The Blighted Village in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a treasure trove of early-game secrets, but none are as iconic or potentially lethal as the talking glass found deep beneath the Apothecary’s house. Encountering the Ornate Mirror is a pivotal moment in the "Search the Cellar" quest, serving as a magical sentry that guards a forbidden laboratory. Getting the answers wrong doesn't just lock you out; it triggers a defensive mechanism that can set your entire party on fire or summon a flaming sphere to hunt you down.

Navigating this interaction requires a mix of historical knowledge, medical intuition, and a bit of roleplay. This guide breaks down every correct response for the Ornate Mirror and explains how to maximize the rewards waiting behind it.

Finding the Apothecary’s Hidden Entrance

Before you can argue with a magical mirror, you have to find it. The journey begins in the Blighted Village. Look for the Apothecary’s shop, which is the building directly to the east of the village waypoint, recognizable by the many dried herbs hanging from the ceiling. Behind the main counter, there is a wooden hatch on the floor. Opening this hatch leads you into the first level of the cellar.

Once downstairs, the room looks like a standard storage area filled with potions and ingredients. To progress, head to the northern wall. You will see a large wooden bookcase. To the left of this bookcase are several crates. Moving these crates reveals a hidden lever. Pulling this lever causes the bookcase to slide aside, revealing a secret passage.

Proceed through the tunnel, but stay alert. You will enter a cavernous area filled with wooden caskets. It is highly recommended to avoid interacting with these caskets until you have dealt with the mirror, as opening them will trigger a fight with several guardian skeletons. At the far end of this cavern stands the Ornate Mirror, glowing with a faint, spectral light.

Correct Ornate Mirror BG3 Answers

When you click on the mirror, a ghostly face appears. It is programmed to only allow allies of its master, the necromancer Ilyn Toth, to pass. You must convince it that you belong in the laboratory by selecting specific dialogue options. While some classes have unique flair, the logic remains the same across all playthroughs.

Question 1: Speak your name.

The Correct Choice: "Tell it your name."

Analysis: While you might have found a journal mentioning the name "Ilyn Toth," do not attempt to claim you are the master himself unless you want to roll a high-difficulty Deception check. The mirror is ancient but perceptive; telling it your actual name is the safest path, as it then moves on to verify your alignment rather than your identity.

Question 2: If you are known to my master, step forward and declare yourself an ally.

The Correct Choice: "Yes, an ally! I’m an ally of your master’s."

Analysis: This is a straightforward confirmation. Avoid any options that express confusion or hostility. The mirror’s primary directive is to filter out intruders, so confirming your status as an ally is mandatory to continue the "test."

Question 3: What think you of the Zulkir known as Szass Tam?

The Correct Choice: "Szass Tam is a foul, wretched creature" or "A foul lich. May he die a thousand more deaths."

Analysis: This question tests your knowledge of Thay’s political landscape. Szass Tam is the tyrannical undead ruler of the Red Wizards of Thay. The master of this cellar, Ilyn Toth, was a defector or an enemy of Szass Tam. Therefore, expressing hatred for the Lich King proves you share the master’s ideology. If you praise Szass Tam, the mirror will immediately identify you as an agent of the state and attack.

Question 4: Tell me, why might one use balsam ointment?

The Correct Choice: "To clean a wound?" or "I read a doctor’s journal—he used balsam to clean a wound."

Analysis: This is a lore-based check. If you thoroughly explored the upper floor of the Apothecary’s house, you might have read a ledger mentioning balsam’s use for cleaning wounds. Even without the book, choosing the medical option is the only logical answer. Options involving burns or rashes are incorrect and will lead to a failure.

Question 5: If you could see anything in me, what would it be?

The Correct Choice: "I’d look for whatever spell will rid me of this worm in my head."

Analysis: This is perhaps the most critical part of the conversation. The mirror is looking for an answer that reflects a pursuit of power or a desperate need that aligns with the dark magic stored within the lab. Mentioning the Mindflayer parasite is the "Goldilocks" answer—it shows you are driven and have a reason to seek the forbidden knowledge behind the glass. Do not choose "I’d see the ones I love" or "I’d see my enemies suffering," as the mirror deems these answers either too sentimental or too petty for a true student of the arcane.

Class-Specific and Alternative Methods

Baldur’s Gate 3 rewards players for their specific character builds. If you find the standard questions tedious, you can utilize your class skills to bypass them.

  • Barbarians and Strength-based characters: You can choose to intimidate the mirror. A DC 15 Intimidation check allows you to threaten to smash the mirror into seven years of bad luck. If successful, the mirror becomes terrified and opens simply to avoid destruction.
  • Warlocks and Wizards: These classes often get Arcana-based checks to see through the mirror’s illusion. Identifying the magic as a simple construct can sometimes skip certain questions or provide more context on why Szass Tam is the wrong answer to support.
  • Sorcerers: Sorcerers can sense the innate magic of the mirror and may use their Charisma to "coerce" the magic into opening without following the strict questionnaire.

What Happens If You Fail?

If you provide an incorrect answer, the Ornate Mirror will label you an intruder. It will scream "Intruder!" and activate a trap. Usually, this involves a Flaming Sphere being summoned in the cramped cavern. Simultaneously, the skeletons in the caskets behind you will rise to defend the laboratory. This turns a simple puzzle into a two-front combat encounter where you are trapped in a small space with a heavy-hitting fire summon. If you fail, it is often better to reload a save, unless you are looking for the XP from the skeleton fight.

Exploring the Secret Laboratory

Once the mirror swings open, you gain access to the true prize. The laboratory is filled with high-value alchemy ingredients and scrolls, but there are two items of particular note:

1. The Bracers of Defence

Inside a chest in the main lab area, you will find these rare bracers. They provide a +2 bonus to Armor Class (AC) as long as the wearer is not wearing armor or a shield. This is an essential item for Monks, Barbarians (using Unarmored Defense), or Wizards who rely on Mage Armor. It is widely considered one of the best early-game defensive items in Baldur’s Gate 3.

2. The Necromancy of Thay

Behind a locked gate (which is heavily trapped with pressure plates), you will find a book bound in human skin with a screaming face on the cover. This is the Necromancy of Thay.

To truly unlock the secrets of this book, you cannot just read it immediately. You need a specific key—the Dark Amethyst. This gem is found in the Whispering Depths, the cavern system located beneath the well in the center of the Blighted Village. You will have to defeat (or sneak past) the Phase Spider Matriarch to claim it.

The Consequences of the Necromancy of Thay

Once you have both the book and the amethyst, you can choose to open it. This triggers a series of difficult Wisdom Saving Throws.

  • Success: If you pass the checks, the reader gains the "Speak with Dead" spell permanently and a passive buff called "Forbidden Knowledge," which gives a +1 bonus to Wisdom Saving Throws and Ability Checks.
  • Failure: Failing the saves can result in permanent debuffs, such as "Whispers of Madness," which penalizes your Wisdom scores.
  • Future Utility: Keep the book. In Act 3, once you reach the Sorcerous Sundries in Lower City, you can find a follow-up book that allows you to fully finish reading the Necromancy of Thay. This grants the "Danse Macabre" spell, allowing you to summon several ghouls at once to fight for you. It is one of the most powerful necromancy spells available to a player character.

Tactical Advice for the Cellar

If you intend to loot everything, follow this order of operations to ensure safety:

  1. Enter the cellar and pull the lever. Do not touch the coffins yet.
  2. Speak to the mirror. Use the answers provided above to gain entry peacefully.
  3. Loot the laboratory. Be very careful of the pressure plates in front of the Necromancy of Thay. Use a character with high Sleight of Hand (like Astarion) to disarm the traps before picking up the book.
  4. The Exit Lever. There is a lever on the wall inside the lab that opens a stone door leading back to the entrance of the cellar. This creates a shortcut so you don't have to walk back through the skeleton cavern.
  5. Dealing with the Skeletons. If you want the experience points, you can now go back and attack the skeletons on your own terms. Use bludgeoning damage (maces, warhammers) as skeletons are vulnerable to it, making the fight much easier.

Summary of Key Information

To recap, the specific sequence to bypass the Ornate Mirror in BG3 is: Tell name -> Ally -> Szass Tam is a foul lich -> Balsam cleans wounds -> Seek the spell to remove the parasite.

This encounter is a perfect example of how Baldur’s Gate 3 weaves lore into its mechanics. By understanding the history of the Red Wizards and the motivations of a rogue necromancer, you turn a potential death trap into the foundation of a powerful character build. Whether you keep the Necromancy of Thay for yourself or give it to a companion like Gale or Astarion, the secrets hidden behind that mirror are well worth the effort of getting the answers right.