Baldur's Gate 3: Should You Save or Kill the Nightsong in BG3?

Publish date: 2024-09-04

What Happens If You Kill the Nightsong in Baldur’s Gate 3?

When you decide to kill the Nightsong, this is Shadowheart’s more natural choice in Baldur’s Gate 3. You won’t have to try any Skill Checks for these choices in supporting Shadowheart, and there is a clear animation of Shadowheart obeying Lady Shar, and defeating the Nightsong.

Following this decision, Lady Shar appears before Shadowheart, praising her for the choices she’s made. Lady Shar promises to reward Shadowheart for her good deeds and provide them at a later point but requests that you, and your Baldur’s Gate 3 party, eliminate Ketheric Thorm, the leader of the Absolutes in this region.

However, it’s important to note that also, through these cutscenes, darkness took the land. The Shadow Curse continued to overwhelm the area, and the Last Light Inn was seen briefly before being swallowed by the shadows, along with any allies you had in this region, such as the Tieflings, Wulbren, and Rolan, to name a few. The Shadow Curse will overtake everyone at the Last Light Inn, and you must march onward to Moonrise Tower.

What Happens If You Convince Shadowheart to Save the Nightsong in Baldur’s Gate 3?

The alternative is to convince Shadowheart that you should not kill the Nightsong during your Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough. You can choose to make this Persuasion check at two opportunities. The first is when you begin talking to the Nightsong, but the first check requires you to hit at least 30. The second check, which appears after speaking to the Nightsong, and her mentioning wolves to Shadowheart, becomes 21. The second check is much more manageable to hit between the two, but you still need a high Persuasion Skill Check to succeed.

What happens next drastically differs from when you choose to kill the Nightsong. Shadowheart will summon the Spear you acquired from the Gauntlet of Shar and toss it away. Then, the Nightsong requests that Shadowheart lay a hand on her, and the Nightsong is freed from the ritual, summoning her armor to take her battle against Ketheric Thorm at Moonrise Tower. You and your Baldur’s Gate 3 party can prepare to battle the Absolute cultists and take the fight time.

In addition, the Nightsong mentions that she and Shadowheart should talk after everything is finished. The two have much to discuss, and the Nightsong knows something about Shadowheart’s past. However, Shadowheart is disheartened by this choice, abandoned by Lady Shar, and now a target for all her disciples moving forward, especially in Baldur’s Gate.

Is it Better To Save or Kill the Nightsong in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Between the two choices, it depends on how you want to plan out your Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough. For my game, convincing Shadowheart to spare the Nightsong was better. This enabled me to preserve all the companions and friends I brought to the Last Light Inn and take the fight to Ketheric Thorm.

However, if someone were playing for the Absolutes, it might be better to meet Balthazar in the Shadowfell and prepare to move the Nightsong, assisting the cultists. If you’re not for the Cultists but still want to remove the Nightsong, siding with Shadowheart to gain Lady Shar’s favor is likely the best choice.

It all comes down to what playthrough you’re doing and your decisions as you reach this point in the story.

About the author

Zack Palm

Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.