Minsc

Overview

Approval

Banter

Minsc of Rashemen is a recruitable Companion with the Folk Hero background, returning from both Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. He is a Human and a Hunter Ranger first appearing during Act Three.

After spending decades in petrification together, Minsc and his beloved hamster sidekick Boo have finally been revived, and they seek a life of "butt-kicking" evildoers to serve as a force of goodness, justice, and glory. He can first be found in The Counting House, where he has been mind-controlled by the Absolute into becoming a True Soul and criminal gang leader known as the Stone Lord. He is found again in the Abandoned Cistern, and knocking him out in the ensuing fight allows him to be freed from his brainwashing and recruited into the party. He cannot be romanced by any character.

Minsc is the only character with access to the spell  Find Familiar: Boo.

“

If there is one thing Minsc hates more than beasts with bad breath - It is those who are tricksome with the truth! And turnips. But you are no turnip. Let that be of comfort, in your final moments.

„

— Minsc, threatening Rakath Glitterbeard

Overview

Starting class

In Baldur's Gate 3, Minsc has the Folk Hero background, and Ranger is his default class. At subsequent level-ups, his default subclass is Hunter, but the player can fully adjust his character build as desired.

Personal quest

Minsc does not have a personal quest, but he is directly tied to two other quests. First, he is the unwilling antagonist of Jaheira's companion quest  The High Harper, and completing this quest allows him to join the party. Second, his ending in the Epilogue is determined by the outcome of  Aid the Underduke, namely a conversation with Nine-Fingers Keene afterward.

Recruitment

He can be recruited during Act Three, if Jaheira joined the party in Act Two. Progressing The High Harper will lead to a fight with Minsc in the Lower City Sewers. The only way for him to be recruited is to use  Non-Lethal Attacks on the final blow, otherwise Minsc will die and Jaheira will leave the party.

The Emperor will argue that the rashemi is too stupid to be of use but can be persuaded with a DC 15 History or DC 15 Intimidation check to extend the mind shield of the Mysterious Artefact to free Minsc from the Absolute's influence. If Jaheira had permanently left the camp or been killed, or never recruited before this point, the Emperor will mention that he is "too far gone" and Minsc will become hostile again with 1 hit point. After killing Minsc in this way, when spoken to, the party members will behave as though Jaheira had just left, even if she had never been in the party since Moonrise Towers.

Approaching Minsc with the player character elsewhere and only Jaheira in the party can cause odd behaviour, possibly preventing him from being recruited.

Approval

Main article: Minsc/approval

Minsc isn't the brightest but he is brave and loyal and has the cutest familiar - Boo.

Romance

Minsc cannot be romanced, remaining oblivious to any player character's possible attraction.

Personality

Minsc is a skilled warrior but not particularly smart. He believes his friend Boo is actually a miniature giant space hamster and he is the only one who can talk to him. He views the world in absolutes - if there's evil then it should be defeated.

Despite her constant nagging, Minsc sees Jaheira as a dear friend and is very protective of her, going so far as to call her his honorary Wychlaran upon their reunion in Act Three. He intensely dislikes Viconia DeVir and Sarevok Anchev because of his history with the latter and because they are evil.

Backstory

See Minsc for a more complete backstory

Minsc is a Rashemaar berserker from a matriarchal nation of Rashemen. As a young man he went on a dajemma - a coming-of-age tradition for Rashemi men to travel the world accompanying his Wychlaran - a young witch Dynaheir.

The Iron Crisis

In their travels they became separated and Dynaheir was snatched by gnolls. With the help of Gorion's Ward (the protagonist of the previous Baldur's Gate games) Minsc freed her and they travelled together, along with Imoen, Jaheira and Khalid.

They resolved the Iron Crisis and defeated the culprit - Sarevok Anchev.

Shadows of Amn

Sometime after Sarevok's defeat, the group parted ways for a while until they once again joined up alongside their friends: Gorion's Ward, Imoen, Jaheira and Khalid. At some point in their travels, captured in a forest by Shadow Thieves and imprisoned in a dungeon beneath the city of Athkatla in Amn. Minsc, Jaheira and Imoen survived, but Dynaheir and Khalid have already been killed. Their captor was Jon Irenicus - an elven wizard who wanted to steal the Bhaalspawn essence for himself. He eventually helped Gorion's Ward to defeat him.

Petrified for a century

Minsc's petrified statue

Combat in front of the statue

Awaken, my Minsc

At some point in their travels Minsc and Boo were ambushed by someone unknown and petrified in the middle of marketplace in the Upper City of Baldur's Gate. For a long time Baldurians believed it was a statue, commissioned by a merchant to commemorate the city's renowned heroes. It became a popular landmark under the title "Beloved Ranger".

80 years later a wild mage Delina tried to defend herself against a gargoyle and accidentally struck the statue with a  wild magic surge. The surge dispelled petrification and Minsc and Boo returned to life, unaware of the passing of time. They joined together and travelled for a while.

Approximately 10 years later Minsc reunited with Jaheira and together they worked to uncover the mysterious Cult of the Absolute. They were the first to uncover information about the threat of the Absolute. Due to Minsc's eagerness to fight he got captured by the cultists and Jaheira, realising that they were severely unprepared and unarmed against the cult decided to leave him in order to share news about the cult.

Captured by the cult, Minsc was infected with a Tadpole and brainwashed into following a doppelganger imitating 'Jaheira'. Under the tadpole's influence, he became a feared murderer under the moniker "Stone Lord". Minsc was also separated from Boo as the tadpole suppressed his memory of the hamster. Their latest crime is robbing the Counting House.

Events of Baldur's Gate 3

During Act Three, should the party arrive at the Counting House and delve into the vaults, they will encounter Minsc and a doppelganger imitating Jaheira, with Minsc revealing himself by tearing his way out of the maw of a Mimic. When encountering Minsc in the Counting House he can either leave the building or stay and fight the party, though it is unclear what causes him to stay.

Related Literature

• Domovoi Invocation
• Register of Goods Received
• Stolen Property - Reward Offered!
• The Stone Lord's Sketches

Loot

Starting equipment

• Alchemy Pouch
• Camp Supply Sack
• Leather Boots
• Leather Gloves
• Longsword
• Minsc's Fantastical Relaxation Garb
• Minsc's Leather Armour
• Minsc's Tasteful Boots
• Minsc's Underwear
• Potion of Healing
• Scroll of Revivify - 2x

Development

Unlike other companions, Minsc, alongside Jaheira, was revealed in a trailer at the Video Game Awards 2022. Minsc was initially slated to be a playable origin, his scrapped content was datamined back in 2020. Tieflings in the Emerald Grove had special dialogue reactions to him and his hamster.

Changes from previous games

Unlike Jaheira, whose stats remained fairly consistent through the games, Minsc's Ability Scores in Baldur's Gate 3 differ heavily from his stats from Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. In previous games, he is depicted as immensely strong, being able to punch through walls and break himself out of cages. However, his stats as a companion in Baldur's Gate 3 do not reflect this. This is likely due to the fact that while previous games use stat rolling, Baldur's Gate 3 uses 27 Point-Buy; it also allows his Ranger abilities to function more reliably due to his high Wisdom.

The closest to his original statistics you can get using Baldur's Gate 3's system is to have STR 17, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 10. This leaves only STR and WIS as impossible to achieve at the start of the game, as his previous STR is 18 would require an ASI and WIS his 6, which would be problematic for a Ranger in Fifth Edition.

The NPC Version of Minsc you encounter in the Sewers does use a stat-block that is reminiscent of the previous entries in the series, consisting of STR 20, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 6, CHA 9. He swaps to his playable version after the conversation introducing Boo to the party.

Minsc in official trailers

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Gallery

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  Minsc's armed model.

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  Minsc's model

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  Minsc's camp model.

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  Minsc's underwear model.

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  Character portrait by Edward Vanderghote.

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  Brainwashed.

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  With Boo.

External links

Minsc on the Forgotten Realms Wiki