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Paladins in Baldur’s Gate 3 have Oaths that can dictate the actions or dialog options to which they must adhere for both roleplaying purposes and as a class feature. The moment you, as a Paladin, break this Oath, you open yourself up to the possibility of becoming an Oathbreaker in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Simply put, the Oathbreaker in Baldur’s Gate 3 is an entirely new and different subclass for the Paladin, which focuses on damage and Necromancy—a magical discipline Paladins usually hate, as per the D&D lore. Here’s a guide on how to become an Oathbreaker in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Important note: If you break your Oath and become an Oathbreaker, you’ll forfeit your first chosen subclass (Oath of Devotion, Vengeance, or Ancients). Withers also won’t be able to respec your character or any companion as long as they’re an Oathbreaker.
With that out of the way, there are several options for this radical path depending on which type of Oath you took.
Breaking the Oath of Devotion
Devotion Paladins are your Lawful Good Paladins and they need to obey laws and help the weak. They’re virtuous knights who are expected to rush to the defense of the needy.
That means any crime or death of an innocent under their hands will lead to their breaking their Oath. Consider performing these actions in order to break the Oath of Devotion:
- Kill a weak person (children or diseased) for no reason
- Kill the Tieflings that captured Lae’zel
- Let Sazza (the goblin prisoner) die in the Emerald Grove
- Torture Liam (the prisoner being tortured) inside the Goblin Camp
- Agree with Minthara to raid the Emerald Grove and then attack the Goblin Camp
This is one of the easiest Oaths to break; just be a typical evil brute and break promises in Act 1, and the Oathbreaker Knight will come to seek you out.
Breaking the Oath of Ancients
Ancient Paladins fight for love and nature, meaning most acts of malice will invalidate their Oath. Like Devotion Paladins, Paladins under the Oath of the Ancients need to be do-gooders to maintain their path.
Hence, the following actions will cause them to break their Oath:
- Kill an innocent
- Kill the owlbear cub in the cave along with its mother
- Free Sazza in the Emerald Grove
- Revive Mayrina’s husband using Auntie Ethel’s wand, Bitter Divorce
- Kill Pandima in Emerald Grove
Breaking the Oath of Vengeance
Vengeance Paladins are trickier since their tenets are in the grey area. They just need to seek justice or retribution for either themselves or for those who can’t exact revenge.
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The Oath entails killing any evil person or anyone who has accosted someone immediately with swift judgment– no hesitation.
For that matter, the following actions will break the Oath of Vengeance:
- Show mercy to evil enemies
- Killing innocents and refugees (though it won’t always trigger)
- Free Sazza in the Emerald Grove
- Accept Auntie Ethel’s bargain instead of killing her
A fast (but dirty) method for all Oaths
One of the surest and most reliable ways and tips to break just about all three Paladin Oaths very early in Act 1 is to:
- Look for Scratch (the white dog) north of the Blighted Village and kill him
You can either let him attack you through failed checks or just immediately attack him for a higher chance of breaking your Oath, presumably. You wanted to be an Oathbreaker so bad, huh? This is the price.
This deplorable act can break your Oath immediately, and the Oathbreaker Knight will visit shortly afterward.
Don’t forget to talk to the Oathbreaker Knight in camp
All those crimes will be for nothing if you ignore the Oathbreaker Knight, though he does make it a mission to force himself at your face right away as soon as you enter your camp.
The Oathbreaker Knight will offer to make you an Oathbreaker. Just accept the proposition, and your subclass will be changed. He will also offer repentance on the spot for 2,000 gold, allowing you to keep your Oath and subclass in case you change your mind and don’t want to be an Oathbreaker anymore.
If you broke your Oath a little later after gaining several levels, don’t worry; you’ll still retroactively obtain the subclass features and spells tied to each level.
Again, we’d like to remind you of our warning: the Oathbreaker subclass will lock you into that Oath, and Withers won’t be able to respec an Oathbreaker.
You can also seek atonement (and the ability to respec again for 1,000 gold) from the Oathbreaker Knight’s subsequent camp visits to reverse your decision, though this can sometimes bug out. So be wise with your choice.
