Baldur’s Gate 3 Act 3 gives the group an important choice regarding the city’s underworld. Players can support the established Guild led by Nine-Fingers Keene or side with the Zhentarima ruthless mercenary group attempting a takeover. This conflict is just part of the Stone Lord narrative, where the ranger Minsc is manipulated by the game’s main antagonist, the Absolute. Either way, the party has to make a decision at the end of the Aid the Underduke quest, and while it seems like there’s only one moral outcome, there’s more to it than that.
Roah Moonglow, one of the best traders, leads the Zhentarim to set the stage for the Guildhall uprising against Nine-Fingers Keene. While operating in the shadows, the Guild displays a certain code and concern for the well-being of the city under Nine Fingers. Zhentarim, on the other hand, prioritizes his own gain, employing violence and manipulation without hesitation. This climaxes beneath the city in Act 3, and the city needs an underworld, so the player has to choose a side. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 seems to reward players on one side more than the other.
Benefits of siding with Zhentarim in BG3
What do you get when you choose Zhentarim?
Zhentarim is clearly the evil play option, as there isn’t much that can be salvaged in the party. However, if players help the Zhentarim take control of the guild hall in Baldur’s Gate 3they get the group as allies in the final battle against the Absolute. Specifically, This gives players two elite assassin mercenaries from the ranks of the Zhentarim to summon during the final battle. These mercenaries look different from guild members, but the result is similar to siding with the Zhentarim. The main benefit is that bad parties can side with the morally corrupt side.
If Roah died at the beginning of the game, then Friol will be the one to lead the organization. Roah or Friol will promise all the agents they can to the player, but they only end up being two agents during the fight. It seems like they’re mainly there to ensure there’s an evil gameplay option for players, and the Guild under the Nine Fingers seems to be morally dubious at best. The Zhentarim are great allies for players who want to be more morally corrupt.
It is important to be careful when dealing with Minsc, as Roah, Friol or Minsc dying in the fight against Minsc will Automatically turns Zhentarim hostile. If the rest of the Zhentarim are already dead before the fight, then Roah or Friol will cancel the plan because they don’t have enough support. Both remove the option to side with them.
Benefits of siding with the guild in BG3
What do you get for choosing the guild?
Side with the Guild in Baldur’s Gate 3 obviously offers a high moral basis. The Guild, although it operates in the gray area of the law, has a genuine concern for the well-being of Baldur’s Gate. Aligning with Keena of the Nine Fingers to defend the Guild gives players two elite assassin mercenaries for the final battle. Another bonus comes from looting 10,000 gold from the Zhentarim leader as a bribe they received from the Absolute. So, taking sides against them is taking sides against the main antagonist of the Baldur’s Gate 3 but also a way to get a lot of gold easily.
Loot the Zhentarim leader’s body immediately after the fight. It’s easy to forget if you put it off until later.
Money is a greater benefit to siding with the guild, as gold can be used to complete the Return Rakath’s Gold quest or simply used to purchase equipment or items for the final battle. In an RPG sense, there is an idea that the Guild wouldn’t betray Baldur’s Gate later, but as a tangible benefit, it’s really just a morally positive choice. Players who want to choose an option outside of what appears to be a morally gray area can be sure to choose the Guild would probably be best for Baldur’s Gate.
You’re supposed to side with the guild in Baldur’s Gate 3
He’s the one you should side with in BG3
In Baldur’s Gate 3The decision to side with the Zhentarim or the Guild is more of a moral dilemma than anything else, but there is one important detail that makes one preferred. Siding with the Nine Fingers and the Guild is the best choice because the Zhentarim accepted bribes from the Absolute, meaning they would be willing to side against the party (even if they don’t). Defeating the leader also gives players an extra 10,000 gold after looting them, which is a great reward not given for allying with the Guild.
The way to get the best ending is to side with the Guild and keep Minsc alive because he is important to Jaheira and the Harpers. It is also safer not to talk to Nine-Fingers as Minsc, which will lead to a confrontation where the player needs to convince Minsc not to start a fight. It’s simply better for everyone involved if Minsc remains in the background during this periodand the main player character must handle all the talking from here. This will negate any bad results and keep things running smoothly.
The main benefit of the situation is gaining allies, but both groups give the same result: two assassin mercenaries. It’s essentially the same main reward either way, but one seems to be geared towards morally upright playthroughs while the other is more attractive to evil playthroughs. The Guild is also the best choice for the city of Baldur’s Gate and for RPG reasons. The Zhentarim are a bit evil and it seems like they will turn on the player the second they benefit from it, so it’s hard to side with them and feel good about it.
There is a third choice players have, but it is the worst. Players can kill everyone in the guildhall and just keep the Zhentarim leader’s loot. This eliminates the chance of getting the Guild or Zhentarim as allies for the final battle. The idea would be for the player to remove the underworld thieves by eliminating the leaders, but from an RPG perspective, this is not a good idea. In this case, the power vacuum would likely be filled by someone who could be worse than the country’s potential leaders. Baldur’s Gate 3.