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patch 7 has revived my bg3 brain rot

We’re so back

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reunion

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I hate to admit but I like Wyll better with horns... it's the demonic red eye 😆 thanks Mizora for the look.

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few clips ive gathered of astarion being worried/protective

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Analysis of each character's final words in the new Dark Urge evil ending

If you are romanced to a character, you have the option, when taking the new version of the Sins of the Father ending, to kill your partner in front of the others in your party, killing them with one last kiss. They then give their last words and pass away. I love each and every one and feel they are incredible characterization moments.

So let's break these down!

Lae'zel:

I... I am glad it was you. No other blade would have sufficed.

This is something that hammers home that, Vlaakith or no, Lae'zel deeply believes in all the ideals of a Githyanki. Life is a privilege for the strong, and death is the price of weakness. Further, if romanced, Lae'zel will affectionately call you "the source of my bruises" many times. If she has to die, if she has finally found the one person stronger than herself, then she is "satisfied" that it is you- who she both loved and admired. The only one she would ever consider worthy of besting her.

Karlach:

Fuck you.

Short, simple, and to the point, just the way Karlach does everything else. She's already gone through all her stages of grief with her engine- well, almost all of them. Anger still remains. She burns hot until the end.

Wyll:

I... I forgive you.

This isn't just Wyll being a good guy. This is heartbreak, and guilt. Guilt for not saving you from Bhaal's influence when he was so sure he had. Heartbreak that after he gave his literal soul to save as many people as he could, he couldn't save you- and couldn't save others from you, either. All he sacrificed, negated in an instant by the person he loved and trusted most. Of all the characters here, Wyll (tied with Halsin) sounds the most obviously broken, and it's easy to see why, given that he is self-sacrificing to a fault.

There was a set of scenes datamined from the game, where at the Morphic Pool, the Netherbrain would have taunted the players, causing them to hallucinate things related to their fears and insecurities. Wyll's would have been a vision of himself talking about how he was never a hero, how the Blade of Frontiers was a farce all along. One can't help but think about that scene here, wondering just how much blame, bordering on self-loathing, he might feel here.

Dark Justiciar Shadowheart:

I... I'm coming to you, Lady Shar.

Another short and simple one. By becoming a Dark Justiciar, Shadowheart has fully embraced the nihilism of Shar's teachings. Why be saddened or angry at her own death when this is just what she's embraced with all her sacrifices?

(Sidenote: this does also answer a question I had, namely, what was going to happen to everyone Durge kills. Thankfully it seems they aren't actually going to be sacrificed to him as such, and will indeed end up in the realm of their deities. This makes Bhaal's plan even DUMBER, because deities in DND lore need worshippers to have enough power to exist. Killing everyone at once just guarantees that soon after Durge dies as the last person alive, so too will Bhaal fade from existence.)

Selunite Shadowheart:

I... I thought we were going to save each other...

This Shadowheart rejected everything she knew. She was scared to defy her goddess, but worked up the courage- thanks to you. She thought you would have a new life together. She believed in you. She thought she would get to return the favor, and help you turn the page on Bhaal, too.

She's not just heartbroken for herself; she's heartbroken for you, too. Heartbroken at the life you denied both her and yourself.

Gale:

You made me want to live...

From the moment the orb entered Gale's chest, he knew he was at risk of dying. Then Mystra all but marked him as a dead man walking. But despite that, he finds love with you- and for the first time thinks maybe there is a purpose for him beyond Mystra. That he isn't more useful to the world dead. More than that, he wants to live to be with you, to enjoy your company and companionship. And then you kill him, and do the one thing WORSE than what would have happened if he'd never been pulled from that rock.

It almost would have been kinder to just hack his hand off the first time you met him, though Gale may or may not agree.

Spawn Astarion:

I should have killed you when I had the chance...

The angriest, most bitter response out of all the romanced companions, a step beyond Karlach's "fuck you." This is beyond "fuck you" and even beyond "I hate you." It's "I regret every moment I spent with you." You made him believe he could have better. That he could recover from what Cazador did. You even convinced him to spare the 7,000 spawn and that he could be something better than Cazador.

And now you reveal it was all a lie. Astarion is probably thinking that you talked him out of completing the ritual solely so he'd be easier to kill right here and now. How many regrets are flashing through his mind, how many moments where he wonders if things could have been different if only he'd done this or that, even aside from killing you?

All he wanted was to live as a free person. And then the first time he thinks he has that at last, he loses it as the world ends.

Ascended Astarion:

No... no, this can't be... I can't- you can't- no...

In contrast to spawn Astarion, ascended isn't angry, because he doesn't have the clarity, the ability to process what's happening. Spawn Astarion could tell he'd been betrayed.

But Ascended? Ascended, who went through so much to become one of the most powerful beings in the world, only to STILL lose without fanfare? And by you, his own spawn who he thought he had under his control? It isn't betrayal, because he is bluescreening; he can't comprehend what happened or how or why. How could he have been killed, and by you of all people? Was all he went through killing Cazador really for nothing? How could it be when he was supposed to be the most powerful? Was power actually meaningless all along?

He doesn't say anything of substance because he can't understand what's happening here.

Halsin:

Thaniel... goodbye...

Halsin is the oldest of all the companions. He's experienced the most loss of anyone; his birth family, his fellow Druids, and, for a time, Thaniel. He has had more than enough time to contemplate his own mortality, because he's already lived multiple lifetimes.

So here, two things are happening. One, he isn't expressing anger or betrayal at his murder- because he is more than wise enough, and humble enough, to understand that there are worse things than what has been done to himself. Instead of himself, he is thinking of the world he's leaving behind that is about to fall- and most of all, of his most important person, the one who gave him a purpose, who was there when no one else was, who he failed once and only just got back. The closest thing to a child he'll ever have. In his last moments, instead of himself, Halsin is thinking of those he loves.

And second, it's an almost deliberate snubbing of Durge. He willingly walked into that kiss, knowing full well it would be the last thing he ever did. He gave you his death, he pleaded with his own god to forgive you and him both. He gave you everything he felt he owed you, and no more- no begging or sobbing. Instead, he comes as close as he ever gets to selfishness, and spends his last moments thinking about the thing that makes him the happiest- which could have been you, in another life, if you hadn't done this.

Minthara:

No... we were meant to do this together...

Heartbreak, disbelief, and betrayal. You spent so many nights planning this out. She had been cast aside by her people, her goddess, and she was going to get the last laugh. She was going to crush them personally under her heel and prove she was the best (or second best, behind you) of all of them. She's devastated she won't get to help you torture all those souls and take what she feels was owed to her. But interestingly enough... no anger. Probably because it was overshadowed by the sheer heartbreak, but also a sign that even in those moments, she still admires you for your ruthlessness.

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Astarion always ends up being a stealth archer in my runs, I like justifying it w the thought he got dragged out on royal hunts as a kid

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silly

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shadowheart I drew for my friend

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My fav ancient ladies.

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We DO NOT talk enough about Ulder Ravengard's diary. Like, the fact that Ulder took Wyll for walks, that Wyll asked questions about everything and Ulder took the time to try and answer. That Ulder had to fish his son out of the water because he was trying to see mermaids. That Ulder notes how Wyll lost his new shoes, in that way that a parent mourns clothing or items getting ruined but the relief that your child is okay renders those things meaningless. That Ulder sat down some evening, opened his journal, and wrote about his day with Wyll. That it was important to Ulder to record how Wyll was in his arms, teary-eyed over mermaids. That the journal's description mentions how the journal is well-used, that Ulder must have revisited those pages again and again.

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I'm normal about him 🫣

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mountain pass

this has been in the wip hell for so long.. i struggled way more than i should've but oh well

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All the best boy hugs for Karlach

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purely scientific interest

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Took a long time to complete my first run, so it's only right to celebrate it by doing an equally long piece of the companions 🫶

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The Custody Battle - a Tav build

“I’ve got a lot on my mind. And, well… in it.”

Various forces are staking their claim on Tav’s soul, who is a Great Old One Warlock with a brain riddled with tadpoles. No weapons are required to shred through a battlefield when you’ve got Illithid powers and Eldritch Blast at the ready.

[check out my other builds!]

Gameplay Notes

At its core, this is an Eldritch Blaster build with as many unlocked Illithid powers as possible. Great Old One’s physic damage resistance and general vibe make for a strong Warlock build to pair with powerful abilities like Cull The Weak, Black Hole, Psionic Overload, etc. — you’ll end up with an arsenal at your disposal. This build assumes you get the Awakened buff from the Zaith'isk in Act 1, so Illithid powers are less costly! Also, it does not itemize towards Reverberation or Radiating Orb, because I think that’s boring and irrelevant to the theming here.

Stats and Leveling

Final build: Level 12 Great Old One Warlock

Tav’s stats: STR 10 / DEX 14 / CON 15 / INT 8 / WIS 10 / CHA 17

Level 1 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 1

Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Friends

1st Level Spells [Hex is a classic]

Level 2 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 2

Eldritch Invocations: Agonising Blast and Repelling Blast

Level 3 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 3

Pact Boon: Pact of the Chain [mostly just for a lil friend]

2nd Level Spells [Cloud of Daggers is very strong]

Level 4 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 4

Feat: ASI+ CHA>18, CON>16

Cantrips: add Minor Illusion [I guess]

Level 5 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 5

Eldritch Invocations: add Mask of Many Faces [weird pick, but fun!]

3rd Level Spells

Level 6 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 6

Entropic Ward

Level 7 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 7

Eldritch Invocation: add Armour of Shadows

4th Level Spells

Level 8 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 8

Feat: ASI+ CHA>20

Level 9 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 9

Eldritch Invocation: add Whispers of the Grave

5th Level Spells [Dominate Person feels right for this build]

Level 10 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 10

Thought Shield

Level 11 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 11

Mystic Arcanum [Eyebite fits the theme]

Level 12 - Warlock (Great Old One) Level 12

Feat: Spell Sniper or Lucky [for funsies]

Eldritch Invocation: add Book of Ancient Secrets

Illithid Powers

Eat as many tadpoles as possible, and be sure to get the Awakened buff from the Zaith'isk in Act 1! In the spirit of transparency, I personally hate using Illithid powers in most playthroughs and tend to ignore them entirely, so I am not the expert here and plenty of other people have done great analyses of which powers to take first, etc. That being said, my favorite Illithid Powers for this build are:

Luck of the Far Realms

Psionic Overload [especially after level 10, when you have Psychic Resistance]

Cull the Weak

Psionic Dominance [Counterspell is really expensive for Warlocks, so use this instead]

Black Hole [so fun]

Mind Blast

Items

Armor - Potent Robe (2 Last Light/Alfira)

Melee Weapon -

Caitiff Staff (3 Devil’s Fee)

Shield of Shielding (3 Stormshore Tabernacle) [if you have racial proficiency in shields]

Ranged Weapon - Bow of the Banshee (2 Grymforge) [why would you ever use a ranged weapon though]

Amulet -

Amulet of Misty Step (1 Goblin Camp) [helpful, but not important]

Fey Semblance Amulet (3 Hag) [offsets Risky Ring]

Helmet - Birthright (3 Sorcerous Sundries)

Ring 1 - Risky Ring (2 Moonrise Towers) [offsets Spellmight Gloves]

Ring 2 - After Death Do Us Part (3 Lady Jannath’s Estate) [this is a bit of a meme pick, but does fit the vibe of the build… so…]

Gloves - Spellmight Gloves (3 Circus)

Boots - Disintegrating Night Walkers (1 Grymforge) [or something random like Mystra’s Grace (1 Arcane Tower) if another party member needs the good boots]

Cloak - Cloak of the Weave (3 Devil’s Fee) [not necessary for the build, just nice to have]

Lore and Flavor

Tav is, of course, a blank slate lore-wise. But that just means we get to write our own! For this build specifically, something about the idea of having a warlock patron and the threat of ceremorphosis looming being flavored as a custody battle for Tav’s soul makes me absolutely enthralled. [somewhat sorry for the pun] Whenever I play this build, I also make sure to sell Tav’s soul to Raphael as well, just for a bit of extra credit. It helps that it’s a super strong build that itemizes well in game, so you never feel underpowered even though it’s prioritizing story.

I picked Great Old One because I didn’t want to step on Wyll’s toes and have another Fiend Warlock, but also because I think the Psychic damage resistance pairs well thematically with the Illithid powers.

[check out my build disclaimer for info about how and why I don't min/max or completely optimize builds, prioritizing lore and vibe instead]

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I mean, Tara is quite the striking beauty by kitty standards. Maybe one of the reasons she stayed with Gale is to escape the annoying horde of suitors back home.