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Throughout Baldur's Gate 3 there are several characters with stories that span all three acts. Rolan is one such character – when players first meet him, he appears to be an arrogant, self-centered spellcaster whose crowning achievement is being accepted to study under the wizard Lorroakan. By the time his questline is complete, players get to see a completely different side of Rolan.
In all three acts of BG3, players must find and speak with Rolan to progress his questline. What follows is a guide to complete his quest with the best ending for Rolan – depending on players' decisions, Rolan's quest may go in different directions. But follow these steps to the T – and make sure to protect his siblings – to complete Rolan's quest fully.
Rolan In Act One
In Act One, players first meet Rolan in the Emerald Grove amongst the Tiefling refugees. He boasts that he will be studying under the prestigious wizard Lorroakan once he reaches Baldur's Gate, and can be found in The Hollow – towards the back of the Druid Grove. Here, he discusses whether to stay or leave in the face of the incoming forces of the Absolute with his siblings Cal and Lia.
Players must persuade him to stay in the Emerald Grove until the threat of the Goblins is gone, as the Druids and other Tieflings could really use a powerful wizard at their side. There is the option to Persuade or use Dragonborn or Ranger background options to get him to stay.
After convincing Rolan to stay at the Druid Grove, speak with him again to learn of his upcoming apprenticeship under Lorroakan. He excitedly (and, perhaps, arrogantly) reveals that he is in such a rush to get to Baldur's Gate for that very reason. After defeating the Goblin Camp, and partying with the Tieflings, they will continue on their journey to Baldur's Gate – and players won't meet Rolan again until Act 2.
Rolan In Act Two
In Act 2, Rolan can be found taking refuge at the Last Light Inn along with a number of other Tieflings. Here, players discover that the Tieflings who fled the Druid Grove were ambushed by followers of the Absolute, and Zevlor apparently turned heel, and the majority of Tieflings were brought to Moonrise Towers. Whether they remain alive or not is dubious, but Rolan is convinced that he is the only one who can rescue his brother and sister Cal and Lia.
After speaking with him at the bar in the Last Light Inn, where he has pretty obviously been drinking, Rolan will leave to go rescue Cal and Lia himself. Unfortunately, his arrogance alone isn't powerful enough to dispel the Shadow Curse. After he leaves, head to the southernmost bridge that leads across the river to the western portion of the Shadow-Cursed Lands (Reithwin Town). From far away, players should see health and attacks going off. It's imperative that the party makes it down to Rolan as fast as possible, because if he dies, his questline ends, too.
Rolan finds himself facing off against a few Shadowcursed Undead far to the south of the Last Light Inn. Turn on turn-based mode to prevent Rolan from taking too much damage, and get the attention of the Shadowcursed Undead to pull the heat off Rolan. Be sure to toss a heal his way, and keep him alive throughout the encounter, to send him back to the Last Light Inn afterward.
If players talk to him at the Last Light Inn once they've saved his life, Rolan will be a bit sour – he isn't powerful enough to do this alone, after all. But after rescuing the Tieflings from the prison at Moonrise Towers, thereby rescuing Cal and Lia, Rolan changes his tune a little bit.
Act 2 is very important for Rolan's quest. To summarize, players must ensure he survives his encounter with the Shadow Cursed Undead, and Cal and Lia must be rescued from the prisons in Moonrise Towers.
Rolan In Act Three
Once the refugee Tieflings and the player have reached Baldur's Gate, after dispatching Ketheric Thorm at the end of Act 2, players won't meet Rolan again until they head into Sorcerous Sundries. This shop of all things magical also serves as the entrance to Lorroakan's tower, and unlocks when players find their way to the Lower City from Rivington. Rolan is tending to the front desk here, but things aren't quite as they seem.
Lorroakan has been searching for the Nightsong throughout the whole game, something that Rolan hints at all the way back in Act 1. Of course, by the end of Act 2, players know what – or who – the Nightsong actually is. After finding Lorroakan and revealing that you know where the Nightsong is, speak with her at camp, and she will take off to seek vengeance against another would-be enslaver. The next time players reach Lorroakan, a cutscene will play out when they must take a side.
Despite being under Lorroakan's tutelage, Rolan has discovered that the legendary wizard is actually an arrogant bully at heart and a sadistic teacher. He turns against his master, as long as Cal and Lia were rescued, and battle will follow with the tower's current head wizard.
After the defeat of Lorroakan (and an epic cutscene with Nightsong), Rolan reveals the depths of Lorroakan's vicious nature as his teacher, and laments that he was so rude to the player this whole time. He sincerely thanks the player, announces that he will be taking over the tower, and pledges himself to be an ally in the upcoming battle against the Absolute – and with that, Rolan's quest will be finally complete!
Baldur's Gate 3 is available on PC and will release on PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X|S is currently in development.