Okay, adventurers, listen up! I've been absolutely obsessed with Baldur's Gate 3 lately, especially that heart-pounding Iron Throne rescue mission. You know the one—where you have a literal ticking clock to save a bunch of Gondian prisoners and Grand Duke Ravengard before everything goes boom. The stress is real! But guess what? I found this absolutely wild trick that completely breaks the timer. That's right, you can stroll through the prison like you own the place, saving everyone without a single turn limit breathing down your neck. It's a total game-changer, especially for Honour Mode runs where every move counts.

Let me break down this genius exploit for you. The whole thing hinges on a bit of... creative geometry. Forget taking the normal path out of the submarine. Here's the step-by-step magic:

  1. The Setup: Before you even step out, look around inside the sub. You'll find some crates. Grab them! 🧱

  2. Build a Stairway to Heaven (or the Ceiling): Stack those crates all the way up to the ceiling of the submarine chamber. It might take a few tries to get it right, but persistence is key!

  3. The Vanish Act: Climb to the top of your crate tower and drink an Invisibility Potion. This is crucial! ✨

  4. The Phase: Now, just jump. Aim for the solid wall/ceiling of the sub near the exit. Because of how the game calculates space, you'll literally jump through the solid metal and land directly inside the Iron Throne prison complex!

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Why the invisibility potion? If you land and are visible, Omeluum (if he's with you) will immediately start a conversation, and BAM—the dreaded countdown timer starts. By being invisible, you bypass that trigger entirely. You're now a ghost in the machine, free to explore every nook and cranny of the prison before the game even knows you're "supposed" to be there.

Now, things get a little janky because Larian didn't design the area to be explored pre-timer. You can open all the cell doors, but the prisoners won't budge. They need to see a threat to trigger their escape AI. So, here's the next phase of the plan:

  • Clear the House (Mostly): Sneak around and take out all the Sahuagin guards... but leave ONE alive. Weaken it if you can.

  • The Pied Piper Strategy: With only one enemy left, get its attention and let it follow you around as you run from cell to cell, unlocking doors. The prisoners will see it and finally start fleeing toward the sub!

However, two special NPCs need extra care:

NPC Quirk Solution
Obelia Only tries to escape once the timer is active. Leave her for last after following the steps below.
Santoria (tied to a chair) Will only run once thrown to the ground. Interact with her and choose to throw her down.

So, the perfect final sequence is: 1) Use the one-enemy trick to free all other prisoners and send them running. 2) Throw Santoria to the ground. 3) Then and only then, trigger the timer (maybe by talking to Omeluum or just ending invisibility near a door). Obelia will now start running, and everyone will make a mad dash with plenty of time left. You've essentially done all the hard work during "free time"!

Is it cheesy? Absolutely. 🧀 But is it brilliant? 100%! For those brutal Honour Mode attempts, this removes so much risk. And on your fifth playthrough when you just want to save everyone without the headache, this trick is a total sanity-saver. No more frantic counting of movement points, no more agonizing over who to save first. Just a clean, complete rescue. Happy saving, heroes!