Summary
The mage Elminster Aumar is one of the most famous characters in the Forgotten RealmsDungeons and Dragonssetting. InBaldur’s Gate 3,he shows up briefly as part of the wizard Gale’s companion story, bringing Gale a message from the goddess Mystra. But beforeBaldur’s Gate 3and his mentorship of Gale, the mysterious and powerful wizard occasionally dropped by to provide hints and advice forBaldur’s Gate 1and2’sadventuring party.
Baldur’s Gate: The Mysterious Old Man
Elminster was a friend of Gorion, the foster father ofBaldur’s Gate 1and2’sprotagonist. It was Elminster who warned Gorion that the BhaalspawnSarevok Anchevwas targeting his ward. After Gorion’s death, Elminster occasionally shows up to give hints to the party. In Chapter 1 of the game, he is encountered simply as a “Mysterious Old Man,” but future meetings correctly label him as Elminster.
All of Gorion’s Ward’s meetings with Elminster himself are beneficial, as the wizard congratulates the party for their accomplishments and gives hints about possible next steps. However, in Chapter 6 of the game, when the party visits the scholarly enclave of Candlekeep, a GreaterDoppelganger inBaldur’s Gatedisguises itself as Elminster in order to attack the party. Fortunately, the Doppelganger, although a powerful enemy, does not have access to Elminster’s repertory of spells.
Killing Elminster InBaldur’s Gate
Like many other non-hostile NPCs, Elminster can be attacked by the party. Killing him can be beneficial, as he awards 26,000 EXP upon defeat. However, due to his high level and habit of immediately teleporting away, actually defeating Elminster can be quite tricky. Popular strategies include:
Baldur’s Gate 2: “Terminsel”
Elminster only shows up in person inBaldur’s Gate 2in Jaheira’s personal quest. The druid will be conflicted about remaining as a Harper after the brutal death of her husband Khalid. After uncovering corruption within the ranks of the Harpers, she will ultimately renounce membership in the organization. However, several in-game days after Jaheira does this, a mage named “Terminsel” will show up and question her convictions.
If the player’s Reputation is above 10, and they are romancingBG2’s Jaheira(only available to male humans, elves, halflings, and half-elves), Jaheira receives the Harper Pin item and is restored to the Harpers. The player also gains 100,000 EXP. If Jaheira is not romanced, the requirement to gain the Harper Pin is 15 Reputation, and the player does not gain any experience. “Terminsel” is an anagram for Elminster, although it is never confirmed why he chooses to use a false name during this time.
Throne of Bhaal
Elminster also appears briefly duringThrone of Bhaal,an expansion toBaldur’s Gate 2.He shows up in Chapter 9 after players have defeated four members of the group of Bhaalspawn known as “the Five.” He shares information about Balthazar, the final member, with the player. As is typical for Elminster, he acknowledges that Balthazar is a serious threat, but refuses to help out the player directly, only offering his typical cryptic advice.
Notably, Elminster can also be killed for large amounts of EXP during his brief appearances in the secondBaldur’s Gategame, although he knows a high number of powerful spells and will not hesitate to use them against the party. InBaldur’s Gate 2,he can potentially drop powerful items including the Bracers of Defense AC+6 and the Spirit’s Shield cloak. Unfortunately,Baldur’s Gate 1and2players hoping to reuse this exploit when he shows up to adviseGale inBaldur’s Gate 3were disappointed to find that this time the great mage was only a projection and yielded no rewards when defeated.
