Should You Save Isobel And Fight Marcus?

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Baldur's Gate 3 is a game filled with different choices. Whether they are ones made around gear, battles, or conversation choices, the options that players are presented with at every turn in the game are seemingly endless. Among the many choices available to players, many of them are not obvious, because Baldur's Gate 3 is a game that is not going to "hold your hand" and explain the implications of everything (or sometimes, anything).

Don't get it confused: this is one of the best qualities of the game. However, sometimes you may get stuck doing something or comitting to something that you don't know the implications of. One of the biggest times in the plot that this happens is in Act 2, when players meet Isobel at Last Light Inn. Check out below to find out whether or not you should save Isobel in the fight with Flaming Fist Marcus.

Updated by Peter Schuler on September 6, 2023: Added more instructions and clarified different possible strategies in the fight.

Where To Find Isobel

Isobel can be found in Last Light Inn, which is a refuge in Act 2 from the Shadow Curse that plagues all the lands in the area. Last Light Inn is the only "safe" area in Act 2, and it's essentially the area where all the good guys can be found for the duration of the Act. Isobel keeps the Shadow Curse away from the inn with a spell, and players will notice that they no longer have to carry torches upon entering the area. They will be met by Jaheira, and once they've been allowed to enter, head into the main building of the inn. Isobel can be found on the second story in the bedroom. Open the doors, and you'll find Isobel glowing like the moon on the balcony of her room. Approach her and start dialogue.

Should You Save Isobel Or Not?

Should you save Isobel? The short answer is, yes, you should save Isobel because it makes Act 2 easier and gives more access to quests. After entering Act 2, players should meet Isobel and get her blessing spell as quick as possible. This is because it prevents the base-level Shadow Curse from affecting players and slowly draining their HP. However, as soon as they've received the blessing, Flaming Fist Marcus shows up and declares that he's been working for The Absolute cult and is a traitor. Next, a huge group of undead enemies will fly into the inn and try to priority-attack Isobel. This is a fairly tough fight.

You must kill all the enemies before they drain all of Isobel's health bar, otherwise her death sets off a series of unfortunate events. To be brief, if Isobel dies, you'll lose resources for questlines, vendors, conversations, loot, and companions. Everyone in the area will die. Isobel's spell keeping Last Light Inn going will fade, and all the characters in the area will become enemies. This is a pretty big fight with around two dozen enemies and is another reason why it's mostly beneficial to save Isobel. The final implication if you let Isobel die is that Last Light Inn is no longer an area of rest, where you can sell your wares and recharge.

Tips & Strategy For The Marcus Fight

Once Marcus calls in the undead flying baddies, it's pretty easy for things to spiral out of control and for Isobel to die in a turn or two. One thing you can generally do for this fight is to try to body-block Isobel by surrounding her with your party members. Again, the enemies will focus on Isobel more than anything else, so your squishy character should be fine here. Body blocking can prevent a lot of damage on Isobel. Keep in mind that you do need to kill all the enemies too, though the local NPC's will help with a few downstairs. Another tip is to block the entrances to the front, back, and side door with your characters.

You can put two at the front, one on the side, and one on the back, and have them ready to slow down or stagger the undead as they enter the room (though this leaves Marcus pretty wide-open to attack). The final tip for the fight is to use some helpful spells on Isobel herself. Even scrolls can be used in the fight, and something like a well-timed Invisibility or healing spell cast on Isobel just might turn the tides of battle. As always, try to make a save just before talking to Isobel in case you'd get some bad RNG. If you fail and Isobel is defeated, Marcus will take her away (she's supposedly still alive) in a cut-scene. After that, all hell breaks loose, so overall, it's best to save Isobel in Act 2.

NEXT: Baldur's Gate 3: Avenge The Drowned Walkthrough