All Bernard Questions, Answers, & Rewards in Baldur's Gate 3

In Baldur's Gate 3, deep in the Underdark, stands an abandoned Arcane Tower guarded by a construct called Bernard. Created by Lenore, Bernard is programmed to respond to specific poetic phrases. You can ask Bernard five unique questions, with four of them rewarding you with items, and one turning him hostile.

To unlock these questions in your dialogue with Bernard, you must first discover the five corresponding pieces of writing scattered across the various floors of the Arcane Tower. Here's how to find all five books in the Arcane Tower, along with the questions you can ask Bernard and the rewards associated with each.

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Updated on April 2, 2026, by Nahda Nabiilah: The Arcane Tower is one of the many mysteries of the Underdark in BG3. There are multiple floors to explore, and some contain valuable loot. Players can also collect some alchemical ingredients for the Mind Flayer in the Myconid Colony to try to get rid of the Tadpole. If you decide to take care of the robot at the top of the Arcane Tower, you should come prepared, especially if it's Honour Mode.

All Bernard Poetry Books & Their Locations In The Arcane Tower - BG3

The abandoned Arcane Tower hides many magical secrets, including rings, scrolls, and consumables awaiting your discovery. Among the rows of books and magical trinkets, you can also find five poetry pieces, each unlocking a unique dialogue with Bernard. Below is a list of all poetry books and their locations in the Arcane Tower:

Floor 3: This floor is guarded by two Arcane Turrets. The book Evil's Ascent can be found on the northern pedestal. This book unlocks the hostile dialogue option with Bernard, so avoid selecting it until you’ve received all possible rewards or if you wish to initiate combat with a surprise round.
Floor 2: On the northern bookshelf, you’ll find the Threadbare Book, which unlocks another dialogue option with Bernard.
Floor 4: A torn-out piece of paper etched with some poetry can be found on a table southeast of the elevator.
Floor 4: Another book, The Road to Darkness, is located in the southeastern corner of the floor, unlocking yet another dialogue with Bernard.
Top Floor: The final poem can be read from the Patched Parchment, found on a southeastern table in the room where Bernard and other constructs await.

All Bernard Questions, Responses & Rewards In The Arcane Tower

As you reach the top floor, Bernard will greet you with a question, which is essentially a stanza from one of the books you read earlier. To avoid Bernard turning hostile, you must choose the following response:

"Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?"

Once Bernard accepts you as Lenore, you can interact with him and select the following dialogue choices to receive their associated rewards or turn the construct hostile:

Dialogue	Reward/Result
"How can I trust? How will I ever know? /How can I show myself, my darkest me?"	Guiding Light Ring
"These empty sheets are all that's left of you. /It's crawling t'wards the surface to survive"	Potion of Greater Healing
"The silence stretches on - I'm all alone. / Please, can I hold your hands, for just a while?"	Bernard hugs you (no buffs)
"There is a light in every living thing. / It's crawling t'wards the surface to survive."	Bernard and nearby constructs turn hostile.

Equipping the Guiding Light Ring reveals a new button on the elevator, unlocking access to the basement of the Arcane Tower.

How To Reach The Arcane Tower Basement In Baldur's Gate 3

As mentioned before, players can equip the Guiding Light Ring to reach the secret floor, which is the basement. However, there are other methods to enter the secret floor if players can't get the ring or wish not to interact with Bernared.

After activating the Arcane Tower by using the Sussur Bloom, climb the first set of stairs and stay on the wooden platform. By angling the camera at the correct angle, there should be a gap between the railing and the wall. Here are a couple of methods to reach the basement without the ring:

Simply jump and take damage.
Use Misty Step to teleport down.
Use a Fly potion or scroll to fly down.
Summon a Mage Hand down to pull the lever.
Shoot an arrow at the lever from a certain angle.
Pull the hidden lever near a bookcase on the 4th floor.

In the basement, you can pick up the Staff Of Arcane Blessing and The Sparkswall as well as some Tongue of Madness and Timmask Spores to give to Omeluum.

Bernard Fight Combat Tips In Baldur's Gate 3

If you choose the wrong dialogue option with Bernard or simply wish to fight him, here are some things to keep in mind. The construct is highly resistant to all melee damage, as well as fire, lightning, acid, and psychic damage. Bernard can use his Light of Creation to multiattack a target, dealing both slashing and lightning damage. He can also use his bonus action to cast Static Overdrive, which creates an aura around him that buffs the rest of the constructs and hurts enemies.

Players who are fighting Bernard on Tactician need to look out for his Alert and Magical Plate conditions, which mean he can't be surprised, and all incoming damage is reduced by one.

As for those on Honour, Bernard has a Legendary Action and an extra attack. Once per round, the construct can use his Legendary Action to cast Leaping Static on a target, dealing lightning damage and shooting three extra random targets within 6 m to 20 ft.

Another great method to quickly take care of Bernard is by using gravity to your advantage. This requires choosing the correct answer when speaking with Bernard as it will make the construct move close to the window near the other Animated Armours. Use a spell like Thunderwave or Scroll of Gust of Wind to push Bernard and the other two constructs out of the window. If it fails, you can reload the save, unless you're on Honour then you need to either flee or continue the fight.

What Does Bernard Drop When Killed?

Bernard is a level 5 construct and can be fairly challenging if you're under-leveled. Enemies at this level gain an extra attack each round, which can make short work of an ill-prepared party.

Regardless, you can acquire the following rewards upon defeating Bernard:

Light of Creation : An uncommon glaive with a chance to stun its wielder when attacking anything other than constructs.
Guiding Light : An uncommon ring that lets the wearer cast the Light cantrip. Equipping the ring also reveals a hidden elevator button in the Arcane Tower, granting access to the basement.
Antique Key: Unlocks the front gate of the Arcane Tower.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 97%

Released: August 3, 2023
ESRB: Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s): Larian Studios
Publisher(s): Larian Studios