Baldur's Gate 3 has a lot of features that make it hugely immersive. One of these includes making decisions to change how the story unfolds in the game. One particular storyline that can be difficult for you to decide is when asked to kill or spare the cuddly cub in the first act of Baldur's Gate 3. We'll narrow down your choices through our walkthrough on whether you should kill the Owlbear in Baldur's Gate 3.
Throughout Baldur's Gate 3, the choices you make can help you better understand the vast storylines the game offers, and can even garner you some cool rewards. Be sure you make decisions that you won't regret, as you won't be able to go back on them as you progress in the game.
For more on the game, check out the best Baldur's Gate 3 builds, as well as the best weapons and our class tier list and race tier list.
Should you kill the Owlbear in Baldur's Gate 3?
You'll encounter the injured Owlbear just outside of the Emerald Grove somewhere within a cave. You have the option to either kill the beast or just simply leave it alone. Take note, however, that regardless of the decision, the Owlbear will still die at some point.
If you opt to kill the creature, then you'll be rewarded with some Inspiration Points to your respective background, such as an Outlander. But do take note that killing the Owlbear simply for rewards won't reap you as many treasures as you'd expect.
Moreover, once you decide to kill the beast, you should avoid attacking its cub left behind. This is because you will have the chance to encounter it later on in a nearby Goblin Camp, and perhaps even allow it to stay at camp as your pet.
Some of the items you can claim once the parent creature is dead include a Head of a Broken Spear. This item can be crafted alongside a Shaft of a Broken Spear to create the Vision of the Absolute, an uncommon spear that can blind enemies. Additionally, you can also pick up an Owlbear Egg as a reward to sell for gold.
What happens if you don't kill it?
As mentioned earlier, the Owlbear will still die even if you choose to leave it alone. This is because once you leave the odd creature and her cub alone, some Goblins will show up and kill the mother. Then, the cub will be taken away to their camp. But you'll then gain the option to tame the cub in the future.
After taking a rest, you'll find the Owlbear Cub in a Goblin Camp that is located west of the Blighted Village. You'll find the cub surrounded by Goblins. This will then make you play a local game called Chicken Chaser against Krolla. Regardless of the choices you make for the game, you'll still be able to encounter the Owlbear Cub and talk to it.
Once you free the Owlbear Cub from the goblins, you can then follow it to the forest and tame it by feeding it, healing it, and eating alongside it. Once you do all three of those things, you'll be able to have the Owlbear Cub as your companion in-game.
That concludes this guide on whether you should kill the Owlbear in Baldur's Gate 3. For more guides like this, you can check out our other pieces such as how to solve the Silent Library puzzle as well as the Thorm Mausoleum puzzle. We also answer the question regarding what the Strange Ox does in Baldur's Gate 3.