Baldur's Gate 3: Should you insert Volo's Ersatz Eye in BG3?

Is it worth the trouble?

Volo’s Ersatz Eye is a magic eye in Baldur’s Gate 3 that bestows a party member with the ability to see invisible units. It is inserted into their eye socket and cannot be removed after. Sounds pretty cool, right? That’s because it is.

But if you’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3 as much as I have, you’re probably aware that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Items like this often have some sort of downside.

If you’re worried Volo’s Ersatz Eye is one of those items and aren’t sure whether to insert it, you’ve come to the right place. But before we dive into that, you need to rescue the character Volo so he can do it.

You can obtain Volo’s Ersatz Eye by completing the Ersatz Eye side quest, which can be done relatively early on.

Make your way to the Blighted Village and head west until you stumble across the Goblin Camp. Once you’re there, look for Volo in the middle of the campsite and have a chat with him.

After picking one of the responses, Volo will be escorted back to his cell in the Shattered Sanctum. You’ll have to free him. To do that, head north from the campsite and open the Heavy Oak Door. Enter it and walk down the corridor. Eventually, Warrior Trinzas will approach you.

You’ll be faced with a choice—convince her to grant you access by successfully rolling Deception, Detect Thoughts, Illithid Wisdom, or Intimidation dialogue choices, or defeat her and her guards in battle. It’s a tough fight, so the first option is wiser.

Once you’ve done that, keep moving forward in the Shattered Sanctum until Gribbo approaches. You’ll be faced with a similar choice as above; you can either convince Gribbo to hand over the key to the cell, or defeat her and retrieve it yourself. No matter which you choose, speak to Volo and ask him to come back to your own campsite.

Meet him at the campsite and tell him about the Mind Flayer parasite inside your brain. He’ll start looking at ways to help you. Take a long rest and interact with him again. This time, he’ll have Volo’s Ersatz Eye and will ask you to pick a character to insert it in. It’s permanent, so choose carefully and see the operation through.

If you want a party member to be able to see invisible units, you absolutely should insert Volo’s Ersatz Eye. There’s no downside, other than having to watch a gnarly operation scene. If you’re a little bit squeamish, you can skip it, but it’s up to you.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: Should you kill the Nightsong in BG3?

It’s an incredibly useful passive to have. Just remember the party member with the eye can only see invisible units no more than nine meters away, so you’ll have to move them around. Still, it’s a handy trick to have up your sleeve.

Staff Writer for Dot Esports. I am a passionate gamer with years of experience covering all things gaming, esports, and streaming. I have extra love for Dota 2, Pokémon, and Apex Legends.