Bernard is a robotic boss from the Stalwart Guardian Automaton class in Baldur’s Gate 3. You will come across him as you venture through the Underdark and reach the Arcane Tower. Left behind by his previous owner, Lenore, He is incapable of rational thinking and only accepts what his master told him previously.
He is an optional boss that you can entirely bypass by finding the answers to his questions. However, fighting Bernard also yields some magnificent rewards which you can obtain with the help of our guide.
Bernard’s location in BG3
Bernard is available on the top of Arcane Tower in the Underdark area of Baldur’s Gate 3. The exact location of this tower is to the Southwest of the Underdark map.
You can get inside the Arcane Tower by climbing the walls using the Feather Fall spell, which prevents fall damage. As Bernard is located on the top level of Arcane Tower, you need to use the elevator to reach him.
To get to the top floor, you need to find and activate the electrical Generator which is powering the lift. To power the elevator, you need to find Sussur Bloom and add it inside the Generator as fuel to activate it.
After powering up, hop on the elevator and press the button to reach the top floor. Once there, you will find Bernard near the stairs.
Bernard Dialogue Commands and Rewards
Before finding Bernard in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to find and read four books inside Arcane Tower to bypass him entirely. These books are written by his previous owner, Lenore, and contain all the answers Bernard can understand. If you don’t find these books, the only option left will be to fight him. Here is the location of all four books, considering the location of the Generator and lift as the basement.
- There is no book on the first floor. You can reach it by pressing the elevator button and riding it.
- On the second floor, there is a book right next to the elevator’s entrance. It is called Threadbare Book. Read it to get a few answers.
- There is a book on a shelf behind the elevator on the third floor titled Dusty Book.
- There is a room on the fourth floor which contains an old desk. It contains The Roads to Darkness book, which you need to read. Right next to it is a Handwritten Letter by Lenore.
Once you have read all the answers, press the lever of Arcane Tower’s elevator and ride it to the rooftop where Bernard is. He will ask you a couple of questions at the first meeting. Make sure to follow the answers below precisely.
- “New sounds through damp and dark oppression break/ is it the foe, that foul, contemptuous heel?”
Answer with “Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” from the dialogues as the answer.
- “Command as you see fit, my lord, my liege.”
You need to select “How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?” from the dialogues as the answer to getting the Guiding Light ring.
If you want Bernard to hug you instead, select “The silence stretches on – I’m all alone. / Please, can I hold your hands for a while?” from the options.
- “If you do not, your deepest secrets show? / Reveal your truth, give what you wish to see.”
You need to select “Pick up the Guiding Light on the table and interact with Bernard” from the dialogues as the answer.
- “Command as you see fit, my lord, my liege.”
You need to select “These empty sheets are all that’s left of you. / The last of all the thoughtless gifts you have.” To get a Potion of Greater Healing.
How to defeat Bernard in Baldur’s Gate 3
The dialogue options mentioned above will not start the fight with him and will allow you to bypass the fight completely. If you are willing to fight Bernard for more rewards, including his key, you want to select “There is light in every living thing” as a reply to his third question.
Avoid attacks that Bernard is resistant to
Bernard is resistant to Slashing, Piercing, Bludgeoning, Lightning, Poison, and Fire damage. He also has a very high Armour Class owing to his thick metallic body. All these factors make it very difficult to land a successful hit on him. Even if you succeed, the damage he receives is minimal and negligible.
The only way to make him susceptible to your attacks is by throwing a Sussur Bloom at his feet. This magical flower takes away all his strength and makes him dizzy. This is your best chance to hit him with your most powerful necrotic or elemental spells.
Use Protection from Lightning Spell
While fighting Bernard in Baldur’s Gate 3, he will primarily deal damage through various electrical attacks. One such example of a lightning attack is Thunder. The best way to get resistance from his electrical attacks is by using the Protection from Lightning Spell. You can also brew some potions that grant you resistance against electrical attacks.
Keep your Distance to Avoid Damage
Bernard uses a lot of short-range melee attacks that are devastating to the party. Make sure that you keep your distance from him and use ranged attacks and spells to bring his health down.
Push him off the Arcane Tower
As you already know, Bernard is resistant to many attacks; therefore, our options for dealing damage with spells and melee weapons are limited. But there is one exception to that, which is fall damage. You can do so by luring him to the side of the Arcane Tower and then using the Shove action to push him off the tower. This will result in instantly killing Bernard in one hit.
Rewards for defeating Bernard in Baldur’s Gate 3
Once you have managed to defeat Bernard in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will get the rewards listed below:
- Light of Creation
- Guiding Light
- Scroll of Prayer of Healing
- Antique key
