How to Beat Kar'niss

Kar'niss is a boss in the Shadow-Cursed Lands in Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3). Read on to learn how to beat him and where to find him in the game!

How to Beat Kar'niss

How to Beat Kar'niss
Join the Harpers
Get into position before the fight
Stay hidden until the goblin dies
Kill the weaker enemies first
Provide Healing and Buffs
Apply Debuffs on Kar'niss
Consider Playing in Explorer Difficulty

Join the Harpers

You can join the Harpers in the camp to ambush Kar'niss and his party, including the ones you saved during the fight against shadow when you take the Underdark (Grymforge) route to the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

You can only do this if you get to the Last Light Inn first through the Underdark Path, preventing Isobel's abduction or death, and before going to the small camp near the Mountain Pass route. Breaking one of these conditions will cause this option to become unavailable.

How to Join the Harpers

• Get to the Shadow-Cursed Lands via the Underdark route.
• Help the Harpers on the way and go with them to Last Light Inn. It's better to immediately expose Marcus once you reach Last Light Inn, as it will be easier to protect Isobel later.
• Talk to Jaheira inside and tell your story. You can tell the truth or lie to her, Deception Skill Check (DC6), about the parasite in your head. Whatever you choose won't affect her answers.
• Go upstairs and meet Isobel. She will give a blessing to fight the curse lingering in the Shadow-Cursed Land. After that, Marcus and Winged Horrors will appear and try to kidnap Isobel. Kill them all and prevent Isobel from getting kidnapped or dying. The order of this part will go in reverse if you don't expose Marcus after you reach Last Light Inn.
• Meet the Harpers by the entrance and join them in the ambush. The purpose of that is to get a Moon Lantern that will help you get inside Moonrise Towers.

Get into Position Before the Fight

You can position your characters before starting the ambush against Kar'niss and his team. Place your ranged attackers and support on the roof to gain the High Ground advantage and your front liners on the ground to help the Harpers going toe-to-toe with Kar'niss.

You can initiate the ambush by talking to the Harpers below, preferably the ones you positioned near them to avoid messing the formation.

Stay Hidden Until the Goblin Dies

There will be dialogue options during your ambush against Kar'niss. Keep staying hidden until Kar'niss attacks and kills the goblin, so there's one less enemy when you fight them. Signal the Harper's to fight after that and begin the fight.

Kill the Weaker Enemies first

Kar'niss will cast Sanctuary on himself, making him invulnerable for one turn in the first turn cycle. You should focus on the weaker enemies and reduce their numbers to make the boss fight easier.

You can kill them faster and without Kar'niss joining if you have a Hold Person (Spell/Scroll) or a Drow Poison to keep him in place after his Sanctuary ends!

Provide Healing and Buffs

Kar'niss is a deadly enemy regardless of the difficulty. Use healing and buffs to strengthen your characters to help them survive the fight. Also, consider giving them on the Harpers as well to keep them going in battle.

You can focus on doing this if Kar'niss is the only one left and if he activates Sanctuary to protect himself!

Apply Debuffs on Kar'niss

Apply all and any debuffs your party can apply to Kar'niss, so you can eliminate him faster. Debuffs that can restrict his movement or make Kar'niss skip a turn are better, as they can make everyone attack him without him retaliating!

Consider Playing in Explorer Difficulty

If your team is low-level and doesn't have a better gear yet, it's best to tune down the difficulty to Explorer Difficulty. Explorer Difficulty reduces the HP and damage of the enemies, including Kar'niss!
Best Difficulty Settings and Differences

How to Find Kar'niss

Progress through the Shadow-Cursed Lands

You can only find Kar'niss in the Ruined Battlefield near the Shadowed Battelfied waypoint of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. You can get there through the Underdark or the Mountain Pass and officially enter the 2nd Act of the game!

Note that progressing through the Shadow-Cursed Lands will make most of the quests in Act 1 conclude without getting the rewards for them. Consider doing them first before going here to ensure that you have decent gear and level heading into the Act 2!

How to Get to the Shadow-Cursed Lands:
Mountain Path vs Underdark

Follow the Infiltrate the Moonrise Towers Questline

You will eventually meet Kar'niss if you follow the Infiltrate the Moonrise Towers questline, as he holds an item that will help you enter the Moonrise Towers. You can follow it and possibly obtain a few companions and items that can help you with the fight!

Baldur's Gate 3 Related Guides

List of All Bosses

Act 1 Bosses

Act 2 Bosses

Act 3 Bosses