Orin the Red — Bhaal Temple
Location: Bhaal Temple inner sanctum, beneath the Lower City (accessed via the Blushing Mermaid → Undercity → Murder Tribunal).
Pre-Fight Checklist
- Long rest before entering the Murder Tribunal / Bhaal Temple.
- Heroes’ Feast + Aid — HP buffs.
- Elixir of Vigilance — Orin has high initiative. Go first.
- Bring Remove Curse scroll (Bhaal’s Edict debuff).
- Check who is the hostage — Orin kidnaps one companion: usually Lae’zel, Gale, Halsin, or Minthara (whoever isn’t in your active party). If it’s someone you need, prepare to save them.
- Persuasion route: High CHA character (Bardadin/Wyll) can talk Orin down from killing the hostage with DC 25 Persuasion. Attempt before combat.
Boss Mechanics
| Mechanic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Orin (Human form) | ~200 HP. Dual-wields Bloodthirst and Crimson Mischief. Deathbringer’s Beckoning (BA: marks target, bonus damage). Multiattack: 4 hits per turn. High AC (~22). |
| Slayer Form | Transforms at ~50% HP. ~250 HP. Gains legendary actions. AoE attacks, pounce, fear aura. Resistant to non-magical B/P/S. |
| Bhaal’s Edict | At start of combat, marks one party member. If that character doesn’t deal damage to Orin before end of their turn, they take massive Necrotic damage. Rotates every round. |
| Sanctuary | Orin can cast Sanctuary on herself as a Legendary Action, forcing you to target someone else or use AoE. |
| Hostage | A companion lies on the altar. Orin WILL kill them on round 3-4 if not stopped. Either talk her down (Persuasion DC 25), kill her before round 3, or accept the loss. |
Phase 1 — Human Form
Kill Order
- Burst Orin down to 50% — she must transform to Slayer. Damage in human form is efficient (no Slayer resistances yet).
- If hostage is present: Use Persuasion (DC 25) dialogue check. If it fails, you have until round 3-4 to kill her before the hostage dies.
- Don’t ignore Bhaal’s Edict. The marked character MUST hit Orin with something — even a Magic Missile dart counts. If no direct attack is possible, use AoE that clips her.
Tactics
| Build | Action |
|---|---|
| Bardadin | Vow of Enmity (advantage vs Orin). Slashing Flourish + max-rank Divine Smite. She’s a humanoid — Hold Person WORKS (Heightened). If paralyzed → auto-crits on melee. |
| Lae’zel | Trip Attack → prone → GWM nova. Disarming Attack removes Bloodthirst/Crimson Mischief (huge DPS reduction). Action Surge. |
| Storm Sorc | Create Water → Heightened Lightning Bolt/Witch Bolt. Or Magic Missile to strip Bhaal’s Edict stacks + build Lightning Charges. |
| Wild Magic Sorc | Heightened Hold Person (paralysis = auto-crits for melee). Fireball if Hold misses. |
| Shadowheart | Bless on Lae’zel + Bardadin. Command: Grovel (no concentration, auto-prone on fail). |
| Astarion | Sharpshooter → Arrow of Humanoid Slaying. Sneak Attack if she’s threatened by Lae’zel. |
| Karlach | Enraged Throw → auto-prone with no save. Even on a boss. 4 throws per turn with Haste/Bloodlust. |
Phase 2 — Slayer Form (≤50% HP)
Orin transforms into the Slayer of Bhaal. This is the dangerous half.
Slayer Mechanics
| Ability | Detail |
|---|---|
| Multiattack | 3-4 attacks per round. Claws deal Slashing + Necrotic. |
| Pounce | AoE leap attack, knocks Prone. STR save. |
| Legendary Action: Slayer’s Advance | Teleport + attack. Breaks your backline positioning. |
| Legendary Action: Bhaal’s Edict | Rotates the Edict mark faster. |
| Sanctuary | Legendary Action — Orin becomes untargetable. Use AoE spells (Fireball, Lightning Bolt) which ignore Sanctuary. |
| Unstoppable | In Honour Mode, the Slayer gains Unstoppable stacks (reduces damage, one stack removed per hit). Magic Missile is excellent here — each dart strips a stack. |
Tactics
- Hold Person NO LONGER WORKS. The Slayer is a Monstrosity, not Humanoid. Switch to Hold Monster (but it’s less reliable). Better: Trip Attack, Enraged Throw, Command: Grovel for prone-locking.
- Ignore Sanctuary with AoE. Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Spirit Guardians all hit through Sanctuary. Force her to waste Legendary Actions recasting it.
- Strip Unstoppable with multi-hit attacks. Magic Missile (Storm Sorc), Scorching Ray, multiple weapon attacks.
- Keep party spread out — Slayer’s Pounce and Slayer’s Advance are AoE. If clustered, she hits everyone.
Honour Mode Specifics
- Bhaal’s Edict damage is lethal. If the marked character can’t hit Orin, they take 10d10 Necrotic — enough to one-shot a sorc. Always have Magic Missile or a ranged attack ready.
- Sanctuary + Legendary Actions = frustrating. She can chain Sanctuary every round. AoE is your only reliable damage source. Keep Fireball/Chain Lightning/Lightning Bolt prepared.
- Hostage save is all-or-nothing. If you fail Persuasion and can’t kill her by round 3-4, the hostage dies permanently. In Honour Mode, this is irreversible. If you care about the hostage, prioritize Persuasion build (Bardadin Wyll with Expertise + Guidance + Bardic Inspiration).
- Unstoppable in Honour Mode makes the fight longer. Multi-hit builds (Magic Missile, dual-wield, Monk if you had one) are best. Otherwise just power through — each hit removes one stack.
Post-Fight
- Loot Orin: Bloodthirst (legendary dagger, crit range -1), Crimson Mischief (legendary shortsword), Netherstone.
- If hostage was saved: they rejoin your party (or are grateful if NPC).
- Bhaal’s cultists in the temple become neutral or flee after Orin dies.