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Do I Have To Sleep With Minthara in Baldur’s Gate 3?

No, you do not have to sleep with Minthara to recruit her as a companion in Baldur’s Gate 3. While initiating a romantic encounter is a key part of her early romance arc, it is not a necessary requirement for her to join your party, especially considering the different paths available to recruit her. You can secure Minthara as a companion without engaging in a sexual relationship with her, and this is achievable through specific actions, mainly focusing on keeping her alive and then recruiting her later in the game. However, choosing not to sleep with her initially will significantly alter her dialogue and relationship path, impacting her romance. It is essential to understand the nuances of the Minthara recruitment process, which extends beyond the initial sexual encounter, to get her without betraying your preferred character alignment.

Minthara’s Recruitment: More Than Just a Bedroll

The misconception that sleeping with Minthara is a mandatory step for her recruitment stems from the fact that her romantic interactions are closely intertwined with her recruitment process. When you first encounter Minthara as a leader of the goblins, she presents a very morally challenging situation involving an attack on the Emerald Grove, where if you attack it and side with her in a raid, an opportunity to sleep with her presents itself. This is an early, and seemingly crucial, aspect of her arc, and while it is the most readily available path to her initial recruitment it is not the only path.

The Key is Her Survival

The most crucial step in obtaining Minthara as a companion is ensuring she does not die during your initial encounter at the Goblin Camp, particularly during the conflict at the Emerald Grove or the attack on the Goblin Camp. This can be achieved by avoiding confronting her directly or choosing non-lethal methods of dealing with her, such as knocking her out. This method allows you to bypass the grove assault, and her later recruitment involves navigating the world in such a way that she will eventually join you.

The Moral Conundrum: Siding With or Without the Grove Massacre

The moral dilemma that arises when considering Minthara is if you should take part in her plan to attack the druid grove at all. If you choose to attack the grove, you have the opportunity to engage in a relationship with her, and this is a quick payoff, as her intimate scene comes after the attack and defeating of the druids. However, it also closes off the path of recruiting some of the more morally inclined companions of the game.

If you wish to avoid the grove massacre, and still recruit Minthara there is an alternative method that will require a slightly different method of engaging with the game. This requires you to knock her out during the raid on the Goblin camp, go on your merry way to the moonrise towers, and then loop back to the Goblin camp where you turn her into a sheep (don’t ask) dominate her, bring her back to moonrise and that will unlock her trial. If you want to do the “sheep” method you’ll have to look up a more specific guide as it’s too long to include here.

The Consequences of Your Choices

Siding with Minthara and the goblins often leads to significant disapproval from other companions, such as Gale, Shadowheart, and particularly Wyll, who may even leave your party. This is because most companions, besides the Dark Urge, have a moral compass that points to good, and siding with the goblins is evil. Your decisions regarding Minthara will ripple through your game, impacting your relationships and the overall story arc.

Alternatives to a Romantic Relationship

While her intimate scene comes early in her storyline, which may seem like a significant incentive to some players, that scene is one of her only romance-based scenes. The main point of recruiting her will not be the sex scene but rather her potential value as a companion. You can recruit her without engaging with this part of her storyline, which will give you the opportunity to see her storyline develop in a way that doesn’t involve being her “lover”.

The Long Game

The game rewards strategic planning, and the path to recruiting Minthara without an intimate encounter is a bit longer. After knocking her out in the Goblin Camp, you will have to progress through the game, until you come across her trial. By getting this trial, she will become a recruitable party member at the end of act 2. This method showcases a different angle of her character, highlighting her struggle with her indoctrinated beliefs and her desire for true power and autonomy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Minthara and Romance

Here are 15 Frequently Asked Questions to further clarify the complexities of Minthara’s recruitment and romantic possibilities:

Can I romance Minthara as a “good” character? Yes, but it is a blood-soaked journey with moral compromises. A relationship with her requires making choices that go against the traditionally “good” path, including siding with goblins. However, by not engaging in the raid on the grove, you are on a path where you can recruit her and not do bad things to the other NPC’s.
Does romancing Minthara lock you out of other romances? Yes, because romancing Minthara is a very dark path, it is not morally acceptable to most companions, and will lock you out of a lot of good paths.
What companions will disapprove if I sleep with Minthara? Gale and Shadowheart will strongly disapprove, and Wyll will leave your party entirely if you do it.
Can you have a polyamorous relationship with Minthara? Yes, but her romantic arc seems to be limited to act 1 and the only other companion you could have a poly relationship with her is Halsin.
Do I need to help Minthara attack the Grove to recruit her? No, you can use a “non-lethal” method, such as knocking her out during the raid on the Goblin camp, then come back to her later in the game to recruit her.
Is Minthara evil or just misguided? Some interpretations suggest she is more brainwashed than purely evil, indicating the possibility for character development.
If I do not romance her, how will it impact our relationship? Her dialogue options and your relationship development will be different, but she can still become a valuable companion.
Is Minthara’s romance scene a one-time event? It appears all non-Origin characters have only one such scene, which is used very early in the relationship, making it a pro or a con depending on the person.
How do I ensure Minthara survives the Goblin Camp encounter? By using non-lethal takedowns or avoiding confronting her directly.
Can you convince Minthara to become “good”? The game does not explicitly allow for a complete turn to the light side, but she can grow over time. If you take her on the sheep method you can see her on a path of redemption.
What happens if I tell Minthara about the artifact? She will be suspicious and demand that you prove your devotion, and might even try to kill you in your sleep, making her a risky romantic partner.
How do I get Minthara without killing the tieflings? By using non-lethal methods and strategic planning, you can complete the quest without killing the Tieflings.
Can I recruit both Halsin and Minthara? Normally, you can only recruit either Halsin or Minthara, not both.
What happens if I side with Minthara? This unlocks a storyline where you form an alliance with the goblins and attack the grove, and will lose some companions in the process.
Who voices Minthara? Emma Gregory is the voice actress behind Minthara.

By understanding these nuances, you can make an informed decision about your path with Minthara, whether that involves romance or not. Ultimately, you do not have to sleep with Minthara to get her as a companion; it’s about how you navigate the complex moral choices of Baldur’s Gate 3. The game allows for a variety of methods, so be sure to choose the one that feels right for your desired playstyle and character alignment.

Do I have to sleep with Minthara?