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You can recruit Auntie Ethel as a Gather Your Allies supporter for Baldur’s Gate 3’s final battle, but not as a regular, controllable party companion. The key is to leave her alive and eligible for her Act Three offer, then agree to stay out of her business. The separate quest to rescue Vanra does not recruit Ethel—and, if Vanra has been swallowed, you must save her before defeating the Hag.
What “joining you” means
Ethel’s deal makes her an endgame ally who can support you in the final battle. She is not added to your adventuring party as a companion you can control. The bargain is a conditional outcome, so prior choices and quest flags can affect whether the offer appears. The Gather Your Allies reference describes the ally outcome.
Keep Ethel’s Act Three offer available
Be cautious in Act One
During Save Mayrina, the party encounters Ethel at the Riverside Teahouse and can follow her into the Overgrown Tunnel. If you want her later Act Three offer, do not kill her or take Auntie Ethel’s Hair in Act One: either choice can remove the ordinary route to the bargain. The quest reference describes a narrower exception involving killing Lora while leaving Ethel to her schemes; that is not the standard path, so do not rely on it.
Start Save Vanra with Lora before finishing the Hag storyline
In Act Three, speak to Lora to begin Save Vanra before completing the Hag Survivors storyline and defeating Ethel. The quest reference warns that missing Lora’s direct quest offer can lock out its rewards even if Vanra is later rescued.
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Choose whether and how to rescue Vanra
Saving Vanra and making Ethel an ally are separate decisions. If Ethel has swallowed Vanra, rescue the child before defeating Ethel; the documented potion route will not save Vanra if Ethel is already defeated.
Use Hag’s Bane
- Complete Help the Hag Survivors to obtain the ingredients and recipe for Hag’s Bane.
- Make Hag’s Bane using one Essence and Ashes of Dried Fey Flower, found at Old Garlow’s Place.
- Before defeating Ethel, throw the potion at her. The reference also documents throwing it at Captain Grisly while she is at the Blushing Mermaid.
- Finish the Vanra rescue dialogue. Larian’s Patch 3 notes specifically fixed an issue where leaving during the cut-Vanra dialogue did not count as saving her.
Use non-lethal damage instead
Another documented route is to toggle non-lethal damage and knock Ethel unconscious with fists or melee weapons, then choose the dialogue option to cut Vanra free. This is an alternative rescue method, not part of the ally bargain. See the Hag Survivors quest reference for the route details.
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Accept Ethel’s ally bargain
When Ethel offers a deal in Act Three, agree to stay out of her business and not pursue her. She then pledges to support you in the final battle and is added to Gather Your Allies. The bargain means accepting that she will continue her schemes; it does not undo the Vanra quest or substitute for rescuing her.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Patch context
Larian’s Patch 8 announcement, dated 15 April 2025, identifies game version 4.1.1.6758295 and says Patch 8 was the final patch adding new content. Larian’s Patch 3 notes also document fixes for killing the Hag in the endgame when she is an ally and for completing Vanra’s cut-free dialogue. Those notes confirm the ally and rescue states are distinct; they do not guarantee that every save will expose the same dialogue options.
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