A Shield can provide a huge boost to a character’s Armor Class in Baldur’s Gate 3, but an Adamantine variant has even more properties as a rare magic item you can get. You’ll have to gather certain items in a fiery forge that may be molded into this Adamantine Shield as you travel through a dangerous dungeon. However, only party members with a proficiency in Shields can wield this type of armor.
The Adamantine Shield provides a +2 bonus to a character’s Armor Class (AC), making it a great tool for almost any character that needs extra protection. This armor causes any attacker to have the “Reeling” condition for one turn when they miss a melee attack against the wielder of the Shield in Baldur’s Gate 3. Reeling causes a -2 Attack Penalty on any additional strikes made on the same turn, with a -1 on the first attack made the next round.
The best party members in Baldur’s Gate 3 to use the Adamantine Shield are likely Lae’Zel or Shadowheart, since the extra protection from attacks gives them a chance to deal more damage to enemies every turn.
How to Get the Adamantine Shield in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
Your party can get the Adamantine Shield by making it at the Adamantine Forge as you follow the quest of the same name in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Grymforge dungeon hosts this mystical blacksmith’s heaven, but you need the Shield Mould and Minthral Ore to craft the magical armor. These items help create the shape of the Shield, but you have to fight your way deeper into the Ancient Forge in this Underdark area.
There are at least two different sources of Minthral Ore scattered around the dungeon, with one being close to the Ancient Forge Waypoint. From the fast travel location, go southwest until you reach a circular grate platform that should show you a vein of the ore some distance away. Spells like Feather Fall or Misty Step can help you get across and reach the other side without taking any damage in Baldur’s Gate 3.
The other Ore vein is northeast of the stairs leading to the Adamantine Forge, and is guarded by five Magma Mephit enemies. These creatures are dangerous, exploding when defeated to deal a massive amount of fire damage to any character nearby. While some racial options in Baldur’s Gate 3 come with fire resistance, make sure your party members who don’t have that trait stay far away when you kill any Mephit.
Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 should always be in your party while exploring the Ancient Forge, due to her natural resistance to fire damage and incredible damage potential as a Barbarian to fight off many enemies.
The Shield Mould can be far easier to find, simply found on a skeleton corpse at the end of the Dormitory sub-area of the dungeon. You’ll have to do some light platforming and open a set of iron doors to reach this decayed body. From here, return to the Forge and place the Mould in the chamber while depositing the Ore in the crucible before activating the machine to get the Adamantine Shield in Baldur’s Gate 3.