Epilogue

Endings

Game Over screens

Epilogue

The epilogue party.

Six months after the resolution of Confront the Elder Brain, the party will gather for an extended Epilogue sequence, which takes place at a suppertime gathering thrown by Withers at the Wilderness campsite. The gathering serves as an opportunity for all the Companions to reunite and share how they have been faring since parting ways, and to gain closure on the stories of each companion. The epilogue was added in Patch 5.

The epilogue sequence is tailored to the decisions made throughout the preceding playthrough and, as such, contains many variations. Major changes pivot around choices made during Confront the Elder Brain and the resolutions of each companion's Personal Quests. All player characters in the party at the time of the Brain's defeat attend in multiplayer games. Anyone who permanently died or otherwise left the camp during the playthrough will not attend the epilogue.

Location

The epilogue takes place at night time in a unique instance of the Wilderness campsite. Tables and barrels overflowing with food and wine stretch across its east end, a bonfire burns in the center, and festive banners and flowers decorate the rocks throughout.

Potions of Animal Speaking can be found throughout, allowing the player character to  Speak with Animals if they do not naturally have the ability.

Withers in his reconstructed chapel.

Withers' workshop

The stone ruin in the southeast corner has been turned into a type of home/office for Withers. On the north wall lies a book-strewn desk topped with Scroll of Disintegrate, Scroll of Circle of Death, andVolo's Guide to Baldur's Gate (Signed). An alchemical altar sits against the eastern wall, next to The Book of Willing Souls. Lining the southern wall is his sarcophagus and an end table, upon which are two D20 dice named Divine Odds.

Bandstand

Milil stands upon a central stone, surrounded by spiritual instruments, and provides music for the party. If passing a Religion check, Milil will be identified as the erstwhile minor deity of song, a recognition that provides him great joy. Milil acts as a jukebox, changing the song per the player character's requests. The song options are:

• Can you play a pretty song, reminiscent of taverns and tales? - Plays "Ale of Balduran."
• Something lively that encourages dancing would be perfect. - Plays "Bard Dance."
• How about something thoughtful, hopeful? - Plays "New Light."
• I'd like something that feels rich and warm. - Plays "Streets and Faces."
• Something nostalgic and gentle would be ideal. - Plays "We Live Another Day."
• Do you have any new compositions? Something that's never been heard before? - Plays "Endless Spring," a new song specific to the epilogue.

Companions will remark nostalgically about being back at the campsite through conversation and ambient banter.

Clothing Chest

A Clothing Chest at X: -511 Y: -498contains a vast number of dyes, camp clothes, shoes, and undergarments, allowing the player character to customize their outfit.

Chest of Grateful Words & Gazette bulletin board

X: -481 Y: -504 is home to a nook containing the Chest of Grateful Words and multiple editions of the Baldur's Mouth Gazette. Here, it is possible to quickly catch up on the developments of minor characters, who either send correspondence that can be found in the chest's inventory, or who made headlines in the posted editions of the Gazette. The headlines of the Gazette are modular, with some headlines being constant and others being affected by outcomes from the playthrough.^{[Needs Verification]} For example:

• 

  Contains an update on Alfira and a consequence from not completing Free the Artist, among others.

• 

  Contains fallout from sinking the Iron Throne, among others

• 

  Contains update on Duke Ravengard and Wulbren Bongle, among others.

• 

  Contains updates on Rolan and Minsc, among others.

Attendees

Origin Character

The primary player character's behavior in the epilogue will differ significantly depending on the chosen Origin. The behaviour is also influenced by which party member was romanced, and whether the player character became a Mind Flayer.

Illithid Transformation

Player characters who opted for the full Mind Flayer transformation will appear in their Mind Flayer form. The other attendees will still remark on their appearance but be happy to see them nonetheless. Like a non-illithid origin character, player characters still have the option to hug Gale, Shadowheart, Karlach, and Halsin/Minthara as well as kiss their romantic partner(s) as a Mind Flayer.

However, after catching up with the third companion, the player character will be struck with the urge to eat their brain. A DC 15 Constitution check is required to repress the urge; if failing or voluntarily giving in, the companion becomes hostile and Withers unceremoniously whisks the player character through a portal.

Spoiler warning! This section reveals details about the story of Baldur's Gate 3.

In fact, the Mind Flayer player character turns out to be quite a gourmand while estimating palatability traits of their former companions and, moreover, sometimes demonstrates a certain measure of humour:

• About Astarion: "Astarion's sweet brain may be a bit less wrinkled that the rest, but you hunger for its teasing cells. His parietal lobe - which controls his sense of touch - will be an aphrodisiac in your maw."
• About Gale: "You would save his temporal lobe for last, if you were to eat Gale. Language. Learning. Memory. He must have quite a fine example."
• About Halsin: "Every time Halsin speaks of balance, your thoughts cannot behave. You only think of what cerebellum tastes like when it sends the signals to his vestibular system to keep him from wobbling."
• About Jaheira: "Weary Jaheira. Over time, her stresses may have shrunk her hippocampus, making its taste more intense."
• About Karlach: "You consider Karlach's brain stem - the stalk meant to regulate her body's temperature. Will it come pre-cooked?"
• About Lae'zel: "Lae'zel's motor cortex - that which controls her fine movements - will be harshly disciplined. That will make her especially chewy - just how you like a cortex to be."
• About Minsc: "There are cruel rumours spread, that Minsc may once have suffered injury to his brain. You could set the slander right at last - tell the world every bite was perfect."
• About Minthara: "With all Minthara's hate, you wonder if her cerebro-spinal fluid will be bitter to sip."
• About Shadowheart: "Think of Shadowheart's cerebellum, which controls her dextrous hands. Any ritual caster must have a tightly commanded hindbrain."
• About Wyll: "Wyll's frontal lobe, which processes his judgement and measured words, would be a delicacy befitting his nobility."

Dark Urge

The appearance of the Dark Urge in the epilogue will vary depending on whether the Urge was embraced or rejected. The party plays out as normal if the Urge was rejected, but if it was embraced, the player character will not be able to interact with the party. Instead, a bloodsoaked Urge character will stumble into the campsite from afar with insanity in their eyes, as Bhaal has lived up to his promise to shred their mind if they didn't take over the Netherbrain. They contemplate killing all the other attendees in their sleep while licking Bloodthirst.

Companions

Astarion

Astarion's behavior at the dinner party is determined primarily by the outcome of The Pale Elf, namely whether or not he ascended. If Astarion ascended, he will be wearing an opulent blood-red suit and speaks more slowly, with a venomous drip. He brags about his rising status as the city's "puppet-master" and generally looks down upon the player character. He can be challenged on his new behavior and compared to Cazador, but Astarion will brush these off.

If the player character romanced Astarion and remained with him as his spawn (or ally in case of illithid transformation), he will ask them to talk with the other companions to gather information and share it with him later, while he stays behind and drinks wine. He will be surprised to hear that others are somehow achieving successes in life without his supervision, but will not be interested to engage in conversation with them himself.

If kept a spawn, Astarion acts like his former self: flamboyant, energetic, and happy to be killing; however, he is now an adventuring vigilante who only kills "the right people" that deserve it. He has grown acclimated to living in the darkness, developing a renewed sense of self that inspires hope in people and is accepting of his own identity and nature.

Ambient chatter from Astarion as a spawn has him bemoan that Withers has brought fine wine from all over the world, but hasn't thought to bring even a single bottle of fresh blood. He goes on to try the reddest wines available, but none are blood.

Gale

Gale's presence and behavior at the party are determined primarily by the outcome of The Wizard of Waterdeep, namely whether he gave up the Crown of Karsus to Mystra, chose to keep the Crown for himself or sacrificed himself to destroy the Netherbrain.

If he did not keep the Crown, Gale returns to Waterdeep with Tara as a professor at the Blackstaff Academy's School of Illusion. If he chose to return the Crown to Mystra, she cures him of his Netherese Orb; otherwise, if he left it hidden in the ocean, Mystra leaves the orb in him as a reminder of his former hubris but deactivates it and allows him to live in peace. In either version of the professor ending, Gale can be hugged during the player's first conversation with him, he pretends the orb is still active in order to threaten his students when they behave poorly, and he asks the player character to come by the school at some point as a guest-lecturer for his class. Players can accept (with or without their romantic partner) or gently decline, and Rangers can offer to teach the students about wilderness survival instead.

If Gale decided to take the crown for himself he arrives to the party as a god. He reforged the crown and used it to ascend to godhood, but left Mystra to her magical dominion, instead becoming the god of ambition. He has several temples already built in honor of him, and he promises that the player character is never out of his sight. Tara is unhappy with Gale's ascension, though, calling his change "distasteful".

If he used the Netherese Orb to destroy the Netherbrain, a magical projection of Gale called the Spectral Voice will be in the party. It will inform that it was created by Gale in the event that he died and was beyond normal means of resurrection, and will give a letter containing Gale's farewell. Once it delivers the letter, the Spectral Voice vanishes, and Tara is saddened by his death.

Halsin

Halsin does not have any major changes to his behavior or appearance at the party. After optionally sharing a hug and/or kiss (if romanced), he talks of settling down in Reithwin to help rebuild the Shadow-Cursed Lands, and ask for a story from the player character to bring back to his hordes of adopted children. If the player character has romanced Halsin, they can joke that they would've asked him to read them stories and tuck them in. Also, if the player character romanced Halsin but went to Avernus with Karlach, Halsin says that he's glad their friendship with her has endured but that he'll always be there for them when they get back. Before the player character leaves their conversation, he will give them a Whittled Duck.

Ambient chatter from Halsin has him surprised Withers has brought so much food, considering he is mostly made of bone. He theorizes that Withers wishes to live vicariously through everyone else's appetites. He also notes he should exercise restraint with the alcohol, lest he lose his faculties and ruin the party's vibe as a wildshaped bear. He is very happy to be among old friends and in nature. Throughout the party, Halsin can be seen dancing to Milil's music, and he will also occasionally receive the Drunk condition - living up to his own worries by turning into a bear and running dizzily around the campsite or gorging fruit until the condition wears off.

Jaheira

Jaheira's behavior does not have major changes if she attends. She talks of Baldur's Gate's reconstruction efforts, and the roles her children, the Harpers, and Minsc have to play in it. She reveals Jord has joined the Harpers and is planning crop cycles in Wyrm's Crossing. Rion has temporarily joined the Flaming Fist, but mostly spends her time incarcerating corrupt Fists. Minsc, if he has made amends with the Guild, has managed to rope them into rebuilding the city as well, though she suspects the thieves are only in it to lure back the wealthy. She herself is micromanaging everyone. By asking Jaheira how she's been after she talks about her children, the player character can ask to join to the Harpers and she will agree, even if they're a mind flayer.

Karlach

Karlach's behavior is determined primarily by the decisions made on the dock after defeating the Netherbrain and whether she became a Mind Flayer.

If she became a Mind Flayer, she will appear as she did in the final battle. She talks slowly and airily, reporting that she still feels like herself but that eating brains has enriched her with lifetimes of additional thoughts and memories. She sustains herself through an arrangement with a healer for terminally-ill patients, who consent to donate their brains to her diet, and she is proud that their memories can live on through her.

Ambient chatter from Karlach as a Mind Flayer has her note that the reunion is a lovely occasion, but she'll soon get hungry. She expresses pity that mutton chops no longer interest or sustain her, and reminds herself not to think about any of the local brains - lest she tempt herself.

If she went to Avernus, she will be excited to have discovered a lead on permanently fixing her soul engine: blueprints for one of Zariel's secret forges. Her ambient chatter in this ending has her comment on how good it smells on the surface.

If she did not go to Avernus, she does not show up because she is dead. Shadowheart will lament the lack of her presence, and after conversing with Withers it is revealed that Karlach was not brought back because she did not want to return.

Lae'zel

Lae'zel's behavior depends on the outcome of The Githyanki Warrior, whether she rejected or embraced Vlaakith, whether or not Orpheus is freed, and if she flew back to the Astral Plane to wage war against Vlaakith or stayed in Faerun.

If Lae'zel sides with Orpheus and departs with him to wage war, she will appear at the party as a glowing Astral Projection. She recants the player character with tales of victory, her diplomacy mission to the Githzerai, and her new appreciation for things other than battle.

Ambient chatter from Lae'zel as an Astral Projection has her relieved her projection is holding. She is glad to see Fae'run's skies again, having learned much during the adventure. She is especially pleased at the community and revelry happening on the eve of their victory.

If the Githyanki Egg was left in Lae'zel's possession, she speaks of the young man born of it, named Xan, in the care of allies. If Lae'zel sides with Orpheus, he is currently staying with the mages of Xamvadi'm.

If Lae'zel sides with Orpheus and stays in Faerun, she launches a crusade to slay every Vlaakith-aligned Githyanki outpost on the Sword Coast.

If Lae'zel remains loyal to Vlaakith and accepts Ascension, she will not be present in the epilogue. Withers will remark that githyanki Ascension is to be consumed by Vlaakith, and that he cannot sense Lae'zel's presence.

Minsc

Minsc's appearance at the party depends on the conversation had between Nine-Fingers Keene and him, following completion of Aid the Underduke. If he doesn't talk with Keene or doesn't make peace with the Guild, he arrives looking worse for wear, decked in rags. Without knowing the gravity of his situation, he reveals that he has been kidnapped by the Zhentarim and was nearly about to be executed when Withers spirited him away for the party.

If he agreed to help the Guild as their "berserker lodge," Minsc appears well-dressed, accompanied by a halfling Guild member, Happy Hoarson, who he was in the middle of terrorizing for looting corpses. Minsc commends the player character and their companions for being ideal heroic role models, the kind of person Happy should strive to be more like. He also says that he no longer sleeps in "that" sewer, but has found a much nicer sewer to sleep in.

Ambient chatter from Minsc has him impressed with the quality of meat Withers provided, though neither he or Boo know where Withers sourced it. If he came with Happy Hoarson, then Minsc also exclaims to Boo that Happy must be treated nicely if he is to reform.

Minthara

Minthara's appearance and behavior at the party don't have any major changes depending on story decisions. Ambient chatter from Minthara has her wryly suspect there have been other reunions to which she hasn't been invited, that all the heroes gathering together paints a target on the party for hostile attack, and that she is becoming accustomed to the taste of surface-grown plants.

When spoken to, Minthara bemoans the party's lack of extravagance and asks if the player character regrets their decision not to control the Absolute. She then reveals she's since returned to the Underdark, despite being an apostate of Lolth, and is gathering like-minded individuals to reclaim her family house and wage war on the Spider-Queen. When speaking to an Origin Shadowheart player character, her dialogue about controlling the Absolute is replaced with conversation about the outcome of Daughter of Darkness - for example, asking how Shadowheart's parents are faring if they are alive.

Shadowheart

“	Four dogs, eight cats, nine chickens, six pigeons, four sheep, a milk cow named Daphne, a squirrel who's far too clever for her own good, and a wolf cub I found orphaned in some woods.	„
	— Shadowheart, on her new pets

Shadowheart's behavior is determined by the outcome of Daughter of Darkness, whether she rejected or embraced Shar, and whether her parents are alive or not.

Ambient chatter from Shadowheart has her pleased at the quality of wine Withers brought for the party, before promptly wondering why the party had to scavenge food from barrels and crates during their adventure when Withers could've fed them. She then recalls a night where fourteen apples, some fish heads, and stale bread were served for dinner.

When the player character talks to her for the first time, she will autonomously hug them, making her the only companion who doesn't need to be asked for a hug first. If she became the Mother Superior, she will mention how the rebuilding of Baldur's Gate is all consuming but has led to many new recruits. If she rejected Shar but euthanized her parents, she embarks on a life of adventuring and slaying Sharran assassins, telling of visiting the Temple of the Moon and encountering an imp named Bing-Bong; she says that she still feels her parents' presence in moonmotes and looks forward to reuniting with them when she dies. If she rejected Shar and saved her parents, she will have moved into a rustic cottage with her parents and an abundance of pets.

Wyll

Wyll's behavior is determined by the outcome of The Blade of Frontiers, whether he went to Avernus or stayed to become a Duke, and whether he remained a Warlock or escaped his contract.

Ambient chatter from Wyll has him enjoying the song, company, wine, and especially the fresh air. He wishes the night could last forever.

If freed of his contract, he becomes a Ranger. If he became the Blade of Avernus but Karlach chose to die, he arrives smelling of sulfur and dressed in spiky armor that he claims was made from the shattered bones of slain fiends. He will share that he has a lead on getting closer to claiming his revenge on Mizora.

If left to serve his contract, he reports that he still undertakes missions on Mizora's behalf, and that his next quest has him tasked to slay a certain very powerful devil, though he cannot say more.

If Wyll moves to Avernus with Karlach (and the player character if chosen), he notes how many cambions the two or three of them have slain and expresses his hope for Karlach to get her engine fixed and return to Faerûn for good. Asking about Mizora reveals that she's allowed him much more freedom as the Blade of Avernus, to his own surprise; he also still mentions his next task of slaying a devil, but he's not afraid when the player character and Karlach have his back. He also shares about Duke Ravengard's efforts to rebuild the corrupted Flaming Fist and expresses that both he and his father are proud of each other.

If he vows to become a duke in the city, he arrives at the party in splendid finery and tells the player character of his acclimation to the political intrigue of Baldur's Gate.

If his personal quest was never completed, he remains the Blade of Frontiers and tells the player character of his recent exploits: slaying a dinosaur at Candlekeep, slaying an "impossible lich," and slaying a "whelp" dragon named Claugiyliamatar.

Camp Followers

Owlbear Cub

If the owlbear cub became fully grown and armored, he tells players with  Speak with Animals of having befriended a cat and a kraken until he killed the kraken for eating the cat. He also reveals that he was never invited, instead following the player character's pleasant smell to join the party. It's possible to suggest that he moves in with Halsin, Shadowheart, or the player character (if partnered with one or both of them).

Scratch

Scratch appears very much his old self, having moved to the city after the companions parted ways and become best friends with a young girl named Mindy. His petting dialogue option changes to "Pet your old friend Scratch", and he requests to play fetch with the Astral Prism. He also tells players with Speak with Animals that he is doing well and hopes they both always will be.

Volo

Volo attends the party, sharing with the player character how he has an upcoming book about the party's adventures. He is shameless about forging the player character's signature in order to get this book made.

Withers

Withers hangs out in his private chapel, away from the celebration. Talking to him and selecting "I think I've caught up with everyone. What comes next?" will trigger the good ending of the Epilogue, in which Withers gives a speech wishing the companions a life of love and well-being. The player can then give a toast of their choice, ending the Epilogue and triggering the credits.

Other Attendees

Happy Hoarson

Happy Hoarson is a possible attendee brought to the party by Minsc. If spoken to, he expresses concern that Boo will kill him.

Tara

If Gale ascends to godhood, Tara remarks about how much she hates the change, and invites the player character to spend time with Gale's mother so that she can hear about her son from someone who knew who he was.

If Gale did not ascend to godhood, she invites the player character to come visit her and Gale, and mentions that she'll send the invitation by pigeon, remarking that she once had a taste for them.

Raphael

Raphael crashes the party if the player character signed his contract and handed him the Crown of Karsus.

Bad Ending

If the player character ruins the vibe by killing an attendee or attempting to eat someone's brain as a mind flayer, Withers will unceremoniously bounce them from the party by sucking them through a portal; this immediately ends the Epilogue and triggers the end credits. The player can damage and kill Withers himself for the first and only time in the game, but he will simply reform and bounce the player anyway.