#Baldur's gate 3 ramblings

[azem-ghale]

Wish Larian didnt do the whole preset head thing, you get like 6 heads to choose from 4 look around middle-aged white people (which would be fine if we had more options) 2 of them are the same face except one has freckles you get 1 face if you want black features and 1 face if you want Asian features.

The whole head preset thing is dumb and made even worse by the face npcs share these presets so whenever i see someones unmodded Tavs im just sad theres nothing much unique about them they look like a huge chunk of npcs.

What if my tav had muscles, what if they were a bit fat, what i wanted my tav to not look like they have several identical siblings, what if i want my female tav to have muscles or even big titties, i cant because every female tav is skinny, small boobs (it looks dangerously close to how they did elves in DAI) rightbup to the janky walk/run animations

Whilst I have zero interest in romancing anybody (I think it feels rushed with how quickly things rush by , and hate how Astarion getsnover his aversion to sex pretty quickly id of kept his aversion all the way through the end) why is it the only black companion gets almost zero content even been sidelined in his own damn quest and his abuser gets fans too meanwhile the racist Vampire spawn keeps getting content added.

(also there is no way Astarion died as a 39 year old elf, if he was human sure but an elf nah that mf lied about his age as an elf that man would still look 18/20

Unfortunately this game attracted the type of people who can't handle anybody saying anything bad about thier super favourite game even if its valid criticism

Another also ehy are the choices ruen into mindflayer or work with the shithead emperor we have a flayer friend and no excuses are going to make me believe he couldn't help

[fangswbenefits]

Man really got hit with that Command: Drop Weapon spell and is now fully disarmed

[serenbriar]

Do you ever think about how Astarion must begin to finally enjoy non sexual acts of intimacy once he realises there is no expectation of them leading to sex.

Imagine him and Tav showering together because it feels so good for someone else to wash his hair for him, and plus the added bonus of each of them getting the filth off of their skin where they can't reach.

Or him and Tav giving each other massages after battle to ease their muscles, taking extra care with the tender parts, adding small kisses to the grazes as they go.

Cuddling in the silence of the night because it feels warm and safe, looking at the stars with their hands combing through each others hair and legs tangled together just because being close eases his heart.

It makes me so happy to think about him finally realising that these body focused intimate moments are just purely for love. They are gentle, kind, and everything opposite of what he was used to.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to him being able to just be with someone. He is enough, more than enough. And to Tav, he is everything and more.

[agent-oo-z]

Something about the way Karlach just fully and instantly trusts and loves Astarion. Like. If you’re playing as his origin and she asks about “where you’d be without the tadpoles” and you mention Cazador she’s instantly like “That bitch is lucky you can’t kill him because of vampire rules because I know for a fact you’re capable of it” and then there’s the dialogue where Astarion mentions how nice it would have been to be untouchable sometimes given what he’s been through and Karlach is like “if I could have given it to you I would”

She’s just so fully devoted to him as a friend and/or lover so instantly and also understands that he’s not implying she has it easy or anything with the engine. She knows what trauma does to a person and looks at him with sympathy and also reminds him that he’s powerful of his own right and just

Fuck man. She loves everyone so much but their dynamic in particular is really touching

[sadmages]

In my mind palace my tav and Astarion are playing the exact same game of 5D chess and they don't realize it yet

[artist-rat]

some epilogue vibes (an excuse to draw some hugs. and my durge so many times)

[lazylittledragon]

look i know the logical thing is that shadowheart used magic to change her hair but i still think it would be extremely funny if she only got a partial rest at the end of act 2 from staying up all night doing a full level 10 bleach and tone

[fkitwebhaal]

Anyway, here are my thoughts about what each of the companions would present on if they had to give the rest of the party a PowerPoint presentation:

Gale: A completely accurate and detailed lecture regarding the theories of teleportation magic, how it works, and the differences between it and plane shift. There are multiple charts and graphs.

Wyll: “Choosing your hero name: an adventurer’s guide” He does have suggestions for the entire party.

Karlach: “Ranking bars in the gate based on how much they remind me of Avernus.” She has provided illustrations that she made herself. Anything in the Upper City is ranked “like Avernus” because “occupied entirely by pricks.”

Shadowheart: “So I was wrong about Shar: a reluctant apology.” It’s mostly a debunk of Shar’s lies but the entire time it does look like she is pulling teeth. However, she cheers up considerably when she presents on some of the church’s secrets, including the weird ass code names for things that she always thought were a little silly.

Lae’zel: a very educational and complete history of her people’s war against the mind flayers. It’s all rather academic until the last slide which says “AND THIS IS WHY WE DON’T EAT THE WORMS” in all caps.

Astarion: “Ranking you by whose blood I’d want to drink most.” In order, it is as follows Gale (rancid), Karlach (spicy), Minthara (probably is poisonous after all the poison she’s been exposed to), Jaheria (that story about what she did to one of the spawn was memorable), Shadowheart (does cleric blood taste radiant?), Lae’zel (curious how Gith taste, doesn’t want to die), Minsc (large and has extra blood to spare), Halsin (can turn into a bear, think of all that real estate), Wyll (canon verified snack)

Halsin: “Foraging: what’s edible and what isn’t” Gale takes very dutiful notes given someone gave him a mushroom two ten days ago that gave the entire camp food poisoning. Astarion, the only one who did not get food poisoning, who has completely forgotten what he foraged was the culprit, takes 0 notes.

Minthara: Battle orders and tactics. All of these fools need to get whipped into shape.

Jaheria: “Get it Fucking Together: Stop Doing this Shit.” What follows is a callout of everyone’s worst habits and decisions. One slide just says “stop snitching.”

Minsc: it’s just pictures of Boo.

[mmigrainee]

I think too much about this moment when if you say "We could be good for each other", then Gortash's brain just freezes for a second and his "GOOD FOR EACH OTHER??? Don't be--" makes me laugh every time

[durge-marzio]

Ohhh, I'm rereading Mystra's entry in the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide... and this detail:

This means Gale was punished for trying to restore and preserve what he thought was a lost piece of Mystra's magic. Gale being Mystra's ex-lover put aside. He as her follower, she his goddess, was punished for attempting to do the one foundational rule of her faith.

I'm seething and so sad at the same time.

Edit: I used the word punish loosely, as in, toxic/abusive people will take any small mistake or action and twist it into something they can take advantage of. This post was also largely from the stand point of a toxic deity rather than a toxic partner, but both takes are valid here. Especially with the, “you didn’t stay compliant so now I’m giving you the silent treatment” part of it—from a god and a partner perspective.

[tee-dohrnii]

This line is just so silly

---

Silly Gale doodle to make me feel better about my art :")

[madschiavelique]

just thinking about halsin coming back at night to your place, and you fell asleep on the couch while waiting for him.

he’s silent, kneeling next to you and caressing your hair as you open your sleepy eyes and smile to him, “you’re home.”

“you waited for me,” he whispers, a bit concerned at how long you must’ve waited and at what time you fell asleep.

“mhm,” you hum as you close your eyes again, sighing dreamily. “wanted to welcome you.”

and he takes you in his arms like you weigh nothing, bringing you to your shared bed and pulling the covers over you.

he showers, removes his day clothes, and comes to snuggle with you under the covers. he gently pulls you by the waist against him, placing soft kisses on your neck and hiding his face in the crook of it.

he’s so thankful that you’re here with him, that he gets to know your gentle soul and appreciate you. he doesn’t think you’ll ever know how much you mean to him.

[fangswbenefits]

It's totally deserved that Neil Newbon gets praised for his perfomance as Astarion and for Stephen Rooney to be commended for how he wrote him. Amazing symbiosis between them for sure!

But we absolutely CANNOT forget about whoever designed him, because let's be honest... many people who get into Astarion get into him for his looks first. Then they later on find out about his backstory and watch some clips of him, and become hooked.

The artists and animators absolutely deserve all the love and praise as well.

Thank you to @del-hayelite for informing me that he was modelled by Stephanie!

I mean... look at him. He's probably one of the most attractive characters I have seen in YEARS

[serenbriar]

I often think about how verbal consent must be such an integral part of Tav and Astarion's relationship even once they've been together for years.

It doesn't matter if his body language indicates he's eager for intimacy, Tav will still ask him "may I?", "can I?", "is it okay if I..?", "do you want to..?" even if it's quite clear. Even after all that time, they want to remind him that he's in control, to make it known that they'll never do anything he doesn't want.

Often, he might eagerly accept, or even beg for them, but other times he might say no. And when he does say no, he never ever fears his boundaries being crossed, because he trusts Tav entirely to respect his body. He feels safe with them, safe to say no, knowing that the word has power here where it didn't so many times before.

Even after years, he might think to himself that they don't need to ask during moments of passion, that it's quite clear when he does and doesn't want intimacy, but it still brings him comfort when they do.

[nocturne-reverie]

it really sucks the lack of content you could get from that githyanki egg, just imagine the pastabilities

-The dark urge getting some super fucked up drama trying to break the fucking thing

- Karlach getting super maternal and becomes a milf like she should be

- Wyll getting super paternal and holding up pictures of Good things and Evil things to the egg like that scene in megamind

- Astarion literally just being Jareth the Goblin King

- Gale and Shadowheart being actually decent at caring for the egg but are screaming on the inside afraid they’re gonna drop it or something

- Halesin and Jahira being the funkle and the badass aunt

- Lae’zel after you romance her and get the kool-aid out of her system is like “Y’know the odds are we wont find another creche to take it to” and Tav’s like “I think we could find one” and she’s like “...I dunno i mean i could make that little bastard into the greatest gith warrior to ever live.” and tav’s like “What” “You and the wizard could share your arcane knowledge with the youth, granting them mastery over both the arcane as well as our astral manipulation” “Lae’zel” “Astarion can share his techniques in subterfuge and light-footedness, making them the most skilled assassin in the realm” “I would not put a baby in front of-” “Karlach can spot them in various weight and muscle building training” “I- She could, she could do that very well”

[roastedoatmilk]

i need them to tag team me IMMEDIATELY