#on this run I romanced lae’zel then shadowheart then the emperor

[tenitchyfingers]

Literally almost cried watching Astarion break the cycle of abuse and be free

[barbwillbrb]

Finally finished my full playthrough of BG3. Here be my thoughts:

For context, I had been sitting on my first playthrough for a month, as I had 4 huge fights left that I was putting off and little else left (Orin, Ansur, House of Hope, and the last battle). I did start a second playthrough in the interim, getting that character to the Gauntlet of Shar, then decided to go back to finish my OG character. I finally finished the game a couple days ago and have been collecting my thoughts. Here are some resolutions from my playthrough and thoughts on the game/characters:

1. First, here is my first Tav— Quil, a nonbinary tiefling Bard with very high charisma. I adore the character creator, but have one gripe— why can’t we yeet the titties in the vanilla creator (I know there are mods)? I want no titties please.

2. I did not get the Volo eye during my first run; Quil knew a bad idea when they saw one (my second Tav, Rackal, not so much). Quil also didn’t fuck with the Necromancy of Thay.

3. Scratch and owlbear cub made it all the way to the end!

4. Fucked up Auntie Ethel’s quest and got Mayrina killed.

5. Minthara was killed (I only recently fully learned how non-lethal attacks work).

6. It was really hard for me to pick a romance; I spent a good hour loading/reloading the tiefling party to go through my options (everyone but Gale and Wyll were interested, as I was specifically playing a character who wasn’t openly flirting with anyone; I wanted to see what characters came to me first. That said, I had to keep pushing Lae’zel back because girl wanted me within moments of meeting). Karlach ended up stealing my heart; I adore her.

7. I also had Halsin join us. I don’t see a lot of talk about KarlachxTavxHalsin on here, and it kinda bums me out; I was sold on the polycule when KarlachxHalsin started flirting with each other.

8. As a high-charisma character, Act 2 was my favorite, especially when it came to Yurgir. I did not know you could talk your way out of that fight completely; I think I was as shocked as Astarion when it worked. I’ve never seen a game where you could just… talk people to death. It was amazing.

9. Speaking of Act 2, Ketheric Thorm’s introduction is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. It was perfect at conveying the magnanimity of the situation.

10. I got everyone’s happy endings I think. Wyll, Karlach and I went to Avernus and are kicking ass, Gale is a professor/crown destroyed, and Astarion did not ascend/spawn were spared (the Gur letter at the epilogue is AMAZING). Shadowheart turned away from Shar, but her parents died so she could be free; she has the owlbear cub though, so I think she’ll be okay.

11. I don’t understand the whole “Wyll can’t make a decision” discourse. I get the issue with the pact scene (I can’t remember if I had the option to let him choose, but we worked with Mizora), but people make it out like he doesn’t make any decisions about his future at all in the game. I was able to leave the Blade of Avernus/Duke decision to him, and he chose the Blade. He had some cool dialog about the decision as well.

12. The goddamn Orpheus vs. Emperor choice is about the dumbest thing ever. I feel like if you maintained an overall positive relationship with the Emperor and managed to pull Lae’zel away from Vlaakith, I think there should be an opportunity to break Orpheus free and convince him to join you WITHOUT the Emperor turning tail to the Netherbrain. You should be able to free Orpheus and then have another high persuasion check to get him to stand down/join you. I feel that given the severity of the current situation, Orpheus would accept joining forces if it meant no additional mindflayers be made. Just the fact the Emperor goes by, Orpheus gets freed, and someone has to become a mindflayer is just…. Frustrating at best.

13. I think that regardless if romanced or not, a Lae’zel with high/exceptional approval who turned from Vlaakith is in love with Tav. The emotion in her goodbye at the docks is so powerful.

14. Similarly, I think the same can be said for Shadowheart (if turned away from Shar/had high approval).

15. The Dribbles quest sucked, but worth it just to make Lucretious happy/have her say nice things to me.

16. The character that grew on me the most was Astarion. I honestly didn’t like him too much, but his growth over Acts 2 and 3 really changed my mind. Plus, when I met Yenna, he actually gave approval towards any means of helping her— I was SHOOK.

17. I think the Orin kidnapping would be more impactful if your love interest was taken instead (the angst/race against the clock would be amazing). I also think that if one of the tadpole crew gets taken, the fact that Orin doesn’t have one should tell someone something’s up.

18. My favorite companion is tied between Karlach and Lae’zel. Karlach is so optimistic/stands true to herself despite the bullshit she goes through, and Lae’zel character growth is spectacular.

19. My least favorite companion is Shadowheart, although she’s beginning to grow on me. It’s just that some of her offhand comments are so off-putting in a real hypocritical way. For example, the “I didn’t expect to feel empathy towards refugees” thing is really hard to ignore.

20. My favorite NPCs are, in no particular order, Ketheric Thorm, Rolan, Yurgir, Omeluum, Blurg, Lucretious, Barcus Wroot, Auntie Ethel and Mol.

21. My least favorite NPCs are Gortash (I think he is a great villain, but he’s the kind of manipulative, opportunistic evil that makes my skin crawl), Wulburn Bongle and honestly most of the creche. Also that lady who’s mean to the dogs, but I nuked her with fireball and don’t see her as much if an NPC.

22. WHY CAN’T I ADOPT THE FUCKING CATS?

[amethysts-tavern]

It’s over (my first full play-thru). Pre-patch 5.

Finished my first run-thru on my second character, bard Amily Starsong (pictured). The first character got bugged bad after the latest patch.

Spoilers below the fold.

OMG that end battle literally took me 4 hours. So many feels. I’m gonna be not right for awhile.

The scene in High Hall when your allies are there telling you that you did a great job and they are ready to fight with you?!? Lost it. Like had to pause the game so I could wipe my eyes. I love them. All of them! Rolan and Zevlor and Dammon! And Nine-Fingers Keene and Dame Aylin and Isobel. Florrick and Ravengard. All the Harpers, Fists, Gur, and Watch. The Strange Ox!! And my little baby boy owlbear! I fight for them, I live for them.

I’ll soon be Mrs. Amily Starsong Dekarios, bard for hire. Maybe I’ll get a job at the Yawning Portal when we get to Waterdeep. A lot of the convo between me and Gale at the end was super sweet. I do feel that once the brain is dead, I would have jumped right into Gale’s arms. I mean, we were standing right next to each other (per usual).

My brain fight was interesting. It ended up being just The Emperor and Gale in the portal for like 2 turns before I could get in there and take it down with a level 6 dissonant whisper. Zevlor didn’t make it and it kills me that he died fighting for us. He fought til the end though!

Thoughts on the epilogue:

- Astarion gets done dirty. He’s done so much to grow as a person they should have given him something a little less harsh. Maybe let Tav chase him into a tavern or something.

- I have no idea what happens to Shadowheart. She was barely even there. No final words at all.

- Karlach dying was worse than I expected. I wanted to hit her with an ice spell or take a potion of fire resistance so I could hold her as she died. She’s my bestie. She deserved so much better.

- I mean hell, I even got Lae’zel to stay with me. And she doesn’t even like me that much!

- If you’re romancing Gale, the whole game should end with a kiss or at least a hug or hell even holding hands.

- The bonus scene with Withers after the credits was a pleasant surprise.

[thatringboy]

Making the guardian in my Origin!Astarion run look like the Tav I first romanced him with and then proceeding to not romance Astarion with anyone in the entire run just to write my own in-game time travel/amnesia angst

The Emperor doesn’t know why this form - this giant Teifling man with eyes as soft as his jaw was sharp - is what appeals to the vampire spawn, Astarion certainly doesn’t know why he picked it either, but he can’t figure out why the Emperor’s disguise upsets him so much. He knew it was a false face immediately, he chalks it up to his decades of manipulating others. He’s disgusted at the notion of using the tadpole’s powers, despite how it could save him from eternity in the dark. He runs his hands along his back and immediately goes to Karlach to have her read his scars, so sure that the poem on his skin is written in the language of the devils.

He knows bits and phrases of Infernal somehow. Astarion laughs at the little curses Mol and her underlings whisper under their breath when they’re scolded by adults. He gives Wyll detailed instructions on how to care for his horns and hellish skin, far more detailed than Karlach’s instructions. He feels fury in his blood when he learns of Zevlor’s mistake, the Tiefling’s moment of weakness. Even as an exile, a Paladin should stick to his oath and those he swears to protect until death! He can’t explain why it’s any of his business.

Astarion doesn’t scoff at his childish dream of marrying a knight in shining armor anymore. He considers pursuing Wyll, but he’s too much like a younger brother. He considers Karlach, he’s certainly attracted to big buff Tieflings, but she’s more like a sister to him now. A proper family, but missing something integral, something he can’t put a name on. Yet, he still drags them with him to kill Cazador, and personally spits in Mizora’s face, and tracks down Dammon in the city to desperately repair Karlach’s engine before it’s too late.

When he learns there’s no sun in Avernus, Astarion silently makes a pact within himself to join her down in the hells on her journey of survival. Why wouldn’t he? He’s got nothing waiting for him in Baldur’s Gate. Lae’zel’s flying with Orpheus, Shadowheart’s found her father, Gale’s gone back to Waterdeep, and Halsin’s opening an orphanage(?). So he goes to Avernus, braves the hells with Wyll and Karlach, becoming the very hero he hoped would save him once upon a time.

And in Zariel’s castle (because of course they’d end up there), he finds a notebook. A journal kept by the vampire lord of Ravenloft. In it are entries that detail the methods of curing vampirism, one only needs a Wish spell. And, hey, Astarion’s an Arcane Trickster! And he’s best pals with Gale of Waterdeep!

He teaches himself the Wish spell, he uses all of Cazador’s wealth to cast it, only to discover that he’s already used the spell once. He can’t use it again.

But when did he use it? Why did he use it? He can’t remember so like any reasonable person, he gets Gale to use the spell instead (it nearly kills the poor man, but oh well) and has Gale wish that “Astarion will forevermore never be a vampire spawn again.”

And Astarion wakes up in a slimy, small pod with a weird squirming behind his right eye, watching armor-clad individuals running around with a sentient brain on legs trailing behind them like a lost dog. And he licks his mouth and finds no fangs. Just normal teeth. And his gut lurches horribly as the cycle begins anew, this time just with his memories unfortunately intact.

[asterdeer]

i finished it………….holy shit why was beating the literal elder brain easier than fighting cazador and viconia the proper ways. anyway i am Bereft. i miss them already (is about to start a new playthrough as we speak) (and this time i am SAVING LAE’ZEL)

favorite bits

- treeboy was too distraught over the idea of losing karlach so he and wyll moved to avernus with her and they are TRULY tres horny boys (because i made loreleaf a tiefling, get it). based on the dialogue options in the epilogue it sounds like its assumed that was the karlach romance option??? treeboy did not get to brag on his boyfriend at all. but i am into them being a queerplatonic little polycule of sorts so i’m mostly okay with it.

- halsin is still so horny for my treeboy and it delights me. loreleaf got to be so loved on in this game and it makes me very happy. i would literally do another treeboy run just to do a halsin romance (or maybe the halsin/astarion??? i WILL figure out how to make astarion love my boy. i will figure it out. or maybe just write fic about it idk.)

- when karlach says she adores tav as she’s about to die 😭😭😭😭😭😭 i too almost died

- jaheira is soooo slept on she’s such a good character. i adore her.

- i think loreleaf would mount another adventure just to get lae’zel back. she got so fond of him after the party rescued her and i will be daydreaming the second, even more terrifying lae’zel rescue for a while. because i refuse to believe that’s how she ended up, okay, we went through TOO MUCH CULT SHIT to lose a family member to another one

- the emperor is a little bitch baby. “ooh why won’t you kill a man who hasn’t done anything to us, why don’t you trust me, wah wah” even lae’zel let the guy live temporarily, you ass. i’m glad astarion one-shotted you.

- in the final battle i literally lost loreleaf and shadowheart completely and lae’zel knocked herself prone and astarion was too far away to hit the brain, it really was just orpheus doing my dirty work in the end, poor guy.

- uhhhhhhhhh i’m going to cry about halsin if i think about him too long, i’m just. he got his family and his home 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

- i’m a little sad that shadowheart didn’t get more for her epilogue, especially considering how close she and loreleaf were, but at least i got to hug her again (which was very funny because his horns stabbed her directly in the eye both times they hugged)

- i. i love this game. so much. i can’t wait to do it all over again :’)