What Is the Worth of a Single Mortal’s Life in Baldur’s Gate 3

Many RPG adventures, such as “Baldur’s Gate 3,” frequently offer players dialog and exciting questions they need to answer to continue their progress. In some cases, your answers will change the direction of your storyline, while in others, what you choose won’t matter.

In “Baldur’s Gate 3,” you encounter an NPC early in the game who asks you two questions you need to answer. Read on to learn how your answer to the “What is the worth of a single mortal’s life?” question will affect the storyline and the benefits of finding this NPC and answering his question.

What Is the Correct Answer?

If you’ve made your way to the Overgrown Ruins and entered the Dank Crypt, you will now have to speak with a Hooded Skeleton named Withers (which he reveals to you later on). Withers asks you two questions regarding the “What is the worth of a single mortal’s life?” philosophical dilemma. If you aren’t sure what to answer, don’t worry because there is technically no wrong answer. However, he responds better to some answers than others.

After you interact with the NPC, Withers asks: “Now I have a question for thee: what is the worth of a single mortal’s life?” This is an introductory question, and the options are:

1. Quite the question. What is the reason for it?
2. ‘So he has spoken?’ What ‘he’ are you talking about?
3. Little spooked by the crawling out of the tomb bit. What are you?
4. A peaceful undead. Interesting. Why aren’t you attacking me?
5. Attack.
   

Withers prefers the first and fourth answers. He doesn’t respond well if you choose the remaining three answers, especially if you decide to attack him. Wither can’t be killed, and you’ll most likely lose the privileges he offers if you attack him.

After you answer him, he demands the answer one more time. Here you have six possible options, but it doesn’t matter what you choose. You also might have a seventh question depending on the race you choose for your character at the beginning of the game.

1. No one’s life is worth more than any other. We are equal.
2. That depends on a person’s deeds.
3. Life’s only value is as currency. Doesn’t matter to me otherwise.
4. Each life is of infinite value and merits sacrificing everything for.
5. The only life that matters is mine.
6. Depends on the mortal.
   
   

The seventh question might be, “Some mortals live much longer than others. I can’t compare them,” if you choose to be an Elf.

Withers’ Services

Visiting Withers and answering his questions is valuable to players. He offers certain services that can come in handy throughout the game. Withers doesn’t like selfish answers, but even so, after you answer his question, he spawns at the camp as your recruit.

The skeleton NPC can:

• Resurrect your party member for 200 gold.
• Use “Respec” for your character and companions for 100 gold.
• Summon Hirelings for 100 gold.

Hirelings are very useful. They are not companions, and you can’t interact with them, but they give you plenty of possibilities to create a party based on your quest needs. Withers can make up to 12 Hirelings with different skills and classes.

Furthermore, with “Respec,” you can change almost every stat and adjust the build if the current one isn’t working for you. You can also choose a different class and subclass, change the score, and more. Withers can perform this service as often as needed, provided you have enough gold.

Finding Withers

As already mentioned, Withers resides inside the Overgrown Ruins. You can explore this dungeon for the first time early in the story or save it for later, considering there are many obstacles to overcome inside. The “Explore the Ruins” quest takes you directly to the Dank Crypt, where Withers is located.

Here is how you can find Withers:

1. Go to the Roadside Cliffs.
   
2. Find the Chapel.
   
3. Search for the rock hanging above the crack.
   
4. Break the crack in the ground and jump in there.
   
5. Fight the enemies.
   
6. Navigate to the Refectory Door.
   
7. Find the skull lever click on it to open the door and enter the Dank Crypt.
   

Exploring the Dank Crypt

The Dank Crypt is dangerous to explore, and you need to be careful not to set off any traps or alert enemies. In this area, you have to explore the first room and find a key that opens an oak door, behind which lies the tomb of Withers. Furthermore, to open the tomb and interact with Withers, you must disarm the trap on a sarcophagus, for which you need a Trap Disarm Toolkit.

Here is how you can make your way to the Withers’ tomb without dying:

1. Explore the Dank Crypt and loot chests and crates.
   
2. Open the sarcophagus at the center of the room.
   
3. Disarm the traps with your toolkit.
   
4. Tap the button on the pillar.
   
5. Loot the coffin for “Engraved Key.”
   

If you don’t use the toolkit and don’t disarm the traps, they will activate and kill you. The traps release grease from the floor grates, and the Gargoyle heads shoot fire bolts. Ensure to cover all grates on the ground before disarming the traps and opening the sarcophagus. There are six grates from which the grease comes out.

After you open the oak door and enter the next room, you’ll see a giant statue in the middle. Find the button to open the tomb of Withers. It should be on the left side of the room. You also need to defeat a few skeleton mobs before exploring the area. Before the cutscene and dialog with Withers, you must fight another wave of monsters.

FAQs

How to enter the Dank Crypt in Baldur’s Gate 3

After you complete the main quest, “Escape the Nautiloid,” you need to head north until you reach the Ravaged Beach and find the entrance to the Dank Crypt there. You can use the Thieves Tools item or have Astarion as a companion enter the crypt. However, this isn’t the only way to enter the Dank Crypt.

Circling towards the west, you can find a crack in the floor, and an additional method of entering is convincing someone inside to let you in. The Ancient Door is the main entrance, while another three doors are at the Chapel Entrance.

Can I kill Withers in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Killing Withers in any conventional way isn’t possible. However, you can challenge and fight him.

How to enter the Dank Crypt without fighting bandits

You have to navigate to The Wooden Hatch to find the entrance. You don’t have to fight bandits going this way. This area is east of the Chapel Entrance. Following the path will lead you to the back door of the Dank Crypt.

Mysterious, but a Helpful Skeleton

The Hooded Skeleton or Withers isn’t easy to find, and the area where his tomb lies is full of traps and enemies you must defeat. Venturing into the Dank Crypt can be dangerous but worth it, considering that Withers offer valuable services after you recruit him. Furthermore, this area is full of loot you can use later in the game.

Finding Withers isn’t necessary at the beginning of the game if you don’t possess the needed tools. You can, however, return to the crypt at any point in the game and recruit him to use services such as resurrection, “Respec,” and Hirelings.

Did you find a way to defeat Withers? Which answer satisfies Withers the most? Let us know in the comments section below.