How to recruit Hirelings in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Baldur’s Gate 3 features a bunch of secrets, along with a cast of memorable characters you can add to your squad. However, you might miss some of them, or you might wish to explore additional classes. In those cases, it is possible to bring malleable team members known as Hirelings on board. This guide tells you how to recruit Hirelings in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3 – how to recruit Hirelings

Hirelings are available with a variety of starting classes. You can pay gold to add them to your group, assuming you have an available character slot. However, there is one very big requirement besides the cost of gold. To recruit Hirelings, you must pay Withers to generate them in your camp.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Withers is a special NPC that joins you at some point in the adventure. If you have read our guide on how to respec in Baldur’s Gate 3, you know he eventually appears in your camp even if you don’t go out of your way to find him. However, you can add him to your team earlier in the adventure. To find Withers, look in the Dank Crypt, which you access through the Ancient Door near the Overgrown Ruins waypoint.

You’ll have to pick the lock on the door, or perhaps use a key. I didn’t have the key, so I picked the lock. Inside the crypt, I then proceeded toward the north side, near the very back.

This chamber contains numerous enemy corpses. They’re lying around a balcony area facing a stone statue. Check everybody in this chamber and loot any weapons. There’s a room to the left side that has some nice items, as well. When you’re ready, head to the main room’s back left side, behind the statue. There is a button on the wall. Activate the button to open the door.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

As soon as you open the door, the enemy corpses you looted come to life and attack. These enemies use projectile magic, but most of them don’t have much life. You should be able to eliminate a lot of them with ranged attacks of your own. Once you kill the last of the enemies, check the room and open the sarcophagus to meet Withers.

Answer the questions Withers poses and he should finally agree to meet you later. Now you can head back to your camp. When you arrive, you’ll find Withers near a small boat along the camp’s edge. Talk to him and he outlines the services he offers. When you first talk to Withers, he may not offer the option to recruit Hirelings. You have to progress several hours in the campaign before that option materializes. Just check in with him periodically until it does.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on Steam.