Baldur’s Gate 3 Gandrel – choices to save and kill explained in BG3

✓ at a glance

Kill or spare Gandrel in BG3?

• Killing Gandrel is key to advancing Astarion’s personal quest.
• Giving Astarion over to Gandrel will result in his death.

Figuring out whether or not to kill or spare Gandrel in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a tough call. This interesting character shows up during the game’s first act. In true D&D fashion, there’s more to him than what meets the eye. Astarion, one of your companions, will quickly shake things up if you’re not prepared for this encounter. When you find Gandrel, you will be faced with a choice, the consequences of which we will explain. And with that, let’s get to Gandrel.

Who is Gandrel in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Gandrel is a vengeful Gur you can find near the Riverside teahouse waypoint during Astarion’s The Pale Elf quest in Baldur’s Gate 3. This is in the west of the Sunlit Wetlands, also known as the Putrid Bog. Save up before starting a conversation with him as it can lead to a character’s death or worse, losing a companion permanently. When you start a conversation with Gandrel, he will mention that he intends to capture and kill a vampire spawn. If you clear a Perception check, you’ll notice Astarion tense up. If you know Astarion’s identity, you’ll know why.

Even if you don’t, it’s evident that he doesn’t like this monster hunter and is being asked about Astarion’s whereabouts. If you meet Gandrel without Astarion in your party or if you pick Astarion as an Origin character, you’ll get more context. You learn that a kid was taken from Gandrel’s people during a raid and that Astarion was responsible. Most of you will already know that Astarion is a vampire spawn at this point. Each choice presented to you here has consequences. It’ll also impact the character arc of one of the game’s more memorable characters and the rest of the camp.

BG3 Gandrel choices explained

Here are the conversation options you can pick with Gandrel in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Should you Kill Gandrel

Picking this choice will protect Astarion from being killed. You’ll also win the vampire spawn’s approval. You’ll need to do this to progress his companion guide quest. You can loot Gandrel’s body to find Gandrel’s Inspiration, a two-handed heavy crossbow that grants an advantage against Monstrosity-type enemies. You’ll also get a Dagger, a Supply Pack, Leather and Light Armor, an Arrow of Fire, an Arrow of Acid, and 2 Healing Potions.

Don’t interrupt Astarion

This will result in Astarion killing Gandrel. You’ll get the aforementioned loot from the vampire hunter too.

Hand Astarion over

If you already know about Astarion’s secret and Cazador Szarr, you can choose to give him to Gandrel. Doing so will permanently remove him from your party. We aren’t sure if this betrayal has other consequences on the storyline. The rewards aren’t worth it.

Interrupt Astarion and leave

Doing so will prevent bloodshed. You can also talk to Astarion about it later. This can be a difficult judgment call to make.

Should you save Gandrel in BG3?

Saving Gandrel doesn’t make much sense as defeating him progresses Astarion’s companion quest and gives you some loot. It also sets up Astarion’s incredible redemption arc. If you spare Gandrel, you’ll spot him later at the Gur camp area in Act 3. This is near the north-east of Rivington where you first arrive at Baldur’s Gate 3. There may be some additional changes in the game based on this choice. If you choose to fight him, be wary of his Hunter’s Mark skill and Extra Attack. Here are Gandrel’s stats in BG3:

• Strength: 16
• Dexterity: 18
• Constitution: 16
• Intelligence: 12
• Wisdom: 16
• Charisma: 10

That’s everything you need to know about Gandrel in Baldur’s Gate 3. The role-playing game offers different outcomes based on the dialogue choice you pick. The wrong move can land your party in hot water. Losing Astarion in a little glade is a less-than-ideal outcome.

✓ Tip

Fighting Gandrel to progress Astarion’s questline is worth it

While it might not seem like a pacifist option, doing this progresses the narrative of one of our favourite characters in Baldur’s Gate 3.

There’s no right or wrong thing to do but as an ally, it’s a good idea to finish the monster hunter searching for our cheeky vampire friend. Astarion also has one of the best character arcs in the game so it’s worth keeping him around. Kind decisions often let you sidestep disastrous results, even if Astarion isn’t particularly keen on kindness.

Alternatively, if you hate Astarion and everything about his gross vampire form, then you should go ahead and let Gandrel kill him, mostly because it’s funny to see him get his comeuppance. While perhaps not the best option on your first playthrough, this is certainly worth doing on subsequent runs just to experience it. If you want to get into more Baldur’s Gate 3, check out our Baldur’s Gate 3 classes guide, which has plenty of information if you’re just starting your journey into the Forgotten Realms.