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The Murder Tribunal offers you the means to tread a new bloody path. Should you choose to become an unholy assassin in Baldur’s Gate 3?
With the climax of Act 2 and the bridging cutscenes that bring you into Act 3, you should have a pretty strong grasp of the stakes of the conflict and the major players taking part. There are a lot of revelations at this pivotal turning point of the game, but Baldur’s Gate 3 still hasn’t shown you all of its cards yet. In an unexpected twist, your search for Orin the Red will eventually bring you to the Murder Tribunal. There, the presiding judge will offer you the chance to become an unholy assassin. What are the consequences of this choice? Are the benefits worth the cost?
Significantly, you do NOT have to be playing a Dark Urge origin character to have this option. Any player character or origin can potentially become an unholy assassin. Consequently, this post will contain some major spoilers for late Act 3 of Baldur’s Gate 3! It will also include information about how this quest can impact endings and companion relationships.
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Finding the Murder Tribunal in Baldur’s Gate 3
Finding the Murder Tribunal in Baldur’s Gate 3 starts with your search for Orin the Red. Therefore, there are two different ways you can approach this:
- Attack and defeat Gortash first
- Orin will willingly give you the password and location for finding the Murder Tribunal
- Follow the quest called Investigate the Murders
- Start this quest by visiting the Open Hand Temple in Rivington
- When completed, you will receive the same password and location
Both of these paths present their own challenges. The Investigate the Murders questline can be time-consuming, with a lot of back-and-forth as you investigate different clues and warn potential future victims. It does take you all around the city, which can be good for exploring, however.
On the other hand, defeating Gortash is a more clear-cut goal. Moreover, it’s something that you will have to do anyway in order to claim his netherstone. However, most players will likely want to go through the process of shutting down the Steel Watch by visiting the Steel Watch Foundry. This, in turn, can necessitate a visit to the Iron Throne to save the Gondian hostages.
Therefore, your mileage may vary on which path is shorter. No matter which choice you make, once you have the password in hand, you will need to pay a visit to Candulhallow’s Tombstones. This establishment is located to the northwest of the Basilisk Gate waypoint where you first enter the city. Lock-pick your way past the front door, and head to the far back office.
Next, remove the ‘Butterfly on Skull’ painting from the wall and press the button to reveal a secret door. Interact with the door and give it the password (Sicarius). This will let you into a small underground area that leads directly to the Murder Tribunal.
Choosing to Become an Unholy Assassin in Baldur’s Gate 3
You will get the choice to become an unholy assassin in Baldur’s Gate 3 when you approach the final judge, Sarevok Anchev. First, you’ll need to prove your worthiness to the guards at the gate. You can do this by either presenting the hand of someone you have killed or by killing the guards themselves. We recommend the later course of action because it can net you some good gear including Blackguard’s Plate. Focus on using ranged ice attacks (arrows and spells) for crowd control and powerful DPS spells on these very tanky Deathknights.
Within the ‘courtroom’ beyond you’ll find Bhaalspawn Sarevok Anchev presiding, along with three ‘Echoes’, or ghosts of former high-ranking Bhaal cultists. Sarevok will summon the shade of one of your victims and will ask you to describe how they were slain. If you did the deed, you can answer honestly. If not, they were will be some deception dialogue choices you can try. However, be careful because if you insist the details don’t matter or it was honorable combat, these replies will make him hostile towards you.
If Sarevok is satisfied with your reply, he will then lead you into the Dread Lord’s Abattoir for your final test. Investigator Valeria is there, chained to a central platform. To become an Unholy Assassin of Bhaal, you must choose to kill the hollyphant.
Consequences of Becoming an Unholy Assassin in Baldur’s Gate 3
The consequences of becoming an unholy assassin of Bhaal in Baldur’s Gate 3 include gaining a new merchant, unlocking an achievement, and possibly losing certain companions. First is the new merchant the Echo of Abazigal, who will appear in the courtroom only after you have killed Valeria and been baptized as an unholy assassin. This former bhaalspawn has some great gear pieces in his inventory, and they are only available if you become an assassin for Bhaal.
The Echo of Abazigal merchant inventory includes:
- Assassin of Bhaal Cowl – Initiative bonus and See Invisibility spell
- Bhaalist Armour – Initiative bonus and Aura of Murder passive
- Bhaalist Gloves – Gain the Garrotte action
- Fleshrender – Part the Flesh weapon action
- Vicious Battleaxe – Deal extra damage on Critical Hit
- Vicious Shortbow – Deal extra damage on Critical Hit
Next, you will also unlock a hidden achievement called Murder in Baldur’s Gate. The description states ” Coat the streets of Baldur’s Gate in blood – become an Unholy Assassin of Bhaal.” However, you do not have to go around murdering people in the streets. All it takes to unlock Murder in Baldur’s Gate is to complete the baptism in the pool of blood.
Companions Reactions After Choosing to Become an Unholy Assassin
Finally, the biggest negative impact of your choice to become an unholy assassin of Bhaal is the possibility of losing Jaheira and Minsc as companions. If you want to attempt to prevent this then it’s incredibly important that you don’t have either in the party when you go to the Murder Tribunal. Sarevok will recognize them and call you out. To follow through, you’ll have to either kill them or convince them to bend the knee to Bhaal.
Moreover, even if they are not there, they may still leave the party. Jaheira in particular may stay if you have her approval high enough. However, it can be difficult to raise Minsc’s approval, given that he is recruited so late in the game.
If you want to become an unholy assassin, it’s probably best to bring companions who are either like-minded or neutral to the idea. Astarion, Lae’zel, and Minthara would all make good choices for such a party. Additionally, if she’s stayed loyal to Shar, then Shadowheart could make a good option here, as well.
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