#she failed every roll recruiting astarion

[thebearemoji]

Me talk about minthara now? Nnyes

Hhhhhhhhh I revert to a whiny little baby whenever I think about the fact that some portion of the bg3 player base will simply never encounter minthara in any capacity hhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I am aware minthara is believed to be "rushed content", and that accounts for many of her bugs. But I don't really care about why she's a mess, im more interested in talking about the result of that reality.

So I've finished 2 runs of bg3 so far, one in which I played a generally very good character and one in which I played a generally pretty evil character. After completing the latter run, I'm left with several qualms about what felt like a simply inferior experience to my first play through. The most frustrating being that Minthara, who became one of my favorite companions, is completely chained to the much less satisfying "evil content" with no way to see her story otherwise.

For context, minthara can only be recruited if the player helps the goblins attack the Grove in act 1. This alone is enough to stop plenty of players from ever seeing minthara beyond that single misleading conversation in the goblin camp. Some players don't enjoy role-playing being mean/evil, and attacking the Grove is unfortunately about as despicable as a game can get. For some reason, you can't tell the tieflings to leave despite the fact that they're only collateral damage in the attack on the druids. You gotta kill every druid, and every innocent refugee, or no minthara.

But the deck stacked against my beloved drow doesn't stop there, not only do you have to kill the tieflings along with all their associated content and side quests, in order to recruit minthara you have to forgo recruiting Wyll, Karlach, and Halsin because all 3 object to the attacking the Grove.

3 companions for 1, a frankly unpleasant task of slaughtering tieflings even for someone who enjoys role-playing evil characters, not to mention she's been plagued with bugs that cause her content to fail to trigger. All those things considered, why would anyone go out of their way to recruit minthara...?

Well... i just think she's neat.

After the first encounter with minthara in the goblin camp I was not necessarily looking forward to recruiting her. I assumed she was a murder hobo and nothing more based on first impressions, but at the very least I was looking forward to getting a third companion who wouldn't nag at me for every choice I was making. At the very least, she would be another character in my corner.

However, much to my shock, she turned out to be far more nuanced then she seemed at a glance. Because the person the player meets in the goblin camp isn't minthara, but rather a puppet of the absolute wearing her skin. She has little to no control over her actions, including the roll she plays in the attack on the grove.

I really struggle to wrap my head around this choice to tie her completely to the grove. Especially considering she's being mind controlled, but there's no way to know that. Minthara is a bait and switch, someone who (despite still being evil) is nowhere near as bad as the game inclines you to believe. But you can only discover this if you help her do something truly despicable. So there's a companion who's a better person then she seems, but you can only find out about her better side if you're evil. Why? Why can't a good tav save her? Why doesn't she get the same opportunity at redemption that laezhel, astarion and shadowheart get? I know the reason is probably time constraints, but I'm mad about it.

I really think she's worthy of a closer look, i love me some good lawful evil energy. Minthara is a good example, I believe. She takes no pleasure in killing or violence, but she will also eliminate anyone who remotely impedes her without hesitation. And she weaponizes grudges like her will is sharp enough to kill on its own. She's fierce, eloquent and cunning, and also managed to make me laugh out loud with how dead pan she can be (see her response to dribbles: "Say the word and I will kill the clown. We will be heralded as heroes." with a look of pure distress on her face).

She's a lolthsworn drow who is now exiled after falling under the influence of the absolute. The place she comes from is harsh and punishing, and yet she was a noble. She describes the beauty and majesty of menzobarenzan (sp) in the same breath that she discusses battle. I wish she would've gotten a flash back cutscene like shadowheart. Either her home or Ketheric betraying her.

Honestly I wish every character had gotten a flashback cutscene like shadowheart. It's a win/win of exploring the social aspect of the tadpoles by sharing memories and also adding a visual to the events the characters describe. But I digress.

Minthara's character trope may not appeal to everyone, she is still not a good person. But neither is astarion, and he's fandom favorite. Surely people wouldn't hold minthara's morality against her while also praising Astarion for some weird reason i cant put my finger on???? HaHA-

I wouldn't blame anyone who doesnt do an evil play through. The game didn't let me have fun with it, and playing games is about having fun. Why try to be evil and get nagged at by the game for 70 hours of gameplay when I can instead save everyone and enjoy myself?

So the reality is, Minthara may remain a cryptid for many players, riddled with bugs and cursed by the narrative to lose so that many other characters can win. But at the very least, I want to draw attention to one snippet of her dialogue. This is from a conversation after Orin is defeated.

I can't shake the idea that the minthara I know and love is trapped within the person you meet at the goblin camp. In a similar vein to gortash's mother in baldurs gate, trapped behind eyes she no longer controls. At the mercy of the tadpole and the whims of the brain and the 3. A helpless victim desperate to get her chance at vengeance at those who wronged her.

And that knowledge will haunt me every time I play a "good" character. I will know that even though my goal may be to save them all, there is one that I quite literally cannot save. Because the game won't let me. And God damn it, she's too interesting for that to be her legacy in this game. Minthara worries that no one will remember her, but I will think of this dialogue every time my journal flatly instructs me to "kill the goblin bosses".

[tiderider]

extremely detailed baldur's gate 3 companion asks, taken from here & converted into a repost, don't reblog dash prompt .

general

where is your muse recruited? harry's recruited at the nautiloid crash site outside the path that leads directly to the roadside cliffs waypoint that you pull gale out of. the party will find him stomping a dead mindflayer to paste.

do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your muse? yes. shadowheart will comment on his usefulness in a fight but will also advise the PC "be careful with that one". astarion will gleefully rejoice in having a fellow violent travel companion and that harry can always be used as a human shield if nothing else. gale, like shadowheart, will advise caution as "i've heard tales of this so called captain. keep your wits about you.". wyll disapproves of harry's recruitment as he's "seen with mine own eyes the wreckage he and his crew have left in their wake", but he can be convinced by the PC by reminding him that they need all the help they can get. lae'zel approves of his recruitment mostly because he's stomping a mindflayer to death. karlach isn't too fussed, though she does comment that she'll burn the skin off his bones if he tries anything untoward.

does your muse have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions? yes. with shadowheart he'll comment that a cleric is always useful in battle so long as their faith doesn't get in the way of doing what's necessary. if the pc fails a perception check with astarion and gets a knife pulled on them, harry will smartly remark that he's interested in seeing how things play out and is "looking forward to a show". otherwise, harry will comment that astarion seems like fun. with gale, he's mostly unimpressed that the wizard got stuck in a rock and will comment that he's not carrying him if his fragile wizard feet get sore on the march to baldur's gate. with wyll, harry is a smartass that mocks his "hero" personia and that they'll be lucky to get out of the grove before sundown as "the blade will make us stop to help every sackless sap we come accross". he likes lae'zel, will comment that he likes violent women. karlach, he also likes her in a more retaliatory way, comments that anyone dumb enough to try and cage her deserves what they get.

what sort of general actions raise or lower your muse's approval? he'll disapprove of PC's that offer their help to others without negotiating payment or favors in return. agreeing to help zevlor, kagha, mol, arabella, or nettie without getting something in return will get a disapproval. doing things for coin will usually get approval, asking for payment upfront, negotiating a deal with rugan, making a bet with lakrissa will get approval. if you choose to kill kagha and the shadowdruids he'll approve, but only if you select specific dialogues that lead to a physical showdown as opposed to failing a charisma roll. if you flirt with him, he'll usually approve. selecting violent confrontations over peaceful negotiations will earn approval, asking him personal questions in act 2 and 3 will earn approval.

are there any instances where your muse can permanently leave the party, depending on PC actions? yes. if you don't interfere in the shadowheart and lae'zel confrontation over the artifact, he will permenantly leave the party. choosing to let shadowheart attack one of their party members in their sleep while they're unarmed and admitting she plans on lying to the party that lae'zel was "turning" is unacceptable to him. failing a charisma roll won't cause him to leave because the PC tried to interfere, however, it will cause him to be extremely distrustful and cruel to shadowheart throughout the remainder of the 3 arcs. also, in act 2 if you choose to abandon his crewmate in moonrise towers while he's in your party, he will leave the party permanently.

do they have any secrets that can be revealed? what are the prerequisites for the secret coming to light? yes and no. harry's "secrets" are the crimes he's committed which can and are brought to light by gale, wyll, and by npc's throughout the arcs that will either recognize his name or who have actually faced him and his crew in battle. harry isn't necessarily keeping his crimes a secret, he just doesn't admit to them of his own volition. with each "crime" revealed, the PC can question him about them and he will answer them honestly.

do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game? can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the PC makes? yes, harry's personal quest is reuniting with his captain and crew. hints of his crew are spread out across the arcs, most notable is a crewmate found at moonrise towers but in arc 3 the PC and co must rescue his captain and crew from being hung by order of gortash. the mission is triggered by finding one of his crewmates at the blushing mermaid and the execution is a public spectacle along the coast of wyrm's crossing. it's best to rescue them after destroying the steelwatch factory as there are multiple steelwatchers and flaming fists present.

what do they say when the PC asks them to stay in camp and what do they say when the PC asks them to come adventuring again?

❝ sure, i'll stay. not because you told me to, but because i feel like it. ❞

❝ you sure? fine. but don't come weeping to me when you get hurt. ❞

❝ you sure you want to leave me behind? who'll watch your back? ❞

❝ leaving me behind, ey? don't think i won't remember this. ❞

❝ you better come back in one piece, or i'll hunt you down myself. ❞

❝ stay here? i didn't realize you were in charge of my free time. ❞

does your muse have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions like the lae'zel and shadowheart knife-fight? nothing quite as lethal, but he does have two cutscenes in camp with wyll, one in act 1 and another in act 3. the first is wyll confronting harry with his crimes and can only be triggered if harry and wyll have been in the same party and traded conversational bouts. the second is harry confronting wyll on his relationship with his father, the confrontation is mocking and provocative but essentially lies in harry attempting to make wyll admit his anger and resentment.

are there any unique npc's associated with your muse that can show up in the course of the game? a crewmate called johnny is found in the cells of moonrise towers having been tracking the nautiloid that kidnapped harry and been taken prisoner by followers of the absolute. there is also gil, the quartermaster found in the blushing mermaid, and his captain and crew found at wyrm's crossing.

are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? unlocking the gilded chest beside alfira will trigger a conversation with harry where he talks about the first lock he picked. the ship found in the underdark will trigger a conversation with harry where he talks about his first time in the underdark and that "this boat is shit.". accepting auntie ethel or raphael's deals will trigger conversations with harry where he comments he prefers to rely on his own strength and abilities rather than those of beings that enjoy treating them like toys. gods, goddesses, fey, dieties, demons, they're all the same.

story specific

how does your muse advise the PC when it comes to the dream visitor? if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. harry advises the PC not to listen to the dream visitor, advises that it's best to kill them at the first opportunity, not to trust a single thing they say and that something "isn't right" with them.

how does your msue advise the PC on raphael? similar to above. never trust a devil. rely on your own strength and the strength of your allies if you have to, but never accept deals from devils. they'll take and keep taking until you're a shell with nothing left.

how does your muse react to astarion biting the PC? he finds it funny. makes commentary that he thought the PC and astarion were getting down and dirty and that this is much more entertaining. advises astarion that if he tries it on him without asking he'll make him regret it.

how does your muse react to the PC letting abdirak whip them? again, he finds it amusing. he'll comment that abdirak hits like a schoolboy and will say "my turn" at the end.

how does your muse react to the PC taking their first tadpole power? he disapproves but it's the PC's decision, he'll ultimately just tell them that if they start eyeballing people's heads for snacks he's going to have to hurt them.

will your muse stay with the PC regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings? yes. harry will show an obvious preference for killing the goblins because they're more of a challenge and will go on to comment that killing the tieflings was like killing fish in a barrel. easy and boring.

what can your muse be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party? at the tiefling party he's playing the lute, he'll comment that the party is "a little tame". at the goblin party he's using a goblin as target practice.

does your muse have comments on who the PC chooses to spend the night with? he's indifferent, he'll typically comment that if the PC gets bored they can always come to his bedroll instead.

does your muse have unique dialogue if the PC lets them die when they steal the blood of lathander? yes. it's mostly harry asking if they're mentally deficient and that they're the worst thief he's ever met, and that if they do dumb shit again he's going to hurt them.

how does your muse react if the PC licks the dead spider in the gauntlet of shar? ❝ rotten spider. haven't had that in years. ❞

what does your muse say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with dribbles the clown? ❝ you make me go up there and it's going to become a very different kind of show. ❞

is it possible for your muse to be kidnapped and replaced by orin? how is orin's deception revealed? how do they react to the PC rescuing them in the temple of bhaal? yes, at camp orin's deception is revealed by a successful insight check when orin!harry attempts to seduce the PC to bed. failure to recognize orin will result in orin!harry "cutting" his own throat open. rescuing harry from the temple will have him admit that he didn't think the PC would come for him.

how does your muse react to the PC either allowing astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn? allowing astarion to ascend will have harry shake his head and comment that ❝ you'll regret this for the rest of your life. ❞, while freeing the spawn will have him comment ❝ underdark's overdue for some havoc. ❞

how does your muse react to the PC becoming a mindflayer? can they offer to become one themselves? does their reaction change if they're romanced? regardless of whether or not the PC is romanced or not, harry will be adamently against the PC becoming a mindflayer. dependent on the PC's prior actions, he'll attempt to argue that the emperor or orpheus should do it. if the PC goes through with it anyway, he'll tell them that he'll take them out himself if they survive the battle against the absolute.

how does your muse react when the dark urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them? harry isn't too concerned with the amnesia, he advises that if their life before the nautiloid was important, they'd remember it. regarding their murderous thoughts, harry is unconcerned and more or less enthusiastic and advises they channel their violent impulses into their fighting.

how does your muse react to the dark urge killing alfira? harry's confused with a side of suspicion and distrust. he comments on how alfira was harmless and didn't deserve to go out like that, he'll also inform the dark urge that he'll be keeping a greater watch over camp from then on out.

if romanced, how does your muse react to the dark urge trying to kill them in act 2? initially he doesn't take them seriously when they attempt to warn him, once he's bound them he treats the ordeal flippantly, commenting that ❝ this isn't the first time a lover's tried to kill me. ❞ but the aftermath, once the dark urge is within control of themselves again, he takes a more serious position. he'll comfort them and tell them that they will find a way to control their violent urges together.

romance

is your muse romanceable? are there any specific requirements to romancing them? treat him with respect, hear out his concerns ( the PC doesn't have to agree with him ), return his affections, his honesty, and accept him as he is. one major requirement is that harry is polyamourous and that he has many lovers so the PC will need to be comfortable sharing.

does your muse need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough? he needs to be flirted with. you can "romance" harry even at low approval but it'll be toxic, he won't respect the PC nor will he be affectionate with them.

is your muse polyamorous or monogamous? harry is polyamorous and a requirement to romance him is that the PC is polyamorous. if you attempt to romance him alongside wyll, gale, or karlach, he'll advise that the others aren't open to sharing and that the PC will need to make a harsher decision.

does your muse have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party? yes. he will proposition the PC for a night and the cutscene will happen along the waterfront. the PC has a dialogue option to remark the proximity to camp and harry will say that's ❝ part of the fun ❞ and/or ❝ let them watch, we'll put on a show. ❞.

does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take? there's 3, an antagonistic, platonic and romantic route. with low approval the "romance" is entirely physical, essentially both harry and the PC are using one another for physical release and pleasure, within conversation they are each combative with one another. once this romance route is taken it's difficult to get out of unless the PC ends it permenantly. the platonic route is physical while also being on friendly terms, typically the PC would need to "break up with" him and harry will respond with ❝ we can be friends. friends that still do this. ❞ and he'll lean in for a kiss that the PC can accept or reject. the romantic route is difficult as it is only active in act 3 and involves several conversations between the PC and harry and later, the PC, harry, and uma.

how does your muse react to the PC breaking up with them, or choosing another companion over them? with fair or higher approval, harry will proposition a "friends with benefits" relationship with the PC that the PC can accept or reject. his reaction to choosing a companion over him depends on the companion. he's stoked for astarion, karlach, and lae'zel. he comments on the PC's lack of taste if it's wyll or shadowheart and is kind of indifferent towards gale.

what questions can zethino ask the PC about your muse in the love test?

if he could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? standing at the bow of his ship, making sail for treasures and fame.

tell me, what drives him to action every day? he doesn't know any other way to live.

what is the worst and greatest thing your love has done? killed his father.

if they're poly, do they have a reaction to the PC engaging in a relationship with halsin? yes, he encourages it and says he'd like to join in and make the PC lose themselves completely.

how does your muse react if the PC has sex with mizora, the emperor, or haarlep? if the PC tells harry that they're going to sleep with mizora, harry is indifferent, commenting that the PC have fun and advises not to get eaten, if he's not told then harry will be annoyed and tell the PC that the expectation of being in a polyamorous relationship is that they communicate when they're interested in someone. he's disgusted if the PC sleeps with the emperor, and threatens to cut off the emperors tentacles, one by one. he's enthusiastic if the PC sleeps with haarlep, commenting that even he's interested in how they feel.

will they join in with the PC and the drow twins? yes. very much enthusiastically.

what are your muse's plans for the future? do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not somethinig they're interested in? harry's future plans are to return to his crew and his ship and go back to the sea. if the PC has romanced him he'll offer them a place on the ship, commenting that their adventures don't have to end. however, harry isn't interested in marriage, a proposal doesn't come up and if the PC mentions it, harry will disregard the idea by commenting that he's never been interested in marriage and that isn't about to change now.

free space

by the end of arc 3, harry's dynamics with the other companions develops into something resembling friendship. he is friendly and even playfully affectionate with blade of avernus wyll, selunite shadowheart and teacher gale. he and wyll swordfight often and with wyll being preoccupied with hunting mizora rather than protecting the sword coast they have a more friendly, sibling-esque dynamic.

he and karlach get long a lot more than when they first met and started interacting. karlach still thinks harry's a little too rough around the edges, and harry still thinks karlach is too naive/kind for her own good. they slept together once but both chose not to pursue a romantic relationship as karlach deserves more than what harry could give her. he's been trying to hook her up with dammon ever since.

harry is closest with liberator lae'zel and unascended astarion. they have a good time when they're together, harry periodically offers astarion a place on his crew commenting that he can just hang out in the hull during daylight. harry is quite proud of lae'zel fighting to free the githyanki from vlaakith and offers his sword if the fight ever comes to faerun.

sharran shadowheart, duke wyll, god gale, ascended astarion and loyalist lae'zel are on harry's shit list. he really doesn't like them and while he doesn't go out of his way to pick fights with them, if they say anything he disapproves of he's quick to become antagonistic and combative. he pities mindflayer!karlach and treats mindflayer!karlach like a completely new/different person to the karlach he knows. he doesn't consider them to be the same person.

[cannibalisticskittles]

General 2-4; Story 5, 10, 11, 14, and 17; Romance 1, 3, and 9; and 12 free space: a field banter with a character of your choice (hard(?) mode: not Astarion) for Amity!! (You can...pick and choose from these if that's too many, lmao)

under a cut because long

General 2. Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav? i imagine she's recruited doing something silly/is at least somewhat in peril – stuck on the edges of the swamp behind some traps that seem to keep popping back up whenever she turns around (the redcaps are fucking with her), or caught in a web under the goblin village bc her pod crashed nearby and in her haste to not be seen, she fell thru the rotting floorboards and now she's stuck and she could burn the webs away but honestly it's a miracle that the bigger spiders haven't been drawn to her yet and that seems like a recipe for disaster, so uh, help please?

so i think more practically-minded companions – lae'zel for sure, astarion, maybe shadowheart – wonder aloud about how useful she could be, given how they've found her; the first two maybe remark that it would've been better to leave her there to figure it out for herself, lmao.  

wyll, karlach, and gale are a bit more sympathetic, and karlach just wants to pick her up and squeeze her like a lil teddy bear.

3. Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions? if you recruit her before astarion, she is livid on your behalf if you fail the perception roll and end up with a knife at your neck. she has incineration on her mind, like gale; unlike gale, she's too mad to be articulate: "if they don't walk away from this, neither will you."

she loves karlach right away. tiefling solidary is strong, and she knows devils well, and this is definitely a (pretty) tiefling and not a devil. she strongly advises hearing karlach out and helping her; she's extremely sad if you choose to fight and kill karlach instead. big disapproval hit there. don't fuck with tieflings. 

if she's in your party when you recruit gale, she doesn't say anything, but you quietly get a few points of approval if you slap his hand before rescuing him

actually wait there would be one reaction. if your party is full when you reboot Gail and he says he'll go back to camp and get started on stew, amity goes "fuck yeah, stew!!!"

4. What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval?

goody-two-shoes choices tend to net approval with her, no surprise there. tho honestly i think with amity, you'd be getting little 'amity approves!' notifications all the time, but then find out that they're mostly just +1s so even tho they can trigger often, it's hard to build high approval just with that. you get bigger approval for harder choices, naturally, and she does favor being good and kind, but it happens a bit less often. 

you can talk her into giving approval even if you decline the Extra Good and Generous option, as long as you present some logical/practical reason for it – sorry amity, helping tieflings is nice, but think about how many of them will die if we're too slow to remove our tadpoles and we all transform into mindflayers; greater good and all that, right?

…and you get approval when you do dumb, chaotic, fun things. like. you jump down the pit in the spider cavern without feather fall, and after withers revives you, amity says "that was very ill-advised, but in the moments before you splattered on the ground, it looked like a lot of fun!" and you get +10 approval.

you also get approval points when you're rude to/make fun of raphael or mizora, lmao. amity blatantly disrespects any devil lower than, like, a kyton in the hierarchy of devils. 

for specific actions, you get +10 approval for killing aunty ethel, even if you fuck up saving mayrina. fuck hags, all amity's homies hate hags. and also i think every single companion disapproves if you smear shit on your face when trying to get into the goblin camp, but y'know what? amity thinks that's very practical. fuck dignity, it avoided a fight, and she respects that. now hold still, she'll prestidigitate that off of you as soon as you turn the corner.

Story 5. How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power? she's a little horrified, but primarily at the idea that you willingly put that in your eye?? ouch?? and are you sure there's enough room in your cranium for another one of those suckers?? she does, however, ask that if you plan to do it again – not that she advises that, mind you! – that you let her watch and take notes. she promises to do her very best to suppress her gag reflex if you do. 

10. How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar? "oh! wow! that's – um. was that… good?" devnote: no part of her believes that could've been good. 

in response to a second lick: "oh, wow. are you okay? blink twice if you're ensorcelled and need help. no? it couldn't have been good enough to be worth it. …could it?" devnote: said in a tone which indicates almost enough curiosity to try it for herself. 

11. What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown? honestly, she's fucking delighted, she loves circuses and clowns. 

"really? me? are you sure you don't want to go up there instead? dribbles really knows his stuff, you'll be missing out! but okay, if you're sure!"

she's so excited that she's wiggling the whole time she's on stage. +5 approval at least. 

14. How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer?  Can they offer to become one themselves?  Does their reaction change if they’re romanced? the theological implications of the soul being destroyed in the process of becoming a mind flayer are… concerning – if the soul is gone, how can one ever be sure that the person isn't gone, and that the tadpole isn't just assuming the memories and characteristics of its former host?

but. the player character is her friend! (and maybe her partner, but either way – her friend!) and friendship is sacred! she's not going to let some tentacles get in the way of that!!! she's just sorry that you had to go through this, but you're so brave and kind for doing it – you've done the hard part, leave it to her to support you through this!

(a later bit of dialogue you might get is "hey, we match now – we're both purple! c:" )

as for herself – she'd want to take some time to think about it bc it is Not a decision that she'd be excited to make, but… honestly, what's lil' ol' her worth when compared to the entirety of the sword coast? so yeah, she'd volunteer herself, if need be. 

hey, don't feel too bad – she was only gonna make it maybe 40 if she's lucky, the way she keeps throwing herself into danger. hell, she's technically already died once already! and her soul was likely bound for the wall of the faithless when she died, so what's it matter if this destroys her soul now, right?

(this is not going to help her self-esteem issues AT ALL – people might distrust tieflings, but they REALLY distrust mindflayers – but She Will Do It)

((if you're romancing her and ask her to become a mindflayer and break up with her, she isn't even mad. she gets it. if you still want to be with her, she full on cries. says you don't have to do that, there's a better path for you out there; it's a whole thing.))

17. If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2? i will be fully honest here: despite only doing like 10 minutes of a dark urge run so far, i get the impression that most companions… do not take the dark urge particularly seriously. even if the dark urge is upfront about everything and full on confesses "hey, i crave murder, i'm pretty sure i've done lots of murder before, and i want to do more murder."

amity would. she'd be tossing out suggestions on what to do and trying to get everyone on board – and if she couldn't sway anyone pre-alfira, she gets very serious about it post-alfira. everyone takes turns being on watch? they set up the alarm spell around the dark urge? …little bells on their ankles?

so i think in a sense she'd be prepared. she'd have to believe that the dark urge isn't in control of themselves in order to keep going after alfira, so therefore, she believes that whatever urge is driving them is both very powerful and likely to crop up again.

…unfortunately, amity Needs Sleep. she functions poorly on less than optimal sleep, and once she IS asleep, it's very difficult to wake her up and she gets combative if you try. if the dark urge tries to wake her up to warn her, they need to make a dex save to avoid either a fire bolt or a stray fist thrown their way. (it's okay if they fail tho, her aim isn't great when she's sleepy and she only has 9 strength.) 

dark urge has gotta get thru her grumpy-at-being-woken up phase before she's even close to coherent enough to understand what's going on, but when they do – she's ready. as ready as you can be for something like that, anyway. 

"you – now? shit. okay, we can handle this, we can – hand me my bag, i've got materials for a warding spell in there. you good long enough to find somewhere private, or does it need to be now-now? –shit, clearly it's now-now, okay–"

dark urge wakes up and she's all smiles. "hello, dear heart! you went down pretty quick, had me worried! slipped a pillow under your head, but your noggin might still be sore in the morning sorry. oh, not up for a chat? that's alright! i'm here anyway! :)"

i think some of her encouragement would be drawing on gleeful spite –like "hey, think about how pissed off this urge is gonna be that you've managed to fight it so far – i bet it's livid, haha. and look at you, you're managing it anyway! i knew you could do it; you're doing so well!"

and then she sits at the ready, telling silly stories of ways she's fucked up on adventures or of neat things she's seen until the dark urge is able to sleep

she's lightly dozing when they wake up but she's mostly sitting up – it's clear she's tried to stay up and keep watch all night. 

as she dismisses the wards, she throws some suggestions at them – consistent alarm spells around their cot at night? her knot-tying is pretty good, they could rely on that each night if spells don't seem like enough? well – no, that's not how she meant if, but if that's how you take it, she's not necessarily opposed to… wait, we're discussing important business here, save that for later!

and she passes them something from her bag and it's a sending stone. "annnnnd if you feel like there's something you need to tell me but you can't say it out loud for whatever reason, or if I'm not there, though honestly how often does that happen – well! this'll give you a direct line to me, even without the tadpoles :)"

sending stones as a gesture of love yet again (also she never travels anywhere without at least one set of sending stones on her. she has learned how valuable they can be)

Romance 1. Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them? i think she would be, but it would be sloooooow going. so slow that players aren't always certain that they're correctly triggering it at all, damn it, where'd that guide go?

you've got to get her to be genuinely vulnerable with you, which is. difficult! she has self-esteem issues. and self-image issues. and she has issues with touch – simultaneously touch-starved and touch-repulsed (thanks a lot, hag curse, for fucking up the progress she'd made on that). she wants to be with someone, but oh, gods, is that frightening.

you have to tread carefully with her. lay it on too thick, and she thinks you're fucking with her (or just being nice, but either way, she believes 0% of it). gotta build a LOT of trust first. honestly, her friendship path and her romance path would be absolutely identical for at least the first act. sleeping with someone at the party wouldn't lock you out of that – you go have your fun! she's going to creep away soon for some air. it's lovely that everyone is having fun, but it is a bit overwhelming. but no, don't worry about her! …no really, don't worry about her, haha, she's definitely not going to slip away while you're not looking because she's having another bout of insecurity. 

you just have to talk to her a lot, and not be too mean – it doesn't even put an end to things if you're a little mean, bc hey, that can be kind of funny. but, y'know. don't shut her down. she warms up to you fast on a surface level, but you have to give her time to actually open up and not be so skittish. 

3. Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option? she'd happily agree to either, honestly! she has Experienced Love for more than one person at once, before, but she feels no pressing need to seek that out for herself; as for the player character, i think she'd want a bit of reassurance that anything else they seek isn't bc of dissatisfaction with her, but then she's open to it, whether or not she herself is involved!

bonus; a field banter with a character of your choice  post-waukeen's rest – 

amity: wyll! wyll ravengard! wyll: that is what I've been called a time or two, yes. why? amity: i can't believe i didn't recognize you before! you've changed some, sure, but even still! wyll: had we met before? i'm sure i would have remembered you. amity: not exactly! more like… occupied the same circles? i was too shy to go to all those fancy parties as myself; once we'd made it past the entryways, i usually hid away, or disguised myself with a spell, if i couldn't find anywhere secluded. wyll: ah, a shame – i think we would've gotten along famously, you and i. amity: i'd like to think so! anyway, i got myself… banned from all of those events after some particularly unwelcome hijinks, so it only lasted a little while.  wyll: banned? there was a time when little wyll would have been dying to know how to do the same; i never could manage it. always dragged along to every meeting and soiree father had to attend. what exactly did you do? amity: ah – a lady doesn't kiss and tell! they may consider me too uncouth and unkempt to be much of a lady, but even i know that! wyll: now i must know.

and later – 

wyll: potions of fire breath in lady edmonton’s mead.  amity: uh-uh. wyll: frogs in the central fountain.   amity: not me.  wyll: otto's irresistible dance on the younger lord laurier? amity: gods, i wish, he was always such a prick – but no.  wyll: it was quite funny to see him flop about. let's see… replacing lady belmont's prized panther with a displacer beast? amity: did someone do that? really? i missed that one. and i'm pleased you think i would have been able to manage that.  wyll: stealing the left shoes of all attendees while they say for a feast? amity: no – well. i don't think so, anyway? sounds like something i would've done. so maybe. possibly. probably? but that's not what did me in.  wyll: hmm… [snaps fingers] the chandelier! amity: yes, you've got it! wyll: ha, i knew i would, eventually. amity: ...i do feel bad about that one, honestly, i really thought it was going to hold up against a few swings.  wyll: from what i'd heard, it did not.  amity: it did not.

[eletaniaaa]

Jinx ✧ Beshaba Tiefling ✧ Wild Magic Sorceror