Baldur's Gate 3: How to Recruit Minthara Without Betraying the Grove

In the rich and immersive world of Baldur’s Gate 3, player choices directly shape the story, balancing themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the temptation of absolute power. For players seeking to recruit Minthara without causing chaos in the Grove, there’s now a less violent path to follow, thanks to Patch 5. Before this update, players were forced to side with the Goblins and slaughter innocent Tieflings to bring Minthara into their party, a steep cost for one companion. Thankfully, Larian Studios introduced a new method that minimizes the bloodshed while still allowing her recruitment.

Making Minthara Temporarily Hostile: A Key Step

Location:Goblin Camp, Act 1

Minthara, a Drow and a fierce follower of The Absolute, can first be encountered in Act One inside the Goblin Camp. At this point, she’s plotting an attack on Emerald Grove, and her ruthless personality comes to the forefront. To avoid fully siding with the Goblins, players need to trigger a temporary hostility without engaging in dialogue. This can be done by either stealing something or initiating combat.

The key here is to use non-lethal attacks to knock her out rather than kill her. Once she’s knocked out, the game won’t register her as dead. It’s essential to keep her alive in Act One to recruit her later. To ensure this goes smoothly, players should make a save before encountering Minthara, ensuring she remains in this "Temporarily Hostile" state.

Avoid Killing Her Allies: Stealth is Crucial

Location:Goblin Camp, Act 1

After Minthara becomes temporarily hostile, it’s vital to avoid killing her allies in front of her. If she witnesses the deaths of her Goblin comrades, she will become fully hostile, making it impossible to recruit her later on. In the room where she’s located, there are several Goblins and a Scrying Eye monitoring the situation.

Players must ensure they only use non-lethal damage on these Goblins while Minthara remains conscious. Melee attacks are the safest option, as ranged attacks and spells can accidentally cause lethal damage, even when the non-lethal setting is active.

Knock Minthara Unconscious Without Killing Her

Location:Goblin Camp, Act 1

It’s crucial to keep Minthara alive if players wish to recruit her later in the game. If she dies before joining the party, she cannot be revived by any spell or Withers. As with the Goblins, players must avoid using ranged attacks or spells that might reduce her HP to zero. Additionally, pushing her into a chasm or using any environmental hazards will lead to her permanent death.

Progress to Moonrise Towers in Act 2

Location:Moonrise Towers, Shadow-Cursed Lands, Act 2

Even though players first encounter Minthara in Act 1, she can only be recruited permanently as a companion in Act 2. After a significant amount of time has passed, and once players have made their way through the content in Act 1, they will reach the Moonrise Towers in Act 2, located at the southern end of the Shadow-Cursed Lands.

At this point, players need to pose as Absolutists to infiltrate Ketheric Thorm’s base. During a cutscene, Ketheric Thorm sentences Minthara to death for failing to retrieve the Mysterious Artefact.

How to Help Minthara Escape

Location:Moonrise Towers, Shadow-Cursed Lands, Act 2

To save Minthara from execution, players have a couple of options. The most direct route involves initiating combat when she is being escorted out of the main hall. However, this fight is challenging, as all of the cultists will turn hostile. Even with Minthara fighting alongside the party, the battle can be quite difficult.

For those looking to avoid this confrontation, players can find her in the Moonrise Towers Prison after heading downstairs. Here, they can trigger the “Decide Minthara’s Fate” quest. By passing a skill check for Intimidation, Deception, or Persuasion against two guards, players can walk out of the prison with Minthara. Alternatively, players can fight their way out, freeing not only Minthara but also gnomes and other prisoners along the way.

Minthara Joins the Party: A Complex Ally

Once players successfully help Minthara escape, she will visit the camp and ask to join as a permanent companion. While she might not be the easiest character to deal with, those who manage to romance her will find that she has her own doubts about The Absolute and its motives.

Recruiting Minthara requires a careful balancing act, but it offers a way to add a powerful and morally complex companion to the party without betraying the Grove.