Withers

Withers
Stats
Level 1
STR 10 DEX 10 CON 10 INT 10 WIS 18 (+4) CHA 10
Race	[[Skeleton|Skeleton]]
Type	Undead
HP	1
AC	10
Movement Speed	9m / 30ft
Size	Medium
Weight	50kg / 100lbs
Proficiency Bonus	+2
Initiative	+0
Passive features
Immune To Control Undead  Opportunity Attack
Character information
Location	Dank Crypt Campsite
Faction	Church of Jergal
Models

Withers is a mysterious undead entity that joins the player on their adventures as a camp follower. He calls himself "a scribe, a seneschal - a keeper of records", and offers resurrection services to the party, allows characters to change or reset their class and provides the services of hirelings.

“	What is the worth of a single mortal's life?	„
	— Withers

Overview

Background

Withers is a camp companion who offers his various services to the party. Secretive, but wise and ever helpful, he can be found in the Dank Crypt in Act 1 and remains with the party throughout the game.

Gameplay

• Withers is an Undead creature whose level scales with that of the party
• He can be encountered in Act 1 and remains with the party throughout the game
• He cannot be damaged nor killed
• He is the only means of changing class in the game

Quests

• Explore the Ruins

Services

• Withers will resurrect dead companions for a 200 gold fee per resurrection
• He offers the service of hirelings, recruitable characters that can be added to aid your party who, unlike regular companions, do not have related quests or interactions
• He is able to resurrect hirelings for 100 gold per resurrection
• Withers can also change the class of a character for 100 gold
  • This sets the character back at level 1 and allows them to change their class, subclasses, spells, ability scores, etc.
  • Characters cannot change their race, appearance, origin, or background
  • Paladins who have broken their oaths cannot access this class change, they must retake their vows first through the Oathbreaker Knight
• Though not directly through him, his Magic Mirror can be used to change the appearance of non-origin characters

Interactions

Act One

Withers is first encountered in the Dank Crypt - an ancient temple of Jergal. He is resting inside a sarcophagus within the hidden room. Open the Richly Adorned Sarcophagus to free him. He will ask a question and then leave.

Later, Withers will appear at the Campsite and join as a Camp Follower. If the player reaches the courtyard of the goblin camp, or progresses far enough without completing Explore the Ruins and meeting him in the Crypt, this will still happen. If the player then visits the Crypt, they'll still be able to complete the aforementioned quest, but the sarcophagus will be empty.

Act Two

When talking to Withers in Moonrise Towers, the Party can note that he seems to know a lot about the Dead Three.

Act Three

A journal found in the Grand Mausoleum in Baldur's Gate records a meeting between a priest and who they identify as Jergal, the God of Death that preceded the Dead Three. The journal relates that the priest "came face to face with him: Masked in gold, his skin fine and worn as parchment. Jergal, the death-keeper, the End of Everything. I asked what he needed of me. He asked a simple question: 'What is the worth of a single mortal's life?'". This is the same question asked of the player by Withers when roused from his sarcophagus in Act One.

Spoiler warning! This section reveals interactions with The Dark Urge.

If the player is playing as The Dark Urge and refuses to become the Chosen of Bhaal after killing Orin, Bhaal will seemingly kill the player character. However, in the final moment, Withers will appear and tell the player that while Bhaal could destroy his own spawn, he could not destroy the new self that the character had become by resisting the Dark Urge. He pronounces the player character redeemed and free of Bhaal's influence.

In the after credits scene, Withers is seen talking to a mural of the Dead Three disappointed in their actions and telling them that he overestimated them.

Combat

Loot

Withers cannot be killed and looted.

Notes

• Voiced by Stephen Boxer
• Withers puts the gold he receives for his services into a pickpocketable inventory, so players may steal back any money paid. Withers will not react to failed pickpocketing, allowing unlimited attempts.
• Withers cannot be damaged and is functionally invincible
• In Early Access he was initially called The Hooded Skeleton even though he had no visible hood. He was later renamed to Talkative Skeleton and then, finally, Withers.
• If you speak with a hireling, it is revealed Withers is in fact remotely controlling them. In a sense, that makes Withers indirectly a companion as well.
• It is heavily implied that Withers is either an avatar of Jergal or Jergal himself.
  • He is found in the Temple of Jergal and scribes bear Jergal's insignia.
  • In Withers' official concept art (see gallery below) he is referred to as Jergal
  • In the after credits scene Withers is talking about how disappointed he is in the Dead Three and how he overestimated them.
  • The question Withers asks the player when released from his sarcophagus, "What is the worth of a single mortal's life?", is the same question recorded as asked of a priest by Jergal in a journal in the Ancient Mousoleum in the Baldur's Gate graveyard.
  • As a Paladin or Cleric you can feel divine energy from Withers. "He has a divine aspect, yes. A reflection of death itself. Eternal and inescapable." If you ask him if he's a god's Chosen he will refuse to answer questions in that regard.
  • When a character dies and is resurrected by Withers, he states that the character's name has been "stricken from the record", and when a new companion first speaks to Withers, he states "Ah, another. Thy name has been recorded." Jergal is also known as "Nakasr, The Final Scribe" who is responsible for keeping record of the ultimate fate of all mortals.
  • As a Cleric of Kelemvor, you will receive unique dialogue when talking to Withers. You will sense something familiar about him when you first meet him. He will say unique lines such as "Thou walk with death, child of Kelemvor. That is enough for an understanding between us" and "No, although Kelemvor chose wise to bless one such as yourself" when replying to your questions.

Datamined content

According to datamined notes, Withers is Jergal. The datamined notes say that he is compelled by Helm to assist the players as penance.

• From the Chapel dialog notes:

“

After the party has slain a group of undead scholars, the judge of death--Jergal--climbs out of his sarcophagus to greet them. He has been locked inside for years by the god Helm to atone for his part in raising the Dead Three, wicked gods who are now plotting to conquer the realms. Jergal is emotionless and excessively formal, both resigned to his fate and that of others. He is here to assist the party because that is his divine oath, not out of any true desire to act. Players can attempt to goad or attack him, but to minimal effect, as he is functionally immortal. His only goal was to see their faces, so he can find them at camp later to offer further assistance.

„

• From the Camp dialog notes:

“

Jergal, a god of the dead, awaits the player in camp. He is bound by the judgment of another god - Helm - to assist the players as penance for past crimes. He provides resurrection services to the players.

„

• Internal game files refer to him as "JergalAvatar" (or more specifically, S_GLO_JergalAvatar_0133f2ad-e121-4590-b5f0-a79413919805).

Achievements

Outsourcing
Recruit a hireling. You can befriend them or use them as cannon-fodder - we won't judge.

Gallery

• 

  In Early Access

• 

  Official concept art by Jane Katsubo

• 

  Concept art from the Artbook

• 

  Withers as featured in Community update #24

External Links

• Withers on the Forgotten Realms Wiki