How do you rescue Volo in Act III?

[Lampros]

As soon as I killed the thugs holding him, some bomb exploded before I could do anything?

[✙205🍉🐆→]

I think it was necessary to put out the wick

[EricHVela]

Save him before killing the thugs. As soon as the fight starts, there's a timer. By the time you've killed all the thugs, the timer's almost whittled to nothing when turnbased is released and you'll have about 6 seconds (or no time) to release him.

[Morgian]

You can free him during the battle. And keep in mind that ice spells, like the frost ray cantrip, extinguish fire.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by ✙205🍉🐆→:

I think it was necessary to put out the wick

The wick? Huh?

Originally posted by EricHVela:

Save him before killing the thugs. As soon as the fight starts, there's a timer. By the time you've killed all the thugs, the timer's almost whittled to nothing when turnbased is released and you'll have about 6 seconds (or no time) to release him.

Ah, okay. Did I miss anything important by him not making it?

Originally posted by Morgian:

You can free him during the battle. And keep in mind that ice spells, like the frost ray cantrip, extinguish fire.

I will next run - thanks!

[Sir_Baldur]

- high init - Haste, misty step - dimension door = Volo saved.

I will note that enemies on higher difficulties instantly target the barrels. My Tav went first and I misty stepped to Volo, thought I moved the barrels far enough away and was like - we can dimension door next turn!

Nope.

Very next enemy blew the barrels and Volo to pieces. Sometimes all you can do on an honour run is salute and move on.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Sir_Baldur:

- high init - Haste, misty step - dimension door = Volo saved.

What did I miss now he's dead?

[Morgian]

To answer the other question: he never did anything after I rescued him. You can call him to the final battle like other allies I believe, but I doubt he is any good.

[EricHVela]

As pointed out, there's a fire along the ground that was started at the end of the cutscene that begins the battle. You can douse it at the carriage of explosives where Volo is tied. (Water barrels, thrown water containers, water/ice spells. Spells are easier for their larger AoE range.)

(If a certain NPC is dead before arrive to that area, Volo will still be tied up but there will be no thugs and you can start the fire yourself instead. Stand back, or nearby NPCs will know it was you and yell, "Stop that!" when Volo dies and lower their affinity for you.)

[seeker1]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Ah, okay. Did I miss anything important by him not making it?

Spoilers.


Volo in Act 3 can give you a book of "tips" for fighting Orin. It's pretty useless, and there are better guides at the WIki. "LOL".

Other than that, he can give you a mild buff for the endgame. Fun fact: Volo's Guide to Monsters is actually a real physical sourcebook.

So, it's not that important, from my POV.

[northernwater]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by Sir_Baldur:

- high init - Haste, misty step - dimension door = Volo saved.

What did I miss now he's dead?

You didn't put out the wick - which is the trail of fire leading from the big mouth npc to Volo.

[Sir_Baldur]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by Sir_Baldur:

- high init - Haste, misty step - dimension door = Volo saved.

What did I miss now he's dead?

Maybe create water the wick? I literally had 1 character action before they blew the barrels, not even a full round, but I was playing on honour. On lower difficulties that's how I've saved him.

[EricHVela]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by Sir_Baldur:

- high init - Haste, misty step - dimension door = Volo saved.

What did I miss now he's dead?

Dimension door teleports your character and another character to some other place in the line-of-sight. Your first click selects who the other character is. (If you click on yourself, there will be no other character chosen.) The second click determines where you two will end up.

Be sure to use the Help action on Volo. (On controller, it is the default action when highlighting him. I don't know about keyboard/mouse.) He can't do anything when he's tied up and you can't do anything for him while he's tied up. The Help action unties him.

[northernwater]

A lot of characters in this game who early on you think have some meaningful role never amount to anything in the story. Many of the quests have good detail in the small but over all the writing is very shallow.

[ben_pletcher]

The way I saved him was sent a person to him. Picked up all the barrels and sent them to camp. None of those take an action so they can all be done at once. Just need to send to camp once you have weight limit.

[EricHVela]

Dead Volo = no funny bits about how utterly useless he really is. Exemplified at camp, before the final push in the finale, and in the epilogue.

Fluff and roleplay. No real bonuses.