Baldur's Gate 3: How to solve the Moon puzzle in the Defiled Temple

There are plenty of challenges to encounter during your adventures in Baldur's Gate 3. The game offers a plethora of trials that go beyond just whipping out your weapons and magic spells. Some of these challenges can be completed by devising ways to avoid combat, while others demand the prudent use of spells and abilities.

Furthermore, Baldur's Gate 3 offers a few challenging traditional video game puzzles that require patience and insight. One of these is the Moon puzzle found within the Defiled Temple. If you are looking for a guide on how to get past it, this article has you covered.

---

Getting past the Moon puzzle in Baldur's Gate 3

The Moon puzzle in Baldur's Gate 3 (Image via Larian Studios)

This lunar-themed challenge should not be conflated with the Moonrise Towers and can be found in the Defiled Temple, which you will eventually stumble upon while doing the quest called Find the Nightsong. This quest is quite lengthy, requiring you to solve the Moon puzzle to advance.

Solving this puzzle requires you to rotate several circular plates that depict different phases of the moon, thus its name. You will need to follow a specific pattern when rotating these plates. There is a hint you can find by reading the item called Dwarf's Poem.

You will notice there are three different symbols present on the rotating plates, and it is important to take note of this when doing the puzzle. These symbols depict various phases of the moon.

The dark circles represent the new moon or the period wherein the moon is not visible. The half-dark and half-white symbols depict the half-moon, while the purely white circles indicate a full one.

To progress, you will need to rotate the four different dials so:

• Full moons are oriented towards the top or the north
• Half moons are oriented toward the sides
• New moons are all at the bottom or towards the south of the map

You can rotate the dials using any member of your party. Successfully solving this puzzle will unlock a door towards the north of the room, allowing you to continue your quest. Progressing ahead will take you into the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3.

This puzzle does take some time to figure out, but it becomes easy if you know where things should go. Alternatively, there is a lever in the room that you can lockpick. Successfully lockpicking it with a set of thieves' tools will unlock the same door as solving the puzzle.