Baldur’s Gate 3: Investigate the Suspicious Toys Quest Walkthrough
The Investigate the Suspicious Toys quest is one of many Act 3 side adventures in Baldur’s Gate 3. It starts small in Rivington and spirals into a full-blown Banite conspiracy in the Lower City. What begins with a simple blackmail letter soon turns into a fight to stop explosive toys from being smuggled into the hands of Baldur’s Gate’s most vulnerable citizens. This guide will walk you through the investigation step by step.
The quest begins in Rivington, outside Arfur Gregorio’s mansion. You’ll find him arguing with a group of refugees at the front door. The exchange is tense, but however you handle the dialogue, the real progress happens once you break into Arfur’s basement. Be sure to bring a companion with high Dexterity like Astarion. The basement is filled with explosive traps. Tucked inside a chest at the back of the cellar is a blackmail letter that reveals a nasty secret. Arfur has been coerced into donating “toys” that are actually trapped with smoke powder. The journal entry updates and the Suspicious Toys investigation is officially underway.
From there, the trail leads to the Requisitioned Barn on the eastern edge of Rivington. This is where the Flaming Fist are storing donations for refugees. The officer in charge, Manip Nestor, can be persuaded to let you inside if you prefer a diplomatic approach. Otherwise, a bit of stealth or an alternate entry point will do the trick. Once inside, head to the northeast corner of the barn and inspect the crates. Inside are the tampered teddy bears. Be careful here, if you don’t disarm the trap first, you’ll be blown up and set on fire. Disarming the toys or setting off the trap confirms your suspicion and locks Arfur in as the next lead.
When you track him down again, Arfur is no longer in his mansion. You’ll find him across the river at Sharess’ Caress, a brothel in Wyrm’s Crossing. He’s usually lingering on the first floor, near Queen Rhol. Press him about the dangerous toys and, with the right dialogue options or a few successful skill checks, he’ll crack. Arfur admits he was forced into the scheme and reluctantly points you toward Felogyr’s Fireworks in the Lower City, even handing over a passphrase that will get you upstairs without raising suspicion.
Sometimes Arfur does not show up at Shaess’ Caress. If he isn’t there then it’s nothing to worry about. The quest can still be completed without the passphrase he gives you.
The next stop is the Felogyr’s Fireworks shop in the Lower City, near Heapside Strand. On the first floor you’ll meet Avery Sonshal, the owner. If you use the passphrase, he’ll allow you upstairs. Otherwise, you can attempt to sneak in using vertical movement spells like Misty Step or Fly, or even break in from a third-floor window if you’re feeling creative. You can also use force by blowing up the fireworks with a fire cantrip or arrow. This route will kill all of floor one and two. Keep an eye out for the Steel Watch and the Flaming Fist. If they spot you then you’ll be in deep trouble.
The real heart of the operation lies on the third floor, where a group of Banite cultists are busy manufacturing smokepowder bombs. As soon as you set foot there, the quest objective updates to “Defeat the Banites.” This is the point where everything comes to a head and the battle commences. Blow up the smoke powder barrels on your first turn to deal the most amount of damage to the Banites as possible just be sure that your party is out of blast range. Also make sure that the Steel Watch isn’t right outside or they will be joining the fight against you.
Once the Banites are defeated, your journal updates and the quest closes with confirmation that the bomb-making plot has been stopped. In addition to the satisfaction of shutting down the scheme, you can loot the area for fireworks, smokepowder, and letters that shed light on the group’s ties to Gortash. Depending on how you handled things, the shop’s clerks and Avery himself may survive, leaving you with access to some rare and volatile stock.
There are a few quirks worth noting. Arfur can sometimes get stuck at Sharess’ Caress, hidden behind movable screens in the taproom. If you don’t see him, check his map marker and shift the scenery around. Sometimes Arfur does not show up at Shaess’ Caress at all. At Felogyr’s, some players run into issues with the quest not completing. If that happens, make sure you’ve actually killed the Banites on the top floor. Occasionally, the second-floor chemists need to be dealt with as well before the journal will update.
The Investigate the Suspicious Toys quest is a fun investigative side quest. It makes players feel like a detective and players get a lot of bombs as a reward. It’s a satisfying quest that showcases just how evil Gortash is and how far his influence reaches.
