Baldur's Gate 3: How To Easily Win Any Encounter With Barrels

The environment is one of your best resources in Baldur’s Gate 3 and barrels can become one of your most powerful weapons. Often, you’ll encounter areas of the map that are packed with explosive barrels — if you’re strong enough, your party members can carry these heavy barrels and use them in combat. Instead of relying on predetermined locations, we can set our own traps and absolutely devastate big bosses. Even late-game bosses can be killed (or severely weakened) in the first turn by setting down Smokepowder Barrels.

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Use Barrels To Destroy Tough Bosses

Smokepowder Barrels are one of the most powerful (and easy-to-acquire) weapons for devastating bosses in Baldur’s Gate 3. They’re extremely heavy — and often useful for the areas they appear in. But, if you’re willing to save the barrels and use them later, you can absolutely devastate bosses in the opening turn.

How To Use Smokepowder Barrels: When you encounter one of these barrels, right-click and Send To Camp. Or you can carry it with you in your inventory. Barrels are extremely heavy, but characters with high Strength like Karlach can easily carry one or several barrels.
Smokepowder Barrels weigh 26 kilograms each, making them one of the heaviest things you can carry in your inventory.
Smokepowder Barrels deal 4d4+18 Force damage in a wide area. Place multiple next to each other or next to a boss, and then set off one with an arrow or spell to create a chain reaction that will kill any boss instantly — if you bring enough barrels and can set them up before the battle begins.

After collecting a Barrel, place it next to the boss or enemy you’re about to fight. This doesn’t work for every encounter — but many encounters will let you explore the arena before initiating the fight. Or, if the enemy comes to you, save before battle, then reload and place the barrel pre-emptively where your opponent appears. Smokepowder Barrels are excessively powerful, but all explosive barrels are powerful. Oil Barrels, Firewine Barrels and others are devastating against bosses.

Where To Find Smokepowder Barrels: Barrels can be found in large quantities in the Zhentarim Hideout and in the Goblin Camp -> Shattered Sanctum. These barrels are surprisingly common if you keep an eye out for them.

Zhentarim Hideout: There are at least 8 Smokepowder Barrels in the Zhentarim Hideout. This area is accessed through Waukeen’s Rest — at the burned tavern, go to the northernmost barn. There, you’ll encounter a lookout. If you completed the ‘Find the Missing Shipment‘ quest by helping the Zhentarim, you’ll be allowed inside. Otherwise, you’ll have to fight your way in.

Goblin Camp: Inside the Shattered Sanctum, there’s a chamber filled with Smokepowder Barrels and Firewine Barrels. The entrance is to the left as you enter the first large chamber of the Shattered Sanctum. The room is guarded by mercenaries — but it is possible to convince them to leave, or simply wipe them out and collect the barrels for later. There are 6 Smokepowder Barrels and 7 Firewine Barrels.

Rosymorn Monastery: Go to the front entrance and enter the ruined winery to the left through a broken window. This area is populated by Kobold looters. There are many more Firewine Barrels you can take here. We were able to loot 8 Firewine Barrels here.

Remember, when collecting barrels, you can Send To Camp by right-clicking in your inventory so you’ll have them ready for future encounters. You don’t need to carry them around with you. Sent to Camp, then collect 7-8 when you need them for an annoying fight. These are best used when dealing with enemies / bosses that don’t initiate the fight immediately — any of the Goblin Camp Leaders, Balthazar, the Githyanki, and so on.