Oathbreaking might sound like the worst thing a Paladin can do in Baldur's Gate 3, but the features that it brings to the forefront indicate that the game might just want players to walk a little on the wild side. Paladins are traditionally considered a righteous class in both the Baldur's Gate games and their tabletop inspiration, Dungeons & Dragons, sworn to uphold oaths that compel them to act in honorable interests. Like any mere mortal, however, a Paladin can fall from grace, and doing so doesn't mean that they will lose out on spiritual power in combat.
DnD 5e uses the Oathbreaker subclass as an umbrella for Paladins who turn their backs on the noble path with the intent of serving or doing evil instead. This isn't the first resort for any kind of infraction, as breaking an oath in Baldur's Gate 3 for a good reason or as a one-time mistake usually just leads Paladins to ask a cleric or righteous Paladin for absolution. It does, however, provide a compelling way to explore a true fall from grace and embrace a darker potential, and this possibility has been carried over to Baldur's Gate 3.
Oathbreaking Opens Up New Avenues In Baldur's Gate 3
If becoming an Oathbreaker Paladin meant cutting off access to powerful spells in Baldur's Gate 3, going down a darker path would be a difficult choice to make. Luckily for those with nefarious inclinations, turning aside from a Paladin's sacred vows replaces some of the standard benefits of honorable Paladin subclasses with a fresh set of abilities. Early-game features adds some ferocious spells like hellish rebuke and inflict wounds and actions like spiteful suffering and control undead, all of which start to push a Paladin's specialty toward darker forms of damage-dealing and magical manipulation.
The benefits of Oathbreaking in Baldur's Gate 3 aren't purely mechanical, as following this path can open up new roleplay avenues as well. Sticking to a traditional Paladin oath in Baldur's Gate 3 tends to lock behavior into a certain avenue, forcing decisions to be made according to an overarching principle rather than aligning with more intricate character motivations. Although choosing a different class to begin with might seem like the best way of fostering varied roleplaying possibilities, Paladins fit in exceptionally well with party compositions made up of the game's Origin companions, making it an excellent pick for single-player campaigns.
Oathbreaking also introduces a new NPC in Baldur's Gate 3, appropriately called the Oathbreaker Knight. This ominous figure will first speak to the protagonist in a vision after they commit an act that violates an oath, accompanying a sudden feeling of loss to establish the Paladin's transgression. The Oathbreaker Knight can be spoken to in camp, where he will offer forward the darker path. The knight's sculpted armor and glowing eye-slits make for an impressive visage, and his enormous HP pool makes for a memorable encounter for any who dare to challenge him (despite an unfortunate lack of loot).
Baldur's Gate 3 Makes It Easy To Break Oaths
The intent of going down an evil path is key to the implementation of Oathbreaking in DnD, but Baldur's Gate 3 makes it easier to fall to the dark side. Taking any major action that directly contradicts an oath will trigger the Oathbreaker Knight's appearance, regardless of what the intent behind the act was. The most notorious example of this may be the second encounter with Lae'zel after the nautiloid crash, when Tieflings have her locked up in a cage. Attacking the Tieflings, which can be necessary to free Lae'zel if conversational options fail, will break the Oath of Devotion despite its sincere intent.
This particular encounter works with any Paladin oaths, making it the easiest option for those who want to become Oathbreakers quickly. Beyond that, the Oath of Devotion is fairly easy to break in general, and the Oath of the Ancients offers another easy early-game avenue with the killing of the Owlbear and her cub in Act One providing a particularly efficient avenue. The Oath of Vengeance tends to offer the most leeway for those with more violent inclinations, but choosing to take advantage of the guilty instead of striking them down is one effective way to turn from that path.
Baldur's Gate 3 Oathbreaking Is Easy To Undo
Another major appeal of Oathbreaking in Baldur's Gate 3 is that it can be undone with relative ease, making it an easy thing to experiment with in a campaign. Paying the Oathbreaker Knight 1,000 gold can reinstate a Paladin's devotion to their oath, setting them back on the straight and narrow for nothing more than a pricey indulgence. This lump of gold might seem like a high cost, but taking the path of a thief in Baldur's Gate 3 or sifting through the loot that clutters the world makes it possible to achieve the real fantasy of getting rich quick.
The inclusion of the Oathbreaker Knight in Baldur's Gate 3 serves as a replacement for a dungeon master's role in dealing with a Paladin's oath in the tabletop game as a whole. The DnD Oathbreaker subclass is included in the Dungeon Master's Guide rather than the Player's Handbook due to the DM's role in arbitrating it, and the Knight is a stand-in arbiter of sorts. His price, however, is much more simple, as many DMs would require Paladins to prove their regained devotion through acts or quests. By comparison, forking over some gold really isn't much of an ask.
Avoiding breaking an oath is still a viable way to play Baldur's Gate 3 for truly righteous Paladins, but the game certainly doesn't shy away from putting the other option forward. In an experience with so many moral complexities — and so many tempting possibilities that are undeniably evil — abandoning an oath opens up new avenues and experiences without asking too high of a cost. Dungeons & Dragons might have introduced the concept of Oathbreaking, but Baldur's Gate 3 makes it shine in a way it never has before.
