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Exploring the world of Baldur’s Gate 3 leads to many discoveries, and you’re likely to find more in the Lower City during the game’s third act. There, you have to help Jaheira as she looks for an old comrade. Our Baldur’s Gate 3 Counting House Vault guide discusses the code required to open the massive door, as well as what you’ll find therein. Likewise, please be reminded that this article contains spoilers.
Table of Contents [hide]How to Open the Counting House Vault in Baldur’s Gate 3Meeting Nine-Fingers’ GangEntering the Counting HouseHow to Get the Vault Codes in the Head Banker’s OfficeThe Cat OptionCounting House Vault SolutionMinsc and the Bhaal Cultists
How to Open the Counting House Vault in Baldur’s Gate 3
The Baldur’s Gate 3 Counting House Vault is located along the southern portion of the Lower City. The coordinates are: -98; -148. Bear in mind, however, that we did this objective with Jaheira as part of our team. That means you have to recruit Jaheira and keep her alive during Act 2. As of now, we’re uncertain how the quest will turn out if she’s not with you. Perhaps you’ll just miss out on some notable interactions.
Meeting Nine-Fingers’ Gang
We did the Baldur’s Gate 3 Counting House Vault objective as part of Jaheira’s The High Harper quest. Here’s a quick summary:
Once you reach the Lower City, make your way to coordinates 62; -101. Convince the thugs in this area that you’re here to meet their leader. This shows you the Revealed Entrance.Inside, Jaheira and Nine-Fingers Keene, the gang leader, will have a chat. It’s mentioned that the Stone Lord, a rival thug that everyone fears, is none other than Minsc, Jaheira’s old comrade from the previous games.Nine-Fingers Keene won’t tell you more. As such, read the note on the desk beside her bed. You’ll learn that Minsc is heading to the Counting House, and an ambush has been prepared for him.
Entering the Counting House
As mentioned earlier, the Baldur’s Gate 3 Counting House can be found in the southern portion (i.e. -98; -148 on the minimap). Inside, talk to Head Clerk Meadhoney and pass the Intimidation, Persuasion, or Deception checks. He’ll give you a pass that lets you enter the vault area.
You’ll notice small vaults, some of which are protected by magic. Our goal, however, is the one at the end of the corridor. This Baldur’s Gate 3 Counting House Vault puzzle requires a four-digit code, and we need to find out what it is.
How to Get the Vault Codes in the Head Banker’s Office
The vault code is in the Head Banker’s Office, which is on the second floor of the building. Unfortunately, two sentries are guarding it. If you get spotted, you have to pass a DC25 skill check, and you’d end up getting booted back to the entrance. Otherwise, you’ll have to risk a fight.
To get this sorted out, we simply used Astarion, since he has the highest Stealth and Sleight of Hand skills in our team. Here’s what we did:
Make sure the party is ungrouped, then cast the Greater Invisibility spell on Astarion so he can cross the hallway undetected.Lockpick the door and enter the Head Banker’s Office. Read a book that tells you of an event that happened in the year 1356. That means the code is 1-3-5-6.If your Greater Invisibility spell has run its course, select Astarion and fast travel to another location in the Lower City. Have the rest of your squad reunite with him, and go back inside the bank.
The Cat Option
Alternatively, if you have the aforementioned Jaheira or another Druid in your squad, you’ll be able to use Wild Shape Cat. This causes your character to transform into a small bundle of cuteness.
While the cat’s Meow action can distract enemies, we’re going to focus more on its traversal benefits. In this specific instance, you can go to the lower level just prior to the steps that lead to the vault (i.e. where the guards asked for your documents). There’s a small storage room here, which also happens to have a pipe. Since a cat is small enough, interacting with the pipe causes them to reach the Head Banker’s Office on the second floor.
Counting House Vault Solution
Return to the Counting House Vault in Baldur’s Gate 3 and take note of the floor panels. Each one corresponds to a number. You need to input 1-3-5-6 in the correct order without stepping on other plates.
For this, we simply ungrouped our party, before moving them individually next to the corresponding plates. Then, we had each person step on the plates in the correct order. This was mostly to prevent mishaps, especially since characters might move in the wrong direction due to pathing issues as you’re clicking on the map. In any case, you can see the solution in the image below:
Minsc and the Bhaal Cultists
Enter the vault and be ready for a fight. Minsc sees Jaheira with you. Unfortunately, it seems that he’s not himself. Suddenly, several Bhaalspawn Cultists emerge. They’re quite dangerous, too, since they can turn invisible, and they have abilities that can stun their targets. Moreover, some of them will have Sanctuary active when first spotted. That means you can’t attack them at all, and you need to wait for them to make their move.
All in all, this battle shouldn’t cause too many issues, especially if your team is well-prepared. If Jaheira’s with you, you can have her cast Ice Storm (just don’t let the bank guards get damaged due to the AoE).
Once all the hostiles have been defeated, collect your loot. You may also open a chest inside the main vault, which contains the Elegant Studded Leather: 14 AC; +2 bonus to Initiative; advantage on Stealth checks; additional Shield spell.
That does it for the Counting House Vault and your first meeting with Minsc in Baldur’s Gate 3. Further onward, you have to get to the bottom of the killings that are happening in the city. Naturally, you’ll also have a shot at recruiting Minsc once you reach the sewers.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is filled to the brim with activities and secrets. You’ll no doubt be part of an adventure that can take countless hours to complete. For other tips, you can visit our BG3 guides hub.
