In Act 3 of Baldur's Gate 3, players can learn that Raphael is currently residing in the Sharess' Caress, a brothel on the South Span in the Rivington region. He's here to offer the party a deal: he'll give the party the Orphic Hammer, an item that can free Orpheus, and in exchange, the party must give him the Crown of Karsus once they defeat the Absolute.
This is a tempting offer, especially for players who like Lae'zel or who choose her as the protagonist. However, there's more than one way to get the Orphic Hammer in Baldur's Gate 3, and for that matter, there's even a way to cheat the devil out of his due.
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After defeating a pack of Gnolls in Baldur's Gate 3, players have the option to help with a missing or take the chest for themselves.
Updated on May 1, 2024, by Nahda Nabiilah: Bargaining with the devil always proves to be an unwise decision in Baldur's Gate 3, as every tempting offer comes with a costly sacrifice. Raphael, much like all devils, likes to delve into Tav’s affairs to create schemes to manipulate them into handing him the Crown of Karsus. Gale's companion quest also requires players to fetch the Crown for the Sorcerer, so players should come up with a wise solution as this decision could hinder the progress of various other Baldur’s Gate 3 quests.
If Players Take the Deal
- Voss will be happy with the party and give a Gith Silver Sword to Lae'zel. This is a Legendary weapon that's good enough to be her endgame weapon.
- The Emperor will quickly realize what the party did and be disappointed, but not to the point of changing any future interactions.
- The party can speak with the diabolist in the Devil's Fee, a shop that's just west of the graveyard, to infiltrate the House of Hope and destroy the contract. Players must defeat Raphael before leaving, but doing so will open up every endgame option.
- Parties who have the Orphic Hammer can choose between the Emperor or Orpheus during the final confrontation.
- If players try to dominate the Absolute, their contract with Raphael will come due.
- If Raphael gets the Crown of Karsus, Gale will be unable to reforge it or give it to Mystra.
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If Players Refuse the Deal
- Raphael will remain in Sharess' Caress, giving the party a chance to take the deal in the future.
- Voss will be upset with the party, but he'll be reassured if players tell him they plan on stealing the Orphic Hammer. He'll wait in the sewers region and give Lae'zel the Silver Sword if they bring the hammer to him.
- The Emperor will be pleased by the party's decision, though not to the point of changing future interactions.
- The party can infiltrate the House of Hope to steal the Orphic Hammer instead of the party's contract. The quest is identical aside from what item the party needs to take from the archive.
- If the party doesn't have the Orphic Hammer during the endgame sequence, the only choice available will be the Emperor.
- If the party isn't bound by contract to Raphael, they can choose whether to dominate or destroy the Absolute and what Gale should do with the Crown of Karsus.
In the end, the bigger question is whether players want to infiltrate the House of Hope or not. Doing so will lead to one of the toughest optional boss fights in the game, but it'll also give players the most options when it comes to endgame choices. If players do want to enter the House of Hope, they should accept the deal. Doing so will get Lae'zel the Silver Sword much sooner, and everything else will play out the same way.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Platform(s)
- PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
