Key Takeaways
- Trust Karlach over the Paladins to keep a valuable companion alive in
Baldur’s Gate 3. - Free Orpheus for key information on defeating the Netherbrain without becoming a Mind Flayer.
- Help Lae’zel break free from Vlaakith’s control for a better outcome in
Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3 offers players an impressive number of choices. Even the smallest decisions, which may not seem like they’ll have much significance, can have a massive impact on how the game plays out in the end, making every little thing matter.
Some of the choices players can make will be the best possible ones that they could make, and others may be the worst ones. It’s difficult to know in the moment, especially when it’s never clear which decisions are the most critical to success. Here’s a breakdown of some of the best decisions to make so that players can get the best outcome.
Updated October 6, 2024, by Hamza Haq: Baldur’s Gate 3 offers players a ton of choices with unclear consequences at all stages of the game. For players on their first playthrough, it’s never clear what decisions matter and what possible long-term ramifications their choices might have. Naturally, this means that it’s common for unaware players to miss out on powerful weapons, permanent bonuses, and even companions if they make the wrong call. Knowing the right decision to make in BG3 is vital information to have, especially for players who are afraid of missing out.
9 Side With Karlach
No, She Isn’t A Devil
When players are first introduced to the character of Karlach, multiple groups of people will tell them that Karlach is a dangerous devil that needs to be stopped. The “Paladins of Tyr” are actually lying to capture Karlach and bring her to their boss, and Wyll is being forced to hunt her due to his contract with Mizora.
Some players who don’t know Tieflings, or who are suspicious of Karlach, end up siding with Wyll or the Paladins and killing Karlach, missing out on one of the best companions in the game. Instead, if players trust Karlach, they will learn that everything is a misunderstanding (at least between her and Wyll), and they can keep her alive.
8 Take Auntie Ethel’s Hair
The Hag’s Deal Is Better Than It Seems
Saving Mayrina is one of the major quests in Act 1, which requires looking for the missing girl in the Riverside Teahouse, home of Auntie Ethel, or, as it is later revealed, the Hag who has Mayrina imprisoned in the Overgrown Tunnel. To rescue Mayrina from the Hag’s clutches, players will need to defeat Auntie Ethel in her Hag form at the bottom of the Overgrown Tunnel.
While it is possible to directly defeat the Hag and rescue Mayrina, players should aim to get Auntie Ethel’s Hair, a unique item that can only be obtained if the Hag’s HP is brought down to 25% without killing her. If they manage to do so without directly killing her, she will offer a deal: let her keep Mayrina and her unborn baby, and she will give the player power in return. The power in question is an item called Auntie Ethel’s Hair, which, when consumed, permanently increases an ability score by +1. Luckily, it’s possible to save Mayrina and get the permanent bonus item if players pass an intimidation or persuasion check when the Hag makes her offer. This is a DC 20 check, so it’s advisable to save inspiration in preparation.
7 Free Orpheus From His Prison
He Doesn’t Deserve It
Many players are stuck on one major decision in the game: whether or not to release Orpheus from his prison in the Astral Prism. This is a major point because, throughout the game, players are shown time and time again that the Githyanki have a different way of doing things and don’t always agree with Tav.
However, if players release him, they will learn that Vlaakith falsely imprisoned him. He will also be key to defeating the Netherbrain without having to turn into a Mind Flayer, which is perfect for players who don’t want to go that route. One thing to note is that The Emperor will turn against Tav if they free Orpheus, but the truth is that he has already gone mad, and his true self would want to be killed.
6 Force Astarion To Bite Araj Oblodra
And Give Her Blood
One of the more curious NPCs players will encounter in the Moonrise Towers during Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3 is Araj Oblodra, a female Drow with a curious proposal for the party: ask Astarion to bite her. Astarion isn’t too keen on the idea, so players will have to force him to bite Araj if they want to fulfill her request. At first glance, this choice seems like a bad one. Making Astarion angry, especially for someone who is romancing him, seems inadvisable. Objectively speaking, however, convincing the resident vampire to bite Araj Oblodra is the correct choice because of the reward on offer: the Potion of Everlasting Vigour, a one-time consumable that can permanently increase the drinker’s strength by 2.
Afterward, Araj will also offer players the chance to obtain a unique potion tailored to them if they agree to give her their blood. This is also a unique reward, though not as useful as the Potion of Everlasting Vigour. If a character agrees to this trade, they’ll obtain a potion, which depends on their race. All party members can choose to make this deal individually, which means players can redo this deal once for each party member, even those in the camp.
5 Don’t Let Gale Become A God
Godhood Doesn’t Suit Him
One of the many endings in the game will see Gale become the God of Ambition. While this is pretty cool, and it allows him to remove the orb from his chest and be free of Mystra, it isn’t who he is. Many characters will remark that he has changed a lot, and they do not like the new Gale at all.
Gale deserves to be free of Mystra, and he deserves to be free of the curse. After all, Mystra chases after a lot of the young and attractive wizards who worship her. But, Gale shouldn’t lose who he is in the process, and that is exactly what happens in this ending. He gets his freedom, but that freedom comes at the loss of himself. He isn’t Gale anymore, he is someone else entirely.
4 Help Lae’zel Break Free Of Vlaakith
Her Queen Isn’t Who She Says She Is
Lae’zel is a difficult character to get along with, especially if the player isn’t playing as a Githyanki. She is completely in love with the Githyanki ways, and has been brainwashed by them to believe that their queen, Vlaakith, is the greatest being to ever live. However, this isn’t the truth at all; Vlaakith isn’t who she says she is.
Vlaakith’s unending reign drove her mad and made her want to insert herself as the Githyanki’s deity, a position she doesn’t deserve. She doesn’t truly care about the Githyanki, or what is best for the race; she only cares about herself and her own power. It is sad that Lae’zel is stuck worshiping someone who couldn’t care less about her, a lot like Shadowheart with Shar and Astarion with Cazador, and it’s worth working to set Lae’zel free.
3 Saving The Nightsong
Shadowheart Deserves To Know The Truth
One of the biggest decisions in the game is whether or not Shadowheart should kill the Nightsong. While a lot of players will either tell Shadowheart not to do it or have her follow her heart, usually ending in the Nightsong being spared, not everyone realizes who Shar truly is.
If a player hasn’t played D&D, or doesn’t spend a lot of time immersing themselves in the game, they may think that Shar is on Shadowheart’s side, so they will have her kill the Nightsong. However, if the Nightsong dies, Shadowheart goes down a dark path she cannot escape, and she deserves better than that life.
2 Go Against Raphael
Receive The Best Loot In The Game
Another major choice is who the player should side with at the end of the game. Everyone seems to want the Crown, and it is hard to know who will truly keep their end of the bargain and who will use their power to make the world worse. Knowing what is known about Raphael, he doesn’t seem keen on keeping promises in the way that Tav would want.
If players tell Raphael he can have the Crown, they can still sneak into his house, The House of Hope, and go against him. They can also do this even if they told him that they wouldn’t side with him. While this will be one of the hardest fights in the game, players will get some amazing loot, like the Helldusk Armor set, from exploring the House of Hope.
1 Don’t Let Astarion Ascend
Power Comes At A Price
One thing in the game that is hard to refuse is Astarion’s Ascension. After all, if he completes the ritual, Astarion will have the powers that Cazador had, and will be an extremely powerful, full-fledged vampire rather than suffering as a Vampire Spawn like he has for his entire life. That power could be very helpful during the final battle in the game.
However, that isn’t who Astarion is, at all. He only wants that power because it is all he has known, and Cazador is all he has known. Tav has the power to pull Astarion from the darkness he is in and show him that there is more to life. If he Ascends, Astarion goes down a dark path that he won’t come back from, just like Shadowheart does with Shar.
