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Discover all of the options and outcomes to decide if you should side with He Who Was or Madeline in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3).
In Baldur’s Gate 3, the choices you make can dramatically shape your journey, especially when it comes to characters who challenge your moral compass and test your alliances. Not all choices will impact the main story, but can still reflect on who your character is and how they relate to their companions. One such dilemma presents itself between He Who Was, a mysterious figure in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, and Madeline, a former barkeep who died before facing justice for her crimes.
Each brings unique perspectives and motivations, creating a complex decision for players. Should you side with He Who Was and embrace the allure of his enigmatic power, or align with Madeline, and save her from punishment beyond the grave? The following guide covers all the details of the choices you can make, and the outcomes and potential consequences of siding with He Who Was or Madeline in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Should You Side with He Who Was or Madeline Quest Overview
Your choice of whether to side with He Who Was or Madeline in BG3 will depend on how you are roleplaying your character, as well as consideration of the possible reward at the end of the quest. The choice to side with He Who Was and punish Madeline, or forgive Madeline and anger He Who Was is a morally complex one.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, the Punish the Wicked quest will begin when you first come across He Who Was on the east side of the Ruined Battlefield during Act 2. Madeline, as you will quickly discover, is already dead. However, He Who Was believes that justice has not been done and he feels she should be punished further for her crimes.
Speak to him at the ritual circle and he will charge you with finding irrefutable evidence of Madeline’s crimes.
How to Complete Punish the Wicked in Baldur’s Gate 3
After receiving the Punish the Wicked quest from He Who Was in the Ruined Battlefield, you’ll be told to travel to The Waning Moon to find Madeline’s Ledger. The Waning Moon is a distillery on the west side of Reithwin Town. The first time you arrive you will meet Thisobald Thorm, who you’ll have to deal with by either passing multiple checks in a drinking game or fighting outright.
Then, look for a Loose Plank in the floorboards of the bar. One of your party members will have to pass a Perception check for you to see it. Interact with the plank and you’ll pull out Madeline’s Ledger. Reading the Ledger will reveal Madeline’s betrayal of her friends.
Finally, with Madeline’s Ledger in hand, you can return to He Who Was at the same location in the Ruined Battlefield. This is the point where you will have to make your decision regarding whether to side with He Who Was or Madeline in BG3.
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What Happens if You Side with He Who Was in BG3?
If you side with He Who Was during the Punish the Wicked quest in Baldur’s Gate 3, then at the end you will receive some gold and the Raven Gloves gear piece. Raven Gloves grants the wearer the ability to cast the Summon Quothe the Raven spell once per Short Rest. This summoned ally has a class action that can Blind enemies with its beak. The raven’s HP will be low. However, the enemy who kills it will have to succeed in a Dexterity Saving Throw or become Ensnared.
To side with He Who Was in the Punish the Wicked quest you must accomplish one of the following tasks:
- Call Madeline a coward during your conversation with her spirit.
- Convince Madeline to stab herself in punishment once.
While He Who Was feels that just calling Madeline a coward is not much punishment, he will still be satisfied enough to reward you with the Gloves. Additionally, if you convince Madeline to stab herself two times, the He Who Was becomes angry. This will be a step too far for him, and he will become hostile. After killing him, you will still be able to loot the Raven Gloves from his body.
However, if you kill him before the quest completion, then you cannot loot the Raven Gloves from him.
What Happens if You Side with Madeline in BG3?
Siding with Madeline during the Punish the Wicked quest means that you choose a Persuasion option that grants her forgiveness and understanding. The consequences of doing so are that you will allow her spirit to move on in peace. He Who Was will become enraged at this, however. He will immediately attack you and you’ll be forced to kill him and his raven in self-defense.
There are no other rewards for siding with Madeline in Baldur’s Gate 3. As Madeline is a spirit called back into her own corpse, she cannot grant you anything rewards. You can loot some standard items off of He Who Was after killing him, but the unique Raven Gloves will not be there.
How Punish the Wicked Choices Affect You in BG3? Explained
The most direct way your choices between He Who Was and Madeline in Punish the Wicked will affect you is on the quest reward you receive. Additionally, for those who take roleplaying and character choices seriously, this can be a more challenging decision to make. The kinder choice of forgiving Madeline does not grant you any material rewards. On the other hand, you might feel righteous in dealing out justice to a traitor.
Significantly, this choice can also have more direct consequences for two specific Paladin subclasses. All Paladins take an Oath when they select a subclass and if they violate these oaths, then they become Oathbreakers. When this happens, the Oathbreaker Knight will appear the next time you rest at camp.
Here are the Paladin oaths that can be broken during Punish the Wicked:
- Oath of Devotion and Oath of the Ancients: Choose to make Madeline stab herself, or call her a coward
- Oath of Vengeance: Forgive Madeline, prevent her from stabbing herself, or attack He Who Was before the ritual starts
What to Choose between He Who Was and Madeline in BG3 And Why?
If you are roleplaying a kind character who believes in Madeline’s regret and sorrow, then you should forgive her in Punish the Wicked. On the other hand, if you are playing a righteous or even evil character who delights in suffering, then you should side with He Who Was and punish her.
The choice you make in Punish the Wicked is more about roleplaying or what you think is right. Forgiving Madeline will mean that you don’t receive any rewards. However, the Raven Gloves are not a highly desirable piece of armor. As a gear piece, they might make sense for a Druid character who likes to summon animal allies. But in the grand scheme of the game, there are much better gloves for all builds to wear. Therefore, the Raven Gloves may not factor highly into your decision.
FAQs about He Who Was in Baldur’s Gate 3
Q1: Where can you encounter He Who Was in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Answer: You can find He Who Was after entering the Shadow-Cursed Lands during Act 2, on the east side of the Ruined Battlefield at coordinates X: 128, Y: 110.
Q2: What role does He Who Was play in the story?
Answer: He Who Was does not play a role in the larger story of Baldur’s Gate 3, where you are fighting against the Absolute cultists and the Elder Brain. He Who Was is a shadar-kai servant of the Raven Queen. However, he has his own agenda for the punishment he seeks to inflict on Madaline. The choice you make in the Punish the Wicked quests will not affect the larger narrative. But will reflect on the morality of your character.
Q3: What happens if you choose to align with He Who Was?
Answer: If you side with He Who Was and punish Madeline for her crimes in BG3, then you will be rewarded with the Raven Gloves gear piece. Wearing them allows the user to summon a Raven ally once per Short Rest.
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