Baldur's Gate 3 has one magnificent quest that involves a merchant, a classic Dungeons & Dragons' Green Hag, a damsel in distress, a sinister bog of eternal stench, a witch's lair with masked slaves, and a veritable treasure trove of mysterious loot. A significant part of this loot is an intriguing selection of unique potions brewed by old Auntie Ethel herself. Bottled in handmade clay flasks and tagged with names and descriptions as enticing as they are sinister, it's tempting to begin consuming them to find out what each of them does.

True adventurers might be itching to try Auntie Ethel's concoctions -- or at the very least, to drop them on their enemies. However, going through ten bottles might be too much, even for the thirstiest of characters. Here's a guide to which of Auntie Ethel's potions are safe (and even beneficial) and which ones will maim the player character forevermore. With Baldur's Gate 3 now available across all major platforms, it's important to get up to speed before taking such a big risk.

Updated on January 25, 2024 by Jennifer Melzer: Auntie Ethel is a brilliant NPC who can be easily missed if players aren't paying attention while visiting the Druid Grove in Act 1. She presents herself as a sweet, little old lady out plying her goods, but beneath her cunning exterior lurks a sinister danger that even the most experienced adventurers will try to avoid. As a powerful Hag, Auntie Ethel is definitely up to no good. Players who choose to stand against her and save the human girl Mayrina from her own folly will first have to find her, and following Auntie Ethel into her lair is incredibly dangerous. Fortunately, the greater the risk, the more handsome the reward.

Who Is Auntie Ethel In Baldur's Gate 3, and Where Can She Be Found?

Auntie Ethel's Stat Block

Auntie Ethel is a powerful NPC merchant and possible boss characters can encounter in the Druid Grove and the Sunlit Wetlands. Upon first meeting her in the Druid Grove, she presents herself as a concerned auntie figure, noticing something is wrong with the player character and offering to help them get rid of their parasite. While certain classes can sense almost immediately that there is something strange about the little old healer, there are also options to trade with her for a bevvy of potions that include Corelion's Grace, Hill Giant Strength, Healing and more. Since communication with her in the Druid Grove is generally convivial, take advantage of the opportunity to trade, and follow up by meeting her at her home in the swamps.

Depending on the interaction with her before reaching her home, the Riverside Teahouse in the Sunlit Wetlands, leaping at the chance to follow her into her lair will lead to some incredible rewards. That includes a collection of highly useful potions that will come in handy as the party journeys into Acts 2 and 3. If rising to the challenge of a boss encounter with her in the Overgrown Tunnel, take heed: As a Hag of the Feywild, Auntie Ethel has plenty of tricks up her sleeve, so be wary of crossing her.

Where to Find Auntie Ethel's Potion Stash

All of Auntie Ethel's Potions

Upon first meeting Auntie Ethel in the Druid Grove, she makes it clear that she doesn't have any of her most powerful potions with her. This prompts an invite back to her home, but even there she won't have the good stock on offer when trading with her. The truly potent elixirs are hidden away, and won't be discovered until after venturing through her terrifying lair and defeating her. Coming upon her Hag Lair at the back of her dismal tunnels, players will find a virtual treasure trove of goodies that include the Bitter Divorce Wand, the Staff of Crones and a collection of potions that offer a myriad of effects. Some of them are safe for consumption, while others could very well curse or permanently debuff whoever guzzles them down.

Which of Auntie Ethel's Potions Are Safe to Consume?

A Mother's Loathing

This potion grants the drinker the gift of Bite, a powerful, rechargeable attack that does 2d4 piercing damage and which can be used once per turn. The effects last until the next long rest. Although it's a fun extra for players who want to pretend that they are vampires, it works best stacked with Astarion's more powerful Vampiric Bite.

Heart of Stone

This is powerful little potion that prevents Poison Damage until the next rest. Curiously, one of the ingredients is malachite, a mineral that can be easily found in Early Access, which is described as an amulet that parents give children to ward them from nightmares. While it may not longer be as significant in the full-release, this potion's ingredients seem to suggest that nightmares may just be poison.

Auntie Ethel's Temporary Debuff Potions Are Safe to Consume, but Better When Thrown at Enemies

Wilted Dreams

In theory, Wilted Dreams does 3d6 of Psychic Damage during the player's next long rest, but in practice the effects have not been implemented yet. However, its name suggests that it might interact with the player's tadpole character (the Dream Lover). Those who have little faith in their Dream Lover might get a kick out of drinking this potion, and one can't help wondering if it wouldn't be enough to potentially prevent the Dark Urge player character from murderously lashing out in their sleep.

Lost Time

Depending on the player's class, the effects of Lost Time might be devastating during the next combat. Lost time slows the character down, reducing their armor class by two, and prohibiting their ability to take reactions during combat for the duration of 50 turns. That may seem like a long time, but it's really only five minutes. In combat, ten rounds of fighting last for approximately one minute. Instead of drinking it, toss it into the fray to stop an enemy in their tracks. This potion is an incredibly valuable asset in big battles, like facing off against those nasty shadows while guarding Halsin's portal to the Shadowrealm in Act 2, or taking out Astarion's vampire master in Act 3.

Faltering Will

Whatever the player does, they should avoid drinking "Faltering Will" before facing any enemies that may target Wisdom during combat. Drinking this potion gives a disadvantage on Wisdom Saving Throws until the next rest. The beauty in this is that magic users who rely on Wisdom to cast their spells, like clerics, will have advantage on attack rolls against creatures suffering from this effect. That makes Faltering Will another great potion to hold onto until going up against an enemy who needs their Wisdom to survive.

Stillborn

An, incredibly destructive poison, Stillborn will make the drinker hemorrhage for four turns and suffer 1d6 piercing damage at the end of each turn. Since staying alive is the end goal, this potion is best kept for enemies. Perhaps it could make Orin the Red slightly less intimidating for a few rounds of combat.

Insanity's Kiss

Another Auntie Ethel classic, this potion acts like a short-term mask, making the drinker turn extremely hostile to all other creatures in the vicinity. Lasting five rounds, the highly destructive player could potentially take out their entire party without actually meaning to. Throwing it into combat from a distance could be beneficial, but the targeted enemy becomes hostile to all creatures in its vicinity. It's best to chuck this into a horde of enemies that aren't currently surrounded by allies.

Missing Pets

This potion causes one of the mildest debuffs, but the thought of it alone is enough to make the skin crawl. As illusory spiders climb over the drinker's body, the character gains disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls for three turns.

These Auntie Ethel Potions Curse the Drinker, So Beware

Broken Promises

Broken Promises is a deceptive potion: upon drinking it, the character will immediately gain two Strength, which will last until their next long rest. For characters with little strength, this might seem like a blessing, until they take a long rest. After a long rest, the STR score decreases indefinitely by 1, which is a huge problem in a game where so many fights can be won by throwing your enemies off a cliff. Fortunately, this curse can be negated by the Level 3 Abjuration spell: Remove Curse.

Lover's Avarice

While it's said this potion smells sweet like roses and honey, there is an underlying stench of rot that's impossible to miss. For those who do miss the subtle aroma of decay, this is one potion you don't want to drink under any circumstances. Lover's Avarice will permanently decrease the character's Wisdom by one. As with Faltering Will, you especially do not want to drink this right before confronting enemies that target Wisdom, or if your character uses Wisdom to cast their attacks. This potion can also be thrown to create a harmful effect on an enemy, so rather than guzzling it down to see what happens, maybe toss it at someone who really deserves it, like Ketheric Thorm. The effects of Lover's Avarice are a curse, so they can be removed with the aforementioned Abjuration spell.