GRIM DAWN / QUEST / MAIN QUEST
Helping Out
The second main quest in Act 1, offered by Captain John Bourbon after Waking to Misery. Complete both Barnabas's and Kasparov's assignments, then report to Bourbon inside the prison.
Last updated: 2026-07-12
Main Quest
Act
Act 1
NPC
Captain John Bourbon
Area
Devil's Crossing
Level
5-10
DLC
Base Game
Missable
No
WHY PLAYERS GET STUCK
This quest has no separate dungeon objective. You must complete both And Not a Drop to Drink and Kasparov's Experiment; finishing only one will not advance the objective to reporting to Bourbon.
WALKTHROUGH
- 1Accept the quest from Captain John Bourbon
- ▸Complete the prerequisite quest Waking to Misery.
- ▸Speak to Captain John Bourbon outside the prison at Devil's Crossing and accept Helping Out.
- ▸Bourbon asks you to help Barnabas with the water pump and speak to Kasparov about his research.
- 2Complete Barnabas's and Kasparov's assignments
- ▸Barnabas is outside the prison walls by the windmill on the south side. Speak to him and complete And Not a Drop to Drink.
- ▸Kasparov is in the house next to the Devil's Crossing Rift. Speak to him and complete Kasparov's Experiment.
- ▸The two assignments can be completed in either order. Once both are done, Helping Out updates and directs you back to Bourbon.
- 3Report to Bourbon inside the prison
- ▸After both assignments are complete, Bourbon moves from his starting position outside to his office inside the prison.
- ▸Enter the prison and speak to Captain John Bourbon in his office to finish the quest.
- ▸The reward is difficulty-scaled XP and +150 Devil's Crossing reputation, and the next main quest, Securing Burrwitch, is unlocked.
STILL LOST?
If the quest does not advance, confirm that both And Not a Drop to Drink and Kasparov's Experiment are complete. If they are, look for Bourbon in his office inside the prison, not at his original outdoor position.
A non-missable base-game main quest that links the opening objectives. Rewards are 300/11,000/40,000 XP on Normal/Elite/Ultimate and +150 Devil's Crossing reputation on every difficulty.