Summary

  • The Orphic Hammer in Baldur's Gate 3, despite its legendary status, falls short in terms of stats and special skills compared to other late-game options.
  • Obtaining the Orphic Hammer is crucial for progressing in Lae'zel's questline, but it may not be worth the effort as it is underwhelming and there are better weapons available.
  • The only unique aspect of the Orphic Hammer is its Unshackling Strike action, necessary for the quest, but players may have better weapons for their characters by that point in the game.

Baldur's Gate 3 features near-limitless choices that allow players to customize the adventure to their liking, and one quest features some of the game's toughest choices. Baldur's Gate 3 players who are intent on following Lae'zel's quest will need to choose whether to free or kill Orpheus within the Astral Prism. However, a necessary step in this quest is to obtain the Orphic Hammer needed to break the crystals containing Orpheus from Raphael, but the lengths players will need to go through to get this legendary weapon don't justify how weak it is compared to other late-game options.

Regardless of whether the player plans to kill or free Orpheus, they will need to obtain the Orphic Hammer to progress Lae'zel's companion quest. Given how crucial the Orphic Hammer is to this questline, one would assume it would be very powerful, but it falls short of its legendary status with mediocre stats and a subpar special skill. However, it is still worth the effort to obtain since it will allow players to see the end of Lae'zel's questline as well as come in handy during another optional quest.

RELATED: Baldur's Gate 3: Every Returning Character Explained

The Orphic Hammer isn't as Legendary as Baldur's Gate 3 Players Might Think

There are two ways to obtain the Orphic Hammer in Baldur's Gate 3 and both come with heavy prices to pay. The easiest option for obtaining this weapon is to take the deal offered by Raphael at the Sharess' Caress wherein he tells the player he will give them the Orphic Hammer in exchange for the Crown of Karsus after they defeat the Absolute. Players who don't want to risk giving this devil that much power have the option to break into the House of Hope and steal the hammer from Raphael, but this route leads players to one of the hardest fights in Baldur's Gate 3 despite the reward being an underwhelming legendary hammer.

Properties of the Orphic Hammer

  • One-Handed Damage: 1d8 + 3 (4~11) + Strength Modifier Bludgeoning Damage
  • Two-Handed Damage: 1d10 + 3 (4~13) + Strength Modifier Bludgeoning Damage
  • Rarity: Legendary Baldur's Gate 3 Weapon
  • Enchantment: +3
  • Versatile
  • Special Skills:
    • Spell Resistance: Gain Advantage on Saving Throws against Spells.

  • Weapon Actions:
    • Backbreaker: Chance to knock the opponent Prone.
    • Concussive Smash: Chance to Daze an opponent.
    • Weakening Strike: Chance to inflict Weak Grip on a target wielding a weapon.
    • Unshackling Strike: Smite the magical bonds keeping a creature Restrained, Paralysed, and Stunned, freeing it.

Despite being a legendary weapon, the Orphic Hammer is not that great of a late-game weapon, and many of its properties are shared with better, more powerful weapons. It can deal solid damage in the hands of a Baldur's Gate 3 character with high Strength like a Fighter or Barbarian, especially if wielded Two-Handed, and also comes with Spell Resistance which can be useful for characters who struggle against casters. However, none of these aspects are worth the trouble players will need to go through to obtain it, meaning it's only worthwhile for players looking to complete Lae'zel's story.

The only truly unique part of the Orphic Hammer is its Unshackling Strike action which is necessary to break Orpheus out of his prison, but if players plan to raid the House of Hope they can also use this skill to free Hope from the prison Raphael is keeping her in. Thematically, it would make the most sense for Lae'zel to wield this weapon, but by this point in the game, players will likely have better weapons available for her such as the Silver Sword of the Astral Plane which is acquired after showing Kith'rak Voss the Orphic Hammer. Players are better off keeping the Orphic Hammer in Lae'zel's inventory and only swapping to it when it is necessary for the plot.

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Baldur's Gate 3 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Baldur's Gate 3
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RPG
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
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Released
August 3, 2023
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Larian Studios
Publisher(s)
Larian Studios
Engine
Divinity 4.0
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Full cross-platform play.
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Franchise
Baldur's Gate
Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical Only
Genre(s)
RPG
How Long To Beat
100+ Hours
Metascore
96