Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3is filled to the brim with grand manipulators and evil schemes, diving into a world of turmoil that makes a perfect setting for an exciting campaign. From the world-ending plot involving the Absolute to minor acts of self-interested individuals, there’s no shortage of opportunities for the party to either shut down or cash in on. Not every wicked plan has been thought out equally well, however, and one of the game’s most notorious villains is also one of its most shortsighted.
[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3.]Raphael is first introduced inAct 1 ofBaldur’s Gate 3, making a memorable debut before some of the other major antagonists step onto the scene. His unique mix of theatrics and deviousness is apparent from the get-go, and despite his almost overwrought commitment to putting on a show, it seems immediately obvious that he has some sophisticated machinations in the works. Although it takes some time for the full scope of Raphael’s ambition to be revealed, it’s ultimately established thatthe cambion seeks the Crown of Karsus, a powerful magical artifact that he wishes to wield.
Should You Side With Raphael In Baldur’s Gate 3?
Raphael is a little suspicious from the start of Baldur’s Gate 3, but he makes big promises. Here are the pros and cons of taking his deal.
Raphael’s Scheme In Baldur’s Gate 3 Is Incredibly Silly
An Evil Plot Is Built On Careless Assumptions
The idea that Raphael is attempting to play his pieces carefully is reinforced repeatedly throughout the game. When the cambion shows up at theLast Light Inn in Act 2, for example, he can be found immersed in the chess-like game of lanceboard. Although his position is more tenuous than he initially lets on, he’s using the game as a tool to hook the young tiefling Mol into his web, and it’s clear that he plants a seed in her head even when the party gets involved.
When it comes to his big scheme, however,Raphael has thought things through incredibly poorly, and his folly may be even more extreme thanBaldur’s Gate 3ever clarifies. The Crown of Karsus that Raphael is working toward is an artifact that his father Mephistopheles acquired over a thousand years before the events of the game, and it spent that time kept out of Raphael’s reach in a vault. The artifact grants its bearer the ability to use magic independently of the typical channel of the Weave, offering enormous power unchecked by the goddess of magic Mystra.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Player Discovers Hilarious Way To Break The Deal With Raphael
Baldur’s Gate 3 has plenty of loopholes to exploit, but getting Raphael to back out of his own bargain this way is particularly funny.
Mephistopheles Is A Smarter D&D Villain Than Raphael
The Apple Fell A Bit Far From The Tree
The game never lingers too much on the fact thatMephistopheles never used the crown himself, but his father’s choice to stick it in a vault is exactly why Raphael really should have known better than to lust after the Crown. Mephistopheles is just about as cunning asDungeons & Dragonsvillains get, attaining a lofty position among archdevils that puts him second to only Asmodeus. He’s also smart enough to know that unseating Asmodeus is a fool’s errand, an area where Raphael seems to have missed the memo.
Mephistopheles previously suffered a defeat in theHordes of the Underdarkexpansion for theiconicDnDgameNeverwinter Nights, although the heroes had no option to actually kill him.
No matter how tempting grabbing the Crown of Karsus might be,Raphael thinking that he can rule over the Hells when his father has never taken that step is exceptionally dumb. The situation with the Absolute makes the futility of using the crown for this task even more obvious, as the Dead Three have exploited its nature to control an Elder Brain bearing the crown. Even if Raphael attempted to gather the artifacts giving the Dead Three control into his possession, bearing the Crown of Karsus opens up a weakness as significant as the power it grants.
Easily Missed Baldur’s Gate 3 Details Show Larian’s Dedication To D&D Lore
Baldur’s Gate 3 crams in plenty of homages to the rich history and lore of Dungeons & Dragons, and one approach that it takes is particularly cool.
Prudence might not be the only reason why Mephistopheles never did much with the Crown of Karsus, as the archdevil always has his attention pulled in a million different directions at once. All the same, he would have had a better shot of using it effectively than Raphael ever would have, and Raphael never really seems to stop to consider why such a thing didn’t happen. Although he can wind his way through conversations with languid ease, Raphael is full steam ahead with his scheming, andBaldur’s Gate 3shows how the course could only ever end in destruction.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
