Baldur’s Gate 3: Should I let Priestess Gut brand me in BG3?

In Baldur’s Gate 3, you must make various decisions, like whether you want to get branded by Priestess Gut in the Goblin’s Camp. You may know this better as getting the Mark of the Absolute, but there are positives and negatives to getting this brand.

What happens if you get branded by Priestess Gut in BG3?

If you get branded by Priestess Gut in BG3, you gain access to Absolute-exclusive gear, extra roleplaying, and dialogue options, and best of all, you’re not even locked into becoming one of the Absolute.

But if you choose this option, you will get a brand on your hand, which is pretty easy to conceal with gloves. However, like all decisions, there is a downside if you get branded. You’ll earn the disapproval of Shadowheart. So, if she is someone that you want to romance and gain favor with, this might not be the best option.

What happens if you don’t get branded by Priestess Gut in BG3?

If you don’t get the Mark of the Absolute from Priestess Gut, you won’t gain access to Absolute-exclusive gear or unique dialogue options. However, you also won’t earn Shadowheart’s disapproval, which is a plus for those wishing to romance her.

Should you let Priestess Gut brand you in BG3?

You should let Priestess Gut give you the Mark of the Absolute in BG3 because the benefits far outweigh the cons—sorry, Shadowheart! However, if you’re romancing Shadowheart, or if you’re into more of an immersive or LARPing BG3 experience where you would never join a cult, then don’t get the brand. 

Other than Shadowheart’s disapproval, there aren’t any other downsides. You aren’t brainwashed; the Absolute can’t control you just because you’re branded, and you can hide your brand. So, it’s a win all around.

And if you’re wondering about the Absolute-exclusive gear, I’ve only found the Gloves of Power, which Za’krug drops at the Druid’s Grove entrance, and they’re a helpful set of early-game gloves. There is a bit of a catch: only the character with the brand can use these gloves so you do need to choose who gets branded wisely.

The wearer gains the effect Absolute Bane, which means creatures hit by an attack may receive a 1d4 penalty to their saving throws and attack rolls. It’s not much, but these ones are pretty great until you get better gloves in the later Acts.

Overall, you benefit more from being branded by Priestess Gut than not. But you do have to make sure you’re giving it to the character you use the most for dialogue so you can trigger the Absolute-exclusive dialogue options.