MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 has been met with praise for the sheer amount of scenarios available in it, similar to tabletop roleplaying games where anything can happen with the roll of a die. With so much content comes the burden of making decisions that impact the future of the story and its characters, for better or worse. Whether it be deciding which character to romance, to swing good or evil, or to let a scenario go on for just a little too long, some decisions in Baldur's Gate 3 will leave the player on the edge of their seat and wonder if it could have gone better if they had chosen differently.
The hardest decisions often have unpredictable consequences far later in the story, not only changing the events of the game but also the paths the characters take. Here are some of the hardest decisions in Baldur's Gate 3:
- Side with Vlaakith or the Dream Visitor
- Sparing or killing Nightsong
- Side with Orpheus or the Emperor
- Accept or reject Bhaal's gift
- Karlach's fate
- Astarion's fate
- Wyll's pact with Mizora
Side with Vlaakith or the Dream Visitor
Lae'zel is strong in her convictions and her culture's history with the mind flayers makes her an expert on the party's infection. She recommends they seek a cure at a Githyanki creche, where the reality of the situation doesn't quite align with her hopes. When seeking out the inquisitor of the creche, an unexpected visitor drops by: the undead Githyanki Lich Queen, Vlaakith. The Queen wants the artifact that has been protecting the party from the Absolute's power and demands they go into it to kill the Dream Visitor.
The player can tell Vlaakith they won't kill the Dream Visitor but still enter the Astral Prism to speak to them. The Dream Visitor has been protecting the party from becoming mind flayers and mindless followers of the Absolute. When confronted, they also reveal that Vlaakith has been using the Githyanki to further her own power. If the player chooses to try to kill the Dream Visitor, their attempt ultimately fails, and the Dream Visitor loses their trust in the player character. Because of the failure and Vlaakith's obsession with keeping her secrets, she orders the Githyanki to kill the party even if they agree to kill the Dream Visitor.
Sparing or Killing Nightsong
One major moment of Act 2 comes down to choosing the fate of Nightsong, the being trapped inside the Gauntlet of Shar. This quest is integral to Shadowheart's development, and it's highly recommended to bring her along. Nightsong can either be taken to Moonrise Towers by Balthazar, killed by Shadowheart, or be spared.
Killing Nightsong has several consequences, the most dire of which potentially include killing everyone at the Last Light Inn, including Jaheira, Dammon, and Isobel. Shadowheart will affirm her devotion to Shar and receive several buffs and Shar's Spear of Evening. Beyond boons, Shadowheart becomes a Dark Justiciar and goes down a very dark route. Sparing Nightsong leads Shadowheart's story in BG3 down an entirely different path, spares everyone at the Inn, and gains the party a powerful ally in Nightsong.
Side with Orpheus or the Emperor
The Dream Visitor is revealed to be a particularly powerful mind flayer who is fighting against the Absolute and those who control it. He is able to protect the player and party from the Absolute thanks to Orpheus, the true heir to the Githyanki throne, who is imprisoned in the Astral Prism. Unfortunately, it's impossible to reconcile the mind flayer and the Githyanki heir, and the player must choose one or the other.
Choosing one ultimately dooms the other, whether by killing them in battle or, in Orpheus' case, eating his brain. Choosing Orpheus also has the possibility of having him become a mind flayer, making it impossible for him to take the Githyanki throne. Siding with Orpheus also makes BG3's Githyanki less hostile and nets approval from Lae'zel.
Accept or Reject Bhaal's Gift
The Dark Urge is the only customizable option of the six Origin characters and follows a very dark storyline. It's revealed that the character is Bhaalspawn, a child of Bhaal, the god of Murder, and has the opportunity to become Bhaal's Chosen. Becoming Bhaal's Chosen comes with becoming a Slayer, a new form that allows the Dark Urge to transform into a monstrous and powerful creature. The god of Murder himself appears to the Dark Urge to make this offer.
Refusing this gift would align with a good Dark Urge who resists their birthright. Rejecting the God of Murder to his face is unwise though, and he takes back his "gift" of the Dark Urge, effectively killing the player character. Not all hope is lost, however, as an unlikely ally is impressed by the character's will in the face of evil and gives them a second chance of life, without the influence of Bhaal.
Karlach's Fate
Karlach's caring demeanor and happy-go-lucky attitude makes her easy to get along with and a popular companion. Her backstory of being sold to Zariel, one of the leaders of the Nine Hells who replaced Karlach's heart with an infernal engine to increase her battle prowess, is simply heart-breaking. It's this infernal engine that lies at the heart of Karlach's conflicted fate, and none of the paths available to her are wholly satisfying. In a case like this, it's a scenario where there are no good "endings," just endings players can live with.
Karlach discovers that her engine is unstable and needs to return to Avernus, a place she swore to never return to, or she'll die. The options available to the player to guide her include encouraging her to return to the Hells, remain in Faerun and die, or undergo ceremorphosis and become a mind flayer. None of these options are particularly satisfying, and choosing which grim path for her is one of the worst decisions to make in Baldur's Gate 3.
Astarion's Fate
As a vampire spawn, Astarion has spent much of his life under the control of the vampire Cazador. Though already powerful as a vampire, Cazador plans to go a step further and creates a dark ritual that would ascend him to become the most powerful vampire the world has ever seen. Because he needs Astarion to complete the ritual, it's possible for Astarion to hijack the ritual and ascend instead.
Ascending Astarion has some pluses, namely that it makes Astarion one of the most powerful beings in Baldur's Gate 3, and allows him to walk in the sun even after the defeat of the Elder Brain. However, because of the very nature of vampires in the world of Dungeons and Dragons as evil-aligned creatures, Ascended Astarion has any good within him removed. It also effectively ends any romance with him, as he loses respect for any partner who stays with him and goes out of his way to treat them like an object rather than an equal partner. Not ascending Astarion means he remains a spawn, which brings with it a weakness to the sun, but allows Astarion to retain his humanity.
Wyll's Pact with Mizora
Wyll gets his warlock powers thanks to his contract with the demon Mizora, who abuses the contract to force Wyll to go against his morals. This is first seen when he's tasked with hunting down Karlach, and is severely punished if he refuses to kill her. The contract continues to be a source of distress for Wyll, and much of his character arc involves looking for a way to break free.
The opportunity arrives when Duke Ravenguard, Wyll's father and one of the most prominent leaders of Baldur's Gate, is captured by the Chosen of the Absolute. Mizora offers Wyll a bargain: to break the contract but guarantee the Duke's death, or to keep the contract intact forever, including selling his soul to the archdemon Zariel, and keep the Duke safe until Wyll can save him.
Breaking or keeping the contract doesn't have any gameplay consequences beyond the fate of Duke Ravengard. If the contract is kept, Mizora will be helpful in assisting his rescue; otherwise, the party can still rescue Duke Ravengard but can expect a difficult fight along the way. The biggest implications involve roleplaying, lore, and and if the player is comfortable having Wyll's soul be bound for the Hells for an eternity.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is available on PC.
