The “Investigate Suspicious Toys” quest in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a Lower City Act 3 side job that starts as a simple property fight and turns into a bomb plot that targets refugees. I’ve played this one enough to call it a trap that tests your patience and your morals. You’ll need to search, talk, and decide fast — choices matter.
Where it starts — Rivington, Lower City
You find the quest near the refugee camp in Rivington. There’s a loud argument: Arfur Gregorio vs. a group of refugees squatting in his house. The refugees say they found weird toys in the basement; Arfur says they’re thieves. Intervene to trigger the investigation. I’ve noticed you can pick a side, but the key is to check the basement yourself.
Go downstairs and look for stuffed toys. In my experience a Perception/Investigation check around DC 15 usually spots that these toys are rigged (this depends on difficulty and any mods you use). If you’ve got Astarion or another rogue, bring them — they find hidden things more reliably.
Finding Arfur in the Lower City
If you confront Arfur early, he’ll run. Track him to Sharess’ Caress brothel in Wyrm’s Crossing. He’s on the first floor, drunk and bitter about refugees. Approach carefully — there are multiple ways to get info:
| Approach | Typical Check | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intimidation | ~DC 15 | Short, loud; can make him shut up |
| Persuasion | ~DC 18 | Works if you’ve built Charisma |
| Deception | ~DC 20 | Risky — he might call you out |
| Bribe | 500 gp | Sometimes the cheapest option (weird, I know) |
If he talks, Arfur names Felogyr’s Fireworks and mutters a password: Flaming Fist was here. Keep that — it opens the shop basement.
Felogyr’s Fireworks — what you’ll find
The shop sells harmless party fireworks on the surface. The basement is different: a workshop making explosive toys meant for refugee children. We found teddy bears with smokepowder and maps showing distribution points. Evidence levels (what you might uncover):
- Basic materials (low roll)
- Distribution maps (mid roll)
- Full conspiracy papers (high roll)
- Hidden compartment with extra proof (very high roll)
This is deliberately engineered to kill. The toys are timing/pressure-triggered. Why would someone do this? In my experience, it’s fear turned into cruelty — and sometimes into political theater. Oddly enough, exposing a plot can make life harder for refugees if authorities overreact.
Confrontation — talk or fight
The conspirators may be there when you snoop. You can go loud or quiet. Combat in a basement full of smokepowder is dangerous — one fire spell and kaboom. Honestly, I’ve lost entire parties to a single mistake here!
Tip: avoid fire and lightning spells. Use cold or blunt attacks, or try to separate enemies before they reach explosives (this doesn’t always work, depending on AI).
Watch this: silence them, or the room becomes an oven.
Key choices and why they matter
Do you report the plot to the Flaming Fist, handle it privately, or destroy the evidence? Each path changes more than the quest reward; it alters refugee safety, your reputation, and later quest lines. Here’s the fast why:
- Report to Flaming Fist — official justice, but the city may clamp down on refugees. (Controversial: trusting city authorities isn’t always moral; they can be worse than criminals.)
- Do it yourself — keeps control, lets you shape outcomes, but you might miss other conspirators.
- Destroy evidence — immediate safety, no arrests, but the planners stay free. Some argue it’s practical; some call it cowardice.
Which is right? Depends on your playthrough and who you’re trying to protect. There are exceptions, and sometimes quiet wins long-term trust with refugees. Ever thought the “right” answer might be the worst one later?
Rewards and ripple effects
Rewards vary. In my runs you might see a few hundred gold (roughly 500–1,000 gp), rare crafting bits from the workshop, and a few hundred XP (250–500 XP). Patch differences matter — as of November 25, 2025 these numbers still hover in that range for most players. (Yes, exact amounts can change.)
Long-term effects:
- Refugee relations shift — they notice who helped.
- Your city reputation changes — merchants and guards react differently.
- Later quests reference this choice — some doors open, some close.
- Companion approval moves — protectors like Wyll/Karlach approve, but others might not.
Counterintuitive insight: leaving Arfur alive and embarrassed sometimes leads to more info later. Sounds odd, but I’ve had it happen — people talk when they’re ashamed, not when they’re dead.
Quick play checklist (copy/paste)
- Go to Rivington; intervene.
- Check Arfur’s basement; roll Perception (~15).
- Find Arfur at Sharess' Caress if he fled.
- Use the password at Felogyr's basement.
- Avoid fire spells in the basement.
- Choose: report / handle / destroy evidence.
One last thing — between us, this quest is more about choices than challenge. You’ll feel the weight of what you do; sometimes the small acts matter most. Also, I tripped up here once because I didn’t read a line of dialog — oops. So slow down, look, and talk to NPCs twice. You’ll thank me later!
Questions? Want a screenshot or a path recommendation for a specific party build? Ask — I’ll share what worked best for my tank/rogue/mage runs.
