Baldur's Gate 3: How To Handle The Paladins Of Tyr (2024)

While there are plenty of wonderful companions and NPCs to meet in Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3, a trio you don’t have to be excited to meet are the “Paladins of Tyr." They are a suspicious crew that is part of Karlach’s recruitment questline and the exploration of the toll house.

These con-artist cultists of Zariel may play nice at first, but in reality, they are out to get Karlach and anyone associated with her. Given that this likely includes you, knowing how to handle them and their multiple quest outcomes is critical. Not to mention beating them up makes Karlach like you a bit more, so really, it’s a win-win.

Where To Find The Paladins Of Tyr

The Paladins of Tyr can be found just below The Risen Road waypoint, near the northernmost end of the map. If you received the quest “The Blade Of Frontiers,” the paladins will be slightly northwest of the quest marker for that mission. You can find the Paladins of Tyr hiding out in an abandoned toll houseon the hill (X: 109, Y: 562).

Where To Find Karlach

A key player in the quest with the Paladins of Tyr is our fiery friend Karlach, a tiefling whom Zariel is hunting relentlessly. Karlach can be found slightly southeast of the toll house(X: 110, Y: 508), and a quest marker from either the Paladins of Tyr or Wyll can lead you straight to her.

The Truth About The Paladins

Whether you speak with Karlach or conduct your own investigation, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that the Paladins of Tyr are the liars and ultimate villains of this quest. There are several ways to obtain this information.

Bringing Karlach

The way that opens up the most unique options is to bring Karlach with you to confront the Paladins of Tyr. By doing this, you can ask each side to explain themselves, which often leads the head paladin Anders to admit he works for Zariel.

You can roll an Insight Check (DC 10) to determine that Anders is lying or use Detect Thoughts and roll an Intelligence Check (DC 11) to probe his thoughts and determine he is lying.

Playing A Cleric

Clerics who have Tyr as their deity will have the option to ask Anders to recite the Creed of the Left Hand, which outs him as a liar.

The Dead Refugee

Before speaking with Anders, players can speak with the Dead Refugee in the other room (X: 111, Y: 551) by using the Speak with Dead spell. Interrogating the corpse reveals that Anders and his crew made a deal with Zariel in order to receive infernal power.

Speaking with Karlach or with the Dead Refugee are the most convenient ways to figure out that the paladins are lying. Otherwise, a successful Religion Save when speaking with Anders before speaking with Karlach will give you clues about how Anders' story just isn’t lining up.

Siding With The Paladins

When you approach the Paladins of Tyr in the toll house, you will have the option to explore, as Anders welcomes you in with “open arms”.

Anders explains that he and his crew are Paladins of Tyr, the God of Justice, and were sent to hunt the devil Karlach. Anders will ask you to kill Karlach on his behalf and bring him her head. He offers his sword, the Sword of Justice, as a reward.

Although Anders is the head honcho, Cyrel and Trynn can be spoken to as well. Trynn will give you hints about the treasure in the toll house basem*nt, and Cyrel will offer to trade with you.

Once the quest is accepted, there will be a marker to help lead you to Karlach. When you speak with Karlach, she will tell you the truth about the so-called Tyr paladins; that they are cultists of Zariel sent to send Karlach back to Avernus. Here, you can choose to team up with Karlach and take down the false paladins, or you can attack her and claim her head.

The best way to stay on the paladin’s good side is to enter combat with Karlach and take her head to the paladins. When the head is brought to Anders, he will thank you and bestow you with the Sword of Justice.

If you have already spoken to Karlach and not taken her head, it is slightly harder to side with the paladins. Ultimately, the majority of dialogue options will make the paladins hostile, so if you want to side with the paladins, your best bet is to not let Karlach live after speaking with her.

Otherwise, make sure you defend the paladins through your dialogue options and tell Karlach to stand down. This will cause her to become hostile and you and the paladins will be able to slay her in combat.

Siding With Karlach

Siding with Karlach is, ultimately, the route this quest encourages you to go. The evidence is stacked high against the paladins and the option to recruit Karlach as an ally after the paladins are defeated is a high reward for helping her finish this quest. As long as you continue to insist that the paladins are liars, making Anders hostile is an easy task.

Quest Rewards

Siding with the paladins has few tangible rewards. Whether you behead Karlach or kill her after dialogue with Anders, the paladins will give you the Sword of Justice, and later on when you speak with Wyll, you will receive armor from him as thanks for killing Karlach.

Siding with Karlach provides many more tangible rewards than siding with the paladins. The best reward for siding with Karlach is the fact that you can recruit her to your party. Through her questline you will, ultimately, receive more rewards than killing her provides.

Various party members will gain approval or Inspiration for fighting the paladins, but not for siding with them.

Plus, you can still loot that cool greatsword off Anders’ corpse once you or Karlach finishes him off!