The Slayer form has returned in Baldur’s Gate 3 but is unavailable from the start. The Slayer Form debuted in Baldur’s Gate 2, as the protagonist of the game is a Bhaalspawn, one of the many children of Bhaal. The game’s protagonist gained the Slayer Form when their soul was stolen, and divine darkness rushed in to fill the void. The Slayer Form was incredibly powerful in that game, but the player lost control of the character, so it was incredibly risky to use. Here’s how to unlock the Slayer Form in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s: How to Unlock the Slayer Form in Act II
To unlock the Slayer form in Baldur’s Gate 3, you must take the Dark Urge origin at character creation. Then you’ll have to do a series of tasks for Sceleritas Fel, eventually killing Isobel after rescuing her. After you take a long rest, Sceleritas Fel will grant you the Slayer form.
The Dark Urge origin is where your character is filled with a desire to commit murder and inflict grievous wounds on people. You can resist the dark side, but diving into the pool and embracing a truly evil character is much more fun.
As you progress through the Dark Urge storyline, you will eventually murder Isobel. When that happens, embrace the deed as much as possible, and you’ll be visited at night by a mysterious man named Sceleritas Fel, who will reward you for your actions with a magic cloak called the Deathstalker Mantle.
Full Walkthrough for Acquiring the Slayer Form in Act 2
Once you travel through the Underdark route in Act 2, you will visit the Last Light Inn, protected by a priestess named Isobel. When you first meet Isobel, someone will try and capture her, and a battle will ensue. While difficult, it is possible to save Isobel.
After Isobel is saved, you will be visited by Sceleritas Fel, who will ask you to kill her. This is no easy task, as slaying Isobel will lead to her barrier Shattering and the Harpers in the Last Light Inn being cursed and turned into monsters. As such, save your game and take a Long Rest before attempting this task.
Luckily, you do have other options, as Sceleritas Fel will also ask you to kill your lover or, failing that, your closest companion. Killing Isobel might be more worthwhile, depending on how important this other character is to you.
Once you kill Isobel and defeat the enemies in the Last Light Inn or slay the chosen target given by Sceleritas Fel, visit the camp and take a Long Rest. You will be visited by Sceleritas Fel again, who will reward you with the Slayer form.
Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Unlock the Slayer Form in Act III
If the player ignores all the demands made in Act II, they can still unlock the Slayer Form in Act III. However, it happens near the end of the game and won’t be as useful to the player, as they will likely have hit the max level and already be prepared for the final gauntlet of bosses.
Once the player tracks Orin the Red down to the Temple of Bhaal, the Dark Urge Origin character will have their memories restored. They will have the chance to challenge Orin as the true champion of Bhaal. When prompted, select “Show Orin the splendor of Bhaal’s favourite: Call upon the Slayer.”
The Dark Urge will transform into the Slayer, where they face Orin in a duel. If the player wins this battle, they will become Bhaal’s new chosen, retaining the power of the Slayer to use for the rest of the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3: How the Slayer Form Works
You can transform into the Slayer form as an Action, and it will last you next take a Long Rest, are dropped to zero hit points, or dismiss the form. The immediate benefit of this form is that it bumps your hit points up to 98, making you hard to kill, and like a Druid’s Wild Shape, you return to your original hit point count if the Slayer is killed. You also gain several unique attacks:
- Multiattack: Perform multiple regular attacks on your turn.
- Slay: A powerful single attack that deals 9-29 damage.
- Sumptuous Blood Bath: An attack that can deal the Bleeding condition on enemies.
- Let The Slaughter Begin: Applies the Dazed condition to nearby enemies for one turn.
The Slayer form is powerful, but it’s not unstoppable. A group of enemies can still defeat you, as they can abuse the action economy to whittle down your hit points. One benefit of this form that wasn’t present in Baldur’s Gate 2 is that you can control it, so think of the Slayer as another part of your arsenal.
Is the Slayer Form Worth it?
No, we don’t think the Slayer Form is worth it in BG3, and we’re not alone. As many other players have said, there’s far too much setup required to do even modest damage. It is also incredibly limiting as a form. You can’t speak nor cast stuff like spells and Illithid powers. It also only works once every long rest. You also get limited attack functionality, so missing any single attack is a great waste. There are just significantly better builds and transformations to use instead, like Druid’s Owlbear form.
The Dark Urge in BG3 is a strange yet dark storyline that only experienced players should check out. We have a guide on all deranged Dark Urge impulses one can experience.
