Baldur’s Gate 3 – Should You Save Or Kill Nightsong

In Baldur’s Gate 3, few decisions carry the narrative weight and gameplay consequences of the Nightsong choice. This critical moment in Act 2 determines not only Shadowheart’s personal journey but also the survival of key characters and availability of endgame content. Your selection here creates permanent branching paths that resonate throughout the entire campaign.

This encounter represents one of the game’s most significant branching points, affecting companion availability, romance options, and major story arcs. Understanding the full scope of outcomes ensures you make an informed choice aligned with your playthrough goals.

Strategic insight: Players focused on companion preservation and narrative richness typically benefit most from the save Nightsong path, while those prioritizing immediate power gains might consider the alternative.

Locating the Nightsong requires thorough exploration of the Gauntlet of Shar, where you must solve intricate puzzles and complete challenging trials to acquire four Umbral Gems. These artifacts power the mechanism that reveals the deepest chambers where your fateful encounter awaits.

Critical preparation step: Secure the Spear of Night from the Silent Library before proceeding. This weapon becomes central to the upcoming narrative moment and its transformation potential.

Warning: The transition to the Nightsong’s realm marks an irreversible point of no return for Act 2 progression. Once you interact with the shimmering pool in the chamber depths, all Act 1 fast travel locations become permanently inaccessible—including Druid Grove, Underdark, Grymforge, and Githyanki Creche areas.

Common oversight: Many players fail to complete time-sensitive objectives like delivering Infernal Iron to Dammon at Last Light Inn or rescuing imprisoned Tieflings from Moonrise Towers before this transition.

Entering this realm makes some previously visited areas inaccessible.

Party composition necessity: Ensure Shadowheart accompanies your group for this sequence, as her presence and participation are mandatory for the narrative to unfold properly.

Upon entering the ethereal realm, your party gains enhanced mobility with boosted jump and slow fall capabilities, allowing navigation across floating platforms. At the area’s lowest point awaits Balthazar, the necromancer previously encountered in the Gauntlet of Shar.

Balthazar seeks to claim the Nightsong, an immortal being imprisoned for centuries. You face two primary approaches:

• Defy Balthazar’s claim – Initiates combat against the necromancer and his undead minions.
• Allow Balthazar to capture Nightsong – Triggers immediate and permanent consequences with Shadowheart abandoning your party.

Advanced combat strategy: Ungroup your party members before triggering the cutscene to achieve optimal positioning. The detection radius remains surprisingly limited, enabling strategic placement without immediate hostility.

Optimal positioning layout:

• Position Gale or another character with Thunderwave on the right-side rock formations.
• Place your primary melee combatant (such as a Monk protagonist) within moderate proximity.
• Station your heaviest hitter like Karlach or Lae’zel on the left flank, prepared to engage Balthazar directly.
• Critical warning: Avoid area-of-effect abilities that might accidentally strike Nightsong during the engagement.

Gallery

Left: Preparing for the Balthazar boss fight; Right: Rushing Balthazar with our warriors.

Combat execution: Begin with Thunderwave or similar area denial abilities to eliminate zombie reinforcements. Follow with Ice Storm to create hazardous terrain that impedes enemy movement. Coordinate stunning attacks on Balthazar while your heavy hitters deliver focused damage.

Shadowheart’s spell optimization: Pre-cast Spiritual Weapon and Guardian of Faith, then activate Spirit Guardians for sustained area control.

Post-combat decision: After defeating Balthazar, select “Trust Shadowheart – do not interfere” to proceed with the narrative choice.

Critical recommendation: Create a manual save before proceeding to preserve exploration options for both narrative branches.

Choosing the lethal path results in Shadowheart plunging the Spear of Night into Nightsong, fulfilling her dark ritual and earning Shar’s divine favor. This decision triggers catastrophic consequences across multiple storylines.

Primary reward: Shar’s Spear of Evening (legendary)

• Damage output: 6-16 per strike
• Shar’s Blessing: Grants advantage on saving throws while obscured and deals additional 1d6 damage to obscured targets
• Blind Immunity: Complete protection against blinding effects
• Shar’s Darkness: Access to Level 2 Evocation spell

Catastrophic companion deaths:

• Isobel – Her Selunite clerical powers fail, resulting in Last Light Inn’s destruction by cursed forces
• Jaheira – This returning character from previous titles dies offscreen
• Dammon – The blacksmith’s death prevents further Infernal Iron deliveries, permanently blocking Karlach’s romance and quest completion
• Art Cullagh – His death likely prevents Halsin’s recruitment and Bear Form romance options

Shadowheart romance implications: She fully commits to Shar’s doctrine, explicitly rejecting romantic possibilities beyond divine service. While dialogue options suggest persistence might yield results, the romantic path becomes significantly more challenging.

Killing the Nightsong leads to a very drastic outcome.

Strategic assessment: This path primarily benefits players pursuing evil-aligned campaigns or those specifically focused on Shadowheart’s dark priestess narrative arc.

Preserving Nightsong requires successfully navigating a challenging DC 21 Charisma check. Utilize Shadowheart’s Guidance cantrip for bonus enhancement, or employ saved Inspirations for repeated attempts until success.

Successful persuasion results in Shadowheart discarding the Spear of Night, prompting Nightsong’s revelation as an Aasimar and daughter of Selune.

Reward structure:

Moonlight Glaive (rare)

• Damage range: 4-16
• Glowing property: Illuminates 6-meter radius
• Weapon enhancement: +2 enchantment bonus

Selune’s Spear of Night (legendary)

• Damage output: 6-11 per attack
• Selune’s Blessing: Advantage on Wisdom saving throws and Perception checks
• Darkvision: 12-meter dark sight capability
• Superior enhancement: +3 weapon enchantment
• Spell access: Moonbeam (Level 3 Evocation) and Moonmote class action
• Transformation note: The Spear of Night converts into this legendary weapon following a pivotal Act 3 scene when Shadowheart rejects Shar’s influence

Narrative outcomes:

• Ketheric Thorm encounters – Become significantly more manageable with celestial assistance against the primary antagonist

Shadowheart romance advancement: Maintaining supportive dialogue strengthens the relationship, enabling progression into Shadowheart romance content during Act 3.

Extended storyline developments: Nightsong’s true identity emerges as Dame Aylin, revealing her historical romance with Isobel before imprisonment. Both characters join your camp as NPCs if they survive this chapter.

If you spare the Nightsong, it’s revealed that she’s a deva, and one of Selune’s daughters. She also knows more about Shadowheart’s past.

Strategic advantage: This path preserves maximum companion availability, maintains quest completion options, and provides superior long-term narrative richness.

Comprehensive evaluation reveals that saving Nightsong delivers superior overall value for most playstyles. The preservation of companion characters, continuation of romance paths, and maintenance of questlines outweigh the immediate legendary weapon reward from the lethal option.

Companion preservation benefits:

• Maintains access to Jaheira as potential companion
• Preserves Dammon for Karlach’s storyline completion
• Enables Halsin’s recruitment and associated content

Quest completion advantages:

• Ensures Infernal Iron delivery chain remains intact
• Maintains Art Cullagh’s survival for narrative continuity

Endgame content accessibility: The save path unlocks more extensive Act 3 content, including deeper exploration of Shadowheart’s true heritage and the resolution of her personal narrative.

Advanced player consideration: Those specifically pursuing evil-aligned campaigns or Shadowheart’s dark priestess transformation might find the kill path thematically appropriate despite its narrative costs.

Practical recommendation: Create multiple manual saves before the decision point to experience both narrative branches. The choice significantly impacts the House of Grief storyline in Act 3, where Shadowheart either dismantles or assumes leadership of the Sharran enclave.

Final assessment: For players valuing companion relationships, quest completion, and narrative richness, saving Nightsong consistently delivers superior gameplay experience and content accessibility.

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