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Minsc
| Overview | Approval | Disapproval | Banter | Location Remarks |
Minsc can first be found in The Counting House, where he has been tadpole-converted by the Absolute into a True Soul and criminal gang leader known as the Stone Lord. He is found again in the Abandoned Cistern; knocking him out in the ensuing fight allows him to be freed from his brainwashing.
After spending decades in 
together, Minsc and his beloved hamster sidekick Boo have finally been revived, and they seek a life of "butt-kicking" evil-doers to serve as a force of goodness, justice, and glory.
Minsc is also the only character with access to the spell 
.
“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.„
Overview[edit | edit source]
Starting class[edit | edit source]
When first encountered, Minsc is a level 12 Ranger with the following Ability Scores: STR = 20, DEX = 15, CON = 15, INT = 6, WIS = 8, CH = 9. If recruited he reverts to a level 1 Ranger with the standard ability scores for that Class. His default subclass is Hunter. Minsc has the Folk Hero background.
Personal quest[edit | edit source]
Minsc does not have a personal quest, but he is directly tied to two others. First, he is the unwilling antagonist of Jaheira's companion quest 
, and completing this quest allows him to join the party. Second, his ending in the Epilogue is determined by the outcome of , namely a conversation with Nine-Fingers Keene afterward.
Recruitment[edit | edit source]
Minsc can be recruited during Act Three if Jaheira joined the party in Act Two. Progressing The High Harper leads to a fight with Minsc in the Lower City Sewers. To be recruited, he must be 
on the final blow, otherwise Minsc 
without the possibility of being revived and Jaheira leaves the party.
The Emperor argues the Rashemi is too stupid to be of use but can be persuaded to extend the mind shield of the 
Mysterious Artefact in order to free Minsc from the Absolute's influence:
- [HISTORY] His chaos saved the city before. We need him. (DC 15)
- [INTIMIDATION] You will do as I command, or I will find a way without you. (DC 15)
If Jaheira is dead, has not been recruited, or has left the party, the Emperor mentions he is "too far gone" and Minsc becomes hostile again with 1 hit point. After killing Minsc in this way, when spoken to, party members behave as though Jaheira had just left, even if she has never been with the party since Moonrise Towers.
Approaching Minsc with the player character elsewhere and only Jaheira in the party may cause odd behaviour, possibly preventing him from being recruited.
Approval[edit | edit source]
Minsc is not the brightest, but he is brave and loyal - and has the cutest familiar: Boo.
Romance[edit | edit source]
Minsc cannot be romanced, remaining oblivious to any player character's possible attraction.
Description[edit | edit source]
Appearance[edit | edit source]
Minsc is a towering, muscle-bound man; his clean-shaven scalp bears a vivid purple crescent that sweeps over his right brow and cheek, and his steel-gray eyes rest beneath heavy brows. Old nicks crisscross his broad arms like a map of hard-won battles. Plain silver-looped earrings, weather-stained studded leather beneath a scarlet sash, and a well-worn longsword slung across his back all underscore his 
Rashemi origins. Perched on his left shoulder sits a tiny brown hamster, whiskers twitching, the only soft edge to his otherwise imposing frame.
Personality[edit | edit source]
Minsc is a skilled warrior who is otherwise blissfully bereft of the burdens of Intellect. He believes his friend Boo is actually a miniature giant space hamster and that he is the only one who can talk to him. He views the world in absolutes (no pun intended): if there is 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[edit | edit source]
Minsc for a more complete backstoryMinsc 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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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, they were 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 were killed. Their captor was Jon Irenicus - an elven wizard who wanted to steal the Bhaalspawn essence for himself. Minsc eventually helped Gorion's Ward to defeat him.
Petrified for a century[edit | edit source]
At some point in their travels, Minsc and Boo were ambushed by an unknown individual, petrified, and left in the middle of marketplace in the Upper City of Baldur's Gate. For a long time, Baldurians (including Jaheira) 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 
. The surge dispelled the petrification, and Minsc and Boo returned to life, unaware of the passing of time. They joined forces and travelled together for a time.
Approximately 10 years later, Minsc reunited with Jaheira. Together, they worked to uncover the mysterious Cult of the Absolute and were the first to reveal information about this threat. Unfortunately, Minsc's impulsive eagerness to fight resulted in his capture by the cultists and Jaheira, realising they were severely unprepared and unarmed against this cult, decided to leave him in order to share news about this growing threat.
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.
Involvement[edit | edit source]
Act Three[edit | edit source]
During Act Three, should the party arrive at the Counting House and delve into the vaults, they encounter Minsc accompanied by 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 immediately leaves the building.
Epilogue[edit | edit source]
Minsc's appearance and dialogue at the party depend on the outcome of and the subsequent conversation with Nine-Fingers Keene.
Ambient chatter from Minsc in either ending has him impressed with the quality of meat Withers provides, though neither he nor Boo knows where Withers sourced it.
Zhentarim Prisoner[edit | edit source]
If Minsc is not present for the conversation with Nine-Fingers, he refuses to make amends with her, and/or the player character sided with the Zhentarim, he arrives looking worse for wear, decked in rags. Without knowing the gravity of his situation, he reveals he has been kidnapped by the Zhentarim and was nearly about to be executed until Withers rescued him by spiriting him away for the party.
Berserker Lodge[edit | edit source]
If Minsc agrees to help the Guild as their "berserker lodge", he appears well-dressed and accompanied by a halfling from the Guild, Happy Hoarson, whom 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 people Happy should strive to be more like. He also says that he no longer sleeps in "that" sewer; instead he has found a much nicer sewer to sleep in.
An additional line of ambient chatter from Minsc in this ending has him exclaiming to Boo that Happy must be treated nicely if he is to reform.
Speak with Dead[edit | edit source]
Minsc can be talked to with 
, although several dialogue options only show up based on if the player knows that information already. Mentioning Boo will turn his focus towards it and nothing else
Party member: What is your real name, Stone Lord?
- Minsc: Minsc... of... Rashemen...
Party member: What did you want in the Counting House?
- Minsc: Zhentarim... precious... treasure...
Party member: Did you have anything of value worth taking?
- Minsc: ...Boo... BOO... BOO!...
Party member: You were paying the Zhentarim? What for?
- Minsc: Kill... Nine-Fingers... seize... Guildhall...
Party member: Why did you make me kill you?
- Minsc: Believed... in you... wrong...
Party member: How did your Harpers know to wait in ambush?
- Minsc: Jaheira... smarter than you... smarter... than Minsc...
Party member: What will happen to Boo without you?
- Minsc: ...Boo... BOO... BOO!...
Related Literature[edit | edit source]
Domovoi Invocation
Register of Goods Received
Stolen Property - Reward Offered!
The Stone Lord's Sketches
Related Quests[edit | edit source]
Loot[edit | edit source]
Starting equipment[edit | edit source]
Development[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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.
If one seeks to emulate Minsc's ability scores from prior incarnations of the game, an arguably close approximation is: STR 17, DEX 15, CON 15, INT 8, WIS 8, CHA 10. This distribution leaves only STR and WIS as unattainable outliers at the start of the game, as his previous STR is 18, (requiring an ASI) and his WIS 6 - which would be problematic for a Ranger in Fifth Edition.
The NPC Version of Minsc encountered in the Sewers uses a stat-block reminiscent of the previous entries in the series: 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[edit | edit source]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Minsc's armed model
Minsc's model
Minsc's camp model
Minsc's underwear model
Steam Trading Card
Character portrait by Edward Vanderghote
Brainwashed
With Boo
Commander Legends' Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes
Commander Legends' Band Together
Notes[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
Minsc on the Forgotten Realms Wiki