Baldur’s Gate 3has some great villains, and it’s undeniable that Ketheric absolutely stole the show in Act Two. Despite this, with a lot of content having to be cut short, it seems like a lot of the story surrounding the other two chosen of the Dead Three didn’t end up in the final game. One example being that Orin was originally going to show up in the githyanki crèche for an exclusive three-way battle.
With this in mind,a lot of players become disillusioned once they reach Act Three, and many people have a habit of constantly restarting the game before the final battles. However, there’s one small change that would help one ofBG3’s final villains be all the more terrifying and keep fans engaged in the narrative.
Orin’s Kidnapping Isn’t As Impactful As It Should Be
It Feels Less Tense When You’ve Already Experienced It Once
In Act Three,Orin will kidnap one of your party members, and Gortash will reveal that she has been impersonating one of them.The first time you experience this is usually really exciting.Realizing that anyone in your camp could be an impostor and trying to pick out any clues that hint at someone not being what they seem adds a fun mystery on top of the existing plot.
Orin’s Victim Priority Order
Sadly, the intrigue wears off after your first playthrough, even though this quest is set up to be different from campaign to campaign. It’s not too hard to figure out thatthere’s a pattern when it comes to Orin’s abduction. Only one of four companions can be kidnapped, and they can’t be in the party or romanced. The priority order starts with Lae’zel, then ends with Yenna as a failsafe.
Once You Figure Out The Pattern, It Ruins The Mystery
Allowing Other Companions To Be Victims Could Benefit The Story
The main issue with how Orin’s kidnapping is conducted is how predictable it is.Once you realize that she’ll only choose from a small pool of companions who aren’t in your party, you can predict or manipulate which companion will be taken.
Lots ofBaldur’s Gate 3players tend to stick with the same party throughout a campaign, and won’t get as attached to the characters they aren’t traveling with. It does make sense that Larian wouldn’t want you to lose a party member, butit feels odd that someone as ruthless and attentive as Orin wouldn’t target someone who is close to the player,particularly if they’re playing as aredeemed Dark Urge.
Orin’s kidnapping could be a lot more intense if it were truly random(aside from characters in your party) or based on thecompanion in camp with the highest approval.Having your Tav possibly need to save their lover as part of the main quest would add a much needed sense of urgency, and make for some more compelling stories.
Yenna also has a lot of unused potential.Even if she does end up being the failsafe, she doesn’t have much of a cohesive character, so players don’t have an awful lot of incentive to care about her.Giving Yenna more of an established story or presence in the game could make her kidnapping a lot more emotional,instead of relying on the shock value of having poor Grub be skewered.
Having someone likeScratch or the Owlbear cubbe abducted wouldn’t be an inconvenience gameplay-wise, but would certainly motivate players to rescue them as soon as possible.Though perhaps even Orin the Red won’t stoop to that level.
If BG3 Got A Sequel, It Shouldn’t Be Afraid To Make Things Difficult For The Player
Some Stakes Are Needed For A Good Story
IfBG3ever gets a sequel,the next game in theBaldur’s Gateseries shouldn’t be afraid of raising the stakes.
As the first in the priority line-up,Lae’zel is the most common character for Orin to kidnap. Unfortunately, there’s a lot less love for Lae’zel among the fanbase compared to characters like Astarion and Shadowheart.
If either of them were possible victims, players would be absolutely devastated and do whatever they could to retrieve them. Admittedly, the pool consisting of characters like Lae’zel, Minthara, and Halsin is likely due to them not having much business in the final act, but I’d argue thatit’s underwhelming not to have a reason to want to save them.
For example,wanting to help Astarion defeat Cazador would give players much more drive to free him compared to Halsin,who has already finished his storyline. Having Karlach be abducted could prompt the player tofight Orin and Gortash in a different orderthan what they may normally be used to, which would allow them to experience new content.
Even after completing both the Gortash and Orin fight, you can still tie up any loose ends, so this hypothetically shouldn’t be a problem.Orin claims that she’ll kill her hostage if the player doesn’t reach her quickly, but you can actually take as much time as you want - because of this, players often just leave Orin’s victim to sit with her.
With all that being said, Orin is still one of my favorite characters in the entire game. I love that Larian decided to explore the idea of a changeling villain, and her design and voice acting are phenomenal. I simply wish we were able to see her make more of an impact on the player, especially since she’s one of the main characters thatcarries on the legacy of the Bhaalspawn SagainBaldur’s Gate 3.
