There are a few memorable companions and pets players can get in Baldur's Gate 3. Most of them are impossible or very difficult to miss but the Owlbear Cub is one that many players miss out on if they don't make some very specific choices.
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Rogues get two extra feats compared to most classes in Baldur's Gate 3, and picking the right ones can result in an exceptionally powerful character.
Even aside from choices, there are a few places to visit and the order in which they are visited actually matters. Baldur's Gate 3 makes getting the Owlbear Cub far from guaranteed which is why having it as a pet will feel that much more special. This guide will focus on both rescuing the Owlbear Cub and helping it get to camp safely.
Updated September 13th, 2024 by Jacob Buchalter: Because Baldur's Gate 3 is such an absurdly massive game, there are so many things that you can miss on your first or even second playthrough. And, something that's incredibly easy to miss in Act 1 is the Owlbear Nest and the Owlbear Cub. Owlbears are one of the most iconic monsters in the long history of Dungeons and Dragons, and not only can you transform into one as a Druid, but you can also get a cute little Owlbear Cub as a pet in your camp in Baldur's Gate 3. It's a bit of an involved process though, so we've broken it down as much as we possibly can below.
Disclaimer: This article divulges consequences within the game and reveals information the player's character may not know. Gamers committed to role-playing may wish to stop reading and find these things out for themselves.
How The Save The Owlbear Cub
Because It's Pretty Finicky
Alright, let's go over the entire process of saving the Owlbear Cub in Baldur's Gate 3, starting from the point at which you enter the Owlbear Nest. We've completely broken down all the steps and explained where the skill checks and important parts of this questline are, so you'll have everything you need to acquire this adorable cub:
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Step # |
Step |
Explanation |
|---|---|---|
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1 |
Enter the Owlbear Nest. |
The Owlbear Nest cave is located just east of the Blighted Village in the forest. |
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2 |
When confronting the mother Owlbear, do not kill the cub (obviously). |
There are multiple ways to 'succeed' in the interaction here, including an Animal Handling check, the Speak with Animals spell, a Survival check while backing away, and a Performance (or Barbarian) check by roaring back at the Owlbear. Successfully interacting with the mother Owlbear and then leaving the cave without killing her is all you need to do. If you still want to kill the mother but also want the Cub as a pet, just make sure not to attack the cub during combat, and then interact with (and spare) the cub after the combat ends. |
|
3 |
Exit the cave afterward & continue checking on this cave until the cub goes missing (and the mother is killed) |
Regardless of whether you prevent a fight with the Owlbear mother here, goblins will still eventually come by, kill her, and take the Owlbear Cub (sadly). So, after you interact with the Owlbear (whether through combat or a skill check), leave and keep checking on this cave after every Long Rest until the cub is no longer there. |
|
4 |
Go to the Goblin Camp. |
The Goblin Camp is one of the main locations of Act 1 and is found at the Shattered Sanctum past the Blighted Village and the Forest. |
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5 |
Interact with the Owlbear Cub and allow it to smell your hands. |
This is important, you must interact with the Owlbear when you see it in the Goblin Camp and succeed in one of the options you're given, whether that's the Animal Handling or Persuasion check. You can again use Speak with Animals as well, whatever you need to do as long as the Owlbear smells your hands, as this is how it finds your camp afterward. |
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The next 3 steps are the three different options you can take to get the Owlbear Cub to appear in your camp |
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6 |
Option 1: Talk to Krolla in the Goblin Camp near the entrance & play the 'Chicken Chaser' game. |
Speak with Owlbear beforehand and pass one of the skill checks to get it to work with you and complete the Chicken Chaser game with ease. Then Intimidate, Persuade, or use your Illithid Powers on Krolla afterward to get your reward based on the gold you paid beforehand. |
|
7 |
Option 2: Kill all the Goblins in the outside area of the Goblin Camp. |
This is the toughest option, and it includes basically killing all of the Goblins in the Goblin Camp or at least the ones in the outside section of the Shattered Sanctum. After doing this, the Owlbear Cub will escape. Make sure to let it smell your hands before you begin combat. |
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8 |
Option 3: Denounce Chicken Chasing as a sport altogether. |
The easiest route, as you basically say you don't want to play the game and then Intimidate, Persuade, pay 500 Gold, or use your Illithid Powers on Krolla to 'obtain' the Owlbear Cub anyway. |
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As long as the Owlbear Cub is saved from the Goblin Camp, it'll eventually appear at your camp |
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9 |
Wait several long rests and the Owlbear Cub should appear at camp one night. |
After the Owlbear Cub escapes the Goblin Camp, it'll eventually appear in your camp after enough Long Rests. If it's not showing up, you may need to progress the story a bit but don't get to the end of Act 1 without it appearing. It can still appear after Act 1 (the cutoff is at the end of Act 2), but it's a bit finicky and not worth risking. |
|
10 |
From there, the Owlbear will continue to appear whenever you return to camp, and will have events on the first, second, and third night. |
The most important part when the Owlbear Cub appears in your camp is to feed it on the first night and then heal its injuries on the second night it appears. After that, it'll permanently appear in your camp as a 'pet' of sorts. |
Previously, you could run into issues if you cleared the Goblin Camp before entering the Owlbear Nest, but now, even if the Goblin Camp is completely cleared out before the cub goes missing, it'll still appear in your camp as long as you interact with the mother or cub at some point before they both disappear. Also, it's worth noting that you should grab the Owlbear Egg whenever you are in the Nest after the mother has died. This Owlbear Egg can be used in the Steal a Githyanki Egg quest, saving a lot of hassle of actually getting a Githyanki egg from Crech Y'llek.
When playing with friends, make sure the entire party knows how this quest works beforehand, as killing the mother is 'fine' but attacking or killing the Cub is obviously not. All-in-all, it's a bit tricky to do this right and get the Owlbear Cub, but it's absolutely worth the effort as this little creature is adorable and is part of an Achievement you can earn by petting both the Owlbear and Scratch (the dog) at the same time.
