Should You Free The Artist Or Leave Oskar Alone

In Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3, players may encounter an artist called Oskar, who has been taken captive. Here are the pros and cons of freeing him.

Summary

Freeing the artist Oskar in Baldur's Gate 3 can lead to a larger side quest in Act 3.
The decision to free Oskar can cost a significant amount of gold in the early stages of the game and may impact the player's resources.
Leaving Oskar to his fate also has consequences, both positive and negative.

While venturing through Act 1, players may stumble across the option to free the artist Oskar Fevras in Baldur’s Gate 3 or simply leave him to his fate at the hands of the Zhentarim. This, like many others in the game, seems like a rather inconsequential decision to make, but one that eventually connects to a larger side quest, much later in the game, however. This is one of the essential Baldur’s Gate 3 quests before Act 2, even if it does seem like something worth missing out on initially. The decision to free him may seem difficult, mainly because it can cost a meaningful amount of gold.

This article contains spoilers for the artist’s side quest in Baldur’s Gate 3.

The amount of money required to free Oskar is not too much, but for the early stages of the game, it can make a significant difference to the player’s resources. Depending on how players are engaging in the campaign, the gold could be better spent on buying new and improved gear and potions, for instance. Before making a definitive decision, players should know that the quest to free the artist in Baldur’s Gate 3 only really pays off in Act 3. In addition to that, the reward it provides is arguably pretty bad – it is exclusive, but some may not see the effort translated into gold or strong gear.

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Where To Find The Artist Oskar In Baldur’s Gate 3

Oskar Fevras is being held as a slave by the Zhentarim inside the Zhentarim Basement in Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3. This location can be accessed through a secret cellar in Waukeen’s Rest. The Zhentarim is a group of criminals, but one that can be negotiated with. If players help them solve their troubles, they will be able to freely roam around the area. Inside that cavern, they can talk to Brem and, there, decide if they want to free the artist Oskar or not. They can try to persuade Brem into releasing Oskar for free, or buy him for up to 1,000 gold.

The price for Oskar can be lowered to 600 gold.

Pros & Cons Of Freeing The Artist Oskar In Baldur’s Gate 3

There are major implications for freeing Oskar, both positive and negative. If players are not too proficient with their Persuasion or Intimidation skills in Baldur’s Gate 3, they may have to pay to save Oskar. That action alone can cost up to 1,000 gold, which can be a lot of money if players have not yet gathered too many resources. This amount of gold later turns out to be trivial, but in the early stages of the game, it can be quite a deal-breaker. Additionally, Oskar will then ask the player to lend him more gold so that he can make his way to Baldur’s Gate safely.

This may be the most gold-consuming quest of Act 1. Nevertheless, freeing Oskar is the only way of unlocking his exclusive questline, which will show up in Act 3. If players are looking for an immediate return, they will not have it. The questline after saving the artist unlocks when players reach the city of Baldur’s Gate, where they will be prompted to solve a mystery. This questline in Baldur’s Gate 3 meddles with undead arts and has a few important decisions to be made as well, so the story alone may be considered compensation. Regardless, players will get in-game prizes by continuing Oskar’s quest.

If players make the right choices and save Oskar once again at the end of his questline, he will reward players with a portrait of their character – or a Companion in Baldur’s Gate 3. This does not have too much value beyond sentimental ones. That is the ultimate reward for his questline, so if that seems a bit underwhelming, it may not be worth saving the artist in the first place. The entire questline leading up to the conclusion is significantly troublesome as well, which may make the final prize seem even less enticing than it did if only considering the gold invested in Oskar’s freedom.

If money is not an issue, it may make sense to free the artist in Act 1, however. Players involved in a good-aligned campaign or simply wanting to fulfill their completionist desires have more than enough reasons to save Oskar, as it is a morally sound choice to make. Even if the rewards do not pay off the gold investment, they do unlock a hefty chunk of side content to explore. Depending on their approach, players can take hours to solve the problem involving Oskar once they arrive in Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3. This is a great way of making the best use of time with the game.

Pros & Cons Of Leaving The Artist Oskar In Baldur’s Gate 3

The most straightforward alternative to freeing the artist is choosing to leave Oskar Fevras as a captive of the Zhentarim. This, like saving him, is also encumbered with consequences, both positive and negative. The immediate direct impact that players will feel is that they are, essentially, saving money in Baldur’s Gate 3. If freeing him did not seem like something worthwhile, then leaving him alone is the solution to that problem. Players can save up to 1,200 gold by simply allowing Oskar to remain a slave to the Zhentarim. They would not see the gold returned in any way, so this is the opportunity to keep it.

The issue with this decision is that, by not saving him, the artist never returns to Baldur’s Gate. This, in turn, locks players out of the potential side quest. If players are blocked away from the content, they cannot fulfill the mission and get its reward. This means that, if the intention was to get a special portrait of the player’s character or a Companion, that would be impossible. By not completing this side quest in Baldur’s Gate 3, players cut themselves short of a small amount of experience, which can be decisive when getting ready to solve the final conflicts of Act 3.