Summary
What would you sacrifice to save those you love? The game isBaldur’s Gate 3,where you’re able to create your character or use a pre-made character with a backstory and missions dedicated to their story. Among these options, our topic is The Blade of Frontiers, Wyll Ravengard.
His playthrough is not unique compared to others, where most events happen similarly, regardless of whether he’s your companion or you’re playing as him. You can see that as a good thing because it allows you to enjoy his story as normal while having your other three favorite characters tag along, or as a bad thing due to the lack of significant changes. Still, let’s talk about these changes.
Honorable Mention: Act 2 And Renegotiating The Pact
As mentioned above, Wyll’s playthrough has moments with few changes, and they mostly consist of the game’s second act (though a bit of Act 3 is included here).
All of his big Act 2 scenes — Mizora asking for help, saving her, and meeting your father along with the baddies — are essentially the same, save for minor dialogue changes. The same goes for when you get tobreak the pactin Act 3. You do have options, don’t get us wrong, but these options are essentially the same when Wyll is your companion. It is satisfying to do these scenes as Wyll and have him earn his own freedom, though.
9Wyll’s Personality
The Blade Of Frontiers, Or The Devil’s Little Monster
Wyll is the hero archetype. He does what is right simply because it is, and he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the good of others, with his pact being the obvious evidence of that. However, whenever you play as a pre-made character, you have full control of their choices, making them an empty husk that is up to you to decide what to do.
That means that even the nicest guy Baldur’s Gate has to offer can become a villain in your hands. In fact, Wyll is a surprisingly curious character to do an evil run, as you’re able to play as someone who pretends to be a hero to get what he wants, or someone who got corrupted over the years with fiendish powers. Or you can play Wyll as he was intended to be, as he’s also a fitting character to be the main protagonist due to his personality.
8Interacting With The Children At The Grove
Encourage Them With Your Heroics
Usually, you meet Wyll when the Goblins attack the Emerald Grove, and he’s already there to protect it. Then, he’ll be inside the grove, teaching basic self-defense techniques to a few children. That will obviously change if you’re him, meaning there will be one less character during the first Goblin fight, and Wyll won’t be with the children.
Another character will be there teaching them, but you can interact, where the trainer tells you to share heroic moments from your backstory with the children to encourage them. It doesn’t add to the plot, but it’s quite wholesome.
7Mizora’s First Encounter
Popping Earlier Than Usual
Most characters — Wyll included — have a special scene early on to give you a grasp of what their personal story is about, along with a basic description after you escape the nautiloid. Aside from getting rid of the tadpole, your goal is to chase the ‘devil’ Karlach.
When you long rest as Wyll, Mizora, your patron, will appear early, showing up at camp to remind you that your priority is still hunting Karlach down. You can be nice or passive-aggressive, creating your dynamic with your patron right at the beginning.
6Encountering Karlach
Dealing With The Devil
Finding Karlach goes as it normally would, though you don’t have to convince Wyll to spare or kill her. You’re him, so you just choose your approach here. Will you kill a clearly innocent woman, or will you disobey your patron?
The conversation with Mizora about the consequences of your choice regarding Karlach also goes pretty much the same way. Still, there’s a unique dialogue in which Karlach feels bad for the sacrifice you just made for her — if you chose to do so. There’s also a funny line where you’re able to ask her how to take care of your horns' hygiene.
5Encountering Florrick
Through Florrick, you’ll find out about how Duke Ravengard was taken. She’ll tell you all about it with ease as she knows who you are. She also touches on the topic of Wyll and his father, Ulder, not being in a good place in terms of their relationship.
That leads to one of the best parts about playing as Wyll: you get to decide how he feels about his father banishing him from Baldur’s Gate. It’s a delicate situation, but you can blame Ulder if you want to.
4Dealing With The Duke
Hero Or Noble?
If you save Ulder inthe Iron Throne,you’ll have a discussion with him about the whole situation between the two of you. As mentioned, this is one of the best changes in Wyll’s story because you get to decide how to receive your father back in your life.
If all is well, he’ll claim that you should return to your life of nobility and become the next Arch-Duke of Baldur’s Gate. However, you can choose to remain an adventurer, the now Blade of Avernus, and live life as a hero. That affects how your ending will be.
3Endings
Plenty Of Options Here
Despite the main story remaining pretty much the same, Wyll has quite a few endings. First, things will change depending on whether you break the pact and then whether you choose a life of nobility or adventuring.
You can be a devil-hunter, free of your Devil or still with her, or be an Arch-Duke that may or may not still be a Devil’s puppet. All of these present interesting variations to how Wyll’s life will be from now on.
2Karlach’s Ending
Her Life Is In Your Hands
Though this isn’tKarlach’s playthrough,her fate greatly depends on Wyll. Not only do you have to spare her right at the beginning, but the only way to save her in the end is to take her to Avernus, something only Wyll can do.
Normally, Tav would be involved here, too, but since Wyll is replacing them in the story, it’s up to you to decide whether Karlach is worth a trip to Avernus. This ending is particularly wholesome if you choose to romance her as Wyll, too.
1Bonus: Class And Race
The Quintessential Warlock Experience
Wyll is a Human Warlock. Being a Human doesn’t give you any particular perk in the game, as they don’t really give you any special dialogue, and mechanic-wise, it’ll basically let you wield shields in combat and carry a bit more stuff than a non-human warlock would.
In terms of class, though, Wyll shines a lot by being Warlock. Sure, you may create your own, but then you’ll only have a nameless patron you can mention on occasion. But here, you not only get Wyll, but also Mizora, being a big part of your story and causing you lots of problems. It’s the classic Warlock plot, but it’s a fun one to go through.
