Baldur’s Gate 3: Should You Make a Deal with Gortash in BG3?

Gortash is, first and foremost, a politician in Baldur’s Gate 3. When you find him at the Wyrm’s Rock Fortress, he has a deal for you: work with him to acquire the Netherstone from Orin and control the Elderbrain together.

You’ll have the chance to assist the man during this encounter. Alternatively, you can make it harder for yourself and refuse his deal, ensuring you are on the opposite of the conflict. The choice is yours. Should you make a deal with Gortash in Baldur’s Gate 3?

What Happens When You Make the Deal with Gortash in Baldur’s Gate 3

Should you make a deal with Gortash, he will make a pact with you that he, or any of his people, will not harm you or your Baldur’s Gate 3 party. Doing so could make your stay in Baldur’s Gate much easier, especially if you only have to deal with Orin. Now, the deal is that you’ll be focusing entirely on her, and once you have her Netherstone, you can bring it to him and reign the Elderbrain under your control.

However, Karlach, a vital party member in Baldur’s Gate 3, won’t find this deal appealing. She’s not going to want to go with it whatsoever, especially since Gortash is the one who sold her to the devils 10 years ago. This might not be the best route if you want to appease her. I also found that making a deal with Gortash prevents you from completing specific other objectives in Baldur’s Gate, such as freeing Wyll’s father, Saving the Gondians, thus saving all the prisoners in the Iron Throne, Gortash’s prison.

What Happens When You Don’t Make the Deal with Gortash in Baldur’s Gate 3

When you don’t make a deal with Gortash during the ceremony of his becoming Archduke, he forces you and your Baldur’s Gate 3 party to stand there and watch it happen. You can choose to fight him, but engaging in a battle at this time is not advised. It is possible to defeat him here, but the many Steel Guards and guards he has working to protect him are all weighing in his favor. There are also dozens of traps in this location, and he’ll use those to his advantage to defeat your party.

It’s better to go after him at a later point in your Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough. You’ll need to find a way to get him alone, away from prying eyes, and eliminate him. However, this location, in the audience chamber, is also full of traps. Plus, Karlach will want to bring him down, so that’s always a good thing if you wish to remain on her positive side.

Is it Better to Make the Deal with Gortash in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Ultimately, it seems that regardless of whether you make the deal with Gortash when the two of you attempt to tackle the Elderbrain, it kills him during this engagement. If you instead choose that you don’t want to work with Gortash, taking him out in your Baldur’s Gate 3 campaign seems like the better choice, especially if the other option does not hold too much weight to the finale of the game, and you’re trying to get on Karlach’s good side. Karlach has a deep hatred; eliminating him would be a good way to get on her positive side.

For my playthrough, I did decide not to take Gortash up to his offer and eventually found a way to eliminate him and acquire his Netherstone. I didn’t trust him from the start, and for my Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough felt like the best approach to the situation. Plus, there were a lot of quest objectives I would have missed out on if I took this deal, and worked with him, rather defeating him and Orin.