Baldur's Gate 3's Legendary Weapon Status: The Orphic Hammer's Disappointing Fall

Article Key Points

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.

Acquiring the Orphic Hammer is essential to advance in Lae'zel's questline, however, its underwhelming performance and the availability of superior weapons make it a potentially unrewarding endeavor.

While the Unshackling Strike action is the sole distinctive feature of the Orphic Hammer, integral to completing the quest, players may have already obtained more impressive weapons for their characters at this stage of the game.

Baldur's Gate 3 offers players an abundance of choices to customize their adventure, and one particularly challenging quest involves making tough decisions. In this quest, players following Lae'zel's storyline must decide whether to free or kill Orpheus within the Astral Prism. To progress in this quest, players must first acquire the Orphic Hammer from Raphael, which is necessary to break the crystals containing Orpheus. However, despite its legendary reputation, the Orphic Hammer proves to be underwhelming compared to other late-game options, making it a disappointing reward for the effort required to obtain it.

Regardless of the player's chosen path for Orpheus, acquiring the Orphic Hammer remains a crucial step in progressing Lae'zel's companion quest. Considering its importance in the questline, one would expect the Orphic Hammer to possess powerful abilities. Unfortunately, it falls short in terms of its stats and special skill. Nevertheless, obtaining the Orphic Hammer is still worthwhile as it allows players to reach the conclusion of Lae'zel's questline and proves handy during an optional quest.

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

In Baldur's Gate 3, obtaining the Orphic Hammer can be achieved through two different methods, both of which come at a high cost. The easier approach is to accept Raphael's offer at Sharess' Caress, where he proposes trading the Crown of Karsus for the Orphic Hammer after defeating the Absolute. However, those who are reluctant to grant such immense power to a devil have an alternative option of breaking into the House of Hope and stealing the hammer directly from Raphael. It is important to note that this alternative path leads to one of the toughest battles in Baldur's Gate 3, even though the reward is 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: Liberate a creature from the magical restraints of being Restrained, Paralyzed, or Stunned.

Despite its legendary status, the Orphic Hammer falls short as a late-game weapon, lacking unique qualities found in more superior and powerful alternatives. It can inflict substantial damage when wielded Two-Handed by a Baldur's Gate 3 character with high Strength, such as a Fighter or Barbarian. Additionally, its Spell Resistance can benefit characters who struggle against spell-casters. However, these attributes do not justify the effort required to obtain it, making it only worthwhile for players seeking to progress in Lae'zel's storyline.

The Unshackling Strike action is the unique feature of the Orphic Hammer, allowing players to break Orpheus out of prison. Additionally, if players plan to raid the House of Hope, this skill can be used to free Hope from Raphael's prison. Thematically, it would be fitting for Lae'zel to wield this weapon. However, considering the point in the game, players will likely have access to better weapons for Lae'zel, like the Silver Sword of the Astral Plane acquired after showing Kith'rak Voss the Orphic Hammer. Hence, it is advisable for players to keep the Orphic Hammer in Lae'zel's inventory and only switch to it when necessary for the plot.

Baldur's Gate 3

Franchise: Baldur's Gate

Platforms: PC, Stadia, macOS, PS5

Release Date: August 3, 2023

Developed by: Larian Studios

Published by: Larian Studios

Genre: RPG

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

Estimated Gameplay Time: 30 Hours

Metascore: 96

Split Screen Orientation: Vertical Only

Number of Players: 1-2

Official Site: Visit at Official Site

Steam: Visit at Steam

Playstation Store: Visit at Playstation Store

Editor's P/S

As a passionate fan of Baldur's Gate 3, I was excited to acquire the Orphic Hammer, a legendary weapon with a significant role in Lae'zel's questline. However, my enthusiasm quickly turned to disappointment as I discovered its underwhelming stats and special skills compared to other late-game options. Despite its legendary status, the Orphic Hammer lacks the unique qualities found in more superior and powerful alternatives. While it can inflict substantial damage when wielded Two-Handed by a character with high Strength, its Spell Resistance is the only other notable attribute. These features do not justify the effort required to obtain it, making it only worthwhile for players seeking to progress in Lae'zel's storyline.

In my opinion, the Orphic Hammer's lackluster performance undermines the significance of Lae'zel's questline. As a legendary weapon, it should possess exceptional abilities that set it apart from other late-game options. Unfortunately, the Orphic Hammer falls short in this regard, leaving players with a sense of disappointment. I hope that in future updates, the developers will consider rebalancing the Orphic Hammer to make it a more compelling choice for players, especially those who invest time and effort in completing Lae'zel's questline.