Baldur's Gate 3: Should You Help He Who Was? (2024)

Helping He Who Was in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a major dilemma, as there are both pros and cons to aiding the mysterious character. He Who Was is a shadar-kai elf who practices the gloom weaving arts. He is, essentially, a necromancer of sorts, who thinks of himself as a judge and a paragon of righteousness. The character appears for the first time during Act 2 of the game, provided that players explore a sufficient amount of the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Approaching him will trigger a special side quest called “Punish the Wicked,” which will prompt players to make a difficult decision, especially considering the rewards that can be obtained.

[This article contains several spoilers about events that take place in Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3.]

The “Punish the Wicked” quest is one that can contribute to an evil playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3, as it focuses exclusively on morally objectionable choices and how players react to them. Depending on what the player’s focus is, this may be a grand opportunity to further deepen their roleplaying experience. After meeting He Who Was, the character will explain his purpose while standing next to the corpse of a character named Madeline, and request that players find her personal ledger at the distillery where she worked.

What He Who Was Wants From The Party In Baldur’s Gate 3

BG3's "Punish The Wicked" Explained

Simply put, He Who Was wants to punish Madeline for her misdeeds. The deceased character used to keep a ledger in the distillery, but it wasn't full of drink inventory and unpaid tabs: Madeline would document her patrons’ complaints about Ketheric Thorm’s rule over the land. A Dark Justiciar required Madeline to keep the ledger, then, on gathering the information within, forced two of the offending patrons to stab each other. As such, He Who Was sees Madeline as the one responsible for their deaths, and wants to punish her.

Players need to get through Thisobald Thorm in the Waning Moon through one method or another and then reclaim the item to return to He Who Was. This can be done in one of two ways: either by drinking him under the table through a series of Constitution saving throws (or merely pretending to through Sleight of Hand Checks), or by fighting him outright. Once the party brings the ledger back, He Who Was will then use his body as an avatar so that Madeline can speak through him once again. He Who Was asks the player to help torture her so that she can pay for her crimes.

However, throughout the conversation with Madeline in the “Punish the Wicked” side quest, players will discover that Madeline was just following orders and did not mean for her patrons to be killed. In fact, she reiterates that the Dark Justiciar claimed they’d only have a conversation with the offending parties, not make them kill each other. She fled in fear for her own life and she deeply regrets the entire situation. This is where players can make the choice of either aiding He Who Was or forgiving Madeline in Baldur’s Gate 3, further torturing this already tormented soul, or helping soothe her own pain so that she may rest in peace.

Pros & Cons Of Helping He Who Was In Baldur’s Gate 3

Rewards For "Punish The Wicked"

Helping He Who Was is a morally objectionable decision in Baldur’s Gate 3, as Madeline clearly repents her actions and feels honest guilt about the death of her patrons. If players choose to punish her, they will be leaning into a darker side of their characters. Nevertheless, helping the mysterious elf is the way to get the best rewards from the “Punish the Wicked” quest. By aiding He Who Was, players will be gifted Gold and a special item called Raven Gloves. This piece of gear enables them to summon Quothe the Raven, an exclusive familiar to help in fights and exploration. This is the only known way of getting Raven Gloves, but Quothe can still be summoned through other uses of the find familiar spell.

Players can help He Who Was by making Madeline feel guilty, or by physically harming her while He Who Was is channeling her spirit. The easiest way of doing this is by listening to her tale and then calling her a coward for her actions. Alternatively, the party can convince her to stab herself. Either option requires passing a Persuasion check, however. If successful, she will agree and further dwell in sorrow. This will please He Who Was, who will gift them with the aforementioned gloves. This is also a great way of breaking a Paladin’s Oath in Baldur’s Gate 3, if the player seeks to do so. Although inclined towards evil, helping He Who Was is the most beneficial choice in terms of rewards.

Helping He Who Was may also affect the player’s reputation with certain companions in Baldur’s Gate 3. Shadowheart, Astarion, and Lae'zel disapprove of calling Madeline a coward, preferring the more extreme stabbing option. It only makes sense: Shadowheart, a Sharran cleric herself, obviously sides with the Dark Justiciar in this situation. Astarion is grappling with his own internal guilt over following Cazador's orders, so insulting Madeline for doing the same strikes a nerve with him. Lae'zel prides herself on her sense of duty. All other companions, however, approve of this option and disapprove of the stabbing.

Pros & Cons Of Refusing To Help He Who Was In Baldur’s Gate 3

Siding With Madeline In "Punish The Wicked"

There are a few ways of refusing to help He Who Was, and that may or may not include siding with Madeline. The first and most straightforward option is to simply refuse to help He Who Was on first meeting him. Doing this is the best way of getting the desired result: He Who Was will attack the party almost immediately. But it does not deepen the player’s understanding of Madeline’s story in Baldur’s Gate 3, and, while they can still meet Thisobald Thorm and explore the Waning Moon, they'll miss out on an important part of the Shadow-Cursed Lands' story.

The second method of refusing to help him is to exempt Madeline from her guilt, saying that she was not responsible for her patrons’ deaths. This also requires a Persuasion check. If players fail, they will technically still have helped He Who Was, and he will reward them. If they pass the check, however, they will have successfully sided with Madeline and refused to help He Who Was. This is the most virtuous of choices for a good-aligned playthrough: Madeline has undeniably done wrong, but her death is punishment enough. Karlach, Gale, Halsin, and Wyll approve of this choice, resulting in a slight affinity gain. Forgiving Madeline will, however, displease He Who Was, making him and his raven attack the player and their party.

The last way of refusing to help He Who Was is the most curious of them. Players can convince Madeline to stab herself in the body of He Who Was. The first time she does this, He Who Was accepts it as a punishment. But if they convince her to continue (requiring a second Persuasion check), He Who Was begins to feel the pain and snaps out of his channeling state immediately. This torments Madeline, but ultimately displeases He Who Was, as his body takes a beating. Making him stab himself will also force a battle with him in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, this option isn't necessarily recommended, as it combines the worst of both possible options.

If players return to him with the ledger and choose not to help He Who Was by any means, they will end up fighting the character and his pet raven. It's far from the hardest battle in Baldur's Gate 3. The best advice is to try and keep the raven down: just like the summoned version, Quothe, He Who Was' raven can blind party members by using Rend Vision, which can seriously impact their overall damage output. He Who Was will attempt to inflict other status effects, like Bane, Confusion, and Fear. He'll also turn himself invisible, so this is a good time to use see invisibility (or a scroll thereof) if a party member has it available.

Attacking He Who Was will also block them from receiving the Raven Gloves, as this item is not part of the loot pool on his body. He Who Was has very bad loot, including a random spell scroll and a note urging him to return to the Shadowfell. Ultimately, there are more material benefits to helping He Who Was than sticking with Madeline, even if that is a vile and wicked choice to make. But forgiving Madeline is the kinder choice overall. The correct choice is whatever makes the most sense for the player character in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3

Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur's Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.

Franchise

Baldur's Gate

Platform(s)

PC , Stadia , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Publisher(s)

Larian Studios

Genre(s)

RPG

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

How Long To Beat

30 Hours

Metascore

96

Split Screen Orientation

Vertical Only

Number of Players

1-4

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Local Co-Op Support

1-2 Players