Baldur's Gate 3

[rastaban75]

There are in fact 4 entrances to the Underdark. I'll put the other three in spoilers:

Spoiler

* Through the Zhentarim hideout, behind Waukeen's Rest. The exit is clearly marked on that map of their cave.
* Through the Hag's Lair. While descending to her, there is a pile of huge tree roots with traps. One one corner of that area, you can find a circle of mushrooms that leads to the Underdark.
* Under the Blighted Village, through the well, there is the spider cave. This is obscure, but on the lower part of the cave (you should probably take care of the queen first) there is an opening to the abyss. A party member will probably make a comment there. You can jump down below
, which leads you directly to the Underdark, but it's certain death without a spell/scroll/potion of Feather Fall.

Also I think I killed a potential companion character because she had A LOT of loot on her including sexy underwear. A shame too because she was a drow like my character but instead of giving me solidarity she gave me sass.

Yes, that's Minthara and she can be hired in Act 2 if you let her live. The rest I will put in spoilers:

Spoiler

On a typical "good" playthrough you would kill indeed all three Absolutist leaders (Priestess Gut, Dror Ragzlin, Minthara) and free Halsin. In a typical "evil" playthrough you'd go to the goblin camp, agree to help her clear out the Druid grove and she would live - so you will see her in Act 2 (unless something... else happens at your own camp) in a certain predicament.

The lastest patch added the option of leaving her alive while being "good" and helping the Tieflings. You just need to knock her out instead of killing her. That can be done only with melee weapons which have a togglable option of dealing knock-out damage instead of lethal. So no ranged attacks or spells for this to happen.

Minthara is a Paladin (Oath of Vengeance)

 

[Andyster]

I killed a bunch of hard act 3 bosses last night. Tactician means engaging with the mechanics of the fights a bit more. The vampire fight was actually fun to not just fuck him up in one turn.

The fight against the big dragon was nice as my party finished it with 1 player still up with 8 hit points and only lived through it by using a globe of invulnerability scroll.

 

[Andyster]

My first few play throughs for role play reasons it didn’t make any sense for me to rob the house of hope and that’s such a good dungeon. Karlach and Lazel just wrecked Rafael’s face.

Walked out of there with several top tier pieces of loot but it’s just a really fun thing to clear.

 

[DeadLazy]

Ended up starting 3 campaigns: solo, co-op with friends and girlfriend. It’s gotten steadily better since the start of the game, even if its pace is slow. Starting multiple campaigns was a good way to get a feel for what the game is actually capable of, because I’ve been shocked and surprised many times over at the options and variation.

I am starting to like it more than Divinity OS2 but I wouldn’t change a thing about that game. It’s not as good an RPG as BG 3, but they’re different enough that OS 2 isn’t now obsolete. Especially if you run a campaign with the squirrel.

Half-Elf Druid
Drow Ranger (female. My favorite dialog so far)
Dwarf Fighter I’ll multi-class

I’ve definitely never played a game that put so much damn RP into RPG.

 

[DeadLazy]

Actually chose under and it was cool to see Elminster. And I was always into the Drow so this was really cool and for me, unexpected.

 

[docSpock]

I’m just going where the game takes me. Trying to make my way to the underdark but now I’m in some kind of enchanted swamp. This part reminds me of The Witcher.

 

[Andyster]

So I have exactly one trophy left from the original game, it’s to date Karlach. So to try something new I decided to make a circle of the moon Druid.

Whoever animated the animal forms on ladders deserves a raise. Like I got to the goblin village area with the well and blacksmith ruins and was chasing down a wolf and going up ladder in wolf form was great. Going down the ladder though was genuinely funny. It is some fucking looney tunes shit.

 

[rastaban75]

Took me hours to setup this concert. I have:
*my main character
*all ten party members
*three hirelings (the max number apparently)
and Alfira the bard on the scene who was already there,

all playing music. Naturally, a bunch of people showed up so this is more of a mess than I expected. BTW, this is on top of the Elfsong tavern.

I dressed them in nice clothing, with the exception of my main who insists on being a barbarian while playing music.

 

[Andyster]

Does that only work with a mod? I don’t know how to get party members to stay put.

 

[rastaban75]

Yes, you do need one of those mods that allow you to have unlimited party members.

 

[Andyster]

Yes, you do need one of those mods that allow you to have unlimited party members.

So I can’t recreate this as a console and Steamdeck peasant.

 

[Andyster]

Honor mode is weird. Most of the game is just tactician but they added extra shit to some bosses. So for instance conventional wisdom is to do everything before most of these. I’m level 5 and about to take on my first of them.

Got the owlbear, and spider left before I go to grymforge.

 

[rastaban75]

I should try Honor mode at some point.

 

[Andyster]

Had my first oh shit moment of HM. Rolled a nat 1 on the. Roll to settle Shadowheart and Laezel.

And now I I’m missing my gith since SH is in my core team. I just have the monastery and the forge left In act1. So far the bosses havent really been unbelievably tricky. With a party of bard, paladin tanking, Astarion shooting shit, life spec shadowheart and wyl or Gale specked sorlock of evocation. Wizard It’s going well.

 

[Andyster]

Using the wizard spell arcane lock to shut the hag out of the basement is some funny shit.

As is one shorting grym with an owlbear jumping on it.

 

[SageLeaf]

Had my first oh shit moment of HM. Rolled a nat 1 on the. Roll to settle Shadowheart and Laezel.

And now I I’m missing my gith since SH is in my core team. I just have the monastery and the forge left In act1. So far the bosses havent really been unbelievably tricky. With a party of bard, paladin tanking, Astarion shooting shit, life spec shadowheart and wyl or Gale specked sorlock of evocation. Wizard It’s going well.

That’s funny. On my first playthru I was annoyed with Lae so I just chose the option to “watch” letting shadowheart win. As a result I really don’t know anything about Lae’s character beyond that scene haha

I might do another playthru to see how she reacts to the stuff in the crèche

What happened when you locked the hag out? I figured she would just magically ignore the lock. But if she has some voicelines and gets annoyed and you can just defeat her outside that’s some funny stuff

 

[Andyster]

That’s funny. On my first playthru I was annoyed with Lae so I just chose the option to “watch” letting shadowheart win. As a result I really don’t know anything about Lae’s character beyond that scene haha

I might do another playthru to see how she reacts to the stuff in the crèche

What happened when you locked the hag out? I figured she would just magically ignore the lock. But if she has some voicelines and gets annoyed and you can just defeat her outside that’s some funny stuff

She like stands there doing the look around animation where the ai doesn’t know what to do. Then she only has like 150 hit points so if you’re doing this fight at level 5 and have the best act 1 gear it’s so easy.

Then you like walk through telling everyone else the hag is dead.

 

[rastaban75]

While the concert on top of Elfsong tavern is still going on...

people are literally climbing roof tiles to get there...

...while at the same time, and invasion is taking place.

It's the Cult of the Absolute...

...ly cute Badgers

They quickly find their way to the Elfsong tavern, now mostly empty due to the concert taking place on top of the establishment...

and now they wait to be served

 

[SageLeaf]

That looks like quite a party rasta

 

[IgglooV2]

I was just doing the Creche this weekend. It's honestly not that great from a role-playing perspective. You don't miss a great Lae'zel story line. But it is a solid place to level up your party.

 

[SageLeaf]

People who use mods. Is there any way to create your own new game + mode with mods? I’d like to redo the story with my original party all powered up and just smash stuff. Play around with the max level sorc abilities all game. And maybe even raise the level cap a couple levels

 

[mrpier]

I haven't used any mods yet, but I think there's several that lets you cheat in levels/items/feats.

Example: https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/605 - Level 11 Now: This makes you level 11 by the time you leave the Nautiloid in the tutorial.

 

[rastaban75]

I'm sure there is another mod that allows you to reach level 20, but not in a single class which still remains maxed at 12. You have to multiclass at some point.

I have to say that even the way I modded the game which did not include crazy powered-up stuff (just a few spells here and there and some items), allowing the party to have extra members really makes the game easy.

However, the most fun mods to me are certainly those that give more appearance customization options: more faces, more hairstyles, more beards and best of all, the transmog mod that allows you to change how items look. You could have for example a heavy armor with beefy stats looking like some casual camp clothing.

 

[Andyster]

God damn honor mode failure born of an unwillingness to retreat. I threw an explosive barrel as a last option and my whole party went down in flames.

Sigh made it to Thorm.

 

[rastaban75]

That is a bummer. It allows you to continue in Tactician I suppose? Although I understand the challenge is about the Honor mode itself.

I will probably play the House of Hope today, possibly my favorite map in the whole game.

 

[Andyster]

That is a bummer. It allows you to continue in Tactician I suppose? Although I understand the challenge is about the Honor mode itself.

I will probably play the House of Hope today, possibly my favorite map in the whole game.

I could do that but i was just playing to get gold dice. It allows you to continue on custom but you can’t get the achievement or the dice.

 

[rastaban75]

During my last completed playthrough, I contemplated if I can avoid turing anyone from my party into a mind flayer while keeping Orpheus in his githyanki form. Well, there is a way:

Spoiler

After failing to submit the Netherbrain, the Emperor calls you back in the Prism. There you need to have Lae'zel and Gale, I think.
Talk to the Emperor, tell him that you are willing to turn into one, while absorbing Orpheus' power.
Lae'zel objects, she want to talk to you. You tell her "trust me"
Talk to Gale, ask him if he is willing to blow himself up. After some persuasion, he says yes.
Take the special tadpole from the Emperor, the one that will turn you into a Mind Flayer.
Tell the Emperor, on second thought, you'll free Orpheus.
The Emperor leaves, annoyed.
Then free Orpheus. Tell him that you'll turn when the time comes and do not consume the tadpole.
Leave as usual, do the final stages of the fights that lead to the Netherbrain,
When nearing the final confronation, Gale will offer to blow himself up. Leave him do it.

Still not a perfectly happy ending, but I don't have my main turn into a Mind Flayer, or Karlach (still has her own unhappy ending), or Orpheus. In fact this this kind of the perfect githyanki ending, with Orpehus, Lae'zel and Voss leaving to do their thing. Lae'zel has the Silver Sword and rides a red dragon.

Gale dies of course, a hero - but not a god (which could have been a bad thing depending on how you look at it)

 

[SageLeaf]

During my last completed playthrough, I contemplated if I can avoid turing anyone from my party into a mind flayer while keeping Orpheus in his githyanki form. Well, there is a way:

Spoiler

After failing to submit the Netherbrain, the Emperor calls you back in the Prism. There you need to have Lae'zel and Gale, I think.
Talk to the Emperor, tell him that you are willing to turn into one, while absorbing Orpheus' power.
Lae'zel objects, she want to talk to you. You tell her "trust me"
Talk to Gale, ask him if he is willing to blow himself up. After some persuasion, he says yes.
Take the special tadpole from the Emperor, the one that will turn you into a Mind Flayer.
Tell the Emperor, on second thought, you'll free Orpheus.
The Emperor leaves, annoyed.
Then free Orpheus. Tell him that you'll turn when the time comes and do not consume the tadpole.
Leave as usual, do the final stages of the fights that lead to the Netherbrain,
When nearing the final confronation, Gale will offer to blow himself up. Leave him do it.

Still not a perfectly happy ending, but I don't have my main turn into a Mind Flayer, or Karlach (still has her own unhappy ending), or Orpheus. In fact this this kind of the perfect githyanki ending, with Orpehus, Lae'zel and Voss leaving to do their thing. Lae'zel has the Silver Sword and rides a red dragon.

Gale dies of course, a hero - but not a god (which could have been a bad thing depending on how you look at it)

That’s kind of how I completed my first run! The Gale hero ending. Nice.

 

[Andyster]

I’m deep in act 3 and every boss fight is nervous af in honor mode. I’m trying to get gold dice and at this point I’m willing to turn off the ps5 before I lose this run.

All I have left is 6 bosses.

 

[DeadLazy]

I’m deep in act 3 and every boss fight is nervous af in honor mode. I’m trying to get gold dice and at this point I’m willing to turn off the ps5 before I lose this run.

All I have left is 6 bosses.

Will turning it off work? Some games save that shit after every turn.

 

[Andyster]

Will turning it off work? Some games save that shit after every turn.

Yes, I did it once for something kind of trivial just to see. As long as I don't let everyone die you can kill switch it by turning it off or Control alt deleting on PC. Also BG3 would be sort of unplayable on PS5 if it saved every turn. It's not an exceptionally optimized game.

 

[Andyster]

After Cazador all the act 3 honor mode bosses were actually a lot easier than I was expecting. The actual end boss I skipped and just had Gale blow himself up. I’m fairly confident I could do it but I really just wanted to have a set of gold dice.

Used a party of Tiger barbarian, open hand monk, life cleric and evocation wizard.

 

[mrpier]

Found the harpies in the secluded grove, I've been through this area at least 10 times with different characters.

 

[Andyster]

My own personal class tier list for full or near full classes.

s tier these four In my opinion offer some really amazing levels of power. The fighter and sorcerer in a kind of amazing single role and the bard and cleric offer flexibility.

• bard can be very good at every role. Swords bard does really high damage, lore bard has strong debuffs and huge spell selection.
• fighter one extra feat and one more attack make them just do more damage than everyone and as you gear up this compounds.
• cleric light cleric is extremely strong at defense and tempest cleric as offense.
• sorcerer metamagic is really powerful. Twinned haste and being able to force advantage on a wet blasting chain lightning is wildly useful.

a tier all of these classes are really strong and good, but they don’t neatly fit into a kind of easy, breezy party optimized for killing shit.

• paladin: when you can smite this class can be s tier. It’s just not as consistent as 3 attacks per action and one extra action per short rest. In My opinion its support abilities trail fighters damage but in a different party it may be worthwhile. Paladins as a source of bless so clerics don’t need to give it is great.
  
  
• monk: mechanically I love this class but in my opinion it trails fighter in late game. It’s also squishy compared to fighter and paladin.
  
  
• wizard if sorcerors didn’t exist I think I’d take a wizard on s tier. They are really strong but for videogamey reasons they trail sorcerers in my opinion because metamagic leads spell variety in almost all cases and see my dips section for another problem.
  
  
• ranger kind of an a minus tier. Two of the specs are great hunter is one of the strongest aoe specs, and gloom-stalker does very good single target and stealth and the pet one seems cool but I just haven’t gotten animals to be that great. one of several classes I prefer in a multiclass build.
• warlock Is probably my favorite multi class class. It has really strong striking abilities and some good spells and unique abilities but gives up a bit too much imo.

b tier these classes are good But you have to want their thing per se. If you want a sneak attack, shapeshifter or rage attack class these are good for it but if you just want a striker, support or control you can probably do better with less effort.

• druid, I really like how wild shape is Implemented for a circle of the moon Druid and spores does great necromancy style but I just don’t think the spell list is as good as the other casters.
• Rogue, sneak attack gets really powerful but it’s just not it for me. There’s a lot of effort and you may miss, and like I think my vision for the rogue is closer to what a swords bard can do, lots of apr. This class also multis really well with ranger, and monk.
• Barbarian. I’m not saying any of these are bad but they just don’t seem kind of easy to build a party with. You can totally build great builds with all 3 of these classes but it just feels a bit harder imo.

Updated for honor mode barbarian=fighter both are a tier. Losing full action in haste neutralizes fighter’s raw power of 6-9 hits in a turn.

Also wizard probably equalizes with sorcerer for summons and abjuration spec ranking. Having more cannon fodder is really useful.

Also I didn’t really talk about stuns when I talked about monks. I stunned many act 3 bosses even with a plus 10 feat making it hard to immobilize them.

 

[Fetts_Vette]

Playing on normal mode with a gnome thief copied off that actual D&D character I made up for the pen and paper version and talked about here on the forums.

He's pretty tough and is the thief trickster or whatever it's called, so he has a small selection of spells he can cast.

My party is Lae'zel, Wyll and Shadowheart. I'm banging Lae'zel, or should I say, she bangs me. Although now she seems to be ready to take our relationship to the next level since she told me she wants to be gentle with me now instead of essentially having the kind of sex Tyler Durden had with that girl played by Helena Bonham-Carter in Fight Club lol.

 

[Andyster]

So I’ve reached the coming full circle point on Wizards. You can find me, somewhere in this post being like oh they’re somewhat underpowered compared to sorcerers, and for normal and tactician mode I still think dual haste is so overpowered that it holds up pretty well.

But oh man a wizard tank specced 1 white dragon sorceror 11 abjuration wizard is op as fuck. You just literally walk around get hit for no damage or near no damage and do huge retaliation damage from armor of agathys and flame shield and have an army of fodder to throw out there and distract the ai. Even most honor mode bosses are pretty badly hurt by taking armor of agathys and flame shield damage with up to 22 points of damage reduction before gear.

 

[SageLeaf]

Yeah my first party was caster heavy. White dragon sorceror main, Gale as evocation wizard. It gets pretty nuts as spells ramp up. It becomes less about tanks and heals and more about what splashy combos the casters can throw out. The int bonus to each magic missile alone makes evocation OP. I’m playing around with the idea of a blue dragon sorc chain lightning build

I’d actually like some cheats for the game to get to say level 20 and try out build potentials. Unfortunately we’ll never get any expansions or sequels to this anytime soon it was so nice to carry the party over to bg1 expansion and then to bg2 and see them fully realized at epic levels.

But no you guys want dos 3…

 

[Fetts_Vette]

My wife beat the game on her Dark Urge playthrough. I didn't watch so as not to have things spoiled for me any more than they already are from the bits and pieces I've seen watching her play.

I don't think I've played since last weekend maybe? It's just been a hectic week of work and stuff and haven't had the time and/or energy required to play for a while. I'm thinking I might get some time in tonight. I have to do the grocery shopping and then maybe I can get some late-night BG3 in.

I left off at the part with Balthazar or whatever that guy with the pentagram carved into his face is named.

 

[rastaban75]

One small detail that I really liked is this bard that appears at the epilogue

is pretty much the music composer of the game, Borislav Slavov

That was a nice touch.

 

[rastaban75]

Also, from my last playthrough:

Here's a glitch. As I was exiting a building where I caused a ruckus in, I thought I was getting arrested by Flaming Fist. Turns out it was this weird thing with cloned characters all over

My main, Multi-Lass in her endgame gear:

And part of the best scene in the game:

 

[Andyster]

So trying to get gold dice on my Steamdeck by playing a good dark urge.

Monk durge: I mean this is my go to class. Fun fact I learned, the double thrown weapon damage on. Tavern brawler applies to just hitting people with items. I killed Baelen in the under dark throwing his backpack at him.

Laezel Sorcadin 6 vengeance paladin 6 sorceror. We have the smites and arcane acuity, bonus action cc. So hit something to raise my spell hit chance then bonus action hold person, then my second, 3rd hits and my monk strikes all crits.

Shadowheart: Light spec because reducing hit chance by walking around and paired with on-heal buffs is pretty great.

Wyl: fire sorceror just can do so much single target damage with full on haste and quickened scorching ray.

 

[Andyster]

Good urge is very worthwhile imo. It has two pretty great unique scenes in none of the other play throughs.

 

[rastaban75]

It was a very interesting experience, resisting the Urge. I played both sides now and I'm not really sure which is my favorite.

 

[SageLeaf]

I was not aware you could be good as a dark urge character. Interesting, this is making me want to play it again. I was like “the post game is just being an evil dark urge? No thx” but it could be really interesting to resist it

 

[Fetts_Vette]

Yeah I don't think my wife knows you can play as the Dark Urge but resist the urge.

 

[rastaban75]

So, patch 7 is coming next September. This one seems very interesting to me because it will add official mod support, although remains to be seen how they will implement it. I hope it will be in-game, that would be something - the less the fuss, the better.