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In Baldur’s Gate 3, you have the opportunity to take or leave companions. There are options to get rid of some members of your party permanently, either for a story element or by sacrificing them for a permanent benefit. There is a choice you must make at the end of Act 1 that will change which companion you can take with you: whether you side with the druids and tieflings or whether you help the goblins.
Recruiting Minthara in Baldur’s Gate 3
In order to include Minthara in your party, you will have to make some incredibly difficult decisions. Minthara is a drow paladin devoted to Lolth, the Queen of Spiders and the goddess of Cruelty. And in this sense, you will have to make some decisions and accept letting some important moments in the story go unfulfilled. But first, let’s get into Minthara itself. As a companion, she has a unique special ability called soul mark (bonus action). The target’s movement speed is increased by 1.5 m, and its next weapon attack deals an additional 2d4+1 fire damage. Soul Branding ends upon making a successful weapon attack. Here are his statistics:
- Strength: 17
- Dexterity: 12
- Constitution: 13
- Intelligence: 8
- Wisdom: 10
- Charisma: 15
- Skills (Noble): Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion, Religion.
- Starting Equipment: Stride Boots, Ringmail Armor, Studded Shield, Xyanyde
Switching Minthara to Oath of Vengeance makes her a powerful ally with, say, only perspective of things. She is also a potential romantic partner. Now that we’ve covered what you get with Minthara, let’s talk about everything you lose.
Everything you lose when recruiting Minthara in BG3
Minthara is a fascinating character; she is quite evil and is a classic drow sworn by Lolth. But while she can be a great ally, she also has many disadvantages. You should know everything you’re getting into before diving into a game by siding with the goblins in Act 1. A Helpful Guide A Reddit user compiled all this information into a useful infographicIf that’s more your speed.
Halsin, the Curse of Shadows and other companions
First, let’s delve into the obvious: if you recruit Minthara, you cannot recruit Halsin. Halsin is a Grove druid, so even if he survives, there is no chance of him coming with you. This means you can’t save the Cursed Shadowlands either; Halsin is the only one who can find Thaniel’s body in the Darkness. While this won’t prevent you from completing Act 2, it will limit your options as you progress through the game.
Related: How to get the Hill Giant Gauntlets of Strength in BG3
Depending on how you deal with the goblins and druids in Act 1, you may be able to keep some of the companions in your party. Ignoring the conflict completely and waiting until Act 2 to interact with Minthara allows you to keep all companions if you have a good relationship with them. However, if you decide to support the goblins and their war against the druids, you will lose the following companions: Wyll, Karlach, and possibly Gale.
If you have a good enough relationship with any of these characters, could be able to keep them in your group. However, most players have not developed enough of a relationship to sustain themselves at this point in the game. Either way, there will be a lot of bad feelings, and Gale will have to be convinced to stay with you now that you’re a mass murderer of kind druids and tiefling refugees.
The loss of Dammon and the tieflings.
Speaking of Tieflings, you will no longer be able to complete Karlach’s personal quest. Since the tiefling who can heal her is Dammon, one of the many tieflings in Druid’s Grove, Karlach’s heart will never cool enough for you to touch her. You’ll also lose a powerful merchant in Acts 2 and 3 who can sell or craft some pretty powerful armor out of infernal iron.
If you manage to reach the goblin camp without interacting with the tieflings or Druid’s Grove at all, the only one who will survive the massacre will be Arabella, but the rest will die. This includes Rolan, who can be helped in Act 2 and can be an ally against the Netherbrain in Act 3. And this doesn’t include everything you can get from tieflings in the future, including:
- Mol will be dead, interrupting your side quest.
- Mattis products are no longer available.
- If you interact with her in the Grove, you can get the permanent Alfira buff, but you won’t get the warlock armor in Act 3.
Should you recruit Minthara in Baldur’s Gate 3?
The short answer here is no, you should not recruit Minthara, at least for a first game. Minthara is a great companion for an evil game of BG3, and I highly recommend getting her at least once. She cannot be recruited until you find her in Moonrise Towers in Act 2, making her a fairly late addition to the game. But still, Minthara manages to add a unique dynamic to any party. To get a full look at all angles of BG3’s story, you should definitely recruit her at some point, but not the first time.
For more information on Baldur’s Gate 3, check out the Baldur’s Gate 3 Finesse Weapons Guide on Pro Gaming Guides.