During Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s a good chance you’ve likely encountered Auntie Ethel. There’s a possibility of encountering her in the Tiefling camp, but you might find her being harassed by a pair of young men who are looking for their sister. At first, Auntie Ethel looks harmless, but you’ll discover she’s a dangerous hag with powerful magic, and she’s been using her powers on several people, including Mayrina.
Eventually, as you progress into Act 3, you can find others who have also been attacked by hags, specifically by Auntie Ethel. After you meet them and talk with them, they’ll ask for your help because Ethel is in Baldur’s Gate, and want to get rid of her. Here’s what you need to know about how to complete Avenge the Hag Survivors in Baldur’s Gate 3.
All Avenge the Hag Survivors Quest Steps in Baldur’s Gate 3
You can unlock this quest shortly after completing the Help the Hag Survivors quest in Baldur’s Gate 3. I received this quest after I left Mayrina to run back to Baldur’s Gate with her undead husband, after first meeting her in Act 1. Shortly after your conversation with Mayrina, and her telling you that Auntie Ethel is in Baldur’s Gate, she gives you an incredibly helpful recipe, Hag’s Bane. You can find this in the safe in the back of the house.
I recommend grabbing it because you’ll need it to take down Auntie Ethel, who is part of another quest in Baldur’s Gate 3 called Save Vanra. Now, the Hag’s Bane is a potion that forces a hag to throw up anyone they’ve eaten, and as you progress through the Save Vanra questline, you’re going to discover Ethel has eaten Vanra and is attempting to make another hag.
You can grab the Save Vanra quest by visiting the barracks over by the Basilisk Gate in the Lower Cities, where a distressed mother, Lora, is trying to get help to find her daughter. After you have this quest, it’s time to track down Auntie Ethel.
Where to Find Auntie Ethel
After you’ve acquired the Save Vanra quest from the Basilisk Gate, make your way over to the Blushing Mermaid, and you’ll be able to talk with the establishment’s owner. She’ll initially try to get you to take out Vanra’s mother, but she’ll transform herself into Auntie Ethel, revealing she was trying to deceive your Baldur’s Gate 3 party.
She’s then going to retreat into the basement, and you’ll have to find another round of her charmed enemies, similar to the masked enemies that appeared in her hut from Act 1. I suggest using non-lethal against them with your Baldur’s Gate 3 party to ensure they’re not killed, and you can help them later. After this, venture into the back of Ethel’s home, and you can fight against her.
How to Beat Auntie Ethel & Use Hag’s Bane in Baldur’s Gate 3
Before you fight Auntie Ethel at this point, make sure the Baldur’s Gate 3 character with Hag’s Bane in their inventory can throw it on her. You want to make sure to do this first before you do anything else. You might harm the girl Auntie Ethel has eaten if you don’t. However, when you use Hag’s Bane immediately, Ethel throws up the girl, and then you can freely attack her as if she were any traditional monster in the game.
This fight should be similar to when you first encountered Auntie Ethel in Act 1, but your Baldur’s Gate 3 group should be significantly more challenging now. She will teleport around, use illusions, and frequently become invisible. Faerie Fire would be a good spell to use during this encounter. Also, the white mushrooms in the corners of the room will be healing Auntie Ethel at the end of each round, and taking them out should be a priority.
After destroying the mushrooms and taking Auntie Ethel down, you’ll be able to speak to Vanra, and you can complete the quest by checking up on her at her mother’s home. However, you’ll want to talk to Mayrina and let her know that Auntie Ethel is dead. You’ll receive a necklace called Fey Semblance Amulet, with the passive, “You have Advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charism a Saving Throws,” that you can give to any of your Baldur’s Gate 3 characters.
