Baldur's Gate 3: Should You Help Or Kill Thrumbo?

Summary In Baldur's Gate 3, the necromancer Mystic Carrion promises a reward if the party returns his thrall, Thrumbo, to his mansion.

Thrumbo needs the party's help to escape Mystic Carrion and promises a magic item in return. They must destroy four hidden organs to defeat Mystic Carrion.

Which side the party takes affects their reward, but doesn't have much of an impact on the rest of the game.

Thrumbo, an oddly-named zombie, can be either friend or foe to the Baldur's Gate 3 party. In order to meet him, they'll first have to get through Wyrm's Rock Fortress and into the Lower City of Baldur's Gate. Once inside, they may spy the majesty of Philgrave's Mansion. Knock on the door (or sneak through the hole in the back), and Mystic Carrion will offer a cold greeting. He's an undead mummy, and he operates a fine little shop with some great gear for spellcasters. But more importantly, he needs the party to find his lost thrall. In return, he promises a magic item.

The thrall, Thrumbo himself, is a short distance away. Players may either happen upon him in the wardrobe of a pierside shack on the nearby beach, or explore the top floor of the mansion, pass a Perception check on the "Beggar's Portrait," and find a note detailing his exact location. Let him out and he begs for mercy. There, Thrumbo explains, he intends to load all of Mystic Carrion's thralls onto a boat and make a run for it. But of course, they won't get far without the party's help. If they so choose, they can help Thrumbo kill Mystic Carrion instead - but what's in it for them?

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What Happens If The Party Helps Thrumbo In Baldur's Gate 3?

"Defeat Mystic Carrion"

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No surprise here, but Mystic Carrion is apparently pretty cruel to his thralls. Thrumbo is looking for a way out, any way out, and he's willing to accept the party's help. He even promises to give them a magic item of his own. The problem is, Mystic Carrion is technically immortal. His organs are scattered about Baldur's Gate in canopic jars, and the party will have to destroy his heart in order to ensure he can't come back to life. If the party attempts to kill him before finding and destroying his heart, Mystic Carrion will simply be resurrected after the party takes a long rest.

There are four of Mystic Carrion's organs hidden throughout the city. It's not necessary to destroy all four - just the heart is enough. However, for each one the party disposes of, Mystic Carrion loses some of his maximum HP, making the eventual confrontation with him that much easier.

Players will need to head for the Ancient Lair, where they'll find a book entitled Funerary Jar Form and Function. In it, Mystic Carrion reveals that he's hidden his heart inside his most loyal thrall: Thrumbo. Return to Thrumbo and tell him the good news. He coughs up the heart, literally, and the party is free to destroy it. Just take care when doing so, as this one's rigged to explode. It'd be best to set it down in a secluded area, a short distance away from anyone else, and hit it with a spell or ranged attack. For a taste of poetic justice, it can even be used as a makeshift bomb in the fight against Mystic Carrion.

With one or more canopic jars destroyed, it's time to finish Mystic Carrion off. But with all his organs out of the equation, Mystic Carrion is a much easier foe. He still puts up a fight, summoning Ancient Servants in an attempt to overwhelm the party. However, depending on how many jars they've destroyed, his maximum HP may be as little as half of what it normally is. It's best to try and keep this fight inside; if Mystic Carrion or his minions get out on the street, passers-by are likely to get hurt.

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Once Mystic Carrion is dead, Thrumbo thanks the party, and takes over for him as merchant. He gives them the Crypt Lord Ring, which allows the wearer to cast create undead, allowing them to control three ghoul minions, once per long rest. Mystic Carrion also bears a Rusty Key, which can be used to unlock a Gilded Chest containing the Torch of Revocation. This club-type weapon does an extra 1d4 Necrotic and Fire damage, and would have also been the reward for killing Thrumbo, so nothing is lost here. It's also necessary for completing the Baldur's Gate 3 sidequest "Free the Artist."

There is, however, one extra little bit of loot for siding with Thrumbo. If the party defeats Mystic Carrion, they can loot him to receive the Staff of Cherished Necromancy, a very rare +2 quarterstaff. Used as a melee weapon, it does an extra 1d4 Necrotic damage, but it's better off in the hands of a caster. The staff gives the user's target disadvantage on Saving Throws against Necromancy spells. And when a creature is killed with this staff, the user gains Life Essence, allowing them to cast their next Necromancy spell without using a spell slot.

How To Find All Of Mystic Carrion's Organs In Baldur's Gate 3

Mystic Carrion's Canopic Jar Locations

Again, while it's only truly necessary to find Mystic Carrion's heart in order to kill him, the more of Mystic Carrion's organs the party finds and destroys, the easier it'll be to fight him later. The first, the Jar of Mystic Carrion's Lungs, is located in the Mortuary building, on the east side of the Lower City cemetery. The door is outside; the party will need to take the porch stairs down, then either pick the lock or steal the key from Valmorba.

All of Mystic Carrion's organs are explosive, so players are advised to move the canopic jars as far away from the party as possible before hitting them with ranged attacks.

Two more canopic jars are located in the Ancient Lair, which can be accessed by passing through the City Sewers into the Undercity Ruins. Past the lone trader to the west is the way into the Ancient Lair. Inside, Mystic Carrion's liver will be inside a Gilded Chest, and his brain will be on a nearby table.

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However, if the party attempts to kill Mystic Carrion before destroying his heart, he'll move it to a different location: inside his basement. It only makes sense that he'd want to play his heart closer to his chest after a near-death experience. He'll send a note to the player's camp explaining the situation, but they'll have to find a way to sneak into his house unnoticed and obtain the jar before starting the battle. This is no easy task, considering his house is full of minions. Invisibility or a high-Dexterity character (think Astarion) can be the party's best friend here.

It's also possible to farm Mystic Carrion for rare spell scrolls - just keep fighting him without destroying his heart. Each time he dies, he'll drop at least a couple of rare scrolls, which can either be kept or sold for a decent payout.

What Happens If You Kill Thrumbo In Baldur's Gate 3?

"Find Mystic Carrion's Servant"

If the party decides to kill Thrumbo instead, this quest ends much more quickly. After all, one zombie makes an easier opponent than a necromancer lord and his undead bodyguards. Once Thrumbo is dead, the party can return his body to Mystic Carrion for their reward. They still receive the Torch of Revocation. With a successful Persuasion or Intimidation check, they can convince Mystic Carrion to throw in a handful of gold, too. However, the party misses out on the Crypt Lord Ring and the Staff of Cherished Necromancy by siding with Mystic Carrion.

The Party Should Help Thrumbo In Baldur's Gate 3

Siding With Thrumbo Provides Better Loot & A Happier Ending

Helping Thrumbo in Baldur's Gate 3 results in the best outcome for almost everybody involved. The loot is far better, with multiple pieces of very rare gear that would normally cost thousands of gold at Mystic Carrion's shop, in addition to Thrumbo's ring and the additional staff reward. The party will also receive a great deal more XP from beating the mummy lord and his minions than they would from fighting Thrumbo, even if Mystic Carrion is in a weakened form. Plus, it's just the right thing to do, freeing Thrumbo and his fellow thralls to live by their own means.

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What's more, there don't appear to be any long-lasting consequences of killing Mystic Carrion, unlike some of the more important decisions with major story implications in Baldur's Gate 3. Thrumbo takes over his shop with the same exact inventory. Mystic Carrion isn't tied to any other quests. He may be able to give the party a little advice on how to read the Necromancy of Thay in Baldur's Gate 3. However, this can be revealed before completing his quest, so there's really no need to keep him alive.

Helping Thrumbo gets the party more XP, a better loot haul, and the feeling they've done some good in the world. However, it might not be the right choice for every player character. Necromancy-focused characters who have little use for the loot, or merely sympathize with Mystic Carrion's need to control his thralls, might choose to side with the mummy lord instead. Either way, this is one decision in Baldur's Gate 3 that's fairly easy to make once players have all the details.