In Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous (WOTR), the character Hand of the Inheritor plays a dramatic role – a powerful celestial being whose fate can change depending on your choices and actions. For many players, the question becomes Can I save Hand of the Inheritor? The answer is complicated yes, under certain conditions you can restore him – but it requires careful choices, conflict resolution, and in some cases playing on specific Mythic paths. Below is a detailed guide about why saving him matters, what you need to do, and what pitfalls to avoid.
Who Is the Hand of the Inheritor?
The Hand of the Inheritor is a herald of the goddess Iomedae, described in-game as a mighty angel – formidable in combat, with divine powers, wings of light, and a burning commitment to fight evil.
In the story, he joins your cause during the crusade against demonic forces. Depending on your actions and the mythology path you choose, he may stand with you, leave, or even get captured – creating a storyline that gives players the opportunity to save him or lose him for good.
Why Players Want to Save Him
Saving the Hand of the Inheritor isn’t only about loyalty to a companion. There are several compelling reasons to do so
- **Narrative closure** – restoring him completes a dramatic redemption arc, adding emotional weight to your campaign.
- **Moral consistency** – as a player championing good, saving him aligns with heroic values and the ideals of Iomedae.
- **Gameplay reward** – you often receive meaningful dialogue, lore, and potentially unique rewards or recognition for restoring him (depending on your path and decisions).
What Can Cause the Hand to Become Lost or Captured
Several ingame triggers may lead to the Hand’s capture or departure. Among them
- Choosing mythic paths or decisions deemed too aligned with demonic or chaotic powers – in such cases, he may lose faith in you and leave.
- Failing certain quests or making morally questionable choices such as supporting evilaligned characters or allowing corrupt actions – these may break his trust.
- Standard plot progression at a certain point in the story (act V), the Hand is captured during a confrontation, which sets up the opportunity for rescue – but this may also be permanent if your prior actions disqualified redemption.
How to Save the Hand of the Inheritor
There is indeed a path to save him – but it requires fulfilling several conditions. Below are the typical steps players must take to bring him back
1. Maintain Good Alignment and High Approval
Your behavior throughout acts 3 and 4 matters. Avoid choices that compromise morality or involve demonic pacts. Salvation is more likely if you consistently act as a champion of good. Many players note success when they played on a goodoriented mythic path, such as the angelic path.
2. In Prison Recover His Heart and Return It
When the Hand is captured – typically in a prison scenario – your party must find his missing heart in the dungeon. Once you defeat him (or the boss holding him), you recover his heart. Instead of simply looting or leaving, you must choose the dialogue option to give the heart back to him. This restores him, confirming that you chose redemption over retribution.
3. Follow PathSpecific or MythicPathSpecific Conditions
In some mythic paths, certain dialogue and plot triggers behave differently. For example, on the Angel mythic path the Hand may accompany you earlier, and his rescue may be more likely – but he can still be lost if you make certain decisions. Other mythic paths require extra caution.
4. Be Mindful of Bugs and Game Behaviour
Because WOTR is complex, some players reported glitches the Hand getting stuck, not triggering the rescue prompt, or disappearing after fights. Some community posts suggest that saving before major fights and reloading if outcomes diverge can help.
Common Mistakes That Prevent Successful Rescue
Even with best intentions, players may inadvertently doom the Hand. Common pitfalls
- Proceeding through the prison fight too hastily without exploring all rooms – missing the hidden chest or secret passage where the heart is located.
- Choosing dialogue or actions that reflect doubt, distrust, or cynicism – which may prevent the Hand from accepting the heart back.
- Playing a mythic path that conflicts with the Hand’s ideals – for example, paths involving demonic powers or betrayal of virtues.
- Ignoring savescumming before critical battles – once the Hand is defeated without the heart returned, he may be lost permanently.
What Happens if You Do Save Him
Successfully saving the Hand of the Inheritor leads to a satisfying conclusion for many players. You’ll witness a redemption arc after you return the heart and show trust, he regains his purpose and often leaves – returning to the celestial realm or continuing to serve as a guardian of goodness.
The scene conveys a sense of closure pain healed, honor restored, and faith reaffirmed. Many players consider this one of the more emotionally powerful moments in their WOTR playthrough, underscoring the themes of mercy, redemption, and the cost of war.
Legacy and Replay Value
Because the events surrounding the Hand depend on multiple branching choices, saving him becomes one of the meaningful what if elements of WOTR. For replaying the game, players often change their path or choices intentionally to attempt both outcomes – saving or losing him – to explore the game’s moral and narrative depth. The presence or absence of the Hand can change the tone of the ending, making each playthrough distinct.
When Saving Him Isn’t Possible – or Chosen
Despite all efforts, some players find that the Hand remains lost either because decisions earlier in the game made redemption impossible, or due to bugs and missed prompts. In other cases, players choose to accept his departure – interpreting it as a necessary sacrifice for greater narrative or mythic reasons. This also reflects the darker, morally ambiguous side of WOTR’s storytelling, where not every good soul can be saved.
While losing him removes potential closure and emotional payoff, it reinforces the harsh reality of war and consequences within the game world.
Tips for Players Who Want to Rescue Him
- Consistently choose good options whenever possible, especially in major moral decisions.
- Before reaching Act V or entering the prison sequence, manually save your game – then save again before the final confrontation with the Hand. This allows you to reload if things go wrong.
- Thoroughly explore the prison dungeon check all rooms, chests, and hidden passages – the heart is often hidden behind puzzles or secret paths.
- When given the choice after defeating him, always choose dialogue options that express forgiveness, trust, or redemption – not condemnation or vengeance.
- If playing a mythic path other than Angel, be especially careful with choices involving demons or morally gray actions; these can automatically disqualify redemption.
The fate of the Hand of the Inheritor in Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous reflects the game’s deeper themes around morality, war, redemption, and sacrifice. Yes – it is possible to save him, return his heart, and restore his honor. Doing so not only grants narrative closure but also reinforces the ideals of virtue and hope in a dark world. However, saving him requires deliberate choices, careful exploration, and often a playthrough aligned with goodcentered mythic paths. For players willing to invest the effort, the reward is more than just a saved NPC it is a story of redemption and honor that echoes long after the final battle.