Baldur's Gate 3: Viconia's Impenetrable Shield Makes Her a Fatal Target

Highlights

The narrative of Baldur's Gate 3 offers players various moral choices that demand contemplation. Among these choices is whether to spare or eliminate particular characters. Factors that should be taken into account encompass ethical considerations, personal moral compasses, the dichotomy of innocence versus villainy, and the potential advantages for the player and their party.

Viconia in Baldur's Gate 3 has undergone a transformation into a darker character compared to her past iterations. Therefore, players should not hesitate to eliminate her due to her history of manipulating and mistreating others.

Dispatching Viconia in Baldur's Gate 3 rewards players with valuable loot, including the highly coveted shield known as Viconia's Walking Fortress, widely acclaimed as the game's finest shield. However, deciding to spare her carries repercussions specifically for Oath of Vengeance Paladins.

Baldur's Gate 3 offers players numerous moral dilemmas throughout its extensive storyline. These dilemmas may involve stealing from non-playable characters, deciding whether to protect those in need, or choosing to spare or kill other characters, among other options. When faced with the decision to spare or kill a character, various factors should be considered. These factors include the ethics surrounding the act, the moral beliefs of the protagonist and their party members, the character's innocence or villainy, and the potential benefits of killing or sparing them, such as acquiring valuable loot or impacting the overall gameplay experience in Baldur's Gate 3.

An example of such a decision occurs in Act 2, where players have the opportunity to kill Isobel at the Last Light Inn. The primary motivation for doing so is to obtain her Moon Devotion Robe, which is one of the most powerful pieces of spellcaster attire in the game. However, Isobel is a righteous individual and serves as the last defense against the shadow curse that threatens the inn and its inhabitants. In this scenario, choosing not to kill her is often seen as the pragmatic and morally sound choice.

However, the circumstances surrounding the decision to kill or spare Viconia, the owner of the powerful item known as the Walking Fortress Shield, are quite different.

There's No Reason to Feel Bad About Killing Baldur's Gate 3's Viconia

Baldur's Gate fans may recall Viconia DeVir from the previous two editions, where she was an available companion for players. Despite being a drow cleric of neutral evil alignment with a rather unpleasant demeanor, Viconia proved to be a valuable member of the party and even had the potential for romantic involvement in both Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate 2. Moreover, with significant effort, players had the opportunity to transform her into a true neutral character in the sequel, effectively abandoning her previous evil nature.

Although some players may hesitate to kill Viconia due to nostalgic memories from previous games, it's important to recognize that the Viconia in Baldur's Gate 3 is no longer the same companion. She has followed a dark path, mistreating characters like BG3's Shadowheart and others over the years. Larian, fulfilling the request of Wizards of the Coast, deliberately made her an evil character in line with their version of Viconia. Therefore, players should not have sentimental or guilty feelings about delivering ultimate justice to her.

However, aside from one exception, there are no consequences in the rest of the game whether Viconia is killed or spared. The exception being that an Oath of Vengeance Paladin will turn into an Oathbreaker if they choose to spare her. This is a significant transformation for such a character, so players with that build should carefully consider the implications before making their decision.

The Walking Fortress Shield Is Well Worth Viconia's Sacrifice

Having considered all other factors regarding the decision to spare or kill Viconia, there is one final aspect to take into account: her loot. Viconia possesses a significant quantity of valuable items, all of which she relinquishes upon her execution. This collection includes an exceptionally rare weapon known as the Handmaiden's Mace, uncommon attire in the form of Viconia's Priestess Robe, and most significantly, the renowned shield, Viconia's Walking Fortress.

Why BG3's Viconia is Different From Baldur's Gate 1 and 2

Armor Class: +3

Rebuke of the Mighty: Upon being struck by an adversary's melee attack, you are able to utilize your Reaction to inflict 2 - 8 points of Force damage on them, while additionally forcing them into a Prone position unless they manage to pass a Dexterity Saving Throw.

Spellguard: Gain Advantage on Saving Throws against spells and grant Disadvantage to Spell Attack Rolls targeting you.

Reflective Shell: As a bonus action, you can cast this ability once per Short Rest. For 2 turns, any projectiles targeted at you are reflected back to their point of origin.

Warding Bond is a Level 2 Abjuration spell that can be used once every Long Rest. It allows you to protect an ally by granting them Resistance to all damage, as well as a +1 bonus to their Armor Class and Saving Throws. However, whenever the target takes damage, the spellcaster also takes the same amount of damage.

This powerful shield, known to many as the best in Baldur's Gate 3, makes defeating the evil cleric Viconia well worth it. If players choose a more peaceful approach and spare Viconia, she will not be encountered again, and certain party members like Jaheira may approve of this decision.

Baldur's Gate 3 is an RPG game that draws inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons. It was developed and published by Larian Studios. With both single player and cooperative modes, players can create their own characters by choosing a starting class. They will then embark on quests, level up their characters, and participate in turn-based combat using the rule set of the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

Franchise: Baldur's Gate

Platform(s): PC, Stadia, macOS, PS5

Release Date: August 3, 2023

Developer: Larian Studios

Publisher: Larian Studios

Genre: RPG

ESRB Rating: Mature (M) - Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

Gameplay Duration: Approximately 30 Hours

Metascore: 96

Split Screen Orientation: Vertical Only

Number of Players: 1-2