Summary
Thecritically acclaimed RPGand 2023’s Game of the Year,Baldur’s Gate 3has gained a lot of love for its transfer ofDungeons and Dragonsmechanics into a video game format. It also takes its lore and the overall tone from the classic tabletop game. One element that it doesn’t notably use, however, is the concept of alignment.
InDnD,alignment is used to describe a character’s overall personality regarding order versus chaos and good versus evil. It’s such a simple way of defining character traits that it is often applied to other media. Lawful good usually depicts an archetypal hero, who strives to uphold concepts of justice and fairness for the betterment of society.
1Scratch
Loyal And Sweet-Natured Companion
As a beloved animal companion, is there anything more lawful good than a dog? Scratch is the little white dog that players find in the woods in Act One. His owner has been killed by gnolls, but Scratch refuses to leave his companion’s side until he’s sure they’re not coming back.
Thankfully, he can find a new home in the camp, where he loyally obeys and stands by his new companions. This sweet-natured dog displays the characteristic unwavering loyalty of a lawful good character.
2Barcus Wroot
Compassionate Gnome With A Strong Sense Of Duty
This humble little gnome is perhaps the most normal depiction of a lawful good personality. He doesn’t have any political power (or physical power, for that matter), and he doesn’t accomplish any outstanding feats of heroics,more often than not needing rescuingwhen players encounter him.
But Barcus undoubtedly has a strong moral compass and a sense of what is right and wrong. His whole quest centers around his mission to rescue his friend, Wulbren, despite not being a competent adventurer by any means. What he lacks in strength, he makes up for in compassion and a sense of duty.
3Isobel
Keeper Of The Peace In The Shadow-Cursed Lands
Ironically, Last Light’s cleric of Selune seems a lot less chaotic than her angelic girlfriend, Dame Aylin. She is more reserved than her partner, has a strong sense of duty to protect the peace, and has a visceral respect for order.
Players who take a peek at Isobel’s diary will find that she is disgusted about being brought back from the dead by her villainous father, Ketheric Thorm, stating that she should never have come back and that there are some things her goddess shouldn’t accept in her faithful. Isobel seems distraught about her continued existence disrupting the natural order but makes up for it by protecting the peace in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
4Liam
Protects The Druid’s Grove While Enduring Goblin Torture
Although he’s quite a minor character, Liam’s brief interactions suggest he is as lawful good as they come. Liam is one of the adventurers who go with Halsin to search for the truth about Moonrise. When the group is attacked by goblins, the other adventurers flee, while Liam and Halsin throw themselves into the battle.
Ultimately taken hostage by the goblins, Liam never once disclosed the location of the Druid Grove, despite being subjected to excruciating torture. His personal code is so strong that he continues to protect others even as he suffers for them. Of course, that can go out the window if the player gets involved.
5Counsellor Florrick
Compassionate Advisor And Long-Time Family Friend
Oftentimes, the best examples of lawful good characters are those in political positions who strive to make a positive impact. This can definitely be applied to Counsellor Florrick, the advisor to Duke Ravengard.
While aiming to uphold the law in Baldur’s Gate, she also demonstrates that she is a compassionate and otherwise good character. If the player questions Wyll, Ravengard’s son, about Florrick’s loyalty, he states multiple occasions when Florrick proved herself to be a loyal protector and friend to their family, and she upholds this throughout the game.
6Duke Ravengard
Benevolent Leader And Voice Of The People
Leading on from his advisor, it is only fair that Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard is mentioned. As Grand Duke of Baldur’s Gate, Ravengard naturally has a lot of political power. As much as his son, Wyll, discusses his father’s hesitance to play politics, he does the job well and is very committed to it.
He is presented as a voice of the people, acting for the benefit of those under his care. Unfortunately, his position of power and trust is abused by the cult of the Absolute, butplayers can still save the Dukefrom his terrible fate.
7Orpheus
Lives And Dies By His Fight For Freedom
This githyanki prince is tricky to define, as he is a unique character who doesn’t come into play much until the start of Act Three when it becomes clear that he is the force unwillingly protecting the party from the influence of the Absolute. However, if players back Orpheus, he proves himself to be a principled and altruistic character. After all, he wants to free the githyankifrom Vlaakith’s tyrannical reignand put a stop to the Absolute.
He has so much faith in his principles that he is even willing to become a mindflayer, the greatest abomination in his eyes, to put a stop toThe Grand Design. He then takes his commitment a step further, being prepared to take his own life to avoid existing as a mindflayer unless players convince him that he can still make a positive difference.
8Ansur
Compassionate Friend And City Protector
Having even less interaction than Orpheus, Ansur is another mysterious character. Beneath Wyrm’s Crossingin a very hidden room, lies the skeletal body of Ansur, the bronze dragon companion of Balduran. Bronze dragons tend to be lawful good, and Ansur seems to continue this trend.
In life, he tried everything to help his friend, Balduran, when they were plagued with a mindflayer tadpole. After exhausting all possibilities, Ansur tried to mercy kill his friend, who killed Ansur instead. Now the dragon’s spirit continues to defend Baldur’s Gate, including from the Emperor, his old mindflayer friend.
9Withers
Keeper Of Fate With A Soft Spot For Heroes
By all accounts, the passive sentient skeleton, Withers, who stays in the camp and lets players change their class and resurrect allies, should be lawful neutral. After all, he seems to be in charge of maintaining balance and order in the universe and claims to be an impartial figure. In reality, Withers is far from neutral!
He disapproves of evil behavior, actively punishing characters in the epilogue if they kill their allies. He encourages players to be heroic and save Faerun from a terrible fate. Perhaps most telling, he rewards a Dark Urge who fights their evil heritage by rewriting fate to save their soul.
10Wyll
Classic Hero Beholden To Strict Codes
Thewarlock companion character, Wyll, is very much a chip off the old block! Like Duke Ravengard, Wyll was raised with a strong sense of justice. He strives to protect the downtrodden, root out evil, and counter corruption.
While his warlock pact adds an interesting twist, forcing him into less than scrupulous company, it almost seems to showcase his lawful good attitude further. While it is a much less ethical code, he is still beholdentoa code, and balancing his morals with his duty is a large part of Wyll’s character and development.
