There is a small secret to the fight against Marcus at the Last Light Inn. Here is how to ensure you will save Isobel in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Beating Marcus and saving Isobel in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a divisive moment in Act 2 of the CRPG. The Last Light Inn presents itself for the first time when you venture into Act 2 and stumble upon a few Harpers that are making their way through the Shadow-Cursed Lands. How you will interact with them and the residents of the only haven in the region is entirely up to you, as you can be running an evil playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3. Regardless, a pivotal moment in the Last Light Inn will be vital to the rest of your time in Act 2.

[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3.]

Isobel is half-elf that you can find on the upper level of the Last Light Inn. She is a follower of the goddess Selûne, the Moon Maiden. It is the powers granted to her by the deity that she maintains a powerful light ward around the area of the Last Light Inn in Baldur’s Gate 3, keeping the Shadow-Curse at bay and, thus, protecting everyone inside its radius, including the Tiefling refugees. However, not everyone wants her to stay there, as you will soon see that the Fist Marcus comes to take her away to Ketheric Thorm, the oppressive ruler of the Shadow-Cursed Lands and Isobel’s father.

How To Start Fight With Marcus

To initiate the process of saving Isobel, you first have to pick a fight with the Fist Marcus. To do this, you will need to do what you need around the area of the Last Light Inn, such as talking to Dammon, Jaheira, Mol, and Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3. This is to ensure both their safety and that you will have access to all the optional pieces of dialogue present there. Once all this is done, you must proceed to the upper floor and head to the balcony where Isobel recites a magic spell.

Before talking to her, you should save the game, as this will trigger a fight. Having the save as a backup will allow you to return to the moment before the battle if things do not go as planned.

After talking to her for a while, the dialogue is cut short as the Fist Marcus, with his newly granted wings, descends into the Last Light Inn, demanding that Isobel be returned to Ketheric. This is where you will be forced to choose between siding with Isobel or Marcus in Baldur’s Gate 3. Siding with Marcus will put the entire Last Light Inn at risk, as Isobel is responsible for the ward protecting the location. To save her and most of the inhabitants of the Inn, you will need to side with Isobel, thus triggering the battle against Marcus and his minions.

Tips To Save Isobel

Marcus’ primary goal in Baldur’s Gate 3 is to take Isobel away to Ketheric Thorm. This fight at the beginning of Act 2 is tricky since it can abruptly end with Marcus taking Isobel away. If her HP falls down to zero, she will not be killed in the story, but Marcus will be able to grab Isobel and flee, thus ending the battle and seeing the fall of the Last Light Inn as Isobel’s ward is destroyed. The only way to save her and prevent this outcome after initiating the fight with Marcus is to defeat him before he can defeat Isobel herself.

While it may seem counterintuitive initially, you will need to put yourself at risk and place your characters around Isobel to protect her. Your tanks, such as Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3, are the ones that will be standing between Isobel and any incoming threat. The key to this battle is keeping Isobel safe and defeating Marcus and his ghouls as quickly as possible. The best way to achieve such a result is to dedicate your entire party’s offensive efforts to dealing damage against the former Fist. This, in turn, means that it is best if you ignore the other opponents.

If Marcus is killed, but Isobel’s HP is reduced to zero before the fight ends, a random ghoul will still take Isobel away, thus triggering the end of the Last Light Inn.

Once the Flaming Fist is dealt with, you should concentrate your offense on the other ghouls that threaten Isobel and those attacking other Last Light Inn residents. At this point, it is best if you split up the party, sending a duo to deal with the ghouls that are outside of Isobel’s room, like those in the lower level near the bar – especially if you want the remaining Tieflings in Baldur’s Gate 3 to continue alive. At least two other characters should stay to protect Isobel. You can proceed away from Isobel if all the other nearby ghouls are killed.

Suppose you have Shadowheart in your party or are a Cleric. In that case, you will primarily benefit from using the Spirit Guardians spell during the fight, mainly because most of it occurs in a small and crowded room.

Why You Should Save Isobel

Although not necessary, saving Isobel is the best course of action if you want to partake in the various Act 2 side quests. Seeing Isobel kidnapped by the Fist Marcus or his minions will shut down or negatively impact several possible secondary missions. This includes and is not limited to Karlach’s quest, Shadowheart’s quest, saving the refugee Tieflings, and removing the Shadow-Curse from the region.

Overall, you will benefit more from saving Isobel at the Last Light Inn than letting her get kidnapped. The battle against Marcus can be a tough one if you go in ill-prepared or spread out your party too much – perhaps under the idea that Isobel can protect herself – but if you gather and keep her safe, you can avoid more tragedies and continue progress through the other side quests in Act 2 on Baldur’s Gate 3.

• Baldur's Gate 3

  Developer(s):

  Larian Studios

  Franchise:

  Baldur's Gate

  Genre(s):

  RPG

  Platform(s):

  macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5

  Publisher(s):

  Larian Studios

  Summary:

  Baldur's Gate 3 is a long-anticipated sequel to Baldur's Gate 2, released in 2000 from BioWare and now being handled by Larian Studios. Set 120 years after the events of Shadows of Amn, Baldur's Gate 3 puts players in the role of a customizable protagonist who has been captured and infected with a parasite that will turn them into a mind flayer. Before the process is complete, the ship they are on crashes, leaving them on a quest to cure themselves as they meet up with other survivors. Gameplay is turn-based and can be played co-operatively online or tackled alone in a single-player campaign with NPC allies. 

  Prequel:

  Baldur's Gate 2

  Released:

  2023-08-31

  How Long To Beat:

  22h 21m