the same feature set, we will cover the locations of both bosses but only one strategy. For people who are only here for the rewards, we will also explain how to cheese the Spectator in the Underdark.
Spectator, the Beholder locations in Baldur’s Gate 3
The first Spectator is a prisoner inside an Iron Flask. This Flask can be looted from the Zhentarim Strongbox, which Rugan and Olly protect. You can find them ambushed by Flind and his Gnolls on the Risen Road during the Find the Missing Shipment quest.
Once you get the Iron Flask, open it by entering inventory or throwing it on the ground. This will unleash the Spectator hiding inside it. You can’t capture the spectator again in a bottle or keep it as a pet in your camp. It is an extremely violent enemy that will attack you on sight.
The second Spectator, also known as Beholder, is located to the West of Selunite Outpost in the Underdark. You can reach this area by solving the Defiled Temple Moon Puzzle in the Goblin Camp.
Go to the left of the Selune statue in the courtyard to find a broken window. Climb down using the Knotted Roots and Cragged Rock to find a colony of petrified Drow people. This will start a cutscene, and the Spectator will ambush the whole party.
Preparing for the Fight
Your whole party must be at least level 5 to survive this hellish fight. You can achieve this by doing side quests and visiting Myconid Colony first. Keep good, ranged fighters like Astarion and two melee fighters in your team.
For the cheese method, we recommend Astarion and Gale with the latter one having access to Scorching Ray and Fireball spells (both are available at character level 5).
Make sure to equip gear or accessories that increase your initiative and prevent you from getting surprised (very difficult but still doable). At least one member must have healing abilities of some kind.
How to Defeat the Spectator in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Spectator uses four major attacks.
- Bite
- Paralyzing Ray
- Fear Ray
- Wounding Ray
These rays can attack many party members if they are standing together or behind each other.
As the fight starts with the Spectator surprising your whole party, it gets two turns. The boss uses the first turn to revive Dhourn and a Drow. It then enchants them to fight alongside him.
These enemies can use various spells and deal massive damage from afar. The Spectator is not a slouch but hates melee fighters like Karlach and Lae’zel. You can use Karlach’s rage mode to deliver three hits in a row.
Keep healing and focus all your attacks on the Spectator alone. Here’s a small tip: If you hit Dhourn and the Drow once, they will come back to their senses and become your allies. Don’t hit them again, as they will change the party instantly.
This battle demands extreme patience and luck regarding saving throws and attack rolls. With lady luck on your side, you will defeat the Spectator quickly.
How to cheese the Spectator
There is one very elaborate method of cheesing this boss fight. We also recommend this method to defeat the Spectator in Honor Mode.
- Pick up all the oil drums from the Selunite Temple.
- Place these drums near the bottom of the Torchstalk. Align them in a line so the path won’t be blocked.
- Go back to Selunite Temple and enter crouching or stealth.
- Use Astarion to hit a petrified statue from the broken window.
- Once the cutscene is over, go back to your party and rejoin.
- Wait for the spectator to come near the oil barrels and hit them with either a fire arrow or a fire spell.
- This will destroy at least 75% of the spectators’ HP.
- Now hit it with either Scorching Ray or Fireball spell, and you are done.
Due to this method, the Spectator won’t be able to revive Dhourn. Use Basilisk Oil on him to bring him back to life. You can pickpocket Icy Helve from him to craft the Mourning Frost weapon. He will also give you the location of Adamantine Forge.
FYI
Dhourn will leave this place once you fast-travel. Make sure to obtain both things from him while he is still present.
Spectator loot and rewards
After successfully defeating Spectator, you will get The Spectator Eyes as a reward. The Spectator Eyes is an amulet that allows you to cast spells such as Wounding Ray and Ray of Fear.
