Highlights
- Players can easily miss an unmarked quest in Baldur's Gate 3 that has significant impacts on the final outcome of Act 3.
- Talking to animals in the game can enhance the pet adoption experience, such as engaging in a hissing contest with a grumpy cat.
- The fate of Malta and Myshka, two stray cats, depends on the player's choices regarding a Noblestalk mushroom and the death of Bhelen Bonecloak.
It would appear that there is an unmarked quest that players can easily miss in Baldur's Gate 3, as one choice from Act 1 in the Underdark is what makes the final outcome possible in Act 3. This storyline involves Bhelen Bonecloak, the husband of Derryth Bonecloak, the dwarf apothecary that players can come across during their exploration of the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. While Derryth is a questgiver in her own right, the outcomes of this quest reverberate in more ways than players would expect.
Over the course of the game, Baldur's Gate 3 offers plenty of chances for players to adopt pets, such as Scratch the Dog, and the Owl Bear Cub. However, being able to talk to animals, whether via elixir or spell, can greatly improve this experience. After all, not every game lets players engage in a hissing contest with a grumpy cat, yet Last Light Inn from Baldur's Gate 3 provides one such opportunity. While players unfortunately cannot adopt His Majesty, they can find a new home for Malta or Myshka, two stray cats found in the lower city of Baldur's Gate.
Baldur's Gate 3's Most Controversial Choice is Also Its Easiest
One of Baldur's Gate 3's many evil-aligned choices is avoided by most players, even when running a villainy-focused or Dark Urge playthrough.
A player named DragonsDream shared a video on YouTube showing how Malta can be adopted, and the sole place that is interested in adopting a stray cat happens to be the Bonecloak Apothecary – namely, its owner, Derryth. Certain choices must be made in Baldur's Gate 3 to bring about this possibility, however, as only a widowed Derryth is eligible to adopt one of the two strays.
Finding a Noblestalk mushroom in Baldur's Gate 3 is the crux of Derryth's quest, and the deciding factor in Malta and Myshka finding a new home. During their adventures in the Underdark, players can either keep the mushroom for their own purposes, hand it over to Derryth, or use it to restore Bhelen's mind. The first two options result in the couple tending to their apothecary in Baldur's Gate, while the third option results in Bhelen tending to the store alone, as Derryth leaves him out of fear due to the mushroom restoring his old, abusive personality.
However, should Bhelen perish during their expedition in the Underdark, players will find a grieving Derryth tending to the shop on her own. In this scenario, they invite a stray cat to help Derryth with her grieving process, and make the store a lively place in Bhelen's absence. Unfortunately, Baldur's Gate 3 players will then have to decide if Myshka or Malta are better suited to becoming the apothecary's new tenant, as only one cat can be adopted per playthrough. While the choice does not yield any specific rewards, it is another example of just how many permutations exist in the complex web of Baldur's Gate 3's narrative design.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Platform(s)
- PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
