Should you drink Formula Gruna in Baldur’s Gate 3?

With all the strange things your characters can consume in this game, Formula Gruna may be the most mysterious. We’ll answer whether or not you should drink her Formula Gruna in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Should you drink Araj Oblodra’s Formula Gruna?

In BG3, drinking Araj Oblodra’s Formula Gruna will make your blood explosive when it reacts to fire. But is this a good thing, or a bad thing, and is she even telling the truth? I don’t think you should drink Formula Gruna in Baldur’s Gate 3, only because it doesn’t seem all that useful.

Let’s say you’ve been hit a few times, and now your blood is all over the ground. Then some fire hits your blood, and a large explosion erupts. Although it doesn’t do too much damage to enemies, it can start fires, which can be annoying if your companions are nearby. Also, you don’t want your companions caught in the explosion.

Of course, this may not matter to you if you and your companions have resistance to Fire damage. But I just don’t see the worth of that risk. I didn’t like the way Araj was talking to Astarion in Act 2, and I certainly didn’t like the way she wanted to make me an experiment.

So in my game, I didn’t even dare try out this Formula. But if you don’t mind a little bit of explosives every time fire comes in contact with your blood, you may as well take it.

How to use Unstable Blood in BG3

You can use Unstable Blood to your benefit in BG3 by having your Tav separated from your companions and near enemies, then triggering fire over your spilled blood, causing a deadly explosion to the enemies standing on your blood.

There are ways for your character to gain Fire Resistance by using certain armor or simply being a tiefling, which can make you less prone to taking damage when caught in your bloody explosion. Here are some good options for armor that gives you Fire Resistance:

• Wavemother’s Robe
• Internal Robe
• Shield of Scorching Reprisal
• Grymskull Helm

Unfortunately, if you’re not enjoying your effects from Unstable Blood, there’s no way to get rid of it. You’re stuck with this explosive blood, but at least you know now how to use it to your advantage. Just make sure your party members aren’t caught in your explosions.

Who is Araj Oblodra in BG3?

In BG3, Araj Oblodra is a drow alchemist that you can find during Act 2 in Moonrise Towers. She’s involved in creating dangerous concoctions and is immediately interested in getting a sample of Astarion’s blood.

Some players have discovered ways to help Araj without breaking up with Astarion (if he’s being romanced), but most of the time Astarion will act negatively toward Araj wanting his blood. She’s also interested in Illithid blood, and your character can donate blood to her for a reward.

Then in Act 3, you can find her continuing her experiments in the Lower City. She’s now interested in turning your Tav’s blood into an explosive experiment, which then leads to her creation of Formula Gruna.