Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game of choices and the consequences that come with those choices. Every decision you make has the potential to lead to something either catastrophically bad or to nothing at all. And everything in-between. Whether or not a choice has any aftereffects is something most players will need to wait to find out, which makes difficult decisions extra hard because of the inherent uncertainty.
Kar’niss is a Drider NPC players can encounter in the Shadow-Cursed Lands during Act 2. A faithful of the Absolute, he resolutely follows her will with no reservations. One of the ways to resolve the encounter with Kar’niss is to force him to go into the depths of the Shadow-Cursed Lands without the Moon Lantern to protect him. Players might wonder whether or not letting him go is a good idea.
Updated by Peter Hunt Szpytek on December 27, 2023: This guide has been updated to include a video version (featured above.)
Should You Kill Kar’niss In The Harper Ambush?
Your introduction to Kar’niss the Drider can come in one of three ways:
- You meet him after reaching the Shadow-Cursed Lands through the Mountain Pass route.
- You summon him using Minthara’s Spider Lyre.
- You ambush him with the Harpers after planning the ambush at the Last Light Inn.
Regardless of which way you ended up being introduced to this NPC, you’ll end up at the Ambush site alongside Kar’niss and a party of Harper ambushers. If you met him and agreed to follow him to Moonrise Towers, he will be your temporary companion, but if you sided with the Harpers, he will be your enemy. At this juncture, you’ll have the chance to choose your sides again. Side with the Harpers or with Kar’niss.
If you’re playing as a ‘Good’ character who doesn’t want to side with the forces of the Absolute, you’ll definitely not side with Kar’niss here. If so, there are two possible outcomes to this encounter.
Before the Harpers initiate the ambush, Kar’niss will sense them and halt his group. If you’re with the Harpers, you’ll have the choice to step forward and talk to Kar’niss. If you succeed in the next few dice rolls for Persuasion, you can force him to leave the Moon Lantern behind and continue through the Shadow-Cursed Lands unaided. If you fail the check, or simply decide to attack, the Harpers spring the ambush, and you enter a fight with Kar’niss and his group. Killing Kar’niss here bears no lasting consequences other than increased approval with the Harper faction and, by extension, Jaheira.
What Happens If Kar’niss Leaves?
Players might be wondering whether or not there are negative consequences to letting Kar’niss go into the Shadow-Cursed Lands. There aren’t. Letting him go without the Moon Lantern results in him and his party being converted into Shadow monsters by the land’s curse. You can find them again by the Reithwin Town, roaming the courtyard as enemies near Ketheric’s statue.
Even though Kar’niss is marked as ‘Temporarily Hostile’ here, there is no way to make peace with him. Getting into his aggro range will result in a fight; no getting around that. After killing him, you can cast Speak With Dead on his corpse to talk to him, provided you can cast Disguise Self.
The residents of Moonrise Towers will remain unaware of Kar’niss’ fate if he never makes it there. It seems there is no one to deliver the news to the General about this devout of the Absolute.
Baldur’s Gate 3: All Permanent Bonuses In The Game
Permanent bonuses in Baldur’s Gate 3 are rare and coveted. Here is a complete list of every last one and how to get them!
