How to rescue and recruit Volo from the Goblin Camp in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) Act 1

Volo is a well-traveled wizard who overestimates his own abilities and lands himself in some hot water in Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3. 

You’ll first meet Volo at the Emerald Grove, where he’ll explain his current curiosity about the goblins in the area. After briefly speaking with you, Volo decides that it’s time for him to get some first hand knowledge. He leaves the Grove, journeying to the Goblin Camp alone, and unless you take matters into your hands, no one will ever see him again. 

By the time you reach the Goblin Camp, Volo is already in over his head. The goblins have essentially captured him, and they’re forcing him to perform some off the cuff poetry in front of their entire group. You can interrupt his performance to speak to him, but after that Volo’s taken back inside the Shattered Sanctum and locked into a cage. It’s up to you to save him. 

It’s always something

The good news is that rescuing Volo isn’t difficult at all. Head into the Shattered Sanctum, and once you’re inside, take the stairs immediately to your right. Turn left in this hallway, and Volo will be in the second room on your right. He’s trapped inside his cage, and his captor, a goblin named Gribbo, watches over him. 

All it takes to free Volo is a quick conversation with Gribbo. Depending on what the rest of your adventuring day has been like, you might be able to use your tadpole to influence Gribbo’s mind, forcing her to give you the key to Volo’s cage. You can also pass a standard Deception or Intimidation check to get what you need, and of course, there’s always the violent route. Unless you’re siding with the goblins, you’ll have to fight them at some point, so why not just kill Gribbo and take the key to Volo’s cage off her corpse?

Regardless of how you free Volo, he’ll be incredibly thankful, and you can invite him back to your camp to hear more of his tales. Once he shows up in camp, Volo offers to operate on your eye in an attempt to remove the parasite in your brain, and as gross as it sounds, there really might be something to his methodology.