One Of Baldur’s Gate 3’s Cruelest Early Game Decisions Is Actually Very Beneficial

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Baldur's Gate 3 presents the player with many difficult choices. Certain choices can completely change the trajectory of a character's story, or be the difference between them staying in the party or not. The game has lots of different endings for every companion, and no playthrough is truly the same as the last.

One of Baldur's Gate 3's best summons is hidden behind an early interaction. This is a very unexpected character that most players will skip over. Though characters like Scratch can help out by aiding characters that have been downed, players should consider the potential of Connor Vinderblad in BG3.

Giving Mayrina Her Husband Back May Be The Moral Thing To Do, But Keeping Connor For Yourself Is Very Helpful

Connor Is Surprisingly Useful

If Mayrina is rescued from Auntie Ethel's Lair in Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3, she can then be found outside in the swamp, next to her dead husband, Connor. If the player has picked up the "Bitter Divorce" wand, they will be presented with a choice as to what to do with Connor's body. Most players playing a good-aligned character will choose to resurrect Connor and give the wand to Mayrina, so that she can keep him with her on her travels.

Unless killed with radiant damage or a critical hit, Connor's "Undead Fortitude" passive will cause him to gain one hitpoint if his HP is reduced to 0 whilst summoned.

Players could also refuse to revive him and let the dead rest - raising Connor will break the oath of a paladin who follows Oath of the Ancients. On the other hand, players doing an evil playthrough are often inclined to break the wand in front of Mayrina, as this seems like the most cruel thing to do. Many players won't consider keeping Connor for themselves, and miss out on what is one of the best summons in the game, especially early on. Though he only appears for 10 turns, he can be immediately re-summoned and cannot be permanently killed.

How Can You Use Connor Vinderblad In Baldur’s Gate 3?

Connor Is Immune To Poison, So Players Can Use Him To Get Past Traps And Puzzles

Mayrina & Husband from Baldur's gate 3 during Act 1 side quest

Connor is immune to poison damage, which makes him one of the most useful summons when navigating difficult areas in BG3. User ArbitriumVincitOmnia on Reddit noted that this allows him to block poison vents, saving the player from having to throw heavy items onto them. This makes him useful against enemies like Balthazar Thorm who frequently uses Cloudkill, as well as the phase spiders and their matriarch underneath the Blighted Village. Though he is quite weak, with only 22 hit points, (or 28 in tactician/honour mode), one thing makes him overpowered.

One of Connor's best selling points is that he can be re-summoned - and there does not appear to be a limit to how many times he can be re-summoned, though it does cost an action to do so. This makes him arguably superior to summons like other zombies, who cannot be re-summoned again after being brought down to 0 HP. This means he is slightly less useful later on, as players may want to prioritize their actions for attacks. But if, for any reason, they cannot attack or do anything useful, then summoning Connor will always be beneficial.

Does Not Helping Mayrina Affect Other Quests In Act 3?

Players Won't Miss Out On Anything Important

Mayrina and her undead husband in Baldur's Gate 3.

Those reading this who have played Baldur's Gate 3 into the third act may wonder how a player keeping Connor for themselves will affect Mayrina's arc, as the "Help the Hag Survivors" quest line is often what will start the "Save Vanra" quest. Taking the route where the player saves Vanra from Auntie Ethel will lead to her mother, Lora, rewarding them with one of the best scimitars in the game - the Duellist's Prerogative, as well as the Windrider Amulet. Contrarily, helping Auntie Ethel by letting her keep Vanra will enlist her as an ally in the final battle.

A concerned-looking, blood-splattered Karlach and Shadowheart, looking on at a teddy bear lying in a bog in screenshots from Baldur's Gate 3.

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The player can talk to Lora themselves to begin the quest, meaning that Mayrina's help is not necessary. Sending Connor with Mayrina is the best ending for her character, as she - for the most part - grows from the person she was when she made a deal with Ethel and can be convinced to finally lay Connor to rest herself. However, from a tactical perspective, there is genuinely no downside to a player keeping Connor for themselves in Baldur's Gate 3. In an honor mode run where strategy is key, keeping him is the better choice.

Source: Reddit/ArbitriumVincitOmnia

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Platform(s) PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released August 3, 2023

Developer(s) Larian Studios

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