The Baldur’s Gate 3 BG3 chicken chasing is essentially one of the requirements that we need to do in order to be able to recruit the Owlbear Cub.
Owlbear Cubs, which kind of resemble large feathered birds or chickens can be found in two locations during act 1 of BG3. The first location that you may stumble across one is inside the Owlbear Nest. Which is located just outside of the forest and at coordinates X:-286 Y:-137.
SEE ALSO
SPOILERS
HOW TO RECRUIT THE OWLBEAR CUB
Once you have managed to find the Owlbear Nest, which as previously mentioned, is a cave that is situated to the north east of the Blighted Village. The cave will be known as the Cave Mouth until we have entered it. From there it will be classed as the nest of the Owlbear.
Continue to explore this cave and our player character will mention that this location actually smells of owlbear prey. Anyway keep going and you will eventually bump into a large chicken. It’s actually the mother and she is not alone. In fact she has a small cub with her. Aw cute.
THE SHOWDOWN
The mother will not be happy to see us. After all she thinks we are a threat and she is trying to protect her young baby. If you have activated the Speak with Animals spell then you will be able to hear the elder chicken’s thoughts. Seems as though she classes us as dinner.
By listening to her we will also find out that her young cub is her son. That she also plans on feeding us to him. Yikes! We will then be presented with several dialogue options. These options will also indicate that the mother has been injured. A spear has been lodged into her head. Presumably from the fallen prey that we could smell earlier.
We are not really left with much of a choice here. We could roll a Persuasion check and leave without causing any combat. However, this also means we cannot get to her cub. Without the little one we cannot recruit our new companion.
TRIGGERING COMBAT
Leaving is not an option without our new fluffy companion, so we are basically forced to fight the mother. Who can be quite tough to start with. (Note: It is very important that we do not target her youngling. We are at risk from potentially slaughtering both. Be careful)
One good way to inflict damage is to have Astarion equip poison to his daggers and sneak up behind the mother Owlbear. Hopefully you did this correct so you can give her a surprise attack from behind using the Sneak Attack ability. Swap to the Offhand Attack and this should inflict poison for extra damage.
Essentially sneak up to the ledge above with any ranged casters and deal damage. Be warned though she she can jump up here if she chooses. She can also knock your companions off the ledge too. However, if she does not come up here then its a good place for that height advantage.
THE CREATURE’S FATE
Once the mother has been dealt with we can concentrate on helping the young Owlbear. If you cast Speak with Animals once again we can find out that the youngster is hungry and expecting food from its, now dead, mother.
We will have the option of killing it so that it can be with its parent in the afterlife. However, that would not accomplish our task in recruiting it. So, instead, choose to let the creature live.
The results of letting the cub live is rather unexpectant as it begins to devour its mother. Something twice its size. However, you are not yourself if you are hungry.
(Gale – Approves, Wyll – Approves, Shadowheart – Approves, Lae’zel – Disapproves)
GOBLIN CAMP
After dealing with both the young cub and its mother we will now want to head on over to the Goblin Camp. Here we should be able to locate the Owlbear Cub once again. Yes, it is the same creature as before.
Now this section may trigger the Rescue Volo quest. The reason being is that a goblin known as Krolla is involved with it. A goblin that we need to speak with. So activate the quest and then speak with her.
It seems that Krolla refers to these Owlbears as chickens. Comparing it to the fact that it has both feathers and a beak. She will then challenge us to a game of chicken chasing.
CHICKEN CHASING BG3
To begin the BG3 chicken chasing mini game just speak with Krolla and she will tell us the rules of this game. Mentioning that all we have to do is chase the chicken around the course and through the post. Which are the light torches.
If you have not already done so make sure to speak with Volo, the singing bard. We cannot progress further otherwise. We can then speak with the female goblin once again who will demand that we pay her 30 coin before we can play the chicken chasing mini game.
From there proceed and follow the chicken to the course in order to begin.
EASY WIN METHOD
To easily win the BG3 chicken chasing mini game we can simply cast the Speak with Animals spell and approach the cub. Here we will then get a Persuasion check which will allow us to tell the chicken to go through the posts.
If you win this roll the cub will then simply run through the posts without any issue and we will win the mini game.
ALTERNATIVE METHOD
The alternative method to completing this one is the more basic and legit way. However, it can also be the most time consuming too. SAVE before you begin!
Without being able to talk our way out of this one we have to herd the chicken through the gate instead. Like a sheep dog.
RECRUITING THE CHICKEN OWLBEAR CUB
After winning the chicken chase go ahead and speak to Krolla, turns out she refuses to pay up. At this point use whichever dialogue option you want but our main goal is to speak to the Owlbear cub.
When speaking to the cub choose the options Beckon him closer, then once again speak to Krolla and choose the option I’ll be taking the Owlbear too, to which, after both winning the chicken chase game alongside getting your much deserved winnings too, she will agree to.
The Owlbear cub should now be at your camp, if not it may take a little while but this is really all it takes.
RELATED GUIDES / LINKS:
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Guides Playlist (Written)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Guides Playlist (Videos)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Other/Various (Party Banter, Approval Sheets, Disapproval Sheets)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 – Our Game Review
Has been playing video games for her entire life so far. Grew up with the Sega Master System II. Her favourite games include both Resident Evil 2 (OG) and Final Fantasy VIII.
She now writes articles about video games.
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