In Baldur's Gate 3, Bards Aren't The Only Master Manipulators In The Game

Summary Fiend warlocks in BG3 can use high Charisma and unique dialogue to manipulate others in the game, rewarding their devious behavior.

Warlocks choose a Fiend as their patron in BG3, pledging their soul for powerful magic, and are bound by their patron's destructive whims.

Fiend warlocks in BG3 can manipulate characters through unique dialogue options to achieve their own goals, with help from their unseen patron.

It’s generally accepted among all Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons players that bards are the most charismatic characters and master manipulators. They have the ability to cleverly weave words together to persuade or trick others into doing whatever they wish, for better and sometimes worse. However, there is one other class that could give the bard a run for their money when it comes to sheer manipulation, especially in BG3.

[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3.]

There are several classes in BG3 that use Charisma as their primary stat alongside the bard such as noble paladins and innate spellcaster sorcerers. While this stat fuels their spells and abilities, it also comes in handy when it comes to skill checks in dialogue like Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation. But there is another class, and in particular a subclass, that has history and lore that ties into manipulating and controlling others.

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Fiend Warlocks Have Manipulative Special Dialogue Options

Warlocks with the Fiend patron can lean into their inner devious nature by using their high Charisma and unique dialogue interactions to manipulate others in Baldur’s Gate 3. There are many instances throughout BG3 where a character’s race, class, or subclass will present special dialogue options that otherwise wouldn’t be available. And for the Fiend warlock, some of these can lead to some diabolical results.

A Warlock Would Be Naturally Manipulative For Their Patrons

Warlocks in both DnD and BG3 gain their powers by forging a pact with an otherworldly being. While there are plenty to choose from in DnD, those wishing to be a warlock in BG3 will have only three subclass options. When creating a new custom character as a warlock, the subclass, in this case the patron, is chosen immediately at level one from the Great Old One, the Archfey, and the Fiend, all of whom have different expectations from their new warlock.

Warlocks who choose a fiend as their patron bind themselves to beings that usually serve more powerful entities themselves. Wyll and Mizora are a great example of this, as Wyll serves Mizora as her warlock, while Mizora serves Zariel, the Archduke of Avernus. This means that each assignment Mizora gives to Wyll doesn't just serve her own interests but those of Zariel as well, since Mizora seeks to climb the ladder of power by impressing her leader.

The in-game description for Fiend warlocks in BG3 explains that the character has pledged their soul to either the Hells or the Abyss in exchange for powerful magic. Warlocks who choose to serve a fiend are therefore bound by the destructive whims of their patrons, who own their souls. These entities are not usually good, typically falling under lawful or chaotic evil, so it stands to reason that they would reward behavior that they approve of.

A warlock using their skills to manipulate others to gain the upper hand would definitely be something a fiend patron would reward, and therefore something that their warlocks would naturally gravitate towards. This wouldn't necessarily make them bad or evil, as that would depend on their intention behind the manipulation or their overall goals. However, the warlock using their enhanced charm to manipulate people, control a situation, or bend circumstances in their favor fits well with the lore of this warlock patron.

How This Manipulation Appears In Baldur’s Gate 3

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The manipulation of a Fiend warlock manifests itself in unique dialogue options in Baldur’s Gate 3, allowing deeper roleplay within the chosen class and subclass. A great example of this can be found in Act 2, deep in the Gauntlet of Shar, where the party is looking for not only the Nightsong, but also someone Raphael has asked them to kill. This individual turns out to be Yurgir, an Orthon, who has been trapped in the Gauntlet for many years.

Yurgir will use his displacer beast, Nessa, to lure the party into an ambush where he will immediately smell that they have been in contact with Raphael. Yurgir will explain that he had a contract with Raphael to kill all the Dark Justiciars and, despite killing them all at the temple at Grymforge and in the Gauntlet, he is still unable to leave. Yurgir will recite his contract for the party, which Raphael put in the form of a song, at which point the party can either attack, try to help Yurgir, or attempt to break his contract another way.

Yurgir doesn't know that Raphael tricked him by helping the final Dark Justiciar hide, thus making the contract impossible without help from the party.

It is here that a Fiend Warlock has an interaction that other classes and races don’t have access to. Usually, Yurgir can be persuaded to kill himself after passing a series of skill checks, as the party point out that anyone who hears the song must die. First, Yurgir must be persuaded to kill his Merregon followers with a DC 16 check, then his beloved Nessa with another Persuasion check, DC 21. Then, finally, Yurgir can be persuaded to kill himself to silence the song with the last DC 21 check.

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However, Fiend warlocks can skip past all these checks with a single line of dialogue. The narrator will tell the warlock that they feel flames prickling the back of their mind as an indication that their patron wants them to help Yurgir. The warlock can then tell Yurgir that he will always hear the song and that by killing himself he will be reborn in the Hells. Then, with one DC 21 Persuasion check, a Fiend warlock can convince Yurgir to end himself.

This check is made with advantage due to help from the warlock's patron. Further abilities can help ensure success, such as the illithid power Favourable Beginnings, guidance, or items such as the Envoy's Amulet.

With Yurgir dead, the agreement between Raphael and Astarion will be fulfilled, and the party can take the umbral gem needed to unlock areas within the Gauntlet. As Nessa and the Merregons will remain alive after Yurgir dies, picking up the gem immediately afterward can sometimes cause them to become aggressive. However, after a long rest, they should be fine with the party looting as they please.

The interaction with Yurgir is a fantastic example of a Fiend warlock manipulating others for their own reasons. As the Baldur’s Gate 3 narrator indicates, the warlock’s unseen patron wants to help, but why is never clear. Obviously, helping Yurgir serves their own agenda, so it would make sense to encourage their warlock to manipulate to gain favor to gain more power. More power for the warlock means great gains for the patron, which, at the end of the day, is all these strange entities care about.