Escape the Nautiloid is a main quest in Baldur’s Gate 3, available from the prologue. Your mission is to find a way out of the Nautiloid and possibly recruit companions. Completing this quest moves the story ahead. Below there’s a guide to Baldur’s Gate 3 Escape the Nautiloid Walkthrough.

Find a Way off the Nautiloid

This quest also acts as the game’s tutorial. When you start, you’ll escape from your pod in the chaos. Check another Mind Flayer Pod, and you might find other survivors.

As you explore, you’ll come across an unstable Nursery at the center. When you get near, the Narrator will explain that this is where the parasite behind your eye originated.

You’ve got three choices:

  1. Reach toward the pool.
  2. [INVESTIGATION] Investigate the pool.
  3. Leave.

If you pick the first option and fail the skill check, the Nursery will explode.

Now, head to the next room by interacting with the Sphincter. In the next area, the game will introduce you to the Map and display various markers on the left side of the screen.

In the next area, there are more potions and scrolls on dead Imps. Climb on top of the platform in the middle, where you’ll find one of the Neural Apparatus. It will lift you to a higher level. There, you’ll come across a victim you can talk to named Myrnath. The initial dialogue options won’t have any impact, no matter what you choose.

Save the brain and it will become your ally temporarily.

Choosing to spare the brain will make it instruct you to go to the helm. There are various dialogue options, but they all guide you to the same destination. Opting to assist the brain will gain you a follower. Occasionally, allies may temporarily join you, and you can control their actions by clicking on their character portrait on the left side of the screen.

Reach the Helm

As you move ahead, you’ll come across Lae’zel, a female Githyanki Fighter who could become one of your Companions. Team up with her to take on the imps.

Once you’ve defeated the Imps, loot their items and use Restoration if necessary to heal yourself. Then, head toward the deck. Due to the Dragons’ attack and the battles between imps and thralls, there are many bodies on deck with loot such as gold, potions, scrolls, and various items. Climb the Arterial Mesh that you’ll spot as you move forward to reach the next area.

When you enter the room, there’s a control panel in the middle. There are slates with hidden text above buttons. The slates in the first room read from left to right: ‘Unleash – Aggression – Annihilate.’ Pressing ‘Unleash’ shows a scene but does nothing. The middle button makes thralls attack you, and the right one kills them instantly. On the left, there’s another Mind Flayer Pod with someone inside, and a control panel next to it.

As you get closer to the pod, Shadowheart, a Shar priest and potential Companion, asks you to free her.

Connect the Nerves of the Transponder

Now, head to the helm (X:-20 Y:-389). When you get there, you’ll witness a battle between mind flayers and devils. Shortly after, you’ll jump into the fight. Focus on defeating the imps, and you can ignore Commander Zhalk, as he’s busy with the Mind Flayer.

Defeat Commander Zhalk on the Nautiloid and you will unlock an achievement ‘Devil’s in the Details’, By doing this you also get his sword, which is one of the best at the beginning of the game. Follow this video with tips on how to defeat Commander Zhalk.

As you move to the other side of the helm, more imps will show up. This battle is a race against time because you need to reach the Transponder before the Nautiloid crashes.

Baldur’s Gate 3 All Quests