10: Adopt an Owlbear Cub
How to adopt an owlbear cub in BG3. 0:05 is when the video starts.
If DM’s want to add this furry-feathered friend for their players to recruit, they’ll need to pay attention to the owlbear side quest in Act 1.
Challenges: Players must find and enter a cave in the middle of the woods. Players will also encounter a mother owlbear which for lower-level PC’s can be quite challenging. The mother owl bear must be permanently incapacitated either via the players or an outside force.
Why adding this quest could be fun to your campaign:
- 1. It allows players to adopt an owlbear cub, making for some fun RP moments.
- 2. It allows players to adopt an owlbear cub, making for some fun RP moments.
- 3. It rewards exploration and can potentially make your players want to explore more of your world.
9: Investigate The Beach
Save a young Tiefling from some feathered fiends. Quest starts at 0:37.
DM’s that instead want to throw less cute feathered monstrosities at their players can instead borrow another side-quest from Act 1 within the Druid’s grove.
Challenges:
Players will need to make a Wisdom saving throw to resist a Harpy’s song. A group of harpies could be a challenge for lower-level players, especially if their Wisdom stats are low. PC’s will also need to coordinate amongst themselves to save a tiefling child entranced by a harpy’s song.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. A harpy has a challenge rating of 1 and a group of them could make for a good boss fight for level 1-3 players.
- 2. It allows your players to RP on how to save the child and can teach why coordination is important in D&D and other TTRPGs.
- 3. If the child is part of a larger group, it could lead your players to receive a positive reputation with the group.
8. Necromancy of Thay
Read this book, if you dare! Skip to 1:08 if you just want to find the cellar.
DM’s that want to make an encounter more puzzle-based can lift this missable side-quest from Act 1.
Challenges: Players will need a reason to explore a cellar which can be achieved either through pure exploration or from notes/hints the DM can drop into the campaign. Players will need a password from a book or other such notes unless they brute force their way in.A talking mirror or other magical device to accept the password and unlock the secret entrance. If your players read the book they’ll need to succeed on progressively harder wisdom saving throws to read different pages in the book.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. It allows for some fun puzzle-solving and lite combat that your players might enjoy.
- 2. The combat portion could be entirely omitted and the quest will still feel rewarding due to the puzzle-solving alone.
- 3. The quest is a good way to add in some fun magical objects like a magic mirror players can speak to or other such magical items.
- 4. It adds a fun reward in the form of a Thayan book on Necromancy.
- 5. Any wizards in your game can learn the Necromancy spells you decide to put into the book as long as they are at the appropriate level and have enough gold.
7. Punish The Wicked
Provide your players with a murder mystery with Punish the Wicked. Quest begins at 0:03.
Punish the Wicked is a side-quest that can be found during Act 2 of BG3 and can make for a pretty fun and spooky adventure in your campaign.
Challenges: Players can either encounter an NPC speaking with a corpse or if the players have the spell Speak with Dead, can speak with the corpse itself. The corpse is the guilty party so players will need to work their way backward to discover the corpse’s victims. Depending on how they resolve the quest, it may lead to an encounter with the NPC speaking with the corpse.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. It provides a fun murder mystery to your players.
- 2. It forces the players to work backward to determine the corpse’s guilt
- 3. It allows players to decide if they want to condemn or forgive the corpse.
- 4. If any of your players are Paladins it can make for some fun RP depending on their oaths.
6. Find Arabella’s Parents
Help a Tiefling child find her parents. Quest starts at 0:08.
Find Arabella’s Parents is a quest from Act 2 that could easily be used in your next D&D session.
Challenges: Players will need to meet with either a tiefling child or another humanoid child. The child will ask the PC’s for help in finding their parents. The parents can be found in a decrepit building, either dead or alive. Depending on how it fits the campaign.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. It adds a small side quest in assisting a small child.
- 2. It can easily be tied to an even larger quest, perhaps one with people being kidnapped for some reason.
- 3. It can help flesh out the world for your players and introduce 1-3 new NPCs.
5. Investigate The Suspicious Toys
These toys are a real blast! Quest begins at 0:05.
Investigate The Suspicious Toys is a quest found in Act 3 in the town of Baldur’s Gate and can be used in any D&D town, large or small.
Challenges: A blackmail letter will need to be found inside a toymaker’s cellar. Players can report the crime to a town guard or take care of the issue themselves. A third party will need to discover why the toy maker is putting explosives in the toys he builds.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign.
- 1. It adds another mystery-type quest for your players.
- 2. It allows your players to sleuth around the town.
- 3. It can lead to some interesting RP depending on how your players solve the quest.
4. Get Help From Auntie Ethel
Haggis is preferable over this hag! Skip to 0:08 for quest start.
Get Help From Auntie Ethel is a quest in Act 1 that can easily be lifted in your game provided the PC’s need a magical helping hand.
Challenges: The Players will need to meet a disguised hag either in a small settlement or some other populated place.The players will need to have a reason to need/want help from the disguised hag. The players will need to travel to the hag’s lair which is defended by Red Caps. The hag could have other prisoners the players can save. A player/players that make a deal with the hag will each need to give up part of themself/themselves whether that be an eye, finger, etc.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. If the hag is encountered early on by the players it could lead to a challenging fight.
- 2.Any player(s) that take the deal will lose part of themselves which could lead to some interesting consequences depending on what is taken.
- 3. If you decide to add other prisoners inside the hag’s lair, it could make for a fun puzzle on how to free them.
- 4. Allowing players to make a deal with the hag enhances player agency and can lead your players to get more deeply immersed in your game’s world.
3. Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders
Solve some murders in Baldur's Gate! Quest begins at 0:06.
Solve the Open Hand Temple Murders is a quest from Act 3 that could slot into any city and fit with any temple in your game.
Challenges: Your players will need to travel to a temple for healing, resurrection, information, etc. They’ll overhear talk about a priest or priestess being murdered.The PC’s will need to bring the murderer to justice.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. It allows for a murder mystery in a large city.
- 2.Your players will need to put their Investigation and Perception skills to the test.
- 3. If players have Speak with Dead they can speak with the murdered Priest/Priestess and learn some clues.
2. The Adamantine Forge
Your players can create strong weapons and armor with The Adamantine Forge. Skip to 0:09 for quest start.
The Adamantine Forge is part of an overall longer quest in Act 1 and is concluded in The Underdark but can be lifted from BG3 and turned into either a main quest or a side quest for your game.
Challenges: Your players will need to find different molds to create unique weapons and armor in the forge. Players will need to defeat the guardian of the forge before they can finish using the forge. Having the forge’s guardian resistant to non-magical weapon attacks and weak to the environment can add to the difficulty of the boss fight. While it’s not necessary, having the players also collect ore for the forge can lead to the party needing to conserve resources for the forge.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. It rewards the players with unique weapons and armor.
- 2. It can give your players access to a fun and challenging boss fight.
- 3. It adds a layer of strategy for players if the boss can also be hurt by environmental damage as well.
- 4. Having the molds be discoverable in different locations rewards the players for exploring and encourages more exploration in future sessions.
1. Rescue Volo
Volo has gotten into some hot water and needs your help. Quest starts at 0:06.
Rescue Volo is from Act 1 with Volo being locked in a cage inside a goblin stronghold. The beauty of this quest is that Volo can be locked in any stronghold and the quest can be changed to fit your story.
Challenges: The PC’s will need to get inside the stronghold either via fighting, diplomacy, or stealth. Volo will need to be found and PC’s will either need to find the key to his cage or pick the lock. PC’s can obtain the key via diplomacy, fighting, or stealing.
Why adding this quest could be fun for your campaign:
- 1. It allows for player agency in how Volo is recused or if they even wanna rescue Volo.
- 2. The quest can be used to introduce how different factions work, and that joining the faction where Volo is kept can make it easier to free him.
- 3. It allows for the PC’s to RP with an established D&D character like Volo and could make for some fun RP moments.
