In Baldur’s Gate 3, one of the biggest dilemmas you’ll face involves your companion Gale and the use of his Netherese Orb. As you progress in the story, you’ll find that this Orb is like a ticking time bomb with the potential to largely change the events of your entire BG3 storyline leading to different endings. When this complex situation happens, you will be scratching your head and thinking about what to choose: should you let Gale use Netherese Orb in BG3 or not?
Gale’s story is deeply intertwined with this Orb, and in your journey with him as your companion, you’ll understand the weight of the decision you need to make. On one hand, using the Netherese Orb could save the day in a flash, but on the other end, it means losing the Gale and cutting your adventure short. There are different Baldur’s Gate 3 endings linked to this wizard with a few letting the game end early on.
What is Gale’s Netherese Orb in Baldur’s Gate 3?
For Gale, this Orb is a part of his story and, honestly, his curse. This wizard from Waterdeep has a complicated past, especially related to the goddess Mystra. To put it short, let’s say Gale’s ambition to impress her didn’t go as planned. In his attempt to gain her favor, he ended up with the dangerous Netherese Orb embedded in his body. It’s not exactly the happy ending he was hoping for.
Now, Gale’s life is tied to this item and you must feed him the magical artifacts to fulfill his hunger as long as he is in your party. Further, Mystra has tasked him to use the Orb to take out the Absolute and kill Elder Brain. Unfortunately, he will not survive and vanish in this explosion. Moreover, if any party member is within the Orb’s explosive AoE, they will also become the target of this chaos. After you meet and talk with Elminster in Mountain Pass when Act 2 begins, he will explain what the Netherese Orb can do. From that point on, you will have the choice to let Gale use this item at any time. There will be an option for that in his in-game menu but it will result in the game’s end.
What Happens If You Let Gale Use the Netherese Orb in BG3?
First, you have the opportunity to use the Orb at the end of Act 2 when you encounter the three major villains—the Chosen who have been a thorn in your side alongside the biggest threat Elden Brain at the Absolute. Just as Mystra had talked to Gale about using the Netherese Orb at the heart of this place, this is the right time if you want him to use the item.
Deciding to go for it means the Orb detonates, killing the Chosen, the Elder Brain, and everyone else too, including your entire party. It’s a huge explosion, and while it does technically destroy the Absolute, it also ends your game right then and there. You’ll get a unique early ending out of many possible climaxes the Orb brings, but it leaves a lot unresolved. The rest of the story is gone and the final battle will never happen. All the tadpoles under Elden Brain’s command will continue to transform and the Illithids plague is going to descend on the Sword Coast – means mind flayers invasion. So, there is no guarantee of anything that what kind of bad results are coming ahead.
Using the Orb in Act 3
If you haven’t allowed the Gale to use it in Act 2, the situation again happens during the final battle in Act 3. This time, the stakes are just as high, but the outcome is different. Gale offers to sacrifice himself by using the Orb to defeat the Elder Brain and end the threat of the Absolute once and for all.
If you allow Gale to use the Netherese Orb in Act 3, a cutscene will appear and he sends your full party away to safety before detonating the Orb, so they survive to see another day. The Elder Brain will be killed but the Gale will sacrifice himeself for good. You’ll still miss a big part of the end battle, which might be a relief if you like to avoid the toughest battle of Baldur’s Gate 3. With that, there will be no full experience of the game’s climax and if you’ve grown attached to Gale—you should feel sorry for him and it removes any ending from BG3 related to this character. But even to use the Orb, you should use it in Act 3 as there will be less skipping of the storyline, and at least all other NPCs are available with their specific endings and different choices.
Why You Should (Or Shouldn’t) Let Gale Use the Orb in Baldur’s Gate 3?
There are different endings related to Gale and the use of the Netherese Orb. The purpose is the same; to destroy Absolute and kill Elden Brain. If you are curious about such endings, you should let him bring the chaos – a bold move that leads to some of the BG3’s most unique outcomes.
Moreover, using this magic item is the best choice and a quick way to end the difficult fight if you don’t have enough strength to face the Elden Brain. The final battles in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be seriously challenging, especially on a higher difficulty or without having a strong companion in your party. Letting Gale sacrifice himself in Act 3 is the recommeded choice to remove a potentially frustrating battle. But remember, it’s not the “happily ever after” type of ending unless you are ready to sacrifice Gale.
Alternatively, there are plenty of reasons to keep Gale from using the Orb. For many Baldur’s Gate 3 players, using it in Act 2 means cutting your game short—like, very short. Everyone including your party and villains has gone; you’ll miss out on massive content as it’s the game over and there will be no Act 3 or any further narrative. Considering Gale, he has been through a lot, and it’s not the kind act to allow him to die like this. For a more satisfying, feel-good end, convincing Gale to stay alive and fight alongside you is the way to go. You’ll get to experience his character arc in full, and if you’ve romanced him, you’ll avoid a heartbreaking departure.
You should also let stay Gale in your party to get the more evil ending where your character will try to take control of the Absolute. To go after a darker, more power-hungry path, you should keep Gale with you and find another way to kill the Elder Brain. In short, this Netherese Orb choice in BG3 only brings you to a different ending depending on when you let the explosion happen. There will be limited tale by using it in Act 2 but the situation will be far better to use it in Act 3. You will have a different storyline if you don’t allow Gale to make a sacrifice. You can try to use it to experience this ending and then reload the previous save to continue your story.
