The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To save the Kuo-toa from fighting alongside BOOOAL, expose him as a redcap during the Festering Cove dialogue, then choose the option to challenge him. That route starts combat against BOOOAL alone. Afterward, talk to Pooldripp and ask him to build an army to make Kuo-Toa Acolytes available as a possible ally in the Act Three final battle. Do not simply reject BOOOAL’s offer: that can turn the entire cove against you.
Reach the Festering Cove
The encounter is in the Festering Cove, a hidden cavern in the Underdark near the Arcane Tower and southeast of the Decrepit Village. The entrance is at approximately X:70 Y:-240. Cross the rift—two mushroom platforms are one possible route—then descend by the cragged rock. At the altar, around X:-421 Y:284, approaching Pooldripp starts the conversation. Your interacting character may make a passive DC 10 Nature check to recognize the Kuo-toa and their unusual nature. Encounter location and approach
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Move carefully through the area: Torchstalk mushrooms and the terrain can make the approach hazardous. Use the platforms and ledges rather than rushing through the cavern.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteExpose BOOOAL, then challenge him
During the conversation, use a dialogue check or an available class-specific option that reveals BOOOAL is a redcap. Once the truth is exposed publicly, choose to challenge him. This is the crucial choice for keeping the Kuo-toa out of the fight: the resulting combat is against BOOOAL alone. Dialogue outcomes and combat details
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- Reveal BOOOAL’s true nature. Take one of the available dialogue or class-specific routes that identifies him as a redcap.
- Choose to challenge him. Do not choose the option to reject his offer; rejecting him can start combat against BOOOAL and all his zealots.
- Defeat BOOOAL. The documented challenge route pits you against him alone.
- Speak with Pooldripp afterward. Ask him to build an army. This makes Kuo-Toa Acolytes available as a possible ally during the Act Three final battle.
Becoming BOOOAL’s Chosen is a different outcome: the Kuo-toa remain non-hostile and the route can grant the Sickle of BOOOAL, but it does not provide the same documented sequence of defeating BOOOAL and asking Pooldripp to build an army. Choice consequences
What each choice changes
| Choice | Who you fight | Reward or consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Expose BOOOAL, then challenge him | BOOOAL alone | After his defeat, Pooldripp can be asked to build an army, making Kuo-Toa Acolytes a possible Act Three final-battle ally. |
| Reject BOOOAL’s offer | BOOOAL and all his zealots | Does not follow the documented Pooldripp army-request outcome. |
| Become BOOOAL’s Chosen | No immediate fight with the Kuo-toa | Can grant the Sickle of BOOOAL; not the same documented army-request route. |
Should you take BOOOAL’s Benediction?
BOOOAL’s Benediction grants advantage on attack rolls against bleeding creatures while Kuo-toa remain to worship him. The straightforward way to obtain it requires sacrificing an active companion, who is permanently removed from the game—a substantial cost for a combat benefit. Benediction effect and alternate method Companion-sacrifice outcome
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A complicated, exploit-like alternative is documented for players who want the Benediction without sacrificing a companion: lure Pooldripp away non-violently, pickpocket the Sickle of BOOOAL, avoid him until he resumes worshipping, and trigger the altar scene. Then use dialogue that persuades BOOOAL you can kill more in his name, or exposes him as a “rabid little fey creature,” before choosing to bow before BOOOAL’s chosen. This is a separate, finicky route—not the ordinary way to save the Kuo-toa or secure Pooldripp’s army request. Alternate Benediction sequence
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Larian’s Patch 3 notes recorded a fix for some Kuo-toa not losing the BOOOAL’s Faithful condition when BOOOAL dies. That is historical patch context, not a guarantee that every later version is free of encounter bugs. If the Kuo-toa remain flagged as faithful or the outcome differs, check your installed game version and the relevant patch notes. Larian Patch 3 notes
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