The Baldur’s Gate 3 Stop the Presses quest is all about sneaking into the city’s newspaper, the Baldur’s Mouth, to tamper with headlines and make yourself look good. Lord Gortash’s nefarious influence has even spread to the press, and he’s using it to pump out propaganda supporting his Steel Watchers and slander your good name.
You don’t have to sit back and take it, though. If you’ve got a sneaky character in your party—or even just some Scrolls of Invisibility—you can break into The Baldur’s Mouth and tamper with the press. Here’s how to complete the Stop the Presses quest in Baldur’s Gate 3 and save your rep in the city.
How to start the Stop the Presses quest
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You can begin the Stop the Presses quest by talking to Estra Stir near the Basilisk Gate waypoint where you enter the Lower City from Wyrm’s Rock. She’s easy to recognise since she’s stood next to a paperboy. This journalist mentions that you’re slated to feature prominently in the latest issue of Baldur’s Mouth, though the article isn’t flattering. Whatever you decide to do, the next time you long rest, the new edition of the paper will be printed. If the article isn’t altered before that, it’ll make you look like a real villain. At least you can intimidate the paperboy for a free copy.
How to break into the Baldur’s Mouth
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The obvious way to alter the Baldur’s Mouth slander is to head to the newspaper itself, west down the street from where you met Estra, still fairly close to the Basilisk Gate waypoint. The editor, Ettvard Needle, won’t appreciate you asking to change the headline and will kick you out of the building, leaving you with no choice but to break in. For the following section I recommend taking your sneakiest character solo.
On the south side of the Baldur’s Mouth, you’ll find a rooftop you can jump to, and then some wooden platforms that let you hop up the side of the building to the roof. On the south-east corner of the rooftop you’ll find a wooden barricade you can break, allowing you to drop down into the basement elevator. Simply pull the lever inside to make your way down.
Now, if you haven’t blown up the Steel Watch Foundry yet, you’ll have to sneak by some Steel Watchers, but it’s relatively easy if you follow them along the corridors and hide inside the rooms at each end. Follow the first Steel Watcher north up the corridor and enter the room straight ahead. In the back corner you’ll find some moveable boxes and a barricade to break, letting you into the next room. Make sure to grab the “Make Big Money by Trading with Adventurers” story in the Wicker Basket here. When ready, follow the second Steel Watcher south down the corridor into the main printing press room.
How to change the Baldur’s Mouth headline
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This section of the quest was a little bugged for me, but basically, if you saved Dolly Dolly Dolly—the pixie trapped in Kar’niss’ Moon Lantern in Act 2—the enchanted printing press will offer to help you for free since she’s a friend. However, if you leave the dialogue and talk to the press again, it’ll act as if it doesn’t know you, forcing you to convince it to help.
If you did save the pixie, make sure you have a replacement headline in your inventory when you speak to the press for the first time so you can use it straight away. You can find “Adventurers, Our Best Hope For the City” in the Wicker Basket behind the press if you want another headline choice.
If you didn’t rescue Dolly Dolly Dolly, you have a couple of options:
- Convince the Printing Press: You can use either a difficulty rating 15 Deception or Intimidation check to convince the magical press to help.
- Print it yourself: You can tell the magical creature to leave the press and remove the negative headline using a difficulty rating 20 Sleight of Hand or Athletics check.
Either way, you’ll need to slot in one of those new favourable headlines you picked up and then sneak back out the same way you came in, jumping up the elevator to the roof, and down the wooden platforms to the street.
The next time you long rest, the paper will be printed, and you can go and grab a copy from any of the paperboys in the city. Make sure you also go back to see Estra Stir and Ettvard Needle to rub it in their faces.
