Should You Side With Raphael In Baldur’s Gate 3?

It’s easy to see why someone would be conflicted over Raphael’s deal in Baldur’s Gate 3. He makes a lot of big promises: he can fulfill the party’s wildest dreams, he can help Astarion finish his personal quest, and, perhaps most importantly, he says he can cure Tav of their parasitic tadpole. Raphael’s is one of many cures dangled in front of the party, which vary greatly both in efficacy and veracity. While it quickly becomes clear that Auntie Ethel’s help isn’t all that she promises in Baldur’s Gate 3, Raphael’s confidence and apparent power make his deal more tempting.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for a possible ending of Baldur’s Gate 3.]

Raphael is a little suspicious from the start, but he doesn’t waste time in revealing his true identity. Raphael is a cambion, a half-fiend creature born of an unholy union between human and devil. However, his honesty adds to his credibility, and what he wants out of the deal doesn’t seem like such a big ask. In return for curing the party’s deadly ailment, all he wants is the Crown of Karsus that sits atop the Elder Brain. Still, something inevitably nags at the player, and their companions remind them that fiends are not to be trusted.

What Happens If Players Take Raphael’s Deal In Baldur’s Gate 3?

The most immediate effect of accepting Raphael’s deal is that every member of the core party disapproves. Tav loses affinity with Astarion, Gale, Karlach, Lae’zel, Shadowheart, and Wyll if they take Raphael up on his offer. This isn’t the worst of all possible outcomes, though. It is possible to regain some of that affinity later, even though every point counts. But with the groans of disgust out of the way, Raphael snaps his fingers and summons a contract for Tav to sign. They do, Raphael says his farewells, and he disappears.

Other than that, though, there are no immediate effects to taking Raphael’s deal. The party puts him on the back burner as they proceed through Act One and Act Two, traveling through the Underdark, the Githyanki Crèche, and the Shadow-Cursed Lands to the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate itself. There, inside Sharess’ Caress, they encounter Raphael once again. There, Raphael explains that in order to obtain a permanent cure, the party must free the githyanki prince Orpheus from his bondage on the Astral Plane. He gives them the Orphic Hammer, a weapon they can eventually use to break Orpheus’ chains.

For the record, Raphael is telling the truth here. Freeing Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one way for Tav to be cured of their parasite, and using the Orphic Hammer is one way to do that. However, doing so doesn’t lead to the happiest ending, and doing so with Raphael’s assistance makes it even worse. This ending also prevents Gale from presenting the Crown of Karsus to Mystra, which does lock out one potential ending of his personal quest.

The party needs a Mind Flayer on their side for the game’s final chapters. This can either be The Emperor, the imprisoned Orpheus, or a tadpole-infested party member. Karlach will volunteer, or Tav can take one for the team. This is actually one of the better potential endings for Karlach, since it allows her to escape a life of servitude in Avernus and live life on her own terms. However, it’s not the most pleasant transformation. Unfortunately, if anyone other than Orpheus transforms, that companion will have to eat the githyanki prince’s brain to complete their transformation.

Lae’zel doesn’t like that idea, and, depending on where she stands with Vlaakith (in essence, how much of her quest the player has completed), she may turn against the group. A DC 30 Persuasion check talks her down; otherwise, the party will have to kill her. Either way, using the Orphic Hammer leads to a pretty big sacrifice. Just how big varies based on who eventually undergoes ceremorphosis and their relationship with the player character, but this ending is far from ideal in any case.

Taking Raphael’s Deal Leads To A Bad Ending

To make matters worse, if they obtain the Orphic Hammer through their deal with Raphael, players must hand over the Crown of Karsus, and will be treated to an ominous epilogue that spells disaster for the Forgotten Realms. In it, Raphael addresses Tav directly, describing the intoxicating feeling of his growing power. His legions are already mustering to assault Zariel’s fortress, his capture of which means he’ll rule Avernus. From there, he intends to conquer the rest of the Nine Hells, and then on to the rest of the known universe.

None of this is actually shown on screen. The game simply ends ambiguously with Raphael’s threat, but the implications are disastrous. This is arguably one of the worst endings possible in Baldur’s Gate 3, even if it doesn’t have any real impact on the gameplay or the story. It’s certainly not a nice note to end on, although it may be an appropriate repercussion for a more evil-aligned Tav.

What Happens If Players Don’t Accept Raphael’s Deal In Baldur’s Gate 3?

There are very few negative consequences for rejecting Raphael’s deal: the cambion himself is a little hurt, but he’ll move on quickly. All companions present approve of this decision. They’re left to their own devices for the time being, but there are many other cures available for the Illithid parasites that plague them. Not all of them are trustworthy, or even safe, but Raphael’s deal is far from the only (and certainly not the best) option.

Raphael also keeps his offer open for far longer than expected. If the party turns him down outside the Emerald Grove in Act One, they’ll have another opportunity to accept when they run into him at the Last Light Inn in Act Two, and yet another when they find him at Sharess’ Caress in Act Three. Suffice it to say that there are many chances to side with Raphael, and the only way to reject him permanently is to kill him.

But even if they turn him down, the party can still be cured by any of the other available means. Alternatively, they can side with The Emperor, delivering him three Netherstones to gain his alliance in the final chapters. If they want to free Orpheus, they can do it on first meeting the Emperor, although this leads to a different kind of bad ending. They can also visit Raphael’s residence at the House of Hope later and steal the Orphic Hammer for themselves.

It won’t be as easy as signing a contract, but it is possible. Getting the Orphic Hammer manually requires betraying Raphael, which first means sneaking into his house. That’s difficult enough on its own, but they’ll then have to navigate its treacherous halls.

How To Betray Raphael In Baldur’s Gate 3

Backing Out Of Raphael’s Deal Or Stealing The Orphic Hammer

Whether they’ve got buyer’s remorse or they just want the Orphic Hammer, the party’s course of action for betraying Raphael is the same. Raphael keeps both objects close at hand, inside his House of Hope. The party must conduct an infernal ritual to teleport themselves inside. They can do this by bribing or blackmailing Helsik, the owner of the Devil’s Fee. Helsik can be persuaded into accepting the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength, or blackmailed with Helsik’s Diary from the shop’s attic, or the Report on the Activities of Enver Gortash from the nearby House of Grief.

Either of these items will be sufficient to scare Helsik into helping the party. If they do desire, the party can also attempt the ritual to gain access to the House of Hope themselves. This requires quite the esoteric grocery list: a skull, a stick of incense, a diamond, an Infernal Marble, and a Coin of Mammon. Most of these are exceedingly rare, and the latter two can only be found in Helsik’s heavily trapped room, so it may be best to try and convince her. However, if the party fails, they always have a plan B.

Once inside, the party can attempt to free Hope, the house’s original owner, after which she’ll lend them her aid as they explore the house. If they succeed, Hope will give them disguises that allow them to avoid battle. Otherwise, this Debtor’s Attire can be looted from the house’s many wardrobes. They then have to travel to the house’s archive, where they see an Impervious Sphere. They can talk to the Archivist, who’ll give a disguised party the invitation to Raphael’s boudoir with a successful Deception check. Otherwise, the party can pickpocket it off of him.

Proceed to the boudoir to meet Haarlep, an incubus who resembles Raphael. Seduce or kill Haarlep, after which he’ll hand over the key to Raphael’s safe. The safe is in the same room, and can be revealed by disarming the trap behind a painting on the wall, then pressing the button beneath it. Opening the safe nets the party Raphael’s notes, which describe the phrase needed to dispel the Impervious Sphere. They can then return to the archive, destroy the Sphere, and obtain the contract or the hammer.

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But it’s not over yet: the party will be ambushed by Raphael on their way out. This is a terribly difficult boss fight, but still winnable. Raphael has an Armor Class of 25, and 666 HP. Ensure that the entire party is fully healed, and take advantage of his weakness to radiant damage wherever possible. Target the four Soul Pillars at the corners of the room first, as they make Raphael more powerful. It’s also possible to convince Yurgir, an orthon also bound to Raphael, to turn on his master if he’s still alive by this point in the game.

Players Should Reject Raphael In Baldur’s Gate 3

Whether by turning him down initially or destroying the contract later, players should avoid taking Raphael’s deal in Baldur’s Gate 3. Turning him down initially has no negative consequences. It doesn’t technically prevent the party from achieving the same basic result, or lock them out of any quests so long as they’re willing to steal the Orphic Hammer for themselves. However, in order to do so, they’ll still have to break into the House of Hope and fight Raphael.

It may be difficult, but it’s still worth doing the House of Hope quest – not just for the Orphic Hammer, but also for all the other loot inside. There’s also the opportunity to gain Yurgir’s favor, which means he’ll later come to the party’s aid in the final battle. He’s a powerful ally to have, so his potential contribution to that fight shouldn’t be understated. The House of Hope quest also reveals a lot about Raphael, greatly expanding his character and adding to the game’s overall lore.

But the Orpheus endings aren’t ideal for all players, anyway. Rejecting Raphael leaves several other endings open, including siding with the Emperor or killing Orpheus. The only ending it completely prevents is the worst one available. Seeing Raphael’s deal through until the end locks the player into an undeniably bad outcome, with the selfish and power-hungry Raphael poised to take over the entire known universe.

It’s also worth noting that rejecting Raphael leads to approval from every single Origin character. No matter who Tav is trying to romance, they’re guaranteed to gain a couple of extra brownie points from the object of their affections.

Still, the final decision is entirely up to the player. Raphael’s deal is surprisingly flexible, so the only decision that’s permanent in this case is killing him outright. By the time they have the opportunity to do so, the party’s already explored the House of Hope and (hopefully) taken advantage of all the loot inside. While working with Raphael makes sense for those undertaking an evil playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, all others should steer clear.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Released

August 31, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Publisher(s)

Larian Studios

ESRB

M