Baldur's Gate 3: Should you free Orpheus or not?

 

Whether you want to free Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3 is an important decision. We reveal what is at stake – and what is changing.

In Baldur's Gate 3, you are constantly faced with difficult or complex decisions. One of the biggest decisions can be found in Act 3 when it comes to rescuing a prisoner. But whether you should free the legendary Orpheus or not is not that easy to answer.

We'll tell you all the consequences of this decision so that you can weigh up whether you should free Orpheus in Baldur's Gate 3 or not.

Who is Orpheus? Orpheus is the prince of the Githyanki and the legitimate leader of his people. In the story, however, he is portrayed as a traitor who is said to have opposed the current Queen Vlaakith. However, this is not the case. Already during the first two acts you can uncover the true story, through various books and lore items.

Orpheus has powerful power and is trapped in the relic that Shadowheart carries with him at the beginning of the story. The power of Orpheus is the reason why your Guardian can protect you and why you do not immediately succumb to the power of the Absolutes.

In the course of Act 3, a difficult decision is made: should Orpheus be freed from his prison in the hope that he will then support the group? Or do you listen to the Emperor, let Orpheus prisoner, and absorb his powers?

To save Orpheus, you can make a deal with Raphael.

What happens if you save Orpheus? If you save Orpheus, then the Emperor (your Guardian) will be very disappointed in you. He will turn away from you and end the cooperation. Since you have ruined his only purpose in life, he will join the Elder Brain and fight on their side in the future. In the final battle, he is an additional enemy that makes the fight more difficult for you.

Orpheus isn't directly grateful to you, but he still helps you after he's rescued. He protects you from the effects of the Elder Brain and fights with you.

If no one in your group decides to become a mind flayer, then Orpheus will take this fate upon himself and demand that you kill him after the work is done, as he does not want to come under the eyes of his people.

What happens if you don't save Orpheus? If you don't save Orpheus, then you or the Emperor will have to devour his brain and thus kill Orpheus in order to maintain his power. This will enable you to defend yourself against the Elder Brain and fight the final battle.

In this decision, the Emperor (your Guardian) remains on your side and will stand by you in the final hours. He is then not an enemy, but a powerful ally. This makes the final battle a little bit easier.

Note that when making this decision, you should not have Lae’zel in your active party. If she is present when Orpheus is killed, you must pass a hard roll, otherwise, she will turn against you and must be killed.

Lae'zel doesn't like it when you kill Orpheus - but it's not so bad if she's not there at all.

How to free Orpheus in Baldur's Gate 3?

In order to be able to free Orpheus, you must have received the weapon “Orphic Hammer” during the third act. This is the only way to break the two large crystals that are holding Orpheus prisoner. You should always keep this hammer in your inventory after receiving it, as you won't have to go back to the warehouse to find your box before making your decision.

You have two options for getting the Orphic Hammer:

Option 1: You make a pact with the devil Raphael. This is possible relatively early on at the beginning of the third act. If you travel to the city of Baldur's Gate and cross the large bridge, there is the brothel "Sharess' Caress" on the right. Go to the balcony on the upper floor to the various “theme rooms” – you will find Raphael in one of them. Start the dialogue and accept his offer. He gives you the Orphic Hammer in exchange for the Crown of Karsus, which you must hand over to him after the fight against the Elder Brain.

Option 2: You travel to the House of Hope, Raphael's palace, and steal the hammer from his possession. To do this you have to go to the occult shop “Devil's Price” and talk to Helsik. For the right price (or clever pickpocketing) she will tell you the ritual to break into the House of Hope. There you have the opportunity to steal the Orphic hammer and get many other coveted items from the devil.

By the way, you can still break into the House of Hope if you have already made a pact with Raphael. In this case, you can take your contract with you and destroy it to get out of the pact. Raphael won't be happy about this, however, and you'll have to defeat him in one of the game's tougher boss fights.

Is it worth saving Orpheus in Baldur’s Gaze 3?

In summary, one can say that the impact of freeing Orpheus is relatively small, as there are only a few hours of play left afterward. This is only particularly important if you want to get one over on the Emperor and don't want to cooperate with him until the end, or alternatively, if you particularly care about the Githyanki or Lae'zel.

The ending is largely the same, with Orpheus simply fulfilling the role of Emperor - or vice versa. It's a clear question of taste, which gives the story an additional, personal touch, but changes relatively little to the outcome of the plot.

How did you decide on Orpheus?