Baldur’s Gate 3: How to speak with the dead in BG3

Baldur’s Gate 3 allows players to use all types of magic while completing various quests. Some of that magic includes letting your character speak with those who have passed on into the next life, whether it’s from battle or the most unfortunate timing in life. If you’re interested in chatting with those who have died, then you’ll be happy to know there’s more than one way to do so in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Talking to dead characters is often tied to various quests and situations. On top of that, speaking with the dead isn’t something that anyone can just do. You need to have a character that is part of the Cleric, Wizard, or Bard classes to chat with the dead without much hassle. But there are other ways to do so if that isn’t an option.

So how exactly are you able to speak with the dead? Here’s what you can do if you’re interested in talking with dead characters in Baldur’s Gate 3.

How to talk to dead characters in Baldur’s Gate 3

When you want to speak with a dead character, all you need to do is use the Speak with Dead spell on a corpse. If you don’t have the Amulet of Lost Souls equipped, you can have a character in the Cleric, Wizard, or Bard class learn the ability from the Necromancy level three magical abilities. Speak with Dead can be used on characters that have died in battle or bodies you find while adventuring. You—or someone from your group—don’t need to have killed a character yourself to speak with them.

Not every dead character you use the ability on will have something interesting to say; some won’t even respond to you with anything or just insult you before croaking again. In some cases, you won’t be able to talk to a dead character if they have suffered too much damage to their body. For example, you won’t be able to talk to a dead character that has their body completely destroyed by something, such as explosions or being crushed fully.  

Using the Amulet of Lost Souls to talk to dead characters in Baldur’s Gate 3

If you aren’t playing a character in any of the classes mentioned, you can use the Amulet of Lost Souls to communicate with dead characters. But it requires some work to do so. You’ll have to venture to the Dank Crypt located in the west area of the map, near the Overgrown Ruins. There are multiple ways to enter the crypt, including lock-picking a door or entering a broken floor you can open up in the ruins. No matter what you do, you’ll have to fight a few bandits to enter the Dank Crypt.

Where to find the Amulet of Lost Souls in BG3

Once you arrive at the Dank Crypt, you can find the Amulet of Lost Souls in the northern part of the area. It’s hidden within a room that you can enter by hitting a switch on the wall. Undead enemies will awaken when you do this, so take them out when that happens. You won’t be able to interact with anything until they are defeated.

When the enemies are vanquished, enter the hidden room you opened up and loot a chest that is inside, which contains the Amulet of Lost Souls. This is also the same room where you can locate the undead NPC Withers, who you can send to your camp and use to revive characters for a small fee.

The Amulet of Lost Souls can be equipped to any character, giving them the ability to talk to dead characters. They gain access to this ability by wearing the amulet, even if they aren’t a class that can learn the ability normally.

Conditions for talking to the dead

There are certain conditions that you need to keep in mind when you want to speak with dead characters. You can’t just go around talking to dead bodies all the time.

You can only speak with one dead character per day and only ask them five questions before the ability wears off. So if you try to talk to someone who isn’t very helpful, you’ll need to do a long rest at your camp to do so again.