A lot of characters and encounters that take place during Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3 can resurface much later in the game. One such person is Oskar Fevras, the subject of the side quest "Free the Artist." Players who help him out when they find him can meet up with him again once Act 3 begins and players have full access to the Lower City of Baldur's Gate.

Both times the party encounters him, Oskar has bumbled into danger thanks to a complete lack of regard for his own safety. The reward for saving him isn't much in terms of gold, but by doing so, players can experience one of the most unusual quests in Baldur's Gate 3.

Updated on April 15, 2024, by Nahda Nabiilah: Free the Artist is one of the long-term quests players will encounter while helping NPCs in Baldur's Gate 3. Oskar is being treated as a slave and asks Tav to buy him, and he will give them a reward in the city. Sadly, things don't go according to plans, as his wife's estate is being haunted by one of his ex-lovers, whose soul has been forcefully summoned by Oskar. If players wish to banish the ghost tormenting the artist and his wife, they will need to complete a quest to obtain a special torch that deals with the dead.

How To Free The Artist In Act 1

Players can discover Oskar Fevras during Act 1 by exploring the Zhentarim Hideout. The front entrance to the hideout is in a storage shed behind Waukeen's Rest, and the party can get in either by helping the Zhentarim under siege by a pack of gnolls or by fighting their way past the guards, discovering the secret entrance, and bypassing all the traps. The hideout also connects to the Underdark, but players can't activate it from below.

Oskar is one of the men currently packing boxes on the south side of the hideout. Unlike the rest, however, he isn't part of the Zhentarim. Instead, he's their prisoner. When the party speaks to him, he begs them to free him and promises a rich reward from his patron back in Baldur's Gate.

To obtain this freedom, speak to Brem, who's walking around nearby. The party can either ask to buy Oskar or demand his freedom. Oskar's starting price is 1,000 gold, but a Persuasion check against 15 or an Intimidation check against 20 can lower this number to 600. If the party speaker demands Oskar's freedom, these checks are against 20 and 25, but they can get Oskar for free.

Now free, Oskar will ask the party for 200 gold of traveling money. He'll get to Baldur's Gate either way, so don't bother giving him anything. After that, he'll run off, and players won't see him again until Act 3.

Where To Find Oskar In Baldur's Gate

Oskar has gone straight to his patron, Lady Jannath. Jannath's mansion is on the west side of the Lower City, just north of the Steel Watch Foundry. Players can identify it by spotting the dragonborn butler standing guard by the front door. The butler, Tarhun Mnemonis, will discourage the party from entering the mansion, but since he's currently on vacation, he won't stop them from going in.

Players will quickly discover why Tarhun warned the party away: the estate is currently haunted by a dozen or more poltergeists. These poltergeists are naturally invisible, so it helps to have Volo's Act 1 reward and a protagonist with permanent See Invisibility. Spells and elixirs can also provide this effect, and if all else fails, players can target seemingly empty locations with cantrips, arrows, and grenades and still hit an invisible poltergeist.

To quickly reach Oskar and his new wife, Jannath, players should head up the stairs in the entry hall and then open the east door. Another set of stairs leads up to the next floor, and Lady Jannath's bedroom is just to the north. Avoid destroying any of the objects that are glowing red, because more powerful spirits like Tormented Souls and Vengeful Souls will emerge from them and attack the party.

How To Reach Oskar's Atelier In Baldur's Gate 3

When players reach the bedroom, they'll see a clearly possessed Oskar hurling insults at Lady Jannath. Several more poltergeists will spawn into the room, and the party must defeat them. Jannath asks the party to avoid hurting Oskar, so avoid using area-of-effect spells and attacks near him. Oskar doesn't attack and doesn't move, so there's no reason to hurt him during this encounter.

Once Oskar goes down, Jannath will recognize the party as Oskar's rescuers. She'll ask for help and suggest that the party investigate her new husband's atelier on the top floor of the mansion. The stairs that lead to this atelier are through the side door in her bedroom, but they're guarded by more poltergeists and a set of Cursed Skulls.

The Cursed Skulls are especially hard to deal with. If any character is standing in front of the skull when its turn comes, it'll knock them back (usually down some stairs or over a railing) and deal psychic damage in the process. On top of that, the Cursed Skulls have Greater Toughness, which means they only take damage from attacks that deal at least 50 damage.

Fortunately, the skulls have a few weaknesses. They take double damage from Slashing, Fire, and Force attacks, so a party member can destroy them if they deal at least 25 damage in a single blow with these damage types. One effective method is the Wizard and Sorcerer cantrip Fire Bolt, which should deal 3d10 damage by this point in the game. Players may need to be patient since 25 damage is at the upper level of its damage range, but it costs nothing to use.

Another way to deal with the Cursed Skulls is to deal with the curse. The spell Remove Curse will destroy a Cursed Skull immediately, with no damage needed and no saving throw involved. However, the caster must be able to stand next to the skull to cast the spell.

Finally, players can use mobility tricks to bypass the skulls. A triple jump effect or flight can get a character around the skulls, although they may get hit once or twice along the way. It helps to use turn-based mode to make sure the character won't end their turns in front of a skull.

When players reach the atelier, they'll see a portrait of Lady Jannath on an easel, an empty easel, and a secret door behind the lady's painting. To open this door, players should pick up (steal) the portrait of Oskar that's on the ground and put it on the easel. The paintings will shout at the party if players interact with them, but do no physical harm.

Behind the secret door is a portrait of Oskar's former lover, Kerri. Oskar has used the portrait to summon her spirit, and she's the ghost possessing him. Players can try to damage the portrait, but this will only cause a powerful Soul to appear and attack.

The chest behind the portrait holds a letter players must read to continue the quest. The chest is locked, but the party can pick it open, destroy it, or use the key found in the unconscious Oskar's pocket. The letter is from someone called Mystic Carrion, who helped Oskar set up his communion with Kerri's spirit.

What To Do With Mystic Carrion In Baldur's Gate 3

Mystic Carrion is in a seemingly abandoned house south of both Sorcerous Sundries and Felogyr's Fireworks. The waypoint, Heapside Strand, is also nearby. The building seems to have no entrance, but players can interact with a stone doorway on the west wall. Oskar's letter has the password needed to open the door, but players can also get through it with a DC 25 Sleight of Hand check or by destroying it with Slashing, Fire, or Force damage.

Mystic Carrion will be upset that the party came in without an appointment, but he quickly decides to take advantage of the interruption. A servant of his, Thrumbo, has gone missing, and he wants the party to find and destroy the zombie. This starts a completely new quest, "Find Mystic Carrion's Servant."

Players can perform this quest before meeting Oskar, take on the quest as part of "Free the Artist," or skip it by paying Mystic Carrion 3,000 gold up front. Players who pay out can still find Thrumbo later.

No matter how players deal with Mystic Carrion's quest, they'll get a quest item called the Torch of Revocation. This counts as a torch, but it's a magic weapon that deals 1d4+1 Bludgeoning damage and 1d4 Necrotic damage. Players can now return to Lady Jannath's Estate, go back up to the atelier, and attack Kerri's painting with the Torch of Revocation. This will cause Kerri's spirit to emerge, shout at the party for a moment, and then relocate to Lady Jannath's room.

How To Pacify Kerri's Spirit In Baldur's Gate 3

Once the party walks into the middle of Jannath's room, a conversation will start. Players must first pass an Intimidation or Persuasion check against a 15, then a Deception, Intimidation, or Persuasion check against 18. If both checks succeed, Kerri will explain herself and then leave in peace. If the party fails either check, or if they choose a different dialog option, Kerri will summon two Tormented Souls and two Vengeful Souls, then attack the party.

Jannath is much more upset with Oskar if Kerri decides to fight, but either way, she decides to stay married to him. The party then gets their long-awaited reward: a painting by Oskar. In fact, Lady Jannath will insist that the painting is more than fair compensation if the party mentions gold to her. On the bright side, the party can steal a number of magic weapons from the floor below the atelier. They aren't worth as much as players can spend on this quest, but then players can spend zero gold on Oskar and Jannath if they make the right choices.