Intelligence is one of the six Ability Scores that define a character’s core traits and aptitudes in 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, reflecting a character’s “memory and mental power”. It’s the primary spellcasting stat for Wizards, but other classes will find it of dubious value, making it a popular dump stat.
The only thing that might give a player pause is the fact that Intelligence influences five skills - Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature and Religion, and a low Intelligence will adversely affect those skills. Fortunately there’s a way for most characters to ignore Intelligence while also enjoying the benefits of having a high Intelligence score - the 
Warped Headband of Intellect, which will increase the wearer’s Intelligence to 17. This provides a healthy +3 bonus to Intelligence-related Ability Checks, making it an invaluable boon to anybody who needs a temporary boon of Intelligence. This page will provide a walkthrough for how to find the Warped Headband of Intellect in Baldur’s Gate 3, including strategies for defeating Lump the Enlightened and his fellow ogres.
In a ruined house in the Blighted Village you’ll find three ogres, led by the unusually eloquent Lump the Enlightened.
Where is the Warped Headband of Intellect?¶
The Warped Headband of Intellect is a generous item that mitigates the need for characters (save !Wizards) to invest in Intelligence, and it can be found fairly early in the game. You just need to follow the road west from the 
Nautiloid crash site to reach the 
Blighted Village. In a ruined house southwest of the Blighted Village waypoint you’ll find three ogres, Fank, Chock and their leader, Lump the Enlightened. The latter is unusually eloquent for an ogre, and his higher functioning has made him useful for the cult of the Absolute, as the ogres have been tasked with screening for marked individuals, treating the rest as food. Pass a [Deception 10] check and you’ll be able to avoid being added to the menu, and there are other ways to manipulate Lump and his cohorts into becoming allies… but you’re not here to become food or make friends, you’re here for the Warped Headband of Intellect, which Lump happens to possess.
(1 of 2) Climb a ladder,
Climb a ladder, (left), and ambush the ogres from the relative safety of high ground. (right)
How to Defeat Lump the Enlightened¶
While it’s fortunate this item can be found so early, putting it in the hands of three ogres does gatekeep it a bit, as this is a stiff challenge for low-level parties. That said, a bit of strategy goes a long way, and you can make this fight considerably easier. Search the exterior of the house and you’ll find a ladder - which is merely one way of reaching the roof. There just so happens to be intact platforms above the ogres, which make for a fine firing spot. Get your party into position and open things up with a sneak attack from 
Astarion (or your own Rogue, if you prefer). With any luck, an Astarion that chose the Assassin subclass can get two sneak attacks on Lump before any of the ogres get a turn, which should severely wound Lump.
Perched high above them, you’ll deprive the ogres of the most potent aspect of their offense - melee - while granting yourself a great boon in height advantage. The ogres are already easy enough to hit (Armor Class 12 for Chock and Fank, 13 for Lump) and this will just make the damage easier to pile on. That said, they’re still ogres, and have the strength to be dangerous. Lump especially can still bare his fangs by casting various spells like 
Blur to defend himself and 
Melf’s Acid Arrow to put up a competent ranged offensive. Prioritize him as he’s the most dangerous of the three, and the sooner you put a stop to his spellcasting the better.
(1 of 2) Be wary, however, as Lump’s unnaturally keen intellect allows him to catch spells.
Be wary, however, as Lump’s unnaturally keen intellect allows him to catch spells. (left), Put down the ogres and loot Lump to find the source of his smarts - the Warped Headband of Intellect. (right)
As for Chock and Fank, they’re essentially lesser versions of Lump, having fewer Hit Points, Armor Class and less damage potential. Even better, they’ll waste turns throwing various objects found in the house at you, and these improvised weapons aren’t all that dangerous. They’re not helpless, however, and they’ll eventually resort to throwing rocks at you, dealing 2d6 damage and potentially inflicting knockback should they hit. The low ground penalty they suffer should make successful hits uncommon (RNG aside) and you can further protect yourself by debuffing them with 
Bane if you feel you need the extra protection. Whatever their damage potential in this scenario, it’s still significantly lower than if you were fighting them in melee.
Whittle away at the ogres and when they fall, head down and loot them. Be wary, however, as a patrolling goblin near the well may be inspired to join in on hostilities as you descend. The ogres should be isolated enough to prevent this conflict from spilling over to the rest of the Blighted Village, but it’s not impossible. Anywho, when you’re in the clear loot Lump the Enlightened to find the Warped Headband of Intellect, which will raise a character’s Intelligence score to 17 if it’s lower. It will have no effect on characters with a higher natural Intelligence. Equip it when you need it for the boost to various Intelligence-related skills!
Now that you have the Warped Headband of Intellect, hopefully you’re smart enough to continue your adventure, perhaps with the help of the following walkthrough pages:
- Baldur’s Gate 3 - Rescue The Gnome Walkthrough
- Baldur’s Gate 3 - Search The Cellar: Bookcase, Mirror, Iron Gate Walkthrough
- Baldur’s Gate 3 - Owlbear Nest Walkthrough: Owlbear Egg & Chest
- Baldur’s Gate 3 - Whispering Depths Walkthrough: How to Defeat the Phase Spider Matriarch
- How to Recruit Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 - Hunt the Devil Walkthrough
- Toll House BG3 Walkthrough: Toll Collector’s Key, Chair Puzzle and Secret Door
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