How do you recruit Minthara in BG3? Minthara is a potential companion that most players will not recruit due to the complexity, or cruelty, required to get her to join your party. As a Drow Paladin, however, she can make a valuable ally. Combining both melee prowess and healing abilities earned from her deity, she can tank hits while keeping herself and your party – those that stick around after you recruit her, that is – alive.
If you still plan on adding Minthara to your Baldur’s Gate 3 party, check out our BG3 classes guide so you know how to outfit the rest of your party – complimentary classes are the best way forward. BG3 Minthara herself is a Lolth-Sworn Drow, which means she’s a tad more evil than her Seldarine cousins. If all that sounds like demonic language to you, our guide on the many Baldur’s Gate 3 races and their numerous subraces has you covered. With all that knowledge under your belt, you’re ready to find out what Minthara can bring to your BG3 party.
How to recruit Minthara
Upon reaching the Goblin Camp in Act 1, you can access the Shattered Sanctum. Find Minthara planning to attack Druid Grove here and tell her the location of Druid Grove, gaining her trust and betraying the Druids and Tieflings there. After slaughtering everyone at Emerald Grove, you have the option to recruit Minthara to your party after your next long rest.
You must not free Halsin in the Warg Pens in Druid Grove, as that makes all NPCs in the area hostile to you – including Minthara. Recruiting Minthara causes Wyll and Karlach to refuse to join your party, and you cannot recruit Halsin at all. Make your choice.
How to recruit Minthara without murdering everyone
If you don’t want to turn on the Druids and allow the goblins to decimate their camp but still want Minthara by your side, there is a way. When you reach the Shattered Sanctum, head right and find Minthara. Attack her, but ensure that your non-lethal passive is enabled, this way, you can defeat Minthara and complete your quest, but she’ll still be alive to recruit later.
In Act 2, when you reach Moonrise Towers, you’ll find that Minthara is being lambasted by her superiors, and on the verge of execution as she’s questioned about Shadowheart’s artifact. If you can pass the required rolls, Minthara’s life will be spared, and she will be thrown in jail instead.
Once Minthara is taken away, you can follow her down into the jail, where you will find her being tortured. Either convince her torturers to leave or kill them, at which point Minthara will temporarily join you. Escape Moonrise Towers without fast traveling, and Minthara will join you in camp.
Minthara abilities, starting equipment, and skills
Minthara has quite high stats with a focus on strength – no surprise there. With high charisma as well, she has great defenses against impairment spells and can sling them, too.
Here are Minthara’s stats:
- Strength: 17
- Dexterity: 12
- Constitution: 13
- Intelligence: 8
- Wisdom: 10
- Charisma: 15
Minthara starts with proficiency in the following Baldur’s Gate 3 skills: Athletics, History, Perception, Intimidation, and Persuasion.
Minthara’s starting equipment:
- Boots of Striding
- Ring Mail Armor
- Simple Boots
- Studded Shield
- Xyanyde (Simple melee weapon)
How to complete Minthara’s companion quest
The process of recruiting Minthara acts as her companion quest – from assaulting Druid Grove to saving her from Moonrise tower, you’ve already gone through quite the ordeal by the time she joins your party.
How to gain Minthara’s approval
Minthara isn’t a good person. We know that already, what with the whole ‘attack Druid Grove’ thing. Anything you do that may be seen as advantageous for the Absolute will gain Minthara’s approval.
How to romance Minthara
At your camp, speak with her and tell her that you are hers; she will agree to meet you after everyone settles for the evening. Return to your bedroll and select Minthara as your companion for the evening to trigger the romance scene. You will then awaken to her standing over you with a dagger poised to end your life. You must persuade her or convince her to not attack. Otherwise, you will have to fight her in your camp. What a lovely romantic partner.
Best Minthara build
Taking our best paladin build guide as a base, this is the ideal skill progression for a paladin:
Level 2
- Defence
Level 3
- Durable
Level 8
- Tough
Level 12
- Shield Master
Minthara is a perfect companion if you wish to pursue the BG3 Dark Urge origin during character creation; otherwise, tread lightly if you want this powerful Drow to join your team. Read our guide on Baldur’s Gate 3 Halsin to see if he’s a better character for you, and take a gander at our BG3 Wyll guide as he doesn’t particularly take kindly to the atrocities that Minthara wishes to commit. If those guides still don’t dissuade you from pursuing Minthara, best to sleep with one eye open.