Guide: Defeating the Githyanki Inquisitor in Baldur's Gate 3

Following the events of the Mountain Pass arc in Baldur's Gate 3, it is highly probable that you have become acquainted with the Githyanki. This race has a tragic history of being enslaved by mind flayers and is fiercely dedicated to eliminating any remnants of illithids from the world.

No matter how you managed to navigate their xenophobic and militaristic society, you will eventually face the Githyanki Inquisitor, Ch'r'ai W'wargaz. Even if you have successfully evaded the wrath of their patron goddess, this final battle can prove to be a formidable challenge for an unprepared party. This guide offers comprehensive information on the Githyanki Inquisitor encounter and provides strategies to help you emerge victorious.

Where To Find The Githyanki Inquisitor

The Githyanki Inquisitor, also known as Ch'r'ai W'wargaz, awaits in the Githyanki Crèche Y'llek and can be regarded as the ultimate "boss fight" of the Mountain Pass storyline.

There are several paths you can choose to reach the crèche, and most of them will lead you to the Inquisitor's Chambers. It is there that Vlaakith, the patron goddess of the Githyanki, will personally make a request of you.

If you are journeying with Lae'zel and wish to advance her storyline, you must agree to present Vlaakith with the Astral Prism, the artifact you have been carrying throughout your travels. Following this, Vlaakith will request that you enter the Prism and eliminate its inhabitant.

Although it may appear counter-intuitive to the progression of the storyline, it is crucial to comply with the Inquisitor and Vlaakith's demands in this situation. Refusing their orders will result in Lae'zel turning hostile, and provoking Vlaakith can even lead to an immediate and complete party defeat.

Once you enter the Astral Plane, you will encounter your Dream Guardian and face the decision of whether to eliminate them or not.

If you choose to exit the prism without killing your Dream Guardian, you will encounter the Inquisitor and his followers, who will be prepared for a battle upon your emergence. At this point, there is no way to avoid this confrontation. However, if you have made all the right choices, you will have the support of Lae'zel by your side.

Githyanki Inquisitor Fight Mechanics

If you have been following the story thus far, you would have witnessed the fear that the githyanki hold towards The Inquisitor, and for valid reasons. He is an extremely powerful and formidable adversary.

Once he engages in combat, he becomes exceedingly elusive, transforming into an impregnable fortress of devastating strikes, simultaneously bolstering the damage output of his minions. To effectively confront him, you must prioritize targeting his minions, a strategic aspect that we will delve into further in a subsequent section.

Additional Combatants

In total, the Inquisitor is accompanied by a quartet of additional githyanki: two Ardents, proficient wielders of ranged spells, one Warrior, a resilient and robust combatant, and one Raider, a skilled marksman armed with a ranged crossbow.

The approach to this encounter may vary depending on your party composition, but we recommend prioritizing the elimination of the Raider. With his formidable single-target damage, further enhanced by his Archery abilities, he poses a significant threat, capable of swiftly dispatching a vulnerable party member each turn.

It is crucial to occupy the Warrior with a resilient front-line defender from your own party, diverting their attention away from your more vulnerable members. Additionally, it is imperative to concentrate your efforts on neutralizing all of the ranged attackers swiftly before they have the opportunity to pick off your party members from a distance.

Shared Githyanki Features

The Githyanki possess inherent resilience against mental effects and spells, a trait that aligns with their troubled past of being enslaved by Illithids. However, this resistance proves challenging for a party heavily reliant on saving throw spells. Furthermore, the Githyanki exhibit exceptional martial prowess, often capable of launching multiple attacks per turn while effectively mitigating the damage inflicted upon them.

Below are several common characteristics shared by some of them, which you should be mindful of during this challenging battle.

Githyanki Parry	Reduces damage from unarmed or weapon attacks by 10. Since this feature takes a reaction and can only be used once per turn, any classes with more than one attack per turn (Extra Attack) should focus all of their attacks on the same Githyanki (who will have already used this feature during that turn).
Perfect Sentry	Makes it impossible for this creature to be surprised. That said, given the circumstances of the fight, it's unlikely that you'll surprise them regardless.
Psionic Empowerment	Allows the creature to inflict an extra 1d6 psychic damage on a successful spell or weapon attack.
Psionic Revenge	When the creature succeeds on a Saving Throw, it inflicts 1d4 psychic damage back to the attacker. This also grants the creature a +1 to all mental (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma) Saving Throws.

While each individual instance of psychic damage may appear insignificant, their cumulative effect can quickly escalate to devastating proportions, particularly when the Inquisitor utilizes his Mindlink ability, which renders the target vulnerable to psychic damage. Further details regarding this mechanic will be elaborated upon in the subsequent section.

Tips For Fighting The Githyanki Inquisitor

Mindsteal Link

The most formidable aspect of this encounter is the Githyanki Inquisitor's employment of the Mindsteal Link ability on the initial turn, establishing a mental connection with all nearby creatures in the vicinity. This action produces the following effects:

• The Inquisitor gains +1 Armor Class (AC) per surrounding creature.
• The Inquisitor additional 1d4 psychic damage per surrounding creature.
• Causes surrounding (connected) creatures to lose 2 AC.
• Causes surrounding (connected) creatures to become vulnerable to psychic damage.

Undoubtedly, this renders the Inquisitor an impregnable bastion, functioning as an exceptional tank while significantly weakening your party. The initial activation of Mindsteal Link will elevate his Armor Class (AC) to a minimum of 23, potentially higher if there are any familiars, summons, or constructs present on the battlefield. As a result, he becomes exceedingly challenging to hit with both spell and weapon attacks.

This, coupled with the substantial bonuses to his Saving Throws and proficiency in four different Saving Throw categories, renders the Inquisitor nearly impervious to harm.

How To Deal With The Mindsteal Link

At any cost, it is crucial to refrain from introducing additional creatures or allies that the Inquisitor can draw Armor Class (AC) from. This includes:

• Ranger companions.
• Warlock familiars.
• The Cleric's Guardian of Faith.
• Hordes of Undead—sorry, Necromancers.

Being vulnerable to psychic damage poses a significant threat in this battle, as each githyanki inflicts additional psychic damage with every attack and successful Saving Throw. Moreover, the Inquisitor himself inflicts extra psychic damage based on the number of creatures present in the room.

There are two methods to sever each Mindsteal Link connection:

• By killing the creature that he's linked to.
  • This means you should target the additional combatants in the room before you try to take down the boss—which is generally a good strategy in Baldur's Gate 3 due to the nature of action economy.
  • That said, you can't very well kill your own party members (or at least, probably shouldn't), so you'll have to remove those links another way.

• By hitting the Inquisitor with the creature he's linked to.
  • Successfully landing an attack on the Inquisitor will remove the link.

Mobility And Target Prioritization

The Githyanki will regularly employ Misty Step to bypass frontline defenders and target more vulnerable party members. It is crucial to equip your spellcasters with defensive measures such as Mage Armor or Shield to provide protection against these attacks.

Terrain And Positioning

Regrettably, there is a scarcity of cover available on this battlefield. Nonetheless, your ranged party members can exploit the elevated ledges to gain a strategic advantage by utilizing the higher ground.

Furthermore, despite the area not being ideal for intricate tactics, you have the ability to modify the environment in your favor. This can be accomplished by strategically positioning Smokepowder Barrels or effectively utilizing a precisely aimed Iron Flask, enabling you to shape the surroundings to your advantage.

General Combat Strategy

While this encounter incorporates a distinctive mechanic, it remains relatively conventional in terms of combat within the context of Baldur's Gate 3.

Employing combat strategies, particularly those designed to handle multiple enemies, will prove advantageous when facing the Inquisitor. However, it is essential to note that strategies explicitly countered by his unique abilities, such as introducing additional allies, should be avoided.