Raphael is an important NPC in Baldur’s Gate 3 who leaves quite an impression on players. Raphael offers players a deal in Baldur’s Gate 3 to remove the parasite from their brain and avoid their inevitable fate of turning into a mind-flayer. Regardless of what dialogue you choose in Act 1 and Act 2, the full extent of his ambition will remain somewhat elusive.
Once you begin Act 3, however, Raphael makes his terms quite clear. After reaching the town of Rivington, you can find Raphael in the Sharess’ Caress brothel, somewhere on the second floor.
At this point in the story, you must find a way to free Prince Orpheus, and Raphael is all too eager to assist you in exchange for a favor. But as with any deal with the devil, there is always a sinister catch. So, we are here to help you decide if you should accept this deal or not.
What happens if you accept Raphael’s deal
If you accept Raphael’s deal in Baldur’s Gate 3, he will hand over the Orphic Hammer to you in exchange for the Crown of Karsus, which you will obtain later in the game. He will also make you sign the contract and keep it hidden.
If you are planning on keeping your end of the bargain, you will get an alternate ending where you will kill the elder brain and hand over the Crown of Karsus to Raphael and end up angering the Emperor in the process. This is an anarchic ending and a totally undesirable outcome for many.
Don’t worry, as you can always break this deal by meeting Helsik inside Devil’s Fee. She will open a portal for you to enter the House of Hope, from where you can steal your contract. However, this will result in you fighting and defeating Raphael to make your escape.
What happens if you refuse Raphael’s deal
Raphael refuses to hand over the Orphic Hammer, the means of freeing Prince Orpheus. This path typically means having to either sacrifice one of your teammates, or your own character or give the nether stones to The Emperor. The emperor will be happy, and Raphael won’t get the final laugh by obtaining the Crown of Karsus.
However, all is not lost. You can still obtain the Orphic Hammer by infiltrating the House of Hope via the Devil’s Fee portal with the help of Helsik. Make sure to prepare aptly, as the devil won’t let you leave his house that easily.
Or you can simply revisit Sharess’ Caress brothel any time before the end game and make a deal with Raphael.
So, make a Deal with the devil or not?
Ultimately, the choice falls on whether you’d prefer to go the anarchy route or the paragon route. Personally, I would say it’s best to accept Raphael’s deal initially in Baldur’s Gate 3. Your party members will not approve. However, unbeknownst to them, you’re playing the long con here by opting not to follow through with the deal to the end while reaping all the benefits.
You may wrestle with a personal ethical dilemma here, but in my opinion, committing a minor evil against a major evil isn’t bad at all, especially when you consider his plans. You can cancel the deal midway after getting the Orphic hammer.
If you don’t plan on honoring your end of the bargain, once Raphael gives you the Orphic Hammer, you can go to the House of Hope and steal your contract to destroy it. Alternatively, you can outright refuse Raphael’s deal and simply steal the hammer from the House of Hope.
