If you have not done much exploring during the earlier parts of the game, you may not have noticed a cave that has an Owlbear and its cub.
They are often encountered when you meet Edowin, Brynna, and Andrick, who may later lead you to the Owlbear Nest where you can find the creatures.
The Owlbear is one of the creatures in the game that you can recruit to your camp but certain steps need to be taken.
Who is Owlbear Cub?
The Owlbear Cub is a creature in Baldur’s Gate 3 that can later appear at your camp and stay there but this happens after some events have been completed.
Currently, the Owlbear Cub will stay at your camp once it has become comfortable and will bond with the dog named Scratch if you also have them at your camp.
It is uncertain for now if the Owlbear Cup will be able to join you in battle or if it will grow older over time, but this page will be updated if anything is discovered.
How To Get the Owlbear Cub?
The Owlbear Cub can be invited to your camp (by offering your scent) once you speak to it in the Goblin Camp after its mother has been killed.
Earlier in the game, you may enter the Owlbear Nest and from here, you can either kill its mother or pass a skill check to leave the cave. (This triggers the next event)
After your interaction with the Owlbear in its nest, you will see the Owlbear Cub in the Goblin Camp, who has been captured by goblins.
If you did not kill the Owlbear in the nest, this will reveal that it was killed by the goblins, and they took the Owlbear Cub.
Before you interact with the Owlbear Cub, you will need to speak to Krolla, who will later tell you about a game called chicken chase.
You can tell Krolla that you don’t want to participate in it because you think it’s cruel and afterward, you will need to interact with the Owlbear Cub to give it your scent.
After it has gotten your scent, speak with Krolla to tell her that the Owlbear Cub is coming with you, and this can be done with a skill check to avoid paying for it.
The Owlbear Cub will visit you on the night after you do a Long Rest, but Shadowheart will startle it, which makes it run away into the forest.
On another night that has no event when you do a Long Rest, the Owlbear Cub will return but this time it will be injured.
You can decide on a way to help it (Medicine is a good choice) and afterward, the Owlbear Cub will now be in your camp. (It can be seen after resting)
Other Ways to Get the Owlbear Cub
There are other ways to get the cub, which include playing the chicken chase game or slaughtering the goblins in the camp.
If you have given your scent to the Owlbear Cub, it will be able to follow you back to camp to begin the events that come with the upcoming nights.
Other methods to get the creature may be more difficult and take up a lot of time or even get the Owlbear Cub killed in the process.
Owlbear Cub Not at Camp
If you did not give the Owlbear Cub your scent, it may not go to your camp at all, and many players have reported this as a bug.
The creature will not be at the Goblin Camp unless you have gone to the Owlbear Nest and interacted with or killed its mother.
Should the cub be missing from your camp after the first encounter, you will need to wait for the second and if it is still gone, you will need to rest one night.
Owlbear Cub Missing
There are times when the Owlbear Cub will be playing around with Scratch if you have recruited him as well but if he is still missing this could be a bug.
The cub will often be running around the camp chasing after Scratch once they have become close to each other as shown during one of the nights that you rest.
If the Owlbear Cub is nowhere to be found even after you check the Owlbear Cave and Goblin Camp, it might have been killed or a bug has happened. (Be sure to save your progress)
Owlbear Cub Companion
At this moment, it seems that you cannot recruit the Owlbear Cub into your party nor can it be summoned as a familiar in battle.
It appears that it will remain in your camp but there may be a chance for it to accompany you or even grow in the future depending on what the developers have planned.
For now, the cub is more of a pet that you can have at your camp, which is a good addition to making things livelier.
Verdict
Slaying the cub’s mother may be a mean thing to do but it eventually seems to forget this has happened and will still join you.
You can avoid all the violence as you attempt to recruit the creature if you pass the skill checks that are needed from time to time.
Aside from it wandering around your camp, the cub may be interacted with, which allows you to pet it or check on how it is doing in camp.
