Some decisions in Baldur’s Gate 3 will impact how the storyline unfolds in your playthrough. Freeing Orpheus in the Astral Plane—or not—is one of those calls. Considering you’ll need the Githyanki Prince’s power on your side to defeat the Elder Brain, you should take your time while deciding his fate.
The encounter with Orpheus takes place as players gear up to battle the Elder Brain, and the dialogues will be heavily impacted by the decisions you’ve made until that point. If you’ve been going against the Emperor until the end, he might decide to side with the Elder Brain, which leaves you no choice but to side with the Prince by saving him.
Should you free Orpheus in BG3?
Yes, you should free Orpheus especially if you have Lae’zel in your party and a shaky relationship with the Emperor. Rescuing the Githyanki Prince will have a positive impact on his people and Lae’zel, while allowing you to see the other side of the Emperor.
Note that, if you decide to free Orpheus, the Emperor will leave your side and become allies with the Elder Brain.
Choosing not to free Orpheus will come with another set of choices, as you’ll be asked to become Illithid and consume Orpheus’ power.
What happens if you free Orpheus?
Freeing Orpheus has many benefits:
- You get better friendship points with Lae’zel,
- Orpheus will join you in the fight against the Netherbrain,
- Orpheus saves you, Karlach and Lae’zel from becoming a Mindflayer (more on that below).
At one point in the game, you will have to sacrifice either yourself or your party members to become a Mindflayer. If you’re not willing to sacrifice any of your party, Orpheus will offer to be turned into a Mindflayer. It is a pretty sad turn of events but it keeps you and the party safe.
Note that you will no longer have the Emperor on your side and he will side with the Netherbrain.
Turning Orpheus into a Mindflayer will prevent him from further helping you in the future.
What happens if you don’t free Orpheus?
Not freeing Orpheus also comes with benefits:
- The Emperor, a strong ally, will help you in the fight against the Netherbrain.
- Lae’zel will have a bone to pick with you. She will turn against you, leading to a fight.
- Karlach will turn into Avernus and Raphael will control the Nine Hells.
The best reason to not free Orpheus is to have the Emperor on your team against the Netherbrain as well as not turning into Mindflayers. However, you lose Lae’zel.
You can also have the Emperor or Karlach consume Orpheus’ power, but you should note that this process will effectively kill the Githyanki Prince. The Prince’s powers allow the consumer to use the Netherstones, an essential part of the final battle against the Elder Brain.
How to rescue Orpheus in BG3
To free Orpheus, you will need to equip Orphic Hammer and use Orphic Hammerblow on the two red crystals surrounding Orpheus.
Using the Orphic Hammer to rescue the Prince was a more straightforward approach. We had picked up the Orphic Hammer while entertaining Raphael’s deal in BG3. If you don’t have access to the hammer, you’ll still be able to save Orpheus, but you’ll need to sacrifice a character and let them become a Mind Flayer.
Since the Emperor wants to eat the Prince’s brain and turn him into a Mind Flayer, you’ll need to offer a consolation prize. Don’t take Karlach’s offer to sacrifice herself during this process since she won’t be able to transform into a Mind Flayer without eating Orpheus’ brain, making this a trick choice.
After saving Orpheus, the Prince will join your party as a Monk and continue to the game as a Githyanki unless you allow him to become a Mind Flayer.
