BG3 Should you help the Guild or the Stone Lord on the beach?

Underneath Rivington in Baldur's Gate 3, a bit of spelunking sees your party interrupt a standoff on a beach next to the city’s bay. Cutthroats from the thieves’ guild are facing off against followers of the mysterious Stone Lord for control of an illicit shipment coming in from the coast.

But up to this point, since you’re yet to meet either of the bosses behind these two factions, it can be unclear which to throw your lot in with. So, to help you make a decision, here’s what happens if you side with the Thieves' Guild or the Stone Lord on the beach.

Should you help the Thieves’ Guild or the Stone Lord in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Either from the cliffs north of Rivington or the caves below the Open Hand Temple, climb down the cragged rock and you find a cave mouth on the coast.

Go over to the left and you find a booby-trapped path full of blast mines you need to disarm in your path.

At the end of the road is a dying follower of Myrkul. Speak to them, but you’ve only got time for one question before they expire, so choose wisely. You can either find out that their boss is someone called the Stone Lord or ask them what happened to find out that the Thieves’ Guild has some cargo nearby.

After that, as you can see, the way forward is trapped to high heaven. You’ll need a rogue class character like Astarion to pass, or just chance your luck with someone less dextrous. Either way, disarm the tripwires in front of you, then head across the bridge.

On the beach, you come across an argument. You can either help the Thieves’ guild or side with the Stone Lord.

If you side with the Stone Lord:

• Everyone on the beach will attack you
• But you will get unfettered access to the cargo on the ship and surrounding area
• However, this would probably be considered the “bad” option. The Stone Lord’s goons are followers of Myrkul - one of the Dead Three that make up the Cult of the Absolute - and therefore aren’t your friends

However, if you help the Thieves Guild:

• Farlin and the other thugs will fight on your side during the battle
• However, you will need to protect Farlin and have her survive to get the benefits of choosing this path
• You get a cash reward for helping them (which is great for grinding up enough money to easily enter the House of Hope)
• You can help yourself to two mindflayer parasites on the ship in the cove to boost your Illithid abilities if you wish
• Helping the Guild here will also serve as an introduction to the faction, once you get the quest to aid the Underduke later in a different part of the city

So while the Thieves’ Guild are criminals, throwing your lot in with them during this encounter is the smart choice. Not only do you get the best rewards, but it makes things easier for your party further down the road in your adventure too.

But before you leave, at the back of the beach you find another passageway. Take it and this leads into the Guild’s Treasure Cave, which you can loot with impunity - even if you just sided with them. Disarm the trapped chest and you can collect the Bonespike Boots - great for Karlach, Barbarians in general, or just for sticky-fingered collectors who want to see every unique item.

Go down a level and you find a dock. On the “Tell No One” map you find a secret way into Wyrm’s Rock Fortress.

Now, all that’s left is to return to Rivington either by the road up to the town, or via fast travel.