Baldur's Gate 3 has made a big splash on the RPG gaming scene with its Full Release. The character customization, compelling narrative, and entertaining romanceable characters are getting rave reviews. However, some players are confused about how to access a couple of the game's most eagerly awaited features.
One such feature, the included Oathbreaker Paladin subclass, is not immediately available at character selection because you must make in-game choices to unlock it. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to unlock and play the Oathbreaker Paladin, and how to return to a regular Paladin Oath should you change your mind.
Updated by Abigail Angell on August 16th, 2023: To better explain the process of reclaiming your paladin oath, a video clip showing the process was added. In addition, a small correction has been made to the size of the fee for reclaiming your oath.
How To Become An Oathbreaker Paladin
In order to become an Oathbreaker Paladin, you'll need to:
- Create and play a paladin character of any oath (some are easier than others, more on that later).
- Choose options in choice-based dialogue cinematics that directly oppose your Oath's tenants.
- Repeat until your character falls, at which point they will become an Oathbreaker. You may need to make several decisions against your oath to trigger the turn.
The exact method to do this will vary based on which oath you've chosen, so let's discuss which is the best pick to transition into the Oathbreaker.
Which Oath Is The Best To Become An Oathbreaker?
The most straightforward oath for players to break is the Oath of Devotion. To break an Oath of Devotion, the easiest way is to attack enemies you've convinced to lay down their arms, such as guards that try to apprehend you for stealing. A guaranteed way to break Oath of Devotion is to attack the Tieflings who imprison Lae'zel after convincing them to leave in Act One.
However, Oath of the Ancients is also fairly easy and is a stronger subclass for you to play with in the meantime. Oath of Ancients Paladins protect nature and helpless beings, so you can effectively break that oath by attacking non-hostile Wildlife or supporting the creation of undead. For a guaranteed Oath Break, you can attack or betray the Druid Grove in Act One.
Why Play An Oathbreaker?
Oathbreaker Paladins are one of the strongest in the game due to their ability to mess with the game's action economy. Oathbreakers can control, and later even raise Undead Minions. These minions then take their own turns in combat, much like the Intellect Devourer Us in the Prologue.
This means that players can effectively stack the odds in their favor by always having more actions than the enemy. This is a perennial problem in turn-based combat systems - having more turns per round than the enemy is always broken.
How To Recover Your Paladin Oath
If at any point you get tired of playing the strongest Paladin Oath in the game, you can return to your previous one by paying a fee and giving a reason. To do so, seek out the Oathbreaker Knight NPC in your Camp. Speaking to him will give you the option to buy back your Oath, but it will cost you a hefty sum. Players who want to earn their oath back must pay 1000 gold for the privilege of breaking the rules without consequences.