Baldur’s Gate 3’s artist quest disappoints players with lackluster reward
Larian StudiosBeing a patron of the arts isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for these Baldur’s Gate 3 players.
Successfully completing side quests in Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t just provide interesting world-building and increase favor among your romanceable companions, it also often also provides you with material rewards. These can be in the form of gold, equipment, or unique items.
One reward you receive comes in the form of a painting from Oskar Fevras, an artist who’s being kept as a slave when you meet him in Act One. After freeing Oskar from his captors in the Zhentarim Basement, you’ll come across him in a haunted manor in Baldur’s Gate towards the latter half of the game. You receive the piece from Oskar as payment should you safely exorcise an aggressive spirit from him.
A portrait painted in your honor may sound like the perfect homage to Faerûn’s noblest hero. However, some Baldur’s Gate 3 players have taken to Reddit to express their dissatisfaction with Oskar’s payment.
Oskar’s portrait leaves Baldur’s Gate 3 fans underwhelmed
One player described how they completed Oskar’s quest, received their prize, and then took it out of their inventory to view it. To their surprise, as opposed to having the painting represent their Tav or one of their favorite party members, the painting of a random Hireling.
Turns out, the painting displays a random party member each time it resets (usually a long rest does the trick). Yet, this has lessened the value of the piece for players: “The reward would be much better if you could ask him to either paint yourself or a companion of your choice. If you picked a companion, you could gift the painting to them for an approval boost.”
As with the statues you can have commissioned, players were disappointed by the art not being acknowledged by their party members. In particular, they had hoped that it would provide a touching moment where Astarion reacts to seeing his own face for the first time in 200 years. Unfortunately, even when a portrait of him is dropped directly at his feet, the pale elf takes no notice.
Another failing, players argued, is that they can’t hang the portrait. Despite its rather ostentatious title of “The Hero of Baldur’s Gate”, the painting simply gets plonked on the ground when taken out your inventory. It makes for a pretty unceremonious end to a quest that spans across three entire acts, players argue.
