eXputer
Subscribe

Locationmajor

Goblin Celebration

The Goblin Celebration is a special camp event in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • The celebration is triggered by completing Raid the Grove in Minthara’s favour and then speaking with her after the battle.
  • It takes place at the party’s campsite, not in the Goblin Camp.
  • Karlach and Wyll leave if they are present and the party sides with the goblins Depending on the exact sequence of events, they may leave immediately after the raid rather than waiting for the celebration.
  • Gale can also leave, but he can usually be persuaded to stay with a successful Insight or Deception check.
  • Speaking with Minthara and accepting her offer can unlock her unique Act One intimate scene.
  • After the celebration, Minthara gives the party a Spider’s Lyre and directs them towards the Shadow-Cursed Lands and Moonrise Towers.
  • The event is a major point of no return for many Emerald Grove quests, tiefling characters, companion outcomes and later rewards.

About this guide

Spoiler warning: This guide covers the consequences of raiding the Emerald Grove, companion departures, Minthara’s Act One encounter, the Dark Urge, and the route towards Moonrise Towers.

Overview

The Goblin Celebration is a special camp event in Baldur’s Gate 3. It occurs after the party helps Minthara and the goblin forces destroy the Emerald Grove during Raid the Grove. Rather than being a normal explorable location, it is a temporary state of the party’s campsite. Goblins arrive at camp, celebrate the massacre, and offer a series of conversations that can substantially alter companion relationships and determine the next stage of the Absolute storyline.

The celebration is the evil-route counterpart to the Tiefling Refugee Celebration. The two events are mutually exclusive. The goblin version is also the only Act One opportunity to trigger the sexual encounter with Minthara, although her proper companion romance develops later if she survives and is recruited in Act Two.

It is important not to confuse the celebration with the Goblin Camp itself. The Goblin Camp is a permanent Act One location containing the Shattered Sanctum, goblin leaders, traders, prisoners, and routes towards the Underdark. The Goblin Celebration is a later camp event that takes place after the Grove raid and does not turn the Goblin Camp into a new party area.

---

Required route

To trigger the celebration, the party must generally:

During the raid, the grove’s gate is opened for Minthara and her forces. The goblins and their allies then fight through the grove. If the party successfully supports this attack, Minthara announces that the goblins will celebrate at camp.

The event is therefore not activated merely by visiting the Goblin Camp, killing the grove’s defenders independently, or speaking with Minthara before committing to the raid. The party must reach the relevant post-raid state.

Required route: steps

  1. 01
    Reach the Goblin Camp and learn about Minthara’s plan.
  2. 02
    Tell Minthara where the Emerald Grove is, or otherwise begin Raid the Grove.
  3. 03
    Return to the grove and help the goblin forces defeat the defenders.
  4. 04
    Speak to Minthara after the victory.
  5. 05
    Travel to camp and take part in the resulting event.

What prevents it

The celebration does not occur if the party instead protects the grove and completes the goblin-defeat route. That outcome leads to the Tiefling Refugee Celebration.

If the party kills or incapacitates Minthara during an opposing route, the normal goblin celebration cannot be completed as intended. Minthara can still potentially be recruited later under certain conditions, but that is a different progression path from the successful raid route.

---

The event is easy to trigger accidentally once the Grove raid is complete, so finish any business that depends on the Emerald Grove before committing to Minthara’s plan.

Raiding the grove has consequences beyond the celebration. Karlach and Wyll are lost, Halsin cannot normally become a companion, Gale may leave, and several tiefling-related quests and later rewards become unavailable.

---

The celebration uses the party’s campsite rather than creating a dedicated dungeon or settlement. Characters remain distributed around their usual camp positions, with some exceptions.

Most companions remain at their tents. Shadowheart moves to the campfire, making her easier to find during the event. Minthara occupies the central story role, while the goblins gather around the camp and create the atmosphere of a victory feast.

The event also includes the corpses of several tieflings. These bodies are part of the temporary celebration presentation and are not a separate encounter area or a directory of living NPCs.

Temporary deceased characters

The following names are associated with bodies placed around the camp during the celebration:

The available evidence identifies these as replacement characters connected with the celebration presentation. They should not be treated as living residents, recruitable characters or active quest givers.

---

The event’s character roster is conditional. Some entries appear only if the party has recruited, rescued or preserved them. Others are ordinary goblin celebrants with no major quest function.

Main story characters

Minthara

Minthara is the organiser and central character of the celebration. Speak with her after the event begins to receive her main dialogue, accept or reject her offer, and progress the route towards Moonrise Towers.

She later gives the party the Spider’s Lyre, a quest item used to summon a guide in the Shadow-Cursed Lands. The lyre can also be obtained by looting Minthara in other routes or through Nere under different circumstances.

Korrilla

Korrilla can briefly appear at camp during the celebration. Her appearance is connected with her wider interest in the party and Gale. She may teleport near the camp’s shoreline and then move away, making her interaction easy to miss.

Companions

Every recruited companion can have celebration dialogue if they are still available to the party. The relevant roster includes:

Karlach and Wyll are special cases. If they are present when the goblin route is completed, they reject the decision and leave. In many playthroughs they leave immediately after the raid rather than remaining until the celebration itself.

Gale’s departure

Gale strongly objects to the massacre. He can announce that he intends to leave. A successful DC 15 Insight or Deception check can persuade him to stay. Failing the check, choosing to let him go, or neglecting the situation for too long can result in his permanent departure.

Lae’zel and Astarion

Lae’zel and Astarion have increased opportunities for romance-related dialogue during this celebration. The event can also unlock a later choice at bedtime involving a potential romantic scene. The exact availability depends on approval, current relationships and whether the player character has already begun other romances.

Shadowheart

Shadowheart has celebration dialogue and moves to the campfire rather than remaining at her tent. This makes her one of the easiest companions to locate during the event.

Companions

Camp followers

The following camp followers may be present if their individual conditions have been met:

Not every entry appears in every playthrough. For example, Barcus must have been rescued from the Blighted Village and Grymforge and then invited to camp. Volo appears according to his earlier rescue and camp conditions, while Tara is associated with a Gale origin playthrough.

Barcus Wroot

If Barcus is available as a camp follower, he can be found cautiously assembling explosive arrows during the festivities. He criticises the player character for the massacre and can be invited to join the celebration, although he refuses to treat the event as his victory. Unlike the tiefling celebration, he does not set off fireworks here.

Goblin celebrants

The event’s named or named-by-role goblin entries include:

These are celebration NPCs rather than a normal merchant district or a permanent faction settlement. The distinction between the two brawler entries matters: the directory identifies Ripper separately from the unnamed or differently identified Goblin Brawler.

---

Accepting or rejecting her offer

Minthara directly claims the player character’s attention during the celebration. The conversation offers a simple choice between accepting or declining her demand for the night.

Accepting does not by itself complete the encounter immediately. The party must go to sleep and select the relevant option when the night-time scenes are presented. This makes it possible to speak with other companions first and inspect the rest of the camp before resting.

The celebration is the only point in Act One at which the sexual encounter with Minthara can be triggered. Her later companion romance is a separate progression track that normally begins after her Act Two recruitment.

After the encounter

After the scene, the player character wakes with Minthara. The dialogue includes an opportunity to focus on her feelings or probe deeper into her fears with a DC 15 Wisdom check.

The Dark Urge has an additional option to give in to the Urge and kill Minthara. This grants the player character her mind flayer tadpole. That outcome is unique to the Dark Urge’s available choices and should not be treated as a standard reward for the event.

---

Gift from the Absolute

The celebration route is associated with Gift from the Absolute, awarded by Minthara after the party sides with the absolutists and raids the grove. The event therefore forms part of the reward sequence for the wider Raid the Grove quest rather than functioning as a self-contained treasure room.

Spider’s Lyre

After the celebration’s night-time events, Minthara directs the party towards Moonrise Towers and gives them the Spider’s Lyre.

The lyre is a story item used to summon a guide when travelling through the Shadow-Cursed Lands. It can be played using the Play the Spider’s Lyre action and is associated with the later Follow the Convoy progression.

The route to obtain the lyre varies by story state:

The lyre is not itself a musical reward that changes the celebration. Its main importance is access to the Shadow-Cursed Lands’ drider-convoy sequence.

Spider’s Lyre

RouteSource of the Spider’s Lyre
Raid the Emerald Grove for MintharaGiven by Minthara after the celebration
Kill or knock out Minthara in Act OneLooted from Minthara
Allow Nere to live and gain his helpObtained from Nere
Kill NereLooted from Nere

Criminal inspiration

Characters with the Criminal background can receive the inspiration Slaughter’s Prize through the goblin celebration. This is background-specific and should not be described as a universal party reward.

---

Karlach

Karlach rejects the party’s decision to massacre the grove. If she is already recruited, she leaves permanently. If she has not yet been recruited, the raid can prevent her from joining or make her hostile depending on the sequence of events.

Losing Karlach also affects her later personal storyline and the availability of her infernal engine upgrades.

Wyll

Wyll also leaves when the party sides with the goblins. As with Karlach, the exact timing can be immediately after the raid rather than during the camp scene.

Gale

Gale is not automatically lost in every playthrough. He can be persuaded to stay with the relevant DC 15 check. However, he regards the decision with deep regret, and failing or refusing the conversation can lead to his departure.

Halsin

Halsin does not become a normal companion through the goblin route. Raiding the grove is incompatible with the standard route that rescues him and later develops his companion storyline.

Minthara

If Minthara survives, the goblin route creates the opportunity to encounter and recruit her in Act Two. Her formal companion romance is not completed by the Act One celebration. The celebration provides the initial intimate encounter, while the later relationship requires additional progression after recruitment.

---

Recommended order

---

Mistaking the event for a Goblin Camp area

The celebration does not unlock a new wing of the Goblin Camp. It is a temporary campsite event. Returning to the Goblin Camp afterwards is a separate action and may produce a different world state.

Forgetting to speak with Minthara after the raid

The raid itself is not the entire event trigger. Speak with Minthara after the battle so that she confirms the celebration.

Expecting Karlach and Wyll to remain until the party

They may leave immediately after the Grove raid. If they are not present at the camp, that is generally a consequence of the route rather than a missing camp spawn.

Assuming the celebration begins Minthara’s full romance

The Act One encounter is an intimate scene, but Minthara’s formal romance progression requires later Act Two and Act Three conditions.

Travelling onwards without securing the lyre

The Spider’s Lyre is useful for the later Shadow-Cursed Lands route. If Minthara is alive and the goblin route has been completed, make sure to speak with her after the night’s events.

Leaving Grove quests unfinished

The raid has broad consequences. Several tieflings and traders can be lost, and later rewards or quests may disappear. The celebration should be treated as a major progression threshold, not as a harmless camp social event.

---

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Make a manual save before committing to the raid. The consequences affect companions, Grove quests and later NPC availability.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Finish Grove business first. Buy equipment, complete conversations and resolve personal quests that depend on the tieflings or druids.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Complete the raid. Help Minthara and the goblins defeat the Grove’s defenders.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Speak with Minthara after the battle. She confirms that the goblins will celebrate at camp.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Travel to camp. The campsite changes into the goblin celebration state.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Speak with every available companion before resting. Prioritise Gale, Lae’zel, Astarion, Shadowheart and Minthara if you care about approval or romance outcomes.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Check conditional camp followers. Barcus, Volo, Withers, Scratch, the owlbear cub and other followers may offer unique reactions or atmosphere.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Speak with Minthara last if you want to inspect the camp first. Accepting her offer sets up the night-time scene, but you can still explore the campsite and talk to others before sleeping.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Resolve Gale’s departure conversation. Pass the DC 15 Insight or Deception check if you want to keep him.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Rest and resolve the night-time choice. This is where the Minthara scene and certain companion romance opportunities are confirmed.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Speak with Minthara again afterwards. She explains the need to travel towards Moonrise Towers and gives the Spider’s Lyre.

Recommended order: steps

  1. 01
    Prepare for the Shadow-Cursed Lands. The next stage involves finding a guide and travelling through the cursed region towards Moonrise Towers.

Emerald Grove

The Grove is the location destroyed during the route that leads to the celebration. Its defenders, tiefling refugees and druids are the opposing faction in the raid.

Goblin Camp

The Goblin Camp is where the party meets Minthara, Priestess Gut and Dror Ragzlin, and where the raid can be initiated. It is a separate Act One location with its own encounters, traders and subareas.

Blighted Village

The Blighted Village is an Act One Wilderness location connected to routes leading towards the Goblin Camp and other regional areas. It is also relevant to Barcus Wroot’s rescue condition.

Shadow-Cursed Lands

The celebration points towards the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Minthara’s Spider’s Lyre is one of the ways to progress towards the drider guide and Moonrise Towers.

Moonrise Towers

Minthara tells the party that they must go to Moonrise Towers to find their place in the Absolute’s plan. This begins or supports the transition into the next major stage of the story.

Related quests

---

Related quests

Can I trigger both celebrations?

No. The Goblin Celebration and Tiefling Refugee Celebration are mutually exclusive outcomes of the Emerald Grove conflict.

Does the celebration happen in the Goblin Camp?

No. It happens at the party’s campsite. The Goblin Camp is the earlier location where the raid is arranged.

Can I keep Karlach and Wyll after raiding the grove?

Under the normal base-game route, no. Both reject the massacre and leave or become unavailable. Some unusual exploits or edge-case sequences have been reported, but they are not the standard progression and should not be treated as intended mechanics.

Can Gale stay?

Yes. A successful DC 15 Insight or Deception check can persuade him not to leave.

Is Minthara’s celebration scene her full romance?

No. It is the unique Act One intimate encounter. Her formal relationship progresses later after recruitment and further approval.

What if I reject Minthara?

You lose the Act One intimate scene, but rejecting her offer does not by itself undo the goblin route or prevent the later story progression associated with the raid.

Do I need to play the Spider’s Lyre well?

The lyre is mainly a story item used to summon the guide. The later summoning sequence can include a Performance check, but the outcome is not determined solely by playing well. The lyre can also be bypassed through other dialogue or ability options in certain circumstances.

---

This guide treats the Goblin Celebration as a temporary camp event, not as an independent geographic region. The available evidence gives a strong directory of conditional companions, followers, goblins and deceased tieflings, but it does not provide a complete technical list of every unnamed goblin model, decorative object, food item or temporary camp prop. Those have therefore not been presented as a claim of exhaustive object-level completeness.

The event’s exact character spawns can also vary according to:

The named directories above include the verified names supplied by the researched event page, while preserving conditional and deceased entries instead of presenting them as universally present.

Sources