Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of areas to explore, but some situations may catch you off guard, like the stone disc puzzle in the Defiled Temple.
Through the Defiled Temple, you can travel to the Underdark and progress several missions, so it is a vital area you need to unlock. Unlike other areas in Baldur’s Gate 3, though, it requires a little bit of work to access, and there is a puzzle you must complete to progress. However, it is possible to skip the puzzle entirely if you wish.
Where to find the Defiled Temple in BG3
The entrance to the Defiled Temple can be found in the Shattered Sanctum inside the Goblin camp, specifically on the western side in the room where you can find the Goblin Priestess previously.
You will need to unlock the door with a lockpick, so I recommend using a character with Sleight of Hand, but you should be warned that this is an action that will draw attention to you if anyone is around.
If you haven’t already defeated the Goblins in the area, prepare for a fight. However, by this stage, I had already taken out the three Goblin leaders, so it was merely a case of killing off any stragglers left behind.
On the other side of the door, the first task is to sneak past or defeat Polma the Ogre. To sneak, there is a ladder on the left side before the corridor where Polma is wandering that can be used—which also provides a good spot for aerial advantage with ranger attacks.
Alternatively, a Rogue character like Astarion can use a stealth attack to initiate. While Polma is strong, she is the only enemy in the area, so you should be able to defeat her without too much trouble.
At the end of the corridor where Polma was patrolling, turn left and follow the path until you reach a room with circular stone dials on the floor. Head down the stairs and situate your character with the puzzle in front of you—the circle that is lit up should be nearest to you.
The lore behind the stone disc puzzle in BG3
The Defiled Temple contains one of the memorable and earliest puzzles within BG3. It is an introduction to the Selunite Temple and an early entry into the Underdark. The key behind the puzzle lies within a Selunite Journal found in the northwest room of Priestess Gut’s chambers. Behind this door, in the bedroom, you will find the Selunite Journal. The Selunite Journal 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.”
In relation to the puzzle itself, the moons are the interlocking circles and by matching them up the puzzle rests where the light of the real moon shines within the circles, keeping out the darkness of the Underdark.
How to solve the stone disc puzzle in BG3
To solve the stone disc puzzle, interact with the discs until the four black smaller circles occupy all slots on the bottom disc. If you haven’t interacted with the stones previously, the solution below will immediately unlock the door:
- Spin the Top circle once
- Spin the Left circle three times
- Spin the Bottom circle once
- Spin the Left circle once
- Spin the Right circle twice
- Spin the Bottom circle once
- Spin the Right circle twice
- Spin the Bottom circle three times
- Spin the Left circle once
Here is a video of the exact same motions as mentioned above. In this order, you will solve the stone disc puzzle in no time.
If you make a mistake, the simple explanation is that the four black smaller circles need to make the four spots on the bottom circle, with everywhere else having white circles. At the top, they should all be white, with the left and right having three white.
Completing the puzzle opens a pathway opposite and an entrance to the Underdark.
How to skip the puzzle and open the door
If you don’t want to solve the puzzle or have messed up the above solution and can’t work out a fix, there is a way to skip the puzzle entirely to open the door directly.
On the first set of steps towards the door on the right wall, there is a circular gold lever that can be interacted with using a lockpick. In order to reveal the lever, a Perception check will have to be made, so make sure to bring a party member high in Wisdom.
A DC role of 15 Sleight of Hand is required to pass this check, therefore Astarion is a great pick for this situation
If you fail, you’ll need another lockpick to try again. After success, you will be able to go through the doors without fiddling with the puzzle.
