Thanks to Patch 5, good-aligned Baldur’s Gate 3 players can now officially recruit Minthara as a companion, allowing her to the party on their quests. The evil Drow Paladin was previously only recruitable if players raided the Emerald Grove in Act One, effectively locking out good-aligned characters from experiencing her story.

Before Patch 5, good-aligned players had to rely on workarounds to recruit Minthara. Players quickly resorted to using mods or an extraordinarily technical loophole involving Polymorph to transform her into a sheep. Furthermore, it was briefly possible to recruit Halsin and Minthara together in the same playthrough, but this has since been patched out.

How To Recruit Minthara In Baldur’s Gate 3 (Patch 5)

Recruit Minthara Without The Use of Mods

According to Larian’s patch notes, Minthara will reappear at Moonrise Towers in Act 2 if she is simply knocked out in Act 1 and not killed. To knock her out, you’ll have to toggle on your party’s non-lethal attacks before fighting her. This option can be toggled under the ives tab on your Hotbar.

However, community testing has also revealed a few additional requirements that you’ll need to be mindful of. Primarily, Minthara must be Temporarily Hostile rather than permanently hostile. To trigger this state, simply commit a crime in front of her to start a fight. Once she is temporarily hostile, knock her out so you can proceed with the rest of the events without her being affected. This must be done at the Goblin Camp in Baldur's Gate 3, not the Emerald Grove.

Dror Ragzlin, another of the Goblin Camp’s leaders, must still be alive and non-hostile when you knock out Minthara. If fought, Ragzlin will alert the whole Goblin Camp, making them permanently hostile, including Minthara. Perhaps create a save before progressing, just in case things go south.

Once you’ve knocked Minthara out cold, you can continue as normal and proceed into Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3. Once you reach Moonrise Towers for the first time during Act 2, a cutscene will play where Minthara is judged and imprisoned by Ketheric Thorm. This unlocks Decide Minthara’s Fate, a side quest that allows you to break her out of Moonrise Towers Prison. Once you've freed her, she can be spoken to and recruited to the party.

If you’re still having trouble, YouTuber Crimsomrider has a great outline of the recruitment process in their video.

Make sure to rescue Minthara and the tieflings (and potentially Wulbren, too) before entering Baldur’s Gate 3’s Gauntlet of Shar. The Gauntlet contains a point of no return, locking you out of certain incomplete side quests and potentially killing any prisoners locked up in Moonrise Towers.

Should You Recruit Minthara In Baldur’s Gate 3?

Minthara Isn't Ideal For Morally Good Playthroughs

While technically doable, Minthara’s recruitment method for a good run doesn’t seem quite feature-complete, as she is still clearly ideal for a morally corrupt playthrough, with her character feeling more natural in this setting. Especially given that Halsin and Minthara can no longer be recruited together, it's hard to argue for Minthara in a good-natured playthrough since Halsin is a better companion for this version despite not being one of the best overall.

As for evil-aligned characters, Minthara can still be recruited in the same way as before, by simply siding with her and aligning with her preferences. As an evil character, Minthara differs from other party in Baldur's Gate 3. As the only Drow companion in the game, she brings a unique perspective that no one else (except a Drow Tav or Dark Urge) has. She’s also classed as a Paladin, making her a valuable addition to your Baldur’s Gate 3 party if you don’t already have a Paladin’s might on your side.

Source: Larian Studios, YouTube/Crimsomrider