Gothic 1 Remake: Should You Kill Or Spare Grim?
If you refuse to pay protection money in the Old Camp, you are absolutely going to get jumped.
When you first arrive in the Old Camp, a Shadow named Bloodwyn will try to shake you down for 10 Ore Nuggets. I always recommend telling him no, but keeping your money comes with a price. The locals will start acting incredibly hostile toward you. About a day after you reject the shakedown, a supposedly friendly guy named Grim will approach you with a business proposition.
The Amulet Trap
Grim offers to bring you in on a heist to steal a valuable amulet from a guy outside the camp. Before you blindly follow him into the wilderness dreaming of easy Ore, you need to know it is a complete setup.
He lures you away from the safety of the guards, and once you are isolated, he and two unnamed diggers will attack you. They want to beat you down and rob you blind on Bloodwyn's orders. You have to fight back and knock Grim to the ground. Once he is unconscious, you can loot his pockets. Make sure you grab everything, especially the Nail Club. It is one of the best early weapons you can get your hands on.
The Execution Choice
After you beat Grim and his digger friends, a cutscene triggers. Grim is defeated, and you hold his fate in your hands. You have two distinct dialogue options that determine what happens next.
Making The Call
If you choose to bury the hatchet, Grim survives the encounter. It is a bit of a gamble. On one hand, he might actually provide some backup for you later on. On the other hand, he never really learns his lesson. He remains one of Bloodwyn's enforcers, and if you approach him in the Old Camp, he will react poorly. Given the chance, he might even try to mug you a second time.
If you tell him to shut up and fight, you initiate a fight to the death. Killing him solves your Grim problem permanently. You get a clean 60 EXP for finishing the job, and you cut down one of Bloodwyn's main thugs. The only real downside is that Bloodwyn will redouble his efforts to harass you every time you walk past him.
I always choose to kill Grim. Surviving the Colony is hard enough without leaving a known mugger alive to stab you in the back later. The extra EXP is incredibly valuable early on, and taking his Nail Club gives you a massive advantage against the local wildlife.
