You make one of the most important decisions in Baldur’s Gate 3 in Act 1: Do you help the Tieflings or support the Goblins? A player wants to be evil for the hot drow, but can’t fully commit because of animal welfare.
What is the player’s goal? On reddit, S1ebenfinger writes that he loves, admires and appreciates the dark elf Minthara. Minthara is one of the possible companions in the game and is recruited by most players in an evil run.
S1ebenfinger would also like to have her on his team, but could forego the necessary goblin celebration in his camp:
In Act 1 you have to decide whether to help the Tieflings in the Emerald Grove and stand against the Goblins. Alternatively, you can raid the Emerald Grove with the goblins and Minthara. If you help the Tieflings, you will have a Tiefling celebration in your camp. If you help the goblins, they will invite themselves to you.
Depending on your choices, this party is the first opportunity to become intimate with some companions – including Minthara.
You can read more about the decision here:
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The hot drow comes to visit – but the dog has to suffer
Where is the problem? Overall, the goblin party is a lot rougher than the Tiefling party. The dog Scratcher, who you can find and recruit during Act 1, particularly suffers from this.
Scratch is a friendly and lovable companion. With the Speak with Animals ability you can even have conversations with him. He also regularly brings you gifts and is also useful in battle. Many players take it with them in every run. Your companions even have their own sentences in case you ever lose Scratches.
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At the goblin celebration, however,krat is mistreated: one of the visiting goblins chases the whimpering dog through the camp.
S1ebenfinger writes that this is exactly where he would draw the red line: This dog is under his protection, but he is not allowed to attack the goblin. This would trigger a fight in the camp and end the celebrations. A hot encounter with Minthara would then probably no longer be on the agenda.
How does the player solve the dilemma? S1ebenfinger writes that he would rather just skip the party and the hot night with Minthara completely. For him, that is exactly the solution to the puzzle:
He clears the way for the goblins into the Emerald Grove, but then retreats into the mountain pass: There you will find the Githyanki nativity scene that Lae’zel is looking for. If you quest your way through here and then return to the goblin camp or the grove, the invasion has already taken place. However, you don’t deserve a goblin celebration with your absence.
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However, Minthara survives and you will meet her again later in the Towers of Moonrise, as if you had actively fought against the Emerald Grove.
For animal welfare, against the Tieflings – still Drow love
What does the community say about this? Reddit user ElGordo94 writes slightly cynically, I can excuse mass murder, but not animal cruelty. The quote is a slight variation of a sentence from the “Community” series. In Season 3 Episode 6, the character Britta says she can excuse racism, but not animal cruelty.
ErikTheBeard responds to the reddit thread about how funny he finds it that the character Volo is locked in a cage at the Goblin celebration. You can read more about Volo and who the funny guy really is here:
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Reddit user Humorousphlegmflam, in turn, points out that a hyena is also mistreated. Another comment adds that this same hyena would even think that she deserved the mistreatment.
Overall, the Goblin Party is not doing particularly well with the players.
Is there another way to get Minthara? Not yet for the release of Baldur’s Gate 3. But now it does. However, you have to side with the Tieflings:
Accept the quest to help the Tieflings and raid the goblin camp. It is important that you do not kill Minthara in your confrontation, but only knock him out. You can set whether a blow should kill or just stun in the passive characteristics.
If you have cleared the camp but only disabled Minthara, you have the Tiefling party. Scratch is not mistreated there and the hyena doesn’t appear either. Volo isn’t locked in a cage either, but takes part in the celebrations once you save him.
If you make it to Act 2, Minthara’s storyline will play out as if you had fought the Emerald Grove. You should then be able to move forward with your story.
Whose side did you actually take in Act 1? And why? Do you have a companion who always determines your runs in Baldur’s Gate 3? Write it to us in the comments – we are curious. But one of your camp visitors is still posing puzzles to this day. A player now has a dark theory as to why a powerful NPC never heals you.