The Worst Dark Urge Choices In Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 allows the player to explore the world as either their own custom character or one of several Origin characters. Besides the six that players can either play as or recruit as companions, there is another – the Dark Urge. This character can be customized to fit the player’s playstyle at the start of the game, and they also have many dark options to choose from that can affect certain parts of the story.

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Unlike with a regular character, players will sometimes get choices with great repercussions when playing the Dark Urge. With that in mind, these are the choices a player should avoid while playing the Dark Urge in Baldur’s Gate 3 if they wish to step away from their evil streak.

Updated on February 13, 2025, by Megan Smith: The Dark Urge choices continue to be some of the most brutal choices a player can make in Baldur’s Gate 3. With subclasses like Death Cleric being added in the 8th patch of BG3, many players may be persuaded to attempt a Dark Urge playthrough of BG3 but wonder what choices they should be avoiding in the hopes of playing a Dark Urge that doesn’t wish to mindlessly slaughter and therefore get the best out of their playthrough. From the Dark Urge meeting Arabella and avoiding allowing her to be killed, to the Alfira choice. These are the choices the player should avoid when playing as the Dark Urge in BG3.

The following article contains spoilers for the Dark Urge’s storyline in Baldur’s Gate 3.

12

Submitting To Being A Bhaalspawn

Act Three – Fighting Orin

• After the fight with Orin, players should pick the choices that refuse Bhaal to avoid becoming his chosen.

During the third and final act of the game, players who have decided to control the Dark Urge and have resisted the pull of evil that lives deep inside them will want to make a specific choice by the time they get to defeat Orin in the Bhaal Sanctum. After killing Orin, players will be given the option from Bhaal to submit to their evil blood and become his chosen, which spells the end of the world.

Doing this will not only anger some of the party members but also ruin all the work done by the player to avoid becoming a horrible person. Players who want to stay on the good side of history should deny their dark father till the end. This will also be mentioned later on in the article, but this is the one main moment in the Dark Urge storyline that truly defines how the end of the game will play out for that character. Those that accept their blood can’t have a happy ending.

11

Saving The World After Being Evil

Act Three – A Bad Epilogue Ending

• At the end of the game, after the Elder Brain is first defeated, players should avoid saving the world if they have accepted being Bhaal’s Chosen.

Some players may decide that they wish to give in to their dark urges instead of resisting them. Even if this is the case, there are still some choices that players should avoid making if they want what’s best for their Dark Urge character. At the very end of the game, the player will be given a choice to either save the world by forcing the Elder Brain to destroy itself or take control of it.

If the player has accepted being Bhaal’s Chosen, then they should choose to control the brain and avoid getting the epilogue party. As discussed previously, a Dark Urge that has accepted their birthright can’t get a happy ending if they have chosen to save the world. Although Dark Urge can witness the party that arrived with the epilogue of the game, they will be punished by arriving at the party completely mad and only approaching their past friends to cause problems, preventing them from getting a happy ending during the part sequence.

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Don’t Murder / Torture Defenseless People

This Goes For Tieflings And Even Goblins

• Avoid brutal options that are usually in italics to not do horrible things to people. (This can happen in all three acts.)

While this may at first seem obvious, players who are looking to keep friends while still being the Dark Urge should choose their moments of violence carefully. Yes, it may be fun to force choke a group of Goblins to befriend the followers of the Absolute, but breaking the legs of an already paralyzed Tiefling in Act One is just cruel.

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That is, however, part of the fun when playing the Dark Urge, as players may feel that this character is their best excuse for an evil run. The Dark Urge doesn’t need to be the typical bloodthirsty stereotype that some players may wish to play as, when they can instead explore the world as this confused character that just wants to do good, even with those dark thoughts inside. Plus, making enemies with certain characters can make completing each act more of a challenge than it needs to be.

9

Do Not Fantasize About Horrible Things

Act One — Meeting Gale

• When approaching the purple portal in Act 1, players should not press the option to fantasize about cutting off the hand.

As the Dark Urge, the player is likely to have countless bloody fantasies that swirl around their head during every encounter with both a regular NPC and a possible companion. This can start very early in a player’s adventure, and the encounter with Gale is an especially noteworthy example.

Here, a new dialogue option will appear for the Dark Urge that sees them fantasizing about hacking off Gale’s hand. While it may be tempting for a player to stay in character of the Dark Urge and innocently think about hurting Gale, this option is a harsh warning of how evil the Dark Urge can be. After choosing this option, players will quickly realize that this vision was more than just a mere fantasy. Players won’t see Gale again after making this choice, but the potential companion will leave behind a Severed Hand

for gamers to remember him by.

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Talking To Animals Without Speak To Animals

Act One — Roaming Near The Emerald Grove

• Upon seeing the squirrel in the Emerald Grove during Act 1, players shouldn’t approach it unless they have
  Speak with Animals

  on.

Animal lovers should beware of the Dark Urge, as the character seems to have something against animals. As such, many of the adorable creatures that can be encountered in Baldur’s Gate 3 can have different fates depending on the Dark Urge’s choices. This is just one of many moments when playing the Dark Urge that creates a completely different experience than playing the regular Tav.

After the trauma that is cutting off Gale’s hand, if a player approaches the adorable squirrel in Act 1 without having Speak With Animals active, then they will automatically see the player kick her into the tree. With no warning, some gamers are likely to be shocked upon realizing what has happened. The Dark Urge, on the other hand, will simply look confused. We are too buddy.

7

Admitting To The Player’s Bad Deeds

Act One — A Camp Moment

• After killing Alfira or the Dragonborn Bard, players should make sure to clean up the evidence to avoid disapproval. Do not blame Astarion.

At first, it may seem like a good idea for the Dark Urge to admit to their party that they may have accidentally killed the bard, Alfira. However, sometimes it’s better to hide bad things and act like nothing is wrong. Especially as this bad thing about the Dark Urge, Alfira’s choice not only involves innocent Alfira but also the mess that the Dark Urge has made of her body, leaving sacrificial runes where her corpse now lies.

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Players will be saving their approval with the whole camp by simply denying they had any involvement with the body that may or may not be on the ground. It may even be a better idea to hide the body so that the companions will be none the wiser. Coming clean may clear a player’s conscience, but everyone will hate them for it.

6

Being Prideful About The Urges

Every Gory Moment In The Game

• Players are likely to encounter this multiple times throughout their playthrough. Any options that involve reminiscing about gore should be avoided.

As seen from the moment after killing the Bard during the first act, there are multiple other occasions where the player will be able to react to the horrors of BG3‘s narrative. This is integral to experiencing the Dark Urge’s story, as players can allow the unhinged nature of this Origin character to flourish as they permit themselves to revel in the gore being displayed.

Players who wish to resist the urges of this past killer will need to hold their tongue when experiencing these moments by imagining the worst experience happening to someone or saying something they’ll regret. It isn’t completely the end of the world if a player chooses to revel in these thoughts as many of the companions brush it off as the player just being a little weird, but the thought still counts especially as players try to think little of the past.

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Encouraging The Death Of A Child

Act One — ‘Save Arabella’

• When entering the Druid’s lair in the Emerald Grove, the player should help to free the child without making her run away.

Few games allow players to harm children, and while the Dark Urge can’t literally kill a child, they can encourage a snake to do it for them. When first meeting Kagha in the Druid Grove, players will see her arguing with another Druid about what to do with a small Tiefling girl.

Witnessing this display, the Dark Urge will realize how dangerous the snake is and can decide to encourage it to attack the girl. This will kill Arabella instantly, upsetting her parents and causing the player to miss out on future scenes that involve the young Tiefling. It’s safe to say that the Dark Urge and Arabella should never have met, though as these choices are up to the player, it is possible to resist the urge to kill a mostly innocent Tiefling girl, and instead persuade Kagha to stop her madness before the temptation to cause mayhem becomes too much.

4

Murdering Isobel

Act Two — ‘Kill The Kindly Cleric’

• Players should avoid choosing to attack or kill Isobel in the Last Light Inn.

Isobel is the only person keeping the people inside the Last Light Inn safe. Without her cleric abilities, the people within the inn would be taken over by the Shadow Curse. When using an average custom character, players will find themselves easily helping Isobel and the people within the inn. However, the Dark Urge has different ideas.

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Meeting Isobel will fill them with rage, and they will want to randomly kill her. This is only further encouraged by the Dark Urge’s butler, who tasks them with Killing the ‘Kindly Cleric.’ Thankfully, players do not need to do every quest they are given, and this is one to definitely avoid for those who want to keep the people inside the inn safe. Players will also unlock some other interesting content with the Dark Urge by resisting their tendencies, though this upcoming scene can be just as stressful as avoiding harming Isobel.

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Never Harm A Loved One

Act Two – Refusing To Kill Isobel

• If the player has gotten close to someone after refusing to kill Isobel, they must look for help from their loved one.

While the story of the Dark Urge may be something that many players feel like they will have to deal with by themselves, there are risks associated with attempting to survive it alone. After refusing to kill Isobel, the player’s hand will be pushed when their butler tries to force them to kill the person they love. While a player may wish to survive it alone, doing so can result in the person they love getting hurt. Therefore, a player should wake up the sleeping victim and let them see who the Dark Urge really is.

This will serve as a vital moment in the Dark Urge’s story. It is arguably one of the most memorable but also slightly funny moments of the Dark Urge’s story, as their loved one will tie them up as the Dark Urge hurls all sorts of insults their way at how they wish they could wear their skin, all while the companion they have romanced seems quite amused by it all.

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Completing The Murder Tribunal

Act Three — ‘Investigate The Murders’

• When inside the Murder Tribunal, players have to refuse to kill the Hollyphant and opt to attack Sarevok instead.

Upon reaching the third and final act of Baldur’s Gate 3, players may start to understand who the Dark Urge is. While helping to investigate the murders that have been happening around the city, they will finally encounter the Murder Tribunal, a location that the Dark Urge seems to enjoy. Players will be tasked with killing the slightly annoying Hollyphant detective in the hopes of being accepted in the Murder Tribunal, though a good player should avoid doing something so evil.

If players manage to recruit Jaheira in Act 2 as the Dark Urge, agreeing to take part in the Murder Tribunal and going through with it to become a follower of Bhaal will cause this half-elf character (who players may remember from past games in the franchise) to permanently leave the party, she doesn’t leave alone as Minsc her dear friend will also decide to leave the party if players agree to this Murder Tribunal.

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Controlling The Brain

Act Three — A Choice That Determines The Outcome Of The Story

• Players who have chosen to resist their murderous father should choose to save the world at the end of the game for the best ending.

Players who have resisted the dark urges of their character may feel the temptation to become all-powerful at the end of Baldur’s Gate 3. However, this is not the right ending for a gamer who has been resisting the urge to murder the innocent.

While it may be tempting to control the brain, as mentioned, this can lead to an arguably worse ending, especially as the player won’t be having any exciting party where everyone meets each other again after six months of being apart. It’s arguably the darkest choice available in a Dark Urge playthrough, so it’s best avoided for those hoping for a more wholesome end to the story. Since the recent updates added even better bad endings to the game, some players may be tempted to finally witness this unique ending as the Dark Urge, though this still sacrifices the epilogue party at the end.

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Released

August 3, 2023

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence