Baldur’s Gate 3 Guide | How To Beat The Spectator

Here’s everything you need to know on how to beat The Spectator in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Game Guide by Ornstein on Dec 31, 2024

The Spectator is a beholder-like creature of terror and one of the more fearsome monsters that can be found in Underdark as part of a major questline in Baldur's Gate 3. Given how hard this enemy hits with all of its eye rays and crowd control, the fight against this monster will require very careful preparation, tactical execution, and clever use of your party's abilities and resources. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to overcome this terrible opponent.

Prepare for Battle

That means resting to get all your spells, abilities, and health back, stockpiling potions and scrolls, and much more. Characters with high Wisdom and high Constitution saving throws will be super helpful in this encounter since the Spectator's powers continually attack those scores. Use items or cast spells that give resistance to psychic damage or boosts to saving throws.

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Party balance is very important, too. Combine melee and range attackers with spellcasters using utility spells such as Counterspell or Silence and make sure to include a healer. Spells which give you mobility, such as Misty Step and Feather Fall, will help you to adjust your characters' positioning in combat. Finally, make use of stealth to get a proper look at the location and position your party before anyone attacks.

Knowing the monster's capabilities

What makes the Spectator so formidable are its eye beams: the Paralyzing Ray, which paralyses a character; the Fear Ray, which sends characters fleeing; and the Wounding Ray that strikes for a lot of damage. The creature can strike several party members in one go, so separate your characters.

The Spectator also has very high resistance to some kinds of damage, such as mental and poison. On the other hand, it is vulnerable to force, radiant, and physical damage, making these types of damage the best to focus on for your party. This helps optimize the output of harm without wasting resources by knowing what this creature resists and is vulnerable to.

Engage the Spectator

Once combat begins, control the battlefield. Area-of-effect control spells like Web, Entangle, or Grease are all great at impeding the movement and sight of the Spectator. Spells such as Blindness or Silence reduce its effectiveness by denying it the use of eye rays. Any spellcaster that has Counterspell ready can prepare in case the monster casts extra spells.

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Positioning is key in this fight. Keep your party members spread apart in order to minimize the effectiveness of the Spectator's powers with area-of-effect capabilities. The ranged attackers may be put at high vantage points for better accuracy and safety from the attacks of the Spectator. Melee attackers must flank the creature rather than trying to pile up and crowd the character, since it is very easy for the eyes of the spectator to target several characters in a line.

Manage Crowd Control Effects

The most difficult thing in this combat is how to manage the crowd control ability of the Spectator. This creature's Paralyzing Ray and Fear Ray can just knock out key members of your party and, therefore, leave you exposed. Try casting some debuff-removing spells or abilities to dispel these-things like Lesser Restoration. High Wisdom saves, like those provided by priests or druids, do not make them as vulnerable to the Fear Ray; hence, they are very important in maintaining things stable on the team.

Ease the headache of crowd control in your tactics by making sure no one character is crucial; distribute healing potions across your party and have contingencies in case something important gets shut down. If, for instance, your main healer can't act anymore, other characters should be ready and in place to use healing potions or scrolls.

Damage from Full Capacity

Focus on maintaining damage over time to burn through the Spectator's hit points and minimize how long it can use its abilities as much as possible. Use powers that deal radiant and force damage since these are its biggest weaknesses. Characters that deal single high-powered attacks-rogues using Sneak Attack or paladins using Divine Smite-are potentially capable of much higher damage if set up correctly.

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Characters in your party with spellcasters should cast their most damaging spells exploiting the weak points of the Spectator. Magic Missile spells are especially effective since they bypass the need to make an attack roll and directly hit the Spectator. Notably, having spell slots available when they make all the difference is what makes combat effective.

The battlefield can often play a significant role in defeating the Spectator. Look for environmental hazards or artifacts to make use of. For example, if explosive barrels are placed around the Spectator and ignited, there may be substantial damage. Likewise, higher ground provides various tactical options and can allow for better line of sight when performing ranged attacks.

Try luring the Spectator into close quarters where he has poor maneuverability. It may limit his future relocation possibilities and his line of sight when targeting many party members. However, pay close attention that the same could happen with your party.

Give the finishing blow

With the defeat of the Spectator, he will become more aggressive and use his abilities more often. Now is the time to focus on inflicting maximum damage and holding the party members alive. Use remaining high damage skills and spells to finish combat as fast as possible. Keep your healer or characters carrying healing potions ready to keep fallen party members stable.

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If the Spectator calls for allies or reinforcements, attack them first to avoid being outnumbered. Control or neuter the other hazards with crowd control spells or abilities, focusing one's attacks on the Spectator.

After the Fight

Once the Spectator has been defeated, take a little time to heal and pillage the area. More often than not, the Spectator guards some great treasure or even a quest item, which makes it well worth the effort. Remember to search around the region for hidden caches or clues to ongoing quests. Take a moment after the combat is over to rethink what happened and revisit one's strategy for future beholder-like battles, since they may happen again in the game.

Finally…

You'll want planning, strategic positioning, and proper use of your party's abilities to take down the Spectator in Baldur's Gate 3. Mastering the strengths and weaknesses of the creature, controlling the battlefield, and maintaining high, sustained damage are all components that successfully allow one to best this most challenging of encounters, progressing deeper into Underdark. Even the most formidable foes fall to one's knees with determination and cunning.

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