In Baldur’s Gate 3, you must make several morally questionable decisions like buying Oskar Fevras, the Artist. In the quest Free the Artist—which you can pursue in Act One—you learn of Oskar, who is apparently in a mutually beneficial agreement with his keeper, and you’re given the option of purchasing Oskar.
Should you buy Oskar Fevras, the Artist in BG3?
If you buy Oskar Fevras, the Artist from Brem in BG3, it will cost you up to 1,200 gold, you will obtain quests from Oskar in Baldur’s Gate, and your choice will influence your approval rate with your companions.
Buying Oskar isn’t cheap. At a minimum you will have to pay 600 gold; failing the ability checks means he will cost you 1,000 gold. Once you’ve purchased Oskar, he will tell you about his woes and how he ended up in this position.
Oskar will ask if you can spare him some coin to return to Baldur’s Gate and that you’ll be rewarded if you do. So, you can hand over another 200 gold to send him on his way back to Baldur’s Gate. But this repayment he speaks of isn’t guaranteed, and you don’t have to give him the gold.
Unfortunately, by buying Oskar and then paying for his transport back to Baldur’s Gate, Shadowheart and Astarion will disapprove of your actions, but Karlach will approve of them. This isn’t the best choice if you’re trying to romance either Shadowheart or Astarion, but it is obviously the best choice if you’re trying to romance Karlach.
As I didn’t have Wyll, Lae’Zel, or Gale on my team, I’m not sure where they stand in this situation. But given Lae’Zel’s personality, she will most likely disapprove of your choice, whereas Wyll and Gale will probably approve.
Related: What is the level cap in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Once you’ve made it to Baldur’s Gate, you can get quests from Oskar, which offer valuable experience and will help you get closer to the level cap.
Should you give Oskar 200 gold to return to Baldur’s Gate?
Whether you give Oskar 200 gold to return to Baldur’s Gate is up to you. If you have the gold to spare, go for it. But if you don’t, or don’t want to give it to this rascal, you don’t have to.
And in case you’re worried, if you don’t give him the 200 gold, you will still meet him in Baldur’s Gate and can obtain the quests.
What happens if you don’t buy Oskar in BG3?
If you don’t buy Oskar in BG3 and decide to leave him there, you won’t gain Karlach’s approval or his quests and their experience in Act Three. If you leave him there in Act One, you won’t see him in Baldur’s Gate in Act Three.
You also can’t return to the Zhentarim Hideout in Act Three to free him because he won’t be there due to the story’s progression.
While there are a few downsides to not buying Oskar, there’s a silver lining: You also won’t gain Astarion’s or Shadowheart’s disapproval, and your gold pouch won’t feel so light if you decide not to buy Oskar.
Decision time: Should you buy Oskar in BG3?
You should buy Oskar in BG3 if you have up to 1,200 gold, in case you don’t pass the ability checks, or if you’re trying to romance Karlach. And, I suppose, if you’re trying to be moral.
But if you don’t have the gold or are trying to woo Shadowheart and Astarion, buying Oskar and giving him gold to return to Baldur’s Gate will do you more harm than good.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 romance guide: All romanceable companions and how to woo them
A big part of your decision comes down to your ability checks, specifically passing the Persuasion check. So, make sure you’re piloting your most charismatic character when talking to Brem if you want to buy him for less gold. And then you simply need to decide whether wooing Karlach is worth gaining Shadowheart and Astarion’s disapproval over.
Easy, right?
