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Baldur's Gate 3

Should You Side With He Who Was or Madeline in BG3

By
Shane Williams

Once you step foot into the Shadowlands in Act 2 and obtain the Ledger from the Thisbald Thorm NPC in "Moonrise Towers" iconMoonrise Towers, you’ll be presented the choice of siding with Madeline or He Who Was at the end of the Punish The Wicked side quest. This page will detail the outcomes of both choices.

You’ll be given the choice to side with Madeline or He Who Was here.

Where to Find The Ledger in BG3

Before you can start looking into this choice you’ll want to get your hands on the "Moonlantern" iconMoonlantern first, as this will allow you to explore the Shadow Cursed Lands without needing to worry about the curse, so follow the steps on our How To Get a Moonlantern page to learn how to do so. Once you’ve obtained the Moonlantern, you’ll then want to meet He Who Was to start the Punish The Wicked Side Quest and he can found to the northeast of the Shadowed Battlefield. Alternatively, you can head to (X: 127 Y:111).

Here you’ll discover that wants to kill her as punishment for a murder she committed. However, he needs evidence first and this can be found in a ledger that’s located at The Waning Moon in the Moonrise Towers area. Head on over there and you’ll meet Thisobald Thorm and you need to successfully complete a variety of checks to finish the conversation to get past him. Follow the steps on our How to Defeat Thisobald Thorm Without Fighting page. Once you’ve dealt with Thisobald Thorm, you’ll want to interact with the floorboard to the left of him to discover the ledger. You’ll now want to return to He Who Was and give it to him, then you’ll be presented with the option to save Madeline or He Who Was.

What’s The Reward For Siding With He Who Was in BG3

(1 of 2) You’ll be rewarded with the Raven Gloves if you side with He Who Was.

You’ll be rewarded with the Raven Gloves if you side with He Who Was. (left), You’ll have to battle He Who Was if you side with Madeline. (right)

If you choose to side with He Who Was, then you’ll be rewarded with the Raven Gloves which offers you a level 3 Conjuration Spell and as you may expect from the name, it allows you to summon a Raven which is useful for those who don’t have access to the "Find Familiar" iconFind Familiar Spell. Additionally, you won’t have to fight him which is what will happen if you go the other route.

What’s The Reward For Siding With Madeline in BG3

If you choose to side with Madeline, then you’ll have to fight He Who Was and defeat him to complete the quest. Alternatively, you choose the option “Anything? Then hurt yourself as Ben and Marc did - stab yourself” which will cause you to deal some damage to him before the battle begins. Unfortunately, you’ll only get rewarded with the Arrow of Roaring Thunder and the Scroll of "Vampiric Touch" iconVampiric Touch.

More Baldur’s Gate 3 Guides

If you’re looking for more relevant BG3 guides, be sure to check the links below.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Larian Studios
  • Platforms,
    Mac, PC, PS5, XB X|S
  • Genre
    Adventure, RPG
  • Guide Release
    6 April 2023
  • Last Updated
    14 June 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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Baldur’s Gate 3 is an immersive roleplaying game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. It features a rich story with multiple outcomes for almost every encounter, and plenty of character customization features including more races, classes, subclasses and party combinations than you are ever likely to explore. The seemingly endless possibilities and numerous choices that you can make throughout your journey make a helping hand always welcome, and that’s where we come in! This guide features the following:

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