Walk straight through the first Gnarled Door in Auntie Ethel’s Overgrown Tunnel: it is an illusion, not a barrier that requires a key or a Whispering Mask. Interacting with it can reveal what it is, but you can also pass through the apparent door without a mask.
How to get through the first Gnarled Door
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Approach the Gnarled Door and interact with it if you want to hear its warning and investigate. The reference describes a passive DC 15 Arcana check or a DC 10 Persuasion or Intimidation check as ways to learn that the door is illusory.
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If you would rather skip the dialogue or do not pass a check, move your character through the door’s apparent barrier. It is an illusion, so you do not need to open it or equip a Whispering Mask.
Should you wear a Whispering Mask?
There are four Whispering Masks on a nearby table. They can help with the masked servants and are needed for a later gate, but wearing one while Auntie Ethel is alive carries a risk: the wearer makes a Wisdom save each turn and can become a Hag’s Pawn under her control. The game reference says Protection from Evil and Good prevents the harmful mask effects.
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| Approach | First Gnarled Door | Risk and trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Pass through without a mask | Works; the door is an illusion. | No risk of mask-related loss of control; may be less convenient around the masked servants. |
| Wear a Whispering Mask | Not needed for this door. | Can help with the servants and later passage, but while Ethel is alive the wearer faces repeated Wisdom saves and possible control as a Hag’s Pawn. Protection from Evil and Good is the stated safeguard. |
If you choose the masked route, only one party member needs to wear a mask for the whole party to pass the later mask-gated door. That requirement applies to the later gate, not the first Gnarled Door.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to expect beyond the door
The route continues past the masked servants toward a waterfall, then winds through noxious fumes and explosive traps. The vents can be covered with items, or you can avoid hazards by jumping around them. A further door on the route toward the Underdark requires at least one mask wearer, so keep the distinction clear: the first door is passable without a mask, while that later gate is not.
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