How to recruit Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3

Malus Thorm is one of Baldur’s Gate 3’s toughest fights, but it doesn’t come without its rewards. Besides the loot, you can actually recruit him to help you in the fights to come, and this guide will go through how to do it. 

Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most difficult fights you may encounter in Act 2, but aside from the loot you can find after, you can also keep him as a companion once you have defeated him. 

So, strictly speaking, he will be more of a pet than a companion. However, he will be a useful asset in the fights that are yet to come in the game. Here is how to get Malus Thorm as a companion in Baldur’s Gate 3. 

• How to recruit Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Where to find Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3
• How to defeat Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3

How to recruit Malus Thorm in Baldurs Gate 3

You can get Malus Thorm to be part of your Baldur’s Gate 3 party by casting Control Undead on him after killing him. 

Control Undead is a Class Action in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can only be performed by one Class – the Oathbreaker Paladin. So, unfortunately, if you want Malus Thorm as a pet, you will have to playthrough as this Class. 

You can break your Oath as a Paladin at any time, however, and you get the Control Undead Class Action at Level 3. The Action lets you keep any dead entity you want as long as they are a lower level than you. 

Since Malus Thorm is at Level 7, you just need to make sure you hit Level 8 before you take on the fight with him. Once he’s dead by whatever method you choose, you can cast Control Undead on him and he will follow you around. 

Control Undead lasts until you take a long rest, so you’re going to need to recast it once you are done resting up. 

Where to find Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3

Malus Thorm can be found in Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3 in the House of Healing in Reithwin. 

Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3 is when you first run into the terrors of the Shadow Curse, and the House of Healing acts as one of the more important locations in this area. 

The House of Healing is a large structure that can be found on the west side of the Shadow Cursed Lands in Reithwin, across the way from Moonrise Towers. When you first enter, you will encounter Malus Thorm performing surgery on a poor, unfortunate soul. 

If you want to recruit him as a pet, you’re going to need to kill him. 

How to defeat Malus Thorm in Baldur’s Gate 3

Malus Thorm can be killed in Baldur’s Gate 3 by either persuading him and his nurses to do so themselves, or by attacking him.

While the most straightforward way of doing so is attacking him, there are two other ways you can make sure he dies. Like the other Thorm family members in Reithwin, you can convince Malus Thorm to kill himself. Here is how to do it: 

1. Start a conversation with Malus Thorm.
2. Inspect the nurses’ instruments (Intelligence Check)
3. Convince Malus Thorm they are not ready (Charisma Check). 
4. Persuade Malus Thorm to have the nurses practice on themselves, and they will die (Charisma Check). 
5. Perform the Deception action which convinces Malus Thorm to kill himself to truly live up to the teachings of Shar (Charisma Check).

It’s worth noting that this requires pretty high Charisma skill checks, so make sure you use your highest Charisma character to do the convincing.

The other option you have to avoid a full-on battle is to convince the nurses to practice their skills on Malus himself. When you have the option to persuade Malus to have the nurses practice on themselves, instead tell Malus they need a better subject than the victim currently on the table. 

This will kill Malus, but it will also leave the nurses unlootable and you won’t be able to save the victim. 

If you want more Baldur’s Gate 3 guides to secret weapons and companions, check out our guides list below.

Where to find the Harper Stash and how to open it in Baldur’s Gate 3 | When to Long Rest in Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to craft Potions in Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to help the Local Rat & open The Pantry Chest in Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to complete Search the Cellar quest in Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to highlight objects and characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 | How to get Leave No One Behind achievement in Baldur’s Gate 3