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If you’ve selected the Dark Urge as your character’s origin inBaldur’s Gate 3, you’re in for a host of surprises. Among the many mysteries of the Dark Urge character origin are some useful (and not-so-useful) items, status effects, and story developments. Plenty of interesting developments in Chapter 1 can help you get the powerful Deathstalker Mantle. Getting to this point doesn’t require you to act on the sometimes-sinister bloodlust of the Dark Urge — but accidents happen.
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Unlike other Origin Characters when creating a new game, the Dark Urge isn’t a companion that will appear in-game if you don’t claim them.They can be fully customized with the exception of their background- the ominously-named Haunted One. This character origin can be challenging and rewarding.
The following contains spoilers for Chapter 1
Requirements To Obtain Deathstalker Mantle
Getting the Deathstalker Mantle requires you play as a character with theDark Urge origin.Other origin characters or custom characters will not encounter the story elements necessary to trigger the events in Chapter 1 that lead to the Deathstalker Mantle. During Chapter 1, you will encounter the Druid Grove, and regardless ofyour decision to spare the grove or wipe it out,you will need to visit it peacefully at least once.Help the hunters outside the Druid Grove gate and earn your way in. Head down the path and down the hill, through the cave, until you double-back and head down some stairs.
Alfira The Bard’s Fate
You’ll need to convince the druids to let you past the point with the stone archway, but that’s easily done by letting them know you saved them from the goblin attack. Once you’re inside the grove proper, wherethe ritual is taking place, and head to your left and up the hill, following the sound of a woman singing.You’ll encounter the tiefling bard Alfira at coordinates X: 284, Y: 494 playing a luteand trying to finish a song. You shouldtry to be at least a little friendly with her, even offering to help her finish the song with a Performance check. Regardless of how good (or bad) your performance is, she should visit your camp upon your next long rest.
There’s no way to avoid what happens next if you’re the Dark Urge; you’ll wake up withbloody hands over the body of poor Alfira. She’s been horribly murdered (by you) while your companions slept. After at least one more long rest, the demon butlerSceleritas Felwill introduce himself to you, addressing you as his master and showing snide reverence. Whether you are horrified or proud of what you did to Alfira, Sceleritas Fel will grant you the Deathstalker Mantle as areward for following your urges.
You can choose to hide Alfira’s body, wash your hands of her blood, or even own up to her murder, but none of it has an impact on getting the Deathstalker Mantle.
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Deathstalker Mantle Class Synergy
The Deathstalker Mantle is a very rare cloak featuring the passive abilityThe Shadow Itself. This grants the wearer the ability toturn invisible for 2 turns after killing an enemy, once per turn. That means if you’re killing one enemy during your turn in combat, you’re invisible to the other enemies. The Deathstalker Mantle can be worn by any character regardless of class as it’s just a cloak and doesn’t need proficiency or attunement. Some character classes may benefit from the Deathstalker Mantle more than others, though.
The Shadow Itself grants invisibility once per turn and can be chained for near-constant invisibility.
Stealth-based characters like the Rogue will likely get the best utility out of the Deathstalker Mantle. By being invisible, you gain advantage against an enemy and can deliver an absolutely devastating sneak attack.Regardless of subclass, this is a particularly useful cloak for Rogues.
Wizard & Sorcerer
Spellcasters can be described as glass canons: they hit hard but are fragile. An item like the Deathstalker Mantle will allowspellcasters with low hitpoints like Wizardsand Sorcerers to safely reposition after unleashing deadly damage.
If combined with the bonuses granted by Hunter’s Mark, being able to turn invisible passively after a kill canmake a ranger extra usefulin combat. The Gloomstalker subclass of Ranger is particularly useful in combination with the Deathstalker Mantle once they get theDead Ambusherfeature. This feature of the Gloomstalker subclass give you +3 to initiative, an additional 3m of movement, and an additional attack with +1d8 damage on the first turn of combat.
Way of the ShadowMonks specialize in stealth, and if you’re using the Deathstalker Mantle, you may quickly get in and out of combat without sacrificing valuable actions, bonus actions, and reactions.
Other Classes
The Deathstalker Mantle is apowerful early-game itemthat is valuable for any character regardless of class, though the classes mentioned above work in combination with the cloak a bit better than others. Bards and Warlocks are spellcasters that will also benefit from being able to freely disengage enemies at close range. Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Fighters don’t have as much use for stealth, but turning invisible to get free advantage against an enemy is never a bad thing. However,Barbarians are a poor fitfor the Deathstalker Mantle, as your rage ends when combat does, and in some encounters, turning invisible can trigger an end to combat, wasting your rage.
