If you want to fill your camp with the best companions in BG3, learning how to recruit the Owlbear Cub is likely at the top of your list.
Rescuing the cub requires you to complete several side objectives and make certain choices in Act I. One wrong dialogue choice or accidental attack can lock you out of this companion permanently.
This step-by-step guide covers exactly how to save the Owlbear Cub from the Goblin Camp and bring it home safely.
Table of Contents:
- Where to Find the Owlbear Next
- How to Rescue the Owlbear from the Goblin Camp
- Welcoming the Owlbear Cub to your Camp
- Owlbear Cub FAQs
Where to Find the Owlbear Cub’s Nest in BG3
To recruit the Owlbear cub, you first need to locate the Owlbear Nest in Act I of Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Owlbear Nest is hidden in a cave northeast of Blighted Village. You’ll find some wounded Absolute cultists near the cave.
Head into the cave until you encounter the Owlbear Mother.
Interacting with the Owlbear Mother: To Kill or Not to Kill?
The encounter with the Owlbear Mother can play out in several different ways, depending on your choices and possible Skill checks:
- You encounter the Owlbear Mother, then retreat without combat.
- You meet the Owlbear Mother, then attack and kill her. The cub begins eating the mother. You must choose to spare the cub.
- Attacking the Owlbear Mother from stealth, which skips the cutscene. This causes the Owlbear Cub to stay hostile after the fight, so you’ll have to retreat after killing the Owlbear Mother.
Using any of the above three methods will allow you to proceed to the next stage.
It’s a common misconception that you need to kill the Owlbear Mother to get the Owlbear Cub. This is not true! You just have to encounter her. If spared by the player, the Goblins will later kill the Owlbear Mother and kidnap the cub.
How to Rescue the Owlbear Cub from the Goblin Camp in BG3
After encountering the Owlbears in the cave and completing a Long Rest, head to the Goblin Camp at your own pace.
The Chicken Chase Game
When you reach the camp, you can find the Owlbear Cub being held by a goblin called Krolla, who invites you to play a game of Chicken Chase. This game is completely optional – you can win the game to try to win some money. You can “cheat ” at the game by using either your 
Animal Handling Skill or a 
Speak with Animals spell/potion to tell the Owlbear Cub to run to the goalposts. Don’t tell the Owlbear Cub to attack the goblins, as this might get him killed.
Regardless of whether you play the Chicken Chase game, you can talk to the Owlbear Cub and invite him to your camp. But before he can join your camp, you will first need to deal with the Goblins, either peacefully or violently.
Dealing with the Goblins
After inviting the Owlbear Cub to your camp, you need to secure his safe passage out of the Goblin Camp. There are two ways to accomplish this:
- Talk to Krolla and either convince, intimidate or bribe her into letting the Owlbear Cub leave. If it’s not on cooldown, you can use your Illithid persuasion for an easy win. This is the best option if you intend to ally with the Absolute Cultists.
- Wipe out the Goblin Camp in combat, allowing the Owlbear Cub to leave safely.
Welcoming the Owlbear Cub to your Camp in BG3
After freeing the Owlbear Cub from the Goblin Camp, you will need to complete several Long Rests before he appears again. It is advised to forget about him for a while, progress the game normally until he reappears. Make sure you acquire some raw meat during this time, because you’ll need it to placate the Owlbear Cub when he visits you!
Feeding the Owlbear Cub
The Owlbear Cub will come to your camp one evening. With the correct choices, you can already befriend him during this meeting:
- Feed the Owlbear (your party must possess some suitable food!)
- Keep your distance.
Do not taunt or goad the Owlbear in any way. If you accidentally upset him, you can still befriend him with a DC10 
Performance check.
If you fail to befriend the Owlbear during this encounter, you’ll get a second chance during a subsequent Long Rest sequence.
Healing the Owlbear Cub
After another Long Rest, the Owlbear Cub appears again. This time, he will be injured. This part is easiest if you have Speak with Animals active and have already befriended the Cub when feeding him.
You need to convince the Cub to let you heal him. You have several options:
- Without
Speak with Animals, Cub not befriended. – Pass a DC10 
Animal Handling Check to Calm the Owlbear Cub. - Without Speak with Animals, Cub befriended or calmed – Pass a DC10 Nature, Medicine or Survival check to heal the wound.
- With Speak with Animals, Cub not befriended – Pass an initial check to calm the Owlbear Cub.
- Calm the cub with either “You’re hurt, Let me see” or “Let me see, or the leg will fall off“, as these are DC5, so quite easy to pass. The other options are either DC10 or DC15. In general, always refrain from taunting or threatening the Owlbear Cub.
- With Speak with Animals, Cub befriended or calmed – Pass a DC5 Medicine, Persuasion, or Survival check to heal the cub.
Nature, 
Medicine or 
Survival check to heal the wound.
Persuasion, or Successfully passing through this series of checks will recruit the Owlbear Cub to your camp permanently, and in future, he’ll be found running around. If you also recruited Scratch the dog, the two will make friends and often play together.
Owlbear Cub Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some additional FAQs concerning the Owlbear Cub in BG3.
Can I Pet the Owlbear Cub?
Yes, you can! Furthermore, you can unlock the You Have Two Hands for a Reason achievement for petting both Scratch and the Owlbear Cub at the same time.
Why Did the Owlbear Cub Disappear from my Camp?
Sometimes, the Owlbear Cub goes missing for a while. This typically happens during a transition phase between two camp states. He should come back later.
You can also try to throw Scratch’s ball, as this sometimes seems to reset the animal companions in the camp.
Can the Owlbear Cub Fight For You?
Not in his normal form. It is possible to get him to fight for you during the last part of the game. This requires Dammon to also survive until the finale of Act III.
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