Who Should Get The Noblestalk In Baldur's Gate 3?

Baelen, Derryth, and Shadowheart from Baldur's Gate 3, with a field of green mushrooms in the background.

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As an RPG that places a high emphasis on choice, many of the possible decisions in Baldur's Gate 3's quests can have different outcomes. Rewards, the fates of minor NPCs, and even entire character arcs can change depending on your choice. With every option available sometimes not clearly defined, it can be difficult to make decisions for various side quests.[The following article contains spoilers for side quests in Baldur's Gate 3.] One big choice in Act 2 is what to do with the rare Noblestalk, an important item found in the Underdark. Much like finding the Moonlantern in BG3 during the same Act, this ingredient is incredibly important for side story progression, especially tied to characters your party may have met. Choosing where the Noblestalk goes is vital to the fates of some NPCs, or even your character.

Every Possible Option For The Noblestalk In BG3

Will You Give It To Baelen, Derryth, Shadowheart, Or The Dark Urge?

Like many things in BG3, a simple decision like who should receive the Noblestalk is more complex than one would imagine. In total, there are four different options, all of which provide different outcomes later in the game.

Out of all your possible choices, you can give the Noblestalk to:

Shadowheart (Companion character)
Derryth Bonecloak (Underdark NPC)
Baelen Bonecloak (Underdark NPC)
The Dark Urge (Player character)

Giving the Noblestalk to Shadowheart opens up a significant narrative about her character and reveals memories from her past. This option is best for those compelled by her story as it provides important context, though it's still possible to go down her personal quest line without it.

The second and third options are to give the Noblestalk to either of the dwarves, Derryth or Baelen Bonecloak. Giving Baelen the Noblestalk will restore his true personality, but also revive an abusive husband. This fact isn't revealed until later in the game's third Act, but adds nuance to whether restoring Baelen memories is the morally "good" option.

Alternatively, giving the Noblestalk to Derryth Bonecloak saves her shop, Bonecloak's Apothecary, and enables the purchase of additional Noblestalks in Act 3 when you reach the Lower City.

Using Noblestalks from Bonecloak's Apothecary will not reveal Shadowheart's memories in Act 3. The Noblestalk must be given to her in Act 1 with the unique quest "Noblestalk," or players will miss out on the additional content provided by giving her the item.

Lastly, eating the Noblestalk while Dark Urge provides a memory that gives additional background on the character's violent past. That said, this scene is short and is just a tidbit of information as part of a larger puzzle that is revealed later in a Dark Urge playthrough.

How To Get The Noblestalk In Baldur's Gate 3

Finding Baelen & Retrieving The Noblestalk

The Noblestalk can be found in the Underdark mushroom kingdom known as the Myconid Colony after speaking to Derryth as part of the "Find the Mushroom Picker" side quest in Baldur's Gate 3. The quest tasks the party with finding and rescuing Derryth's abusive husband, Baelen, who is found in a northwest corner of the map, in the middle of a deadly field of Bibberbangs - mushrooms that emit dangerous poison clouds if they're disturbed.

The poison clouds here are extremely flammable, making the torches within the Bibberbang field triggers for a deadly explosion if disturbed. The easiest way to obtain the Noblestalk is by dousing the torch in the area using water, but doing this requires you to get close to the Bibberbangs. To do this, the spells Misty Step or Mage Handcan be used to put out the torches without setting off the fungi.

While they're here, players can also rescue Baelen by throwing him his backpack, or, if they've reached the appropriate level, by using spells like Dimension Door.

The Noblestalk is found in the top-right corner of the Bibberbang area next to the wall. Characters with high poison resistance (or lots of Antidotes) can navigate the area safely once the flame has been doused.

The Noblestalk Has Healing Properties

What The Noblestalk Actually Does In BG3

A Noblestalk mushroom in the inventory of Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3.

If they choose not to hand over the Noblestalk to anyone, players can still use the Noblestalk as a powerful healing item for their party. This item fully restores a character to full health whenever consumed, while also removing any negative conditions in BG3 like Frightened or Charmed.

However, these healing properties apply to mental ailments as well, including Shadowheart's willing amnesia and Baelen's altered personality. While the healing can be useful in a pinch, it's unlikely to reach a point where progression is impossible without it, and using the unique Noblestalk acquired in Act 1 is a waste, as giving it to Derryth provides more of them later in the game.

When you do get to Act 3, you'll be able to buy Noblestalks in bulk for all the healing items you need. Performing a long rest will refresh the amount of Noblestalks in Derryth's inventory at Bonecloak's Apothecary once you reach the Lower City later in BG3.

What Happens If You Give The Noblestalk To Shadowheart?

Shadowheart's Noblestalk Memories, Explained

Convincing Shadowheart to consume the Noblestalk requires either a Persuasion or Intimidation check, but will result in one of her lost memories being restored. Specifically, the memory that comes back is one of a childhood friend named Rennald back in the city of Baldur's Gate.

Shadowheart's memories will be brief, but largely positive. She remembers the other children in her cloister mocking her for her name, of which they didn't believe her deserving. She'll remember a tiefling child defending her and trying to comfort her, and believes that, if she can find her old friend, Rennald can answer some of the uncomfortable questions about her past.

The storyline about Rennald does not come up again until Act 3 of the game, where you'll have new dialogue with Shadowheart about finding them.

When you reach the Lower City, a quest called "A Familiar Face" can be accepted from Shadowheart to start searching for Rennald. However, you don't need to accept this quest to meet Shadowheart's childhood friend, as you can find the character in question naturally by visiting the House of Grief within Baldur's Gate itself.

If Shadowheart did eat the Noblestalk, she'll recognize her friend right away, despite them having the different name of Nocturne. Nocturne is a transgender woman, and has transitioned by the time the party meets her at the House of Grief. She explains that, when the other children made fun of Shadowheart's name, she realized she also felt a disconnect with her identity, and embarked on her own journey of self-discovery.

However, players can have the majority of this conversation with Nocturne either way. All that changes is whether Shadowheart initially recognizes her, or whether she has to remind her old friend of their days training together. You'll also lose XP bonuses from completing the "A Familiar Face" quest, but it may not be needed if you've hit the level cap already.

Having Shadowheart eat the Noblestalk basically just leads to extra experience and new dialogue with Nocturne in Act 3. It's nice content that's good to have if you're looking to explore every bit of Shadowheart's story, but it's not necessary for finishing that companion's journey.

What Happens If You Give The Noblestalk To Baelen?

Pros & Cons Of Giving The Noblestalk To Baelen

Baelen & The Noblestalk in handcuffs from Baldur’s Gate 3.

If the party manages to rescue Baelen, he can be found in the Myconid Colony with his wife, Derryth. Giving the Noblestalk to either dwarf will lead to the same reward, which is listed below:

Gloves of Uninhibited Kushigo — Deal an additional 1d4 damage with Throw attacks and attacks made with Improvised Weapons.

This item has limited usefulness, but some builds can take advantage of it, such as the new Path of Giants Barbarian from Patch 8's additional subclasses.

After handing the Noblestalk to Baelen, it cures him of his mental condition, which unfortunately reveals him to be a somewhat abusive husband to Derryth. Derryth is upset by this outcome, as she was safer when Baelen was out of sorts. Despite that, this option will ultimately lead to a better result, as your party is welcomed into their Bonecloak's Apothecary shop later.

Furthermore, giving the Noblestalk to Baelen might continue his abuse, but not for long. Derryth will eventually see Baelen's abusive ways and finally free herself from the relationship once his memories are restored. This happens by the time you reach Act 3, and is the better narrative choice overall.

What Happens If You Give The Noblestalk To Derryth?

Pros & Cons Of Giving The Noblestalk To Derryth

As an alternative, players can give the Noblestalk to Derryth, which she'll appreciate. Derryth will then be able to cultivate further Noblestalks, and will have two to three available at Bonecloak's Apothecary every in-game day. Players can purchase these to take advantage of their powerful healing abilities, which they'll need during some of the hardest boss battles near endgame.

By using Speak with Animals on Myshka, Barsik, or Malta, players can even help her adopt a cat for companionship after the end of her eighty-year marriage if they chose to give the Noblestalk to Baelen.

While it would seem like giving the Noblestalk to Derryth would seem like the best option, as it provides the option to buy additional Noblestalks later on, it has its drawbacks. Derryth doesn't seem completely happy at the end of the game, remaining annoyed by Baelen's presence even with his personality altered.

What Happens If You Eat The Noblestalk As The Dark Urge?

Pros & Cons Of Giving The Noblestalk To The Dark Urge

A Dark Urge Origin character in front of shadow druids in Emerald Grove in BG3.Custom image by Ben Brosofsky

Finally, if playing as a Dark Urge character in Baldur's Gate 3, the player-controlled character can choose to consume the Noblestalk themselves. Like with Shadowheart, this will restore a lost memory. In this case, it's the scene of gruesome murders committed along with Sceleritas Fel, the butler for the Dark Urge.

This comes with a minor dialogue option and sheds more light on the backstory of the Dark Urge, but otherwise doesn't substantially affect how the story progresses. Unlike the other options, which offer an additional narrative, consuming the Noblestalk as the Dark Urge will mostly offer some additional flavor to flesh out a player character's background.

The Noblestalk Should Go To The Dwarves Or Shadowheart

The Best Story Outcomes Of The Noblestalk Quest

For most, the choice of what to do with the Noblestalk will mostly come down to giving it to either of the two dwarves or giving it to Shadowheart. Anyone using any character built around throwing will benefit from the magical gloves the dwarves give, so this will likely be the most common choice parties pursue.

It's also nice to have access to the dwarves' shop later in the game, even if the store doesn't have anything groundbreaking. However, getting healing Noblestalks in Act 3 can be a great help for the conclusion of certain quests, especially ones that have major bosses. Encounters with Cazador the vampire, Auntie Ethel the hag, and others could require some Noblestalks to survive.

Keeping the Noblestalk or consuming it as a Dark Urge character can be useful for either healing or additional context to a character's backstory, but offers less in terms of both material and narrative rewards.

At the same time, those more invested in Shadowheart's personal quest will likely find giving her the Noblestalk as the best decision. While Shadowheart's storyline progresses similarly either way, giving her the Noblestalk provides additional narrative weight to the quests involving her in the game's third act.

Maneuvering around the mushroom field to get to the Noblestalk can be a difficult feat to manage, making the decision of what to do with the mushroom a potentially difficult one. With only one chance to use it in Act 2, the item's purpose should not be taken lightly.

With everything considered, though, giving the Noblestalk to one of the dwarves or Shadowheart will likely prove to be the best option, either in terms of actual rewards or additional narrative weight. While the Noblestalk is a potent healing item, the story of Baldur's Gate 3 will encourage most to give it away.

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Baldur's Gate 3

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OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 97% Released August 3, 2023 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence Developer(s) Larian Studios Publisher(s) Larian Studios Engine Divinity 4.0 Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op Cross-Platform Play Full cross-platform play. Cross Save Full cross-platform progression. Franchise Baldur's Gate

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