You're trekking through the absolute nightmare that is the Underdark, dodging Hook Horrors and trying not to get blown up by Bibberbang spores, when you finally hit Grymforge. Most people are there for the Adamantine Forge or to save those poor gnomes, but if you're smart, you're actually there for one specific pair of shoes. I’m talking about the Disintegrating Night Walkers.
These boots are arguably the best pair of footwear in the entire early game of Baldur's Gate 3. Honestly, they might stay on your feet until you reach the lower city of Baldur's Gate in Act 3. They aren't just "good." They're game-changing because they solve the most annoying mechanic in the game: slipping on grease or getting stuck in a web while a Minotaur prepares to turn your ribcage into confetti.
What’s the big deal with these boots?
The Disintegrating Night Walkers are Very Rare boots that drop from True Soul Nere. If you haven’t met him yet, he’s the absolute jerk trapped behind a cave-in, screaming at his subordinates while slowly dying of poison gas.
The primary draw here is the passive feature called Night Walker. It makes you immune to being Ensnared, Entangled, or Enwebbed, and—this is the kicker—you cannot slip on grease or ice. If you’ve ever had your high-damage Fighter spend three turns prone because of a single puddle of grease, you know how vital this is. You basically become an unstoppable force that ignores difficult terrain.
On top of that, they grant you a free cast of Misty Step per Short Rest. In a game where positioning is literally everything, having a free teleport that refills every time you sit down for a snack is incredible. It saves your spell slots for the big stuff like Fireball or Spirit Guardians while ensuring your squishy Wizard can get out of melee range or your Paladin can jump right into the face of a boss.
Tracking Down True Soul Nere
To get your hands on the Disintegrating Night Walkers, you have to deal with Nere. There’s no sneaky way to buy them or find them in a random chest. You’ve got to head to the Grymforge.
Once you arrive via the boat from the Decrepit Village, you'll find a massive excavation site. Nere is stuck behind a wall of rubble. Now, you have a choice. You can play along with the Absolute cultists, or you can team up with the Duergar rebels who are tired of Nere’s nonsense. Honestly, teaming up with Elder Brithvar is the way to go unless you're doing a dedicated "Embrace the Absolute" run. It makes the ensuing fight much more manageable because, let's be real, Nere isn't a pushover when he has an entire room of guards backing him up.
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The Cave-In Clock
Don't dawdle.
Seriously.
Baldur’s Gate 3 uses a "ticking clock" mechanic here. If you take too many long rests after reaching Grymforge and interacting with the scene, Nere will die behind that rubble. If he dies on his own, you can still loot the boots off his corpse, but you’ll miss out on a massive chunk of XP, some great dialogue, and the chance to influence the fate of the deep gnomes. To clear the rubble, you’ll need Smokepowder. You can find Philomeen hiding out in a nearby part of the ruins with a "vial" of Runepowder, or you can just use standard Smokepowder Satchels if you happened to hoard them from the goblin camp.
Pop the explosives, stand back, and get ready for a fight.
Strategy for the Nere Fight
Nere is a Level 5 Soul of the Absolute. He likes to use Psionic Visage, which can make him a pain to hit, and he’ll spam projectiles that hurt. If you’ve sided with the rebels, Brithvar and his crew will jump in the second the fighting starts.
Pro-tip: Keep your party spread out. Nere loves his AoE attacks. If you have a character with high Athletics, try to shove the enemy archers off the high walkways into the lava. It’s a classic BG3 move. Just be careful not to shove Nere into the lava yourself.
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Why? Because if his body melts in the magma, good luck looting those Disintegrating Night Walkers. You’ll be staring at a pile of gold you can’t reach while the best boots in Act 1 slowly incinerate. Kill him on solid ground. Once he’s down, loot his body. You’ll find a Lyre, a broken Moonlantern (unless you’re playing on a specific patch/difficulty where things vary slightly), and those beautiful purple boots.
Who Should Wear the Disintegrating Night Walkers?
This is where people usually get stuck. Who gets the "God Boots"?
Most players default to putting them on their frontline tank. It makes sense. Your Paladin or Fighter needs to stay upright to keep the enemies busy. If your tank is slipping on ice, your backline is exposed. However, there’s a strong argument for giving them to your primary caster.
Imagine your Cleric or Wizard. They are often targets for "Hold Person" or environmental hazards that break concentration. Being immune to Ensnared or Entangled is a massive buff to their survivability. Plus, giving a Wizard a free Misty Step means they don't have to waste a Level 2 spell slot just to reposition.
Personally? I put them on Lae'zel or a Tavern Brawler Monk. A Monk that can't be slowed down by webs or grease is a terrifying prospect for any enemy. They can zip across the battlefield, stun three people, and still have their bonus action available because they didn't have to jump over a puddle of grease.
Synergies with Other Gear
If you’re running a "Sleet Storm" or "Ice Knife" build, these boots are mandatory. You can coat the entire floor in ice, making every enemy fall prone, while your character walks across it like they’re on a dry carpet.
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Combine them with:
- The Watersparkers: If you’re playing with lightning water builds.
- Mourning Frost: For a dedicated cryomancer who wants to stand in their own blizzard.
- Spiderstep Boots: Wait, no. If you have the Night Walkers, you actually don't need the Spiderstep Boots anymore. The Night Walkers are the "straight upgrade" version. Give the Spiderstep ones to your second-fastest character.
Common Misconceptions and Bugs
There’s a bit of confusion regarding the "immunity" these boots provide.
First off, they don't make you immune to all movement-impairing effects. You can still be Stunned, Paralyzed, or Prone if someone hits you with a physical shove or a "Tasha’s Hideous Laughter" spell. The boots specifically target environmental surfaces and "restraining" magical effects like webs.
Also, a weird quirk: sometimes the "Misty Step" doesn't show up on your hotbar immediately after equipping them. If that happens, just unequip and re-equip them. It’s a classic RPG ghost-in-the-machine bug. And remember, the Misty Step is once per Short Rest, not Long Rest. You can use it three times a day if you have a Bard in the party using Song of Rest. That’s a lot of mobility.
Why "Disintegrating"?
The lore behind the name is actually kinda tragic. These were likely the boots of a high-ranking Sharran or a traveler who met a dark end in the Underdark. The "disintegrating" part reflects the state of Grymforge itself—a place once grand that is now literally falling into the lava. Nere thinks he’s a godling, but he’s just wearing the hand-me-downs of a dead civilization.
It’s a nice bit of environmental storytelling. You're basically picking the best remains off a dying cult.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you're currently in Act 1 and haven't hit the forge yet, here is your checklist to ensure you don't miss out:
- Stockpile Smokepowder: Check the Zhentarim Hideout or the Goblin Camp. You need at least two satchels or one vial of Runepowder to clear Nere's path.
- Talk to the Elders: Before blowing the wall, talk to Elder Brithvar. Negotiate a deal to kill Nere. This ensures you aren't fighting 15 enemies at once.
- Positioning: Place your ranged characters on the balconies overlooking the dig site before the explosion. High ground is +2 to hit; use it.
- The Loot: After the fight, Nere's head is often a quest item for the Myconid Sovereign. Don't forget to grab the head and the boots.
- Check Your Inventory: If you’re playing on Honor Mode, the "slip" mechanics are even more punishing. Put these boots on your "closer"—the person responsible for finishing off bosses—to ensure they never miss a turn due to a bad roll on a patch of ice.
The Disintegrating Night Walkers aren't just a piece of loot; they are a solution to some of the most frustrating RNG moments in Baldur's Gate 3. Get them early, keep them late, and stop falling over in the mud like a common goblin.