Summary

• Drinking with Thisobald Thorm can avoid a fight in Baldur's Gate 3.
• Speaking politely with Thisobald can provide key information.
• Fighting Thisobald isn't worth it – it's safer and equally rewarding to drink with him.

Thisobald Thorm has a memorable presence in Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3, but deciding on the best way to deal with him isn't always easy. The Shadow-Cursed Lands of Act 2 are full of looming darkness and threatening encounters, but a few semi-abandoned locations play host to possibly more peaceful encounters. One of these is the Waning Moon, an old brewery currently occupied by a monstrous barkeep and a variety of ghouls. This barkeep is a strange, Frankenstein-like creature who can seem intimidating, but it's possible to initiate a conversation with Thisobald Thorm without pulling out a blade.

Thisobald seems particularly intent on his lonely occupation, beseeching the protagonist to drink up his special brew in the context of any conversation. It doesn't take much, however, to gather that whatever Thisobald is serving is far from a normal drink. Partaking in it could run a chance of threatening the protagonist's life or altering them in some strange way, while refusing seems likely to anger Thisobald. There are a number of unique ways to navigate this encounter, and treading lightly can be an interesting path for those who have enough luck or Inspiration to manage it.

You Should Drink With Thisobald Thorm In Baldur's Gate 3

What Happens When You Drink With Thisobald

Drinking with Thisobald Thorm offers significantly more advantages than engaging in outright combat, making it the best thing to aim for when the party is making its way through the Waning Moon in Baldur's Gate 3. Importantly, proceeding with the drinking protocol doesn't necessarily require actually imbibing the concoction, as it's possible to make Sleight of Hand checks to feign the affair entirely. Each check will increase in difficulty, however, so it's best to start the conversation with Astarion if the protagonist lacks proficiency or relevant equipment to raise the odds of success.

Choosing to drink the liquid instead of faking it will require a constitution saving throw in place of the checks. Failing it will make the character participating in the dialogue drunk, which ratchets up the difficulty of the general conversation. Thisobald seeks to be entertained by anecdotes of the party's adventurers, and letting him down with unconvincing stories more than once will trigger his anger. This isn't a uniquely dire outcome, however, as mes too much will simply start the fight rather than killing the inebriated character outright.

Drinking With Thisobald In BG3 Can Avoid A Hard Fight

Let Thisobald Defeat Himself By Drinking Too Much

Navigating the conversation with Thisobald Thorm successfully will result in the party dodging the Waning Moon fight altogether, as Thisobald's drinking too much of his own brew will cause him to literally burst at the seams and end the matter abruptly. Like several key boss encounters in Baldur's Gate 3, letting Thisobald take care of himself can save a lot of trouble, as he proves to be a fearsome foe on the battlefield. He also engages the ghouls shuffling around the tavern to attack the party in combat, but they will continue to behave affably if his demise is the result of his own doing.

The difficulty of defeating Thisobald in combat comes from his immunity to physical attacks, giving a party full of martials very little opportunity to take him down. Whatever elemental damage is inflicted upon him, however, will feed his next attacks, giving him access to his own powerful ways of dealing damage. The key to taking him down lies in the Blacked Out condition that he can trigger from drinking, which makes all types of attacks temporarily very effective against him.

Even with this window of opportunity thanks to the Blacked Out condition, it can still be an overwhelming encounter, so players should take caution when fighting against Thisobald.

Thisobald Thorm Knows Key Information In Baldur's Gate 3

Learn General Ketheric Thorm's Plans

The other good reason to speak politely with Thisobald lies in his unique library of knowledge, borne by his connection to the Baldur's Gate 3 Act 2 antagonist General Ketheric Thorm. As one of several monstrous Thorms scattered throughout Act 2, Thisobald refers to Ketheric as his father, either as a biological link or a Frankenstein-like relationship to a necromantic creator. Regardless of the true nature of his backstory, Thisobald does have a better idea of Ketheric's schemes than the party may when they first encounter him, so prodding him to answer questions while drinking and offering anecdotes when he requests is mutually beneficial for both sides of the conversation.

If everything goes south, missing out on speaking to Thisobald won't ruin any Act 2 plans, as lore regarding Ketheric is strewn here and there throughout the entirety of Baldur's Gate 3 Act 2. It's also possible to stride into Moonrise completely clueless and live to tell the tale, as understanding the General's strengths and weaknesses isn't necessary for entry. Nonetheless, it can be nice to get a more complete picture of the man and his devious plans from speaking to Thisobald, and finding a tentatively friendly face in Act 2 is a generally welcome prospect.

Why Fighting Thisobald Thorm In BG3 Isn't Worth It

This Choice Has No Major Story Impact

Many choices in Baldur's Gate 3 offer a reasonable argument for either avenue, even if one is ultimately more appealing than the other. In the case of Thisobald Thorm, however, there isn't anything particularly compelling about the possibility of engaging him in battle. Bringing about his death through drinking will grant just as much XP as the entire fight, with the only possibility of losing out on anything being any minor loot that might be collected from the ghouls in the Waning Moon. Any risks incurred through conversation are simply chances of triggering the fight, making it a completely safe alternative.

Fighting Thisobald instead of drinking with him won't have a major narrative impact in Baldur's Gate 3, but it simply doesn't bring as much to the table as the easier and more informative alternative. This isn't the only major potential fight with a Thorm in Act 2, but it is perhaps the most pitiable one, as Thisobald seems more confusedly belligerent than genuinely evil. If Thisobald Thorm must die in Baldur's Gate 3, it's best to at least drink and talk for a while before his fate arrives.