Baldur’s Gate 3 is the kind of game where saying the wrong thing to a squirrel can derail your afternoon. Most choices matter in small ways, but some will completely reshape your adventure. These aren’t the “pick a flavour of ice cream” kind of decisions. These are the choices that change companions, story arcs, and entire regions of the game.
Saving the Grove or Helping the Goblins
This is the first major fork in the road. Help the tieflings and druids, and you earn allies who’ll support you later. Side with the goblins, and you’re basically volunteering for the “everyone hates me” speedrun. It’s not just reputation at stake either. Companions like Wyll will ditch you faster than you can say “fiend pact” if you go full goblin fan club.
The Nightsong
Shadowheart’s entire story hangs on this choice. Freeing or killing the Nightsong decides whether she keeps her devotion to Shar or starts questioning everything she’s ever believed in. If you’re invested in her arc (or her romance), this decision is massive. It’s also one of the rare times where your choice directly changes how a companion evolves as a character rather than just tweaking their approval rating.
The Dark Urge
If you’ve rolled with the Dark Urge origin, then congratulations, you’re sitting on a narrative time bomb. Some choices force you to wrestle with your murderous impulses, while others lean into them. The outcome doesn’t just affect you, but your entire party dynamic. Kill one too many innocents and see how long your companions actually stick around.
Act 2 Faction Decisions
Act 2 might be the most consequential part of the game. Do you support the Harpers, help the Moonrise Towers cultists, or carve your own bloody path? The fate of the Shadow-Cursed Lands depends on your decisions here. It’s not just flavour text. Whole towns and characters either thrive or burn depending on your alliances.
Karlach’s Heart
Karlach’s fate is tied to her infernal engine. Do you help her fight for freedom, or do you leave her to her doomed fate? It’s one of the most emotional choices in the game, and how you handle it decides whether she walks into Avernus with hope or despair. If you’ve grown attached, this decision hurts in the best possible way.
The Final Choice in Act 3
Without spoiling the finer details, Act 3 asks you to choose between paths that shape not just the city of Baldur’s Gate, but your character’s legacy. Who do you ally with? What kind of power do you seize or reject? It’s the grand finale, and it’s where every choice you’ve made finally comes to a head. Think of it as the game asking: “So, what kind of hero, or monster, are you really?”
The Seven Swords Takeaway
Baldur’s Gate 3 thrives on the weight of its decisions. Some choices leave you with nothing but a raised eyebrow from a companion, while others flip the entire script. The fun is knowing that your playthrough will never be identical to anyone else’s. Unless you’re that player who kills every NPC on sight. In which case, enjoy your solo adventure, you chaotic gremlin.
