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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11You can bypass Guardian Bernard by reading The Roads to Darkness in the Arcane Tower’s third-floor bedroom, then choosing the line “Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” in conversation. Bernard will remain passive, and the reference lists 50 XP for placating him. If you want his weapon, choose the hostile poem command or fight him; the nearby Animated Armours join that encounter.
How to bypass Bernard peacefully
- At the Arcane Tower in the Underdark, find The Roads to Darkness on a desk in the third-floor bedroom and read it before speaking to Bernard.
- Reach the tower summit and start a conversation with Bernard.
- Select the exact response: “Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” Bernard recognizes you as his master and stays passive. The Arcane Tower reference lists 50 XP for placating him. BG3 Wiki: Arcane Tower
A Bard may also have a DC 18 History check to recall the stanza, according to the same reference. Reading the book first is the reliable way to unlock the intended response.
What the other tower texts unlock
Reading the corresponding text before the conversation unlocks its associated line. The Arcane Tower reference lists these options and outcomes:
| Text and location | Dialogue line | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| The Roads to Darkness Third-floor bedroom |
“Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” | Bernard acknowledges you as master and remains passive. |
| Threadbare Book First-floor greenhouse |
“How can I trust? How will I ever know? / How can I show myself, my darkest me?” | Bernard gives you Guiding Light. |
| Patched Parchment Table beside Bernard on the fourth floor |
“These empty sheets are all that’s left of you. / The last of all the thoughtless gifts you gave.” | Bernard gives you a Potion of Greater Healing. |
| Torn-Out Paper Third-floor bedroom |
“The silence stretches on – I’m all alone. / Please, can I hold your hands, for just a while?” | Bernard hugs and reassures your character, speaking as if they were Lenore. |
| Evil’s Ascent Second-floor main entrance |
“There is a light in every living thing. / It’s crawling t’wards the surface to survive.” | Bernard and nearby Animated Armours become hostile. |
These are authored dialogue commands, not interchangeable conversational choices: read the text tied to the line you want. The Larian Studios forum discussion also points players to the tower’s books as the source of Bernard’s commands: Guidance through Arcane Tower.
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What you gain from fighting Bernard
The main reason to start a fight is Light of Creation. The Arcane Tower reference says destroying Bernard—or commanding him to drop his weapon—grants the weapon. The same reference says destroying Bernard also yields Guiding Light if you have not already obtained the ring, but you can get the ring without combat by reading Threadbare Book and using its poem command. Guiding Light cannot be pickpocketed. BG3 Wiki: Arcane Tower
If you use the line from Evil’s Ascent, expect the nearby Animated Armours to turn hostile alongside Bernard; this is not a duel against Bernard alone.
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Bernard’s listed combat stats
The following values are specifically listed for Balanced difficulty on the Bernard reference page; they are not universal across difficulty modes. Check your current game if a patch or mode-specific difference matters.
| Stat or ability | Listed value or effect |
|---|---|
| Level | 5 |
| Hit points | 70 |
| Armour Class | 19 |
| Magical Plate | Reduces incoming damage by 1. |
| Damage resistances | Slashing, piercing, bludgeoning, fire, lightning, poison, and psychic. |
| Leaping Static | A once-per-round Legendary Action that can trigger against the first foe to attack Bernard in a round. |
Source: BG3 Wiki: Bernard. These stats describe the cited Balanced-difficulty reference, not a tested combat run.
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