Quick overview (so you don’t accidentally start a mosh pit)
You’ve got two clean-ish ways to free the tieflings and deep gnomes locked under Moonrise Towers: either convince Wulbren to smash the cell walls with a hammer (very theatrical) or flip the big lever in the warden’s office to fling the doors open (very loud). Both work, both have pros and cons — one is stealthy-ish, the other is full-on chaos. Pick your vibe.
Before you do anything: friendly reminders
Only the tieflings you helped in Act 1 will be present and friendly. Wulbren Bongle (the deep gnome leader) will be there regardless. If you want a less bloody solution, play it smart: avoid letting the scrying eyes call for reinforcements, and consider ambushing a few guards ahead of time.
Method 1 — Wulbren’s hammer (the sneaky demolition plan)
Step 1: Chat your way in. Pass a DC 14 Deception or Persuasion check to get a guard to let you talk to the prisoners. If you can’t, you’ll be interrupted and the plan gets messier.
Step 2: Get Wulbren on your side. He’s wary at first. Ease him with a skill check, name-drop his people from Act 1, or just be very convincing. He’ll tell you he needs a heavy hammer or warhammer to smash the cell backs open.
How to snag the hammer
The warden will casually mention that the prisoners’ equipment is stored one floor up — and that it’s off-limits. Instead of walking into Trouble (capital T), hop onto the wooden platforms on the outside of the central tower. Those platforms lead to the equipment room and, hilariously, the guards don’t care about people parkouring the tower exterior.
Watch out for a lone scrying eye patrolling the equipment floor. It’s fragile: switch to turn-based mode and take it out with a ranged hit or a thunder spell. The hammer is sitting on a table by the railing. If you don’t want to fetch the exact hammer, any sturdy bludgeoning weapon will do.
Pulling off the breakout with Wulbren
Once Wulbren has a weapon, you need to time the smash. If he goes to break his wall without backup, all guards will dash in and the warden will open every door — chaos. A cleaner approach is to sneak into the warden’s room first, close the door, and ambush her. Destroy any scrying eye that comes by before it sends a message.
With the warden and her eyes down, you’ll only be dealing with a couple guards in the cell block — much easier to neutralize quietly. While you distract or ambush the guards, have Wulbren smash the rear walls so the gnomes and tieflings can slip into the cave network behind the cells.
Tip: using Silence or Darkness on the cell backs helps hide the racket, but casting spells can attract suspicion. If stealthing it feels risky, focus on taking out the scrying eyes and then picking off guards one-by-one.
Alternative stealth entrance — the rear ledge
There’s a ledge above a pile of white stone at one end of the prison that a strong character can jump to (or use a jump spell/potion). This gives you access to the back caves the prisoners can escape into after smashing the wall. Breaking the rear walls is noisy, so have buddies behind the prisoners to intercept guards and buy time. Breaking both walls simultaneously speeds up the escape but requires coordination.
Method 2 — Flip the warden’s lever (the loud, messy option)
If you’re already hostile to the Absolutists or you enjoy theatrics, flip the master lever in the warden’s office to open every cell door at once. This is fast, but it also dumps prisoners into the full prison — guards included. It’s illegal, loud, and will invite a swarm of enemies.
If you go this route, clear the prison and the docks first. Make sure the path to the water is safe; the prisoners will head left from the docks toward the Shadow-Cursed Lands and eventually Last Light Inn.
Who to clear and where to aim your katanas (or spells)
Don’t leave guard clusters alive. Besides the ones in and around the cell blocks, there are guards near the dock door, a guard by the prison entrance, and a few in a room to the right (that’s where Minthara might be if she survived Act 1). On the docks, there are several patrollers — take them out or the prisoners will get mowed down trying to escape.
Rewards and what to expect back at Last Light Inn
Bring your rescued crew back to Last Light Inn and talk to everyone. You’ll get experience, thanks, and some nice bits of loot: Alfira and Lakrissa can reward EXP and the Potent Robe (but the robe is conditional if Alfira isn’t present), Bex and Danis reward Bex’s handmade cookies, and Rolan and Barcus will hand out XP and gold for your troubles. Basically: do the good thing, get the goodies.
Final tips from someone who’s rescued too many NPCs
If you want as many prisoners as possible to survive, focus on preventing scrying eyes from calling reinforcements, ambush the warden and nearby guards, and consider using Silence/Darkness or just plain patience and stealth. If you love drama, flip the lever and enjoy the fireworks — but don’t be surprised if things get… spicy.
Good luck, and may your rolls be high and your snacks plentiful.
