Unveiling the Layered Moral Dilemmas of Baldur's Gate 3

Highlights

Baldur's Gate 3 presents a living world with diverse fantasy races and faction-based disputes, creating moral implications even in side quests.

Players must grapple with challenging decisions that involve acts of torture and murder, knowing that these actions will have a profound impact on innocent victims, such as goblin or Tiefling children.

Adding an additional layer of complexity to the choices at hand, Lump the Enlightened, an intelligent ogre, presents himself as an ally in battle. However, he imposes specific demands for his services, requiring either compensation in gold or the flesh of their enemies, thereby enhancing the intricacy of the decision to align with him.

With a vast assortment of fantasy races and roles hailing from various realms, Baldur's Gate 3 creates an immersive living world that surpasses the achievements of most RPGs. As players embark on navigating the faction-driven conflicts inherent to the Forgotten Realms, the moral implications of even the game's side quests surpass the expectations of most gamers.

Amidst the overarching conflict between druids and goblins in Act 1, there are also smaller dilemmas that arise for those willing to explore. For example, players have the option to partake in the torment and murder of innocent victims, inevitably affecting the lives of goblin and Tiefling children regardless of their final choice. However, one particular situation presents a level of complexity that renders the "right choice" even more elusive.

The Dilemma of Lump the Enlightened

BG3's Blighted Village is home to a multitude of hidden secrets left behind by its previous residents, but the current inhabitants, the NPCs, are among the most vulgar and reckless. Beyond the malevolent, intoxicated goblins who have taken control of the village, there exists a group of ogres led by an extraordinary individual known as Lump the Enlightened. Unlike typical ogres, who are generally dim-witted creatures of raw strength, Lump surpasses this stereotype with his elevated intelligence, enabling him to express the savage, carnivorous desires of his species with unmatched eloquence.

When persuaded by the player, Lump willingly offers his assistance in battles by means of the Lump's War Horn summoning item. Upon blowing the horn, Lump and two other ogres materialize, similar to ranger animal companions, providing invaluable support in combat. However, this aid does not come without a cost. Lump and his companions expect to be rewarded for their services, either with gold or, preferably, the delectable flesh of their adversaries. In some cases, Lump has even been known to betray the player's party if their demands aren't met, highlighting the precarious nature of aligning oneself with psychopathic creatures for a tactical advantage in battle.

The Morality of Acquiring BG3's Warped Headband of Intellect

Not everyone who encounters Lump may realize it, but his intelligence has been artificially enhanced by the Warped Headband of Intellect. This headband automatically raises the wearer's Intelligence to 17, making it one of the best items in the game. However, the headband is implied to be inside Lump's stomach, and the only way to obtain it is by killing him. This raises questions about the malicious nature of creatures like ogres, as players must decide whether to take away this newfound sentience from someone who is just beginning to experience it.

From a gameplay perspective, the best choice is to let the ogres assist and then defeat them. However, even players with a more good alignment are venturing into questionable territory by consuming the flesh of fallen enemies. Despite Lump's expanded mind, he may still be fixated on killing and eating, but there is no way to know what conclusions he could have reached if his life had not been cut short. Whether players choose to attack Lump or take him out for the magical headband, the situation surrounding Lump the Enlightened showcases Baldur's Gate 3's layered storytelling beneath the surface.

Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC, Mac, and PS5. An Xbox Series X/S port is expected to launch in late 2023.