Baldur’s Gate 3 honor mode players have been getting softlocked thanks to Orphic Hammer mishaps
Baldur’s Gate 3’s hardest difficulty, Honor Mode, is incredibly challenging, with harder bosses, a limit of one save file, and the rule that players have to start all over again if their full party is wiped. However, players have recently found that there’s another way to get stuck in a run right near the final hurdle.
Given that players have been encountering this issue in Baldur’s Gate 3’s third act, it’s impossible to explain without touching on some spoilers. With that in mind, if you’re yet to dive into Act 3 and want to remain completely unspoiled, consider this your final spoiler warning.
Over on Reddit this week, two separate posts have been picking up traction from players who have softlocked themselves after trying to save Orpheus, but forgetting to bring the Orphic Hammer that’s required to do so. With no way to leave the area, and no backup saves to load, people have been finding themselves stuck.
User JohnFrum explained that they’d accidentally left the hammer with Karlach, who they swapped out of their party in favor of Lae’zel before heading out. “We’re in a red zone, can’t camp and The Emperor closed the gate when he left,” they wrote. “So now we’re all just stuck in here with only [our] farts for company for the rest of time, I guess.”
Earlier this week, another user had a similar experience after they gave the hammer to Shadowheart, who they left behind in camp. “The scene with Raphael when you ‘misplace’ the Orphic Hammer didn’t trigger, and if I approach Orpheus there is only one dialogue option: 1. (end). So now all that’s left to do is to pray that Larian somehow fixes this interaction,” -YeetDabMaster69- said.
The “scene with Raphael” they’re referring to is the usual failsafe that’s supposed to kick in if you accept his deal to be given the hammer in the first place, and then proceed to forget it. He mocks the player’s “feeble-minded negligence” which “almost doomed the world in the last moment,” and at that point, he’s meant to give the hammer directly back to you, making it impossible to leave behind. It’s not clear why the scene didn’t trigger for these two players.
Helpful users have also pointed out that if you’re playing the PC version of Baldur’s Gate 3 and don’t mind using mods, there is thankfully a way to put the Orphic Hammer back into your inventory if you forget it, which should resolve the situation. As with any unofficial mod, however, be cautious before installing anything.
For more games like Baldur’s Gate 3, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best RPGs, as well as the best story games.
