Baldur’s Gate 3 Beat Auntie Ethel guide – how to cross Overgrown Tunnels and save Mayrina in BG3

Looking to beat Auntie Ethel in Baldur’s Gate 3? Like most quests in Larian Studios’ latest RPG, there’s more to this situation than what’s on the surface. The Save Mayrina quest can be completed in several ways with different outcomes. Here are the choices you will face in this quest, one of them being defeating Auntie Ethel.

If you’re just striding into the world of Faerun, check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 Dank Crypt guide. And if you’ve reached the Blighted Village, our Baldur’s Gate 3 Necromancy of Thay guide will help you reveal its secrets.

Where to find Baldur’s Gate 3 Auntie Ethel?

The Auntie Ethel quest involves saving Mayrina and beating the hag in the Riverside Teahouse of Baldur’s Gate 3. You can find Auntie Ethel in Druid Grove where she’ll be a simple hag tending to her potions shop. She’ll offer to fix your tadpole situation and asks you to meet her at the Riverside Teahouse. As for the Save Mayrina quest, it starts at the entrance of the Sunlit Wetlands. 

Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of the Auntie Ethel quest in BG3:

• You’ll find two brothers accusing Auntie Ethel of stealing their sister. This is Mayrina in BG3.
• Siding with the brothers regardless of the result of the perception check makes Auntie Ethel disappear. They will then explain that she is holding Mayrina captive.
• Head west towards the Sunlit Wetlands. The brothers will refuse to work with you and rush headfirst into some traps.

Finding Auntie Ethel in the Sunlit Wetlands

Here’s how to find Auntie Ethel in the Sunlit Wetlands:

• Perception checks will let you evade traps in the water as you enter the Sunlit Wetlands. As you walk around, you’ll find some sheep. Using the Speak with Animals spell will reveal that they’re just pretending to bleat like sheep. You will then discover that the Sunlit Wetlands is in fact the Putrid Bog. The sheep are Redcaps walking about. You can ignore them for now.
• To the right of the Riverside Teahouse, you’ll spot an Addled frog. You can try to talk to it but save in advance as the wrong choice will have it attack you. You can return to it after the quest for a reward.
• Once you get to the Riverside Teahouse, drink from the well outside. It grants bonus health until you take a long rest. And while this causes fatigue after a long rest, the bonus is worth the risk.
• Enter the Riverside Teahouse and speak to Auntie Ethel. You’ll find Mayrina here but she is quickly teleported away.

Speaking to Auntie Ethel in the Riverside Teahouse

Here’s what you can do in the Riverside Teahouse of Auntie Ethel:

• You can choose to get your Mind Flayer parasite removed at the cost of your eye. While this doesn’t actually get this tadpole out, you learn that it has shadow magic called Netherese. You get Auntie Ethel’s charm and a new green eye that inconveniently gives you a disadvantage on perception checks and disables critical attacks entirely. This debuff is called “Paid the Price.” It’s better that you avoid this option.
• Walk around the teahouse and a successful skill check will reveal that the fireplace is an illusory wall. Sneak behind Auntie Ethel and head into the Overgrown Tunnels.
• While you can choose to fight Auntie Ethel here, she’ll call in her Redcaps and retreat into the Overgrown Tunnels anyway. You can beat Auntie Ethel here with the right spells to immobilize her.

BG3 Overgrown Tunnels walkthrough

Crossing the Overgrown Tunnels is essential if you want to beat Auntie Ethel in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting through the Overgrown Tunnels in BG3:

• There are a lot of things happening in this room. These are the victims of Auntie Ethel. You’ll find a mirror that curses you (Bane) if you break it, a skeleton holding a skull, a petrified Dwarf, the traumatized elf Lorin, and a Gnarled Door. Speak with Dead lets you interact with the dead Blinded Elf.
• You’ll also spot Whispering Masks on the table amidst some loot. While these can make this quest easier, remember to cast Protection from Evil and Good if you don’t want to be controlled by Auntie Ethel.
• If you aren’t being sneaky, Auntie Ethel will show up in her disfigured hag form and warn you to leave. She’ll disappear and you need to get through the Gnarled Door to find her.
• There are several ways to get through the BG3 Gnarled Door. A skill check will let you know that it’s an illusion. You can choose to just walk through it, use Intimidation, or Persuasion skill checks. The door will show you a vision warning you not to enter.
• Cross the Gnarled Door to go deeper into the Overgrown Tunnels. Move your camera to the hidden area and click to move your characters through it.
• You’ll find four masked attackers who keep making saving throws to resist Auntie Ethel. While you can sneak past them, I recommend taking them down. They can support Auntie Ethel in the final boss fight so take care of them here instead. The game also teaches you about non-lethal attacks here. 

✓ Antony’s Annotation

Clear noxious fumes with fire and water

You can clear noxious fumes by casting Fire Bolt ands then Create Water. Note this region is safe only until the poison trap is activated again.

• Jump through the waterfall here and you’ll find yourself in a large cavern with poison traps that emit noxious fumes through vents. Shadowheart’s Create Water spell will come in handy here. Using a Firebolt to light up the poison gas and then clearing it with water will let you cross the cavern. You could choose to jump through the maze and evade its traps too. Switching to turn-based mode will help you cross this challenge.
• The next chamber has Mayrina in a cage. Auntie Ethel is here too but she’s invisible until she spots you. You can sneak to the right of the hole and visit the Acrid Workshop for some sweet loot. Be sure to pick up the staff here. You’ll also find a Mushroom Circle that takes you back to the Putrid Bog.

How to beat Auntie Ethel in Baldur’s Gate 3

Here’s how to beat Auntie Ethel in BG3:

• Do not underestimate Auntie Ethel. She will summon clones of herself to distract you. Dealing damage to a clone dispels them. While you can throw water at her beforehand to reveal the ruse, her clones can deal damage too. Magic Missile is a great way to deal with them unless you’ve only got a Rogue or Fighter on duty.
• You could avoid all this hassle by pushing Ethel into the pit. But her loot falls with her so I don’t recommend that.
• One turn in, Auntie Ethel will set fire to Mayrina’s cage. You can either extinguish the flame or use the Control Orb in the chamber to send her to safety. Mage Hand is a great spell to use for this. If Auntie Ethel sets it on fire, Shadowheart’s Create Water or a water flask will come in handy.
• Halfway through the fight, Auntie Ethel will transform into Mayrina. Pick the right target by checking for a level five Mayrina. The real Mayrina will also shout that she’s not Ethel.
• Unraveling her trick makes Auntie Ethel clone herself once more. But this time, she goes invincible and sends three clones against you. Use an AoE skill or arrow to reveal her location. But don’t ignore her clones as they love to paralyze and poison your party members.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Auntie Ethel choices explained

As the fight draws to an end, here are the options you’ll have with Auntie Ethel in BG3:

• Once her health is low enough, Auntie Ethel will try to bargain with you. If you agree to letting her have Mayrina, you’ll gain Ethel’s hair which adds a +1 to an ability score. You can choose to persuade her to leave Mayrina too. A Warlock is great at Intimidation so keep Wyll handy. And Auntie Ethel’s hair is a powerful perk.
• Killing her saves Mayrina and gives you the Corellon’s Grace staff (+1 to unarmed attack rolls and damage, +2 to saving throws if unarmored) and the Tarnished Charm amulet (helps with Death Saving Throws). You can then return to the first room to speak with her victims.
• Either way, you can enter the Acrid Workshop that’s below where you fought Auntie Ethel. Here, you’ll find a lot of potions with some special effects. You’ll also find a wand here called Bitter Divorce.

After saving Mayrina from Auntie Ethel, you’ll be presented with a few dialogue choices. You’ll learn that Mayrina was going to give her unborn child to the hag to get her dead husband back. She’ll head off to her husband’s coffin which is behind the teahouse.

Save Mayrina choices explained in BG3

Here’s a guide to the choices present in the Save Mayrina quest in BG3:

• Use the Mushroom Circle portal to return to the swamp. You’ll find Mayrina nearby.
• Keep the Bitter Divorce wand with you. It’ll offer more choices.
• Once you get to Mayrina, you can choose to snap the wand in half. This will send Mayrina off crying. Tough but it’s among the less harrowing options here.
• You can use the wand to raise Mayrina’s husband Connor. To no one’s surprise, he’s a zombie. You can then give Mayrina the wand and she’ll head to Baldur’s Gate with him. She’s determined to find a cure. Note that this breaks the Paladin Oath of Ancients.
• You could choose to keep Mayrina’s husband for yourself. This lets you summon a zombie with the new Second Marriage wand. Hilarious. Mayrina will also be upset.

✓ Antony’s annotation

Remember that these choices will affect Mayrina and Auntie Ethel in Act 2

You’ll find this hag once more later in the game so be mindful of your choices.

Auntie Ethel in Act 2 explained

You’ll meet Mayrina again in Act 2 at Old Galow’s Place. This is in the Lower City region of Baldur’s Gate. Here’s how to get to Baldur’s Gate in Baldur’s Gate 3. She’ll be a sheep and you can revert her to her human form with the Remove Curse spell. Shadowheart should have this spell.

Saving Marina and defeating Jatlo here lets you take a book in the wall safe. This initiates the Help the Hag survivors quest in BG3. Completing this quest nets you the Fey Semblance Amulet and the Ring of Feywild Sparks.

That’s everything you need to know about how to beat Auntie Ethel in Baldur’s Gate 3. Check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 Search the Cellar guide for more neat rewards. And if you’re looking to learn more about the main quests, check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 Acts guide.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Auntie Ethel FAQ

How to resurrect Mayrina husband?

Use the Bitter Divorce wand to resurrect Connor in BG3.

Should I give Auntie Ethel my eye?

Don’t do it as it gives you a disadvantage on perception checks in Baldur’s Gate 3.