Baldur's Gate III Announced - ...and it's coming to Google Stadia and PC

[SIMIΔN]

I'm doing a modded playthrough this run.
I'm using the random loot mod, which really shakes up my early game. The randomness stops me following a formula.

The Fantastical Races: Bugbear mod is decent, though there is some clipping issues with camp clothes and my talons disappear if I have gloveless bracers. A tad OP though, as they have ogre-like reach and throwing ability whilst still being considered medium.

Dave Jones probably means well, but dude is old enough to know better.

This, at worse he's wokefishing, it's easy to not know such consultants are basically an extortion racket if you only deal with the acting side of things.

Likewise Frazer "Dammon" Blaxland didn't know how brutal the IDF can be, so he didn't deserve flack for stating he stands with Israel.
(The antiTrans stuff was based though)

Similar issue with Wyll but maybe I just put out gay vibes or something

Maybe he just wants a dance partner. I don't know if they changed it, but I had to double confirm I wanted to be in a relationship after Frog told me she wanted to taste me.

 

[FatalTater]

Iunno talking to the guy in your camp if you opt to be nice to him in any way he seems to take this as an invitation that you want to be trouser buddies.

Similar issue with Wyll but maybe I just put out gay vibes or something

I was nice and talked to Halsin quite a lot. I listened to him ramble on about the grove and nature and whatever else! lol I guess he was too busy checking out Shart to pay me any mind.

 

[Cheeseknife]

Picture this...

MC is Dark Urge Githyanki. He meets Shadowheart. The moment he sees her, it's love at first sight. His entire world is flipped, upside down.
She says she doesn't trust you. She hates you. Gith are cruel extraplanar creatures...
Yet, the MC doesn't realize he is falling in love, despite all this....
...until he sees the dream visitor:

What is this?!
The Emperor, using his subconscious desires, brings Shadowheart's visage to bear.
The MC sees this and he cannot deny the implications.
The MC slowly begins to realize what is happening. The Dream Guardian visage confirms what his heart's desire truly is:
Shadowheart.

This is my RP for my most current playthrough. The Githyanki who fell in love with Shadowheart and forsook the ways of his people to pursue her...

 

[There Is Light At The End]

Picture this...

MC is Dark Urge Githyanki. He meet Shadowheart. The moment he sees her, it's love at first sight. His entire world is flipped, upside down.
She says she doesn't trust you. She hates you. Gith are cruel extraplanar creatures...
Yet, the MC doesn't realize he is falling in love, despite all this....
...until he sees the dream visitor:
Ver archivo adjunto 5890852
What is thist?!
The Emperor, using his subconscious desires, brings Shadowheart's visage to bear.
The MC sees this and he cannot deny the implications.
The MC slowly begins to realize what is happening. The Dream Guardian visage confirms what his heart's desire truly is:
Shadowheart.

This is my RP for my most current playthrough. The Githyanki who fell in love with Shadowheart and forsook the ways of his people to pursue her...

My current one is Paladin, who falling down. At first, he became oathbraker. Then, warlock with bestial patron as multiclass. And now he's half illithyd

 

[SIMIΔN]

This is my RP for my most current playthrough. The Githyanki who fell in love with Shadowheart and forsook the ways of his people to pursue her...

Good backstory, but SH is closer to Gith in values than she might admit. Ruthless, but devoted to her queen.

My current one is Paladin, who falling down. At first, he became oathbraker. Then, warlock with bestial patron. And now he's half illithyd

My Mazzy clone halfling started off as a Ancients paladin, but her sudden brutality to small squirrels and injured birds made her devotion to nature untenable, best to be a bard and play a hero than be one. But the violence got harder to control, so it was a dark irony that her rampage was finally ended by a fellow corrupted defender of nature, a shambling mound twisted by shadow.

My current character is another bugbear a alchemically enhanced superpredator who jumps and shoves the enemy without being seen. He has a team waiting in the wing, to end threats he can't just solo. I'm using a OP modded class to power through the early stage, but I should transition to an assassin/swashbuckler bard when I reach LVL 6

 

[Triple Flutz]

I picked all new subclasses this duo run to change things up, and I'd like some input if anyone is interested in helping out-
I'm having decision paralysis when it comes to my tempest cleric and swords bard. I have no issue choosing stats and spells and whatnot, but I'm having a hard time with worthwhile early game gear. My swords bard has Phalar Aluve and Luminous Armour atm and mostly placeholders everywhere else (I'm gearing up to explore the Underdark right now, I only dipped in at level 2 or 3 to get the sword and warped back to finish up on the first map, and I'm thinking about a Paladin dip (vengeance) but is there another dip to explore/a case to be made for monoclassing it up? Likewise, my tempest cleric- I almost always do the lawnmower radorb/reverb cleric because it's so good and thus am having a hard time thinking of ways to enhance this specific cleric's performance, so other than +lightning/thunder accessories, is there anything to consider? If I were doing a party run, I'd dip 2 in evocation wiz to scribe spells and sculpt spells, but since it's a duo, I'm questioning whether there would be another cool, worthwhile dip with keeping in mind that I want at least 6 of Tempest Cleric, or if I should just monoclass it up to see what it can do. Likewise, I welcome any equipment ideas.
I'm doing a pretty good-aligned run, so no Shar spear/Isobel's clothes etc. for me but I'm willing to do something mutedly evil like killing Valeria for access to Bhaalist gear right before I kill Sarevok as per usual. With that being said, I question the benefit of doing that if I'm not willing to get the Shar spear, but maybe I'm overlooking something?
Thanks.

 

[derpherp2]

Oh right isn't there an achievement for literally having one of each class?

I remember doing something like 2 PLD/X All at one point, to take advantage of the spell slots with sneak attack.

 

[Sniperwoof]

Does becoming an assassin of Bhall lower companion affinity for anyone besides Jahira?

 

[SIMIΔN]

Oh right isn't there an achievement for literally having one of each class?

The easiest way to get it is just wait until you get lvl 12 Minsc and give him one of each class before respecing.

 

[Cheeseknife]

Does becoming an assassin of Bhall lower companion affinity for anyone besides Jahira?

Probably Minsc, Karlach, Gale, and Wyll.

In fact, I wonder about how the old Alignment system would work with the main cast of characters.

Tav - True Neutral
Lae'zel - Lawful Neutral
Shadowheart- Neutral Evil
Gale - Chaotic Good
Astarion - Chaotic Evil
Wyll - Lawful Good
Karlach - Neutral Good
Halsin - Neutral Good
Minthara - Lawful Evil

 

[Sniperwoof]

Probably Minsc, Karlach, Gale, and Wyll.

In fact, I wonder about how the old Alignment system would work with the main cast of characters.

Tav - True Neutral
Lae'zel - Lawful Neutral
Shadowheart- Neutral Evil
Gale - Chaotic Good
Astarion - Chaotic Evil
Wyll - Lawful Good
Karlach - Neutral Good
Halsin - Neutral Good
Minthara - Lawful Evil

Tav could fit either lawful evil or chaotic evil as Durge depending on your choices.

Karlach probably fits Chaotic Good better.

Other than that accurate to my eyes.

 

[Scarthew]

Has anyone picked an origin character to start with? I struggle to see the point of it, unless youre playing solo and want a specific ability like astarion's bite.

Even if its a character you like then you dont hear their performance right?

 

[Cheeseknife]

Has anyone picked an origin character to start with? I struggle to see the point of it, unless youre playing solo and want a specific ability like astarion's bite.

Even if its a character you like then you dont hear their performance right?

Karlach has an external monologue, but after the crash and an initial camp, you hardly hear from her again.

Origin characters have some flavor, but it is very sparse.

It's actually worth playing some characters just to make them do the opposite of what would be expected. Like, go murderhobo as Origin Wyll or make Origin Lae'zel a Paladin and be super nice and generous to everyone.

 

[Triple Flutz]

Has anyone picked an origin character to start with? I struggle to see the point of it, unless youre playing solo and want a specific ability like astarion's bite.

Even if its a character you like then you dont hear their performance right?

I've been having a blast doing Origin runs, but only because I like those runs as an opportunity to monoclass in the given class where I'm tempted to multi for Tav and non-PC Origin characters. Anytime I pick up Astarion in a duo run, there's a beast in my head whispering ''thief/gloomstalker'' but I found out a lot of crazy things whilst playing my pure Assassin and then pure Thief Astarion. Karlach does have her own voiced lines though, as well as specific interactions with a romanced Astarion, so she does seem to be ''the'' Origin character you want to play as other than Durge- I only did romance my few first runs to see how bad it was and I'm now kind of over it, so this is secondhand information, but people seemed pretty marked by the Astarion pairing.
There are also unique narration lines/dialogue options/some animated sequences/some insight as to the character's thoughts during the story you can only get in an Origin run, little things like an extra level 3 slot for Origin Gale and interactions with Tara at camp, but imho not enough to justify a run if it doesn't seem appealing to you, especially since you trade in the voiced lines for every run but Karlach.
Unlike a DOS2 run where I think the best experience is using Origin characters and following their storyline that way, I'd never recommend starting with an origin character, those are definitely best left when you want to shake things up a tiny bit.

 

[Cheeseknife]

If you do a Wyll origin and meet Karlach after you've killed the Grove, she says knows what you did and tells you off for it.

Funny, the game actually gives Wyll a [DECEPTION] option to be like, "I dindu nuffin" and even if you succeed the roll, Karlach still calls you a liar.

 

[Dick Mason]

You were able to actually defend that portal? 99% of the time the AI gives itself several turns in a row per "round" and just shoots over my party at the portal. Mass grenade spam and AOE spells are ineffective as it just instantly and exponentially spawns even more enemies that get to instantly move after my character is done the moment I kill one. Literally nothing I could do.

The first time that's how it went for me. After that I used one of those spirit shield spells that encircled the group and kept things from getting close without getting smacked. Then did mass aerial firebombing. Gale with several fireball spells can scorch masses handily. Those fireball spells, especially with a wand that gives extra cantrip fireball spells, are probably overpowered.

The whole "initiative" thing really pisses me off. I'm fine with the concept, but not any of this "butting in line" bullshit that Larian LOVES to do, even to where if your character was next to move, the new guys that just joined mid fight get to move before them AND it will skip the rest of your parties turn in the process.

I'm just glad it wasnt as bad as DOS2. Combat there was almost never fun as it seemed like the enemy NPCs were cheating. They'd get several turns to my one most of the time.

 

[Kane Lives]

I've been having a blast doing Origin runs, but only because I like those runs as an opportunity to monoclass in the given class where I'm tempted to multi for Tav and non-PC Origin characters. Anytime I pick up Astarion in a duo run, there's a beast in my head whispering ''thief/gloomstalker'' but I found out a lot of crazy things whilst playing my pure Assassin and then pure Thief Astarion. Karlach does have her own voiced lines though, as well as specific interactions with a romanced Astarion, so she does seem to be ''the'' Origin character you want to play as other than Durge- I only did romance my few first runs to see how bad it was and I'm now kind of over it, so this is secondhand information, but people seemed pretty marked by the Astarion pairing.
There are also unique narration lines/dialogue options/some animated sequences/some insight as to the character's thoughts during the story you can only get in an Origin run, little things like an extra level 3 slot for Origin Gale and interactions with Tara at camp, but imho not enough to justify a run if it doesn't seem appealing to you, especially since you trade in the voiced lines for every run but Karlach.
Unlike a DOS2 run where I think the best experience is using Origin characters and following their storyline that way, I'd never recommend starting with an origin character, those are definitely best left when you want to shake things up a tiny bit.

I built pure Thief Astarion on my first playthrough and he fucking mogged everyone handily. (Although by level 10-ish, he isn't the walking holegaper pure battlemaster Lae'zel can be.)

It's really amazing what the take 10 skill can do, especially in mitigating random 1s.

 

[Triple Flutz]

I built pure Thief Astarion on my first playthrough and he fucking mogged everyone handily. (Although by level 10-ish, he isn't the walking holegaper pure battlemaster Lae'zel can be.)

It's really amazing what the take 10 skill can do, especially in mitigating random 1s.

Pure Thief is insanity, reliable talent makes him an outrageously capable solo character as well. There are also some really funny shenanigans you can get up to with greater invisibility- your stealth/dex should be out of this world anyway, and the earlier progressive checks are a joke due to the inability to roll under 10, then stack it with Passing Without a Trace ... there's so many Act 3 fights you can entirely trivialise without the enemies even noticing you as long as they don't have See Invis, and when you do break it, half or more of the battlefield is dead anyway. Good times.

 

[Cheeseknife]

Got a cool screenshot of Wyll channeling Speak with Dead:

Love the single glowing eye.

 

[There Is Light At The End]

Tav - True Neutral
Lae'zel - Lawful Neutral
Shadowheart- Neutral Evil
Gale - Chaotic Good
Astarion - Chaotic Evil
Wyll - Lawful Good
Karlach - Neutral Good
Halsin - Neutral Good
Minthara - Lawful Evil

Tav - player alignment choice
Lae'Zel - Neutral Evil with possible shift to true Lawful Neutral
Shadowheart - Chaotic Neutral with possible shift either to Neutral Evil or Chaotic good
Gale - Neutral Good with possible shift to Chaotic Neutral with his possible ascent to godhood
Astarion - Chaotic Neutral with possible shifts to either good or evil
Wyll - Lawful Good(despite being a warlock)
Karlach - Chaotic Good. Static
Halsin - Neutral good. Static
Minthara - Lawful Evil. Static