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QuestmajorMain storyHard

Raid the Emerald Grove

An Act 1 quest in Baldur's Gate 3 in which the player can help Minthara and the goblin army attack the Emerald Grove, permanently changing several story and companion outcomes.

RoleA major Act 1 branching quest centered on the decision to betray the tieflings and druids of the Emerald Grove or turn against the goblin assault.
Statusavailable in the released game
Importancemajor
RewardStory-state changes and potential access to Minthara as a later companion
TimeVaries by approach and combat choices
  • ActAct 1
  • Quest typeBranching story quest
  • Primary locationEmerald Grove
  • Opposing forceGoblin army
  • Key decisionOpen the gate or defend the Grove
  • Major consequenceHalsin ally outcome is lost if the Grove is raided

The quest's exact length and combat difficulty vary substantially with the player's route, preparation, and decision at the Grove gates.

Key takeawaysSpoilers

The raid is best understood as a permanent story branch rather than a normal objective chain.

  • Start the plan at the Shattered Sanctum Speak privately with Minthara, or reveal the Grove's location through Save the Goblin Sazza. Either route turns the goblin leadership storyline toward an assault.
  • Use a Long Rest to begin the assault The attack officially begins after the player completes a Long Rest once the quest has been triggered. Prepare before resting if you intend to fight at the Grove.
  • The gate is the decisive moment At the battle, the player can support Minthara by opening the gate or betray the raiders and defend the Grove. The choice can still change before the final battle concludes.
  • Expect lasting companion consequences Raiding the Grove prevents Halsin from joining the camp as an ally, while Minthara can potentially become available for recruitment later.

Raid the Emerald Grove overviewSpoilers

Raid the Emerald Grove is one of Baldur's Gate 3's defining Act 1 choices: cooperate with Minthara and the goblin army in an attack on the Emerald Grove, or abandon the raid and defend the refuge before the confrontation ends.

The quest begins when the player works with Minthara at the Shattered Sanctum, either by speaking with her privately or by revealing the Grove's location during Save the Goblin Sazza. This places the Emerald Grove at the center of an impending assault and turns the player's earlier dealings with the goblin leaders into a direct decision about the fate of the tieflings and druids sheltering there.

The attack does not begin immediately after the quest is triggered. The assault officially starts after the player completes a Long Rest, giving the player a chance to prepare before the major battle at the Grove's gates. At the confrontation, the central operational choice is whether to open the gate for Minthara and the goblins or betray the raiders and fight to protect the Grove's inhabitants.

This is not a self-contained combat mission with an isolated reward. Choosing the raid changes the early-game world state, closes off important Grove-related outcomes, and prevents Halsin from joining the camp as an ally. Minthara may remain available as a later recruit, making the quest especially consequential for players planning a companion-focused playthrough.

Where this sits

ApproachReach the goblin leadership and establish contact with Minthara.
TriggerReveal the Grove's location and commit to the planned assault.
ConfrontationComplete a Long Rest, then reach the battle at the Grove's gates.
ResolutionChoose whether to admit the goblins or defend the refuge.
  1. 1Speak with MintharaThe direct route begins at the Shattered Sanctum.
  2. 2Reveal the Grove's locationThis can occur through Save the Goblin Sazza.
  3. 3Complete a Long RestThis causes the assault to officially begin.
  4. ●Resolve the Grove gate battleThe player must choose a side before the final battle ends.

The quest moves from negotiation to an irreversible Act 1 world-state decision.

Requirements and preparation

The quest requires access to the relevant goblin leadership sequence and a route to Minthara or Save the Goblin Sazza. Preparation is strongly recommended because a Long Rest begins the assault once the raid has been arranged.

  • RequiredReach the Shattered SanctumThe player must be able to meet Minthara and engage with the goblin leadership storyline.
  • RequiredMeet Minthara or use Save the Goblin SazzaThe raid can be initiated by speaking privately with Minthara or by revealing the Grove's location while completing Save the Goblin Sazza.
  • RecommendedPrepare before the Long RestOnce the quest is triggered, the attack officially begins after a Long Rest. Complete any intended preparations before resting.
  • RecommendedDecide which Grove outcome you wantThe quest affects companion availability and the wider Act 1 story, so choose with the Halsin and Minthara consequences in mind.

Objectives

  1. Arrange the assault with MintharaUse the Shattered Sanctum route or the Save the Goblin Sazza route to reveal the Grove's location.
  2. Complete a Long Rest to trigger the attackThe assault officially begins after resting once the raid has been set in motion.
  3. Resolve the battle at the Grove's gatesChoose whether to support the goblin army by opening the gate or turn against the raiders.
  4. Accept the resulting story branchThe decision changes the Grove's world state and affects later companion options.

WalkthroughSpoilers

  1. 01

    Gain access to Minthara and the raid route.

    Reach the goblin leadership

    Travel to the Shattered Sanctum and progress far enough into the goblin leadership storyline to meet Minthara. Do not treat the initial meeting as the final decision; the decisive consequences arrive when the planned assault reaches the Grove.

    Location: Shattered Sanctum

    TipKeep the Grove outcome in mind before committing to the goblin leadership plan, because this quest changes later story and companion availability.

  2. 02

    Trigger Raid the Emerald Grove.

    Arrange the raid with Minthara

    Speak privately with Minthara and cooperate with her plan to attack the Emerald Grove. This establishes the raid route and identifies the Grove as the goblin army's target.

    Location: Shattered Sanctum

    Watch outChoosing the raid route is a major story commitment, even though the final decision at the gates has not yet been resolved.

  3. 03

    Reveal the Grove's location through Save the Goblin Sazza.

    Use the Sazza route if preferred

    An alternative is to reveal the Grove's location to Minthara while completing Save the Goblin Sazza. This route also provides the information needed for the assault, so it leads into the same major confrontation.

    Location: Shattered Sanctum

    TipUse this route when the Sazza storyline is already part of your playthrough; the quest's major outcome is still decided at the Grove.

  4. 04

    Get ready for the assault.

    Prepare before taking a Long Rest

    Once the raid has been triggered, the assault officially begins after the player completes a Long Rest. Finish any preparation you want to make before resting, because the next stage is the major battle at the Grove's gates.

    Watch outDo not take the triggering Long Rest casually if you still intend to make preparations for the Grove confrontation.

  5. 05

    Reach the battle and choose a side.

    Travel to the Grove gates

    After the assault begins, go to the Emerald Grove's gates to meet the attacking force and the defenders. The confrontation is the quest's central combat sequence and places the player's allegiance in view of both sides.

    Location: Emerald Grove gates

  6. 06

    Support Minthara's assault.

    Choose whether to open the gate

    To support Minthara and the goblin army, open the gate and allow the raiders to enter. This is the direct raid outcome and turns the Grove's defense into an attack on the refuge's inhabitants.

    Location: Emerald Grove gates

    Watch outThis choice carries major consequences for the Grove's survivors, companion outcomes, and later storylines.

  7. 07

    Reject the raid and protect the Grove.

    Defend the Grove instead

    The player can betray the raiders and fight to defend the innocent inhabitants, even after initially agreeing to lead the raid. This change of allegiance must happen before the final battle concludes; waiting until the confrontation is over is too late.

    Location: Emerald Grove gates

    Watch outThe opportunity to change sides is limited to the period before the final battle concludes.

  8. 08

    Resolve Raid the Emerald Grove.

    Complete the final battle and accept the branch

    Finish the confrontation on the side you selected. Once the battle is over, the resulting Grove world state is established and the quest's companion consequences follow from that resolution.

    Location: Emerald Grove

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

The quest is structured around a delayed assault rather than an immediate combat encounter. Arranging the raid through Minthara or Save the Goblin Sazza sets the plan in motion, but the attack officially starts only after a Long Rest. This delay makes preparation important, especially for players who want to complete other business before the Grove becomes the active battlefield.

The main mechanic is allegiance switching during the confrontation. The player is not permanently forced to support Minthara merely because they agreed to lead the raid: they can betray the raiders and defend the Grove before the final battle concludes. Conversely, opening the gate commits the player to the raid's destructive outcome and changes which characters and storylines remain available.

Because the quest affects the world state, its consequences extend beyond the fight itself. A raid prevents Halsin from joining the camp as an ally, while Minthara can potentially be recruited later. The mission therefore functions as both a battle and a companion-selection decision.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • The quest gives the player a clear, consequential moral choice early in the game.
  • The delayed start after a Long Rest allows deliberate preparation before the Grove battle.
  • The player can still reconsider the raid and defend the Grove before the final battle concludes.
  • The outcome meaningfully changes companion and storyline availability rather than ending with an isolated reward.

Weaknesses

  • The raid route has severe downstream consequences for the Grove and its inhabitants.
  • Players who want Halsin to join the camp as an ally cannot obtain that outcome after raiding the Grove.
  • The commitment can be easy to underestimate if the player views the meeting with Minthara as ordinary quest progression.
  • The final opportunity to change sides ends when the battle concludes.

Best uses

  • Choose this route when pursuing a goblin-aligned or Minthara-focused Act 1 playthrough.
  • Use the pre-assault period to settle on a desired Grove and companion outcome before taking the triggering Long Rest.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

  • Open the Grove's gate for Minthara and the goblins

    The player supports the raid, betrays the Grove's defenders, and loses the possibility of recruiting Halsin as a camp ally. Minthara may remain available for later recruitment.

    Spoiler
  • Betray the raiders and defend the Grove

    The player rejects the planned assault and fights to protect the Grove's inhabitants. This reversal must occur before the final battle concludes.

    Spoiler
  • Change sides after initially agreeing to lead the raid

    The player can abandon the raid plan during the confrontation and defend the Grove, provided the final battle has not yet ended.

    Spoiler

Failure conditionsSpoilers

  • Allow the final battle to conclude before changing sidesThe player can reverse the initial agreement only before the final battle concludes. Afterward, the resolved world state is established.
  • Take the triggering Long Rest without preparationOnce the raid has been arranged, a Long Rest officially starts the assault. Any preparation intended for the Grove confrontation should be completed beforehand.
  • Raid the Grove while intending to recruit Halsin as a camp allyChoosing the raid locks out Halsin joining the camp as an ally, so this outcome cannot coexist with the raid resolution.

On failure

The key practical checkpoint is the period before the final battle concludes: this is the last opportunity to betray the raiders and defend the Grove.

RewardsSpoilers

  • Branching story outcome
    Resolving the quest establishes a major Act 1 world-state change based on whether the player raids or defends the Grove.
  • Potential access to Minthara
    Choosing the raid keeps open the possibility of recruiting Minthara later.
  • Halsin ally outcome
    This is a consequence rather than a conventional reward: raiding the Grove prevents Halsin from joining the camp as an ally.

AftermathSpoilers

The raid changes more than one battle

Raiding the Emerald Grove is a long-term story decision. It changes the available early-game storylines and companion options, removes Halsin's camp-ally outcome, and can preserve Minthara as a later recruitment possibility. Make the choice with the next stage of your playthrough in mind.

Checklist

  • Reach Minthara at the Shattered SanctumThis is the direct route into the raid plan.
  • Consider the Save the Goblin Sazza routeSazza can provide an alternate way to reveal the Grove's location.
  • Finish preparations before the triggering Long RestThe assault officially begins after resting once the quest is triggered.
  • Decide whether you want to raid or defend the GroveThe choice affects the wider Act 1 world state.
  • Remember the Halsin consequenceRaiding prevents Halsin from joining the camp as an ally.
  • Remember the Minthara consequenceMinthara may be recruitable later on the raid-aligned route.
  • If changing sides, do so before the final battle concludesThe reversal window closes when the confrontation ends.

Trivia

  • The quest separates planning from execution: arranging the raid does not make the assault begin until the player completes a Long Rest.
  • The player can reverse the initial agreement during the confrontation, making the gate battle a genuine allegiance decision rather than a purely scripted raid.
  • The quest's most important outcomes are changes to story and companion availability rather than a listed conventional item reward.
  • Minthara and Halsin represent opposing companion consequences associated with the raid decision.

Relationships

characters

  • MintharaRaid leaderMinthara organizes the goblin assault and may be recruitable later.
  • ZevlorGrove defenderZevlor leads the defense on the Grove's ramparts.
  • HalsinCompanion consequenceRaiding the Grove prevents Halsin from joining the camp as an ally.

locations

  • Emerald GroveTarget locationThe refuge targeted by the goblin army.
  • Shattered SanctumQuest start locationThe player can arrange the raid here with Minthara.