#baldur's gate 3 for ts

[archonfurina]

[hauntedfalcon]

[galedekarios]

Gale + Being Chosen

"I'm what one might call a wizard prodigy, who from an early age, could not only control the Weave, but compose it, much like a musician or a poet. Such was my skill that it earned me the attention of the mother of magic herself. The Lady of Mysteries. The goddess Mystra. She revealed herself to me and became my teacher. In time, she became my muse, and later, even my lover."

"I know what it is to have a closer connection than most with the gods."

[loquaciousquark]

hello quark! i've gotten to the szarr palace again in bg3 and am now super curious about tavish and astarion's thoughts about amanita szarr and vellioth! i imagine personally that astarion had no idea amanita even existed, and that finding out about vellioth's rules might give him a knee-jerk but ultimately conflicted rejection response—something about how those rules are why cazador treated him so poorly, so he rejects them on principle, but also his life experience has been such that he actually agrees with them... it'd be a tangle for him to try to work through, i think, but what about you? what are your thoughts?

I! LOVE! THIS! QUESTION!! Thank you so much for asking!

I definitely agree that Astarion had no idea Amanita existed. That Cazador had turned a full vampire and then imprisoned her in their attic; that she was resisting her compulsions and defying Cazador's orders; that a powerful vampire hated Cazador as much as Astarion did? No way. No way does Cazador ever let Astarion or any of the other spawn even get a hint of her existence. I don't even know if she knew very much about them, actually; I think if she really thought there was someone she could help or someone she could ally with in this very lonely, isolated existence, her journal entries wouldn't have been quite so despairing.

(Sidebar: I adore the tragedy of the attic in the Cazador mansion being the only place that allows in some shafts of light. I bet he did that to her on purpose.)

After finding out about her existence, I think Astarion would be conflicted at first, then decide that if she's abandoned them all, he's not going to waste another thought on her. He didn't know her, she didn't know him, and if she fled without helping them, he's not going to worry about where she's gone. He'd have even less of an interest in her outcome than his siblings, I think, and those relationships are already contentious at best.

Now, Vellioth--I think that's another story. Finding out that Cazador, who has effectively set himself up as god-emperor to the spawn, the source of all pain and pleasure and the total sum of their universe, couldn't even come up with his own base set of rules? Finding out that Cazador is just one more link in an endless chain of suffering?

Man, I think it'd be rough for Astarion. I can easily see him going in a circle of laughing at Cazador for being a pathetic copycat -> a pathetic copycat enslaved me for 200 years -> does that make me even more pathetic than I originally thought -> is my escape therefore worth less in the grand scheme of justice -> no, what I did was great and good -> Cazador was pathetic but he was also powerful -> it is admirable that I killed him and therefore he must have had intrinsic value as an enemy -> Cazador was powerful in his own way even if he stole from Vellioth -> Cazador stole everything from Vellioth & was nothing more than a pathetic copycat, and so forth. Exhausting!

Once he got over the initial surprise, I do think he would have looked back at his time under Cazador and wonder if it needed to be reframed. The account of Cazador's impalement is horrifying. The brutal murder of Cazador's friend (Cazador had a friend!) is horrifying. And at the end of that horror, Vellioth still made Cazador a full vampire.

What does that mean for Astarion? Did Cazador really think he was being merciful by only imprisoning him for a year? Would Cazador have ever fully turned him if the ritual hadn't come into play? Probably not--probably he's just as cruel as Astarion always thought he was, and likely even more, but I think it's one last element of rug-pulling viciousness from Cazador to Astarion right at the end, one last time. Cazador dies, and Astarion can't even be unquestioningly happy about it.

As far as Astarion internalizing those rules, I think post-Cazador's death, he has a kneejerk rejection of anything like them for himself, just like you say. I do think if he's not checked by Tav/his LI, he may unconsciously lean into similar rules for them (see: the nearly identical ruleset he gives a turned Tav after Ascending), but I think a spawn Astarion with a healthy relationship could be coaxed out of that mindset given enough time & support.

An incredible question. Thank you so much for asking! :D

[fizzytoo]

[ayrennaranaaldmeri]

❤️💜

[biserker-kadan]

Current BG3 OCs

Dei

- Drow (Lolth sworn), ranger/paladin. Redemption!Durge. Perpetually tired and in a constant state of 'too old for this shit'. Will bite if provoked.

Tav

- Human, cleric of Selúne. Sweetest little baby. Lived in the temple her whole life, first time she leaves? Captured. I'm sure that's not going to affect her later in life at all.

The Dark Urge

- No actual name. Knows he's Half-Drow. Made of magic and the blood of innocents. Constantly feels like he's on an acid trip. Sad boi, doesn't quite get social cues.

Cathlyne

- The Princess. High Elf Bard. Ran away from home to join the circus. Realised she's clumsy as all hell but can play the violin like no one else. Doesn't understand money, is fairly clueless but stick her in court and she'll thrive. Backhanded compliments are her love language.

[formlessvoidbeast]

I am legitimately and not jokingly Deeply Offended that Baldur's Gate will not let a character with the masculine body model wear a corset. They just... make the same set of clothes look completely different on different characters. A cute corset on one character is just some boring-ass vest on another. Why would you get my hopes up by letting me genderfuck it up in the character creator only to oppress me in the game itself?

What if clothes don't have gender and neither does my character and I wanted to be cute!?

[prpfz]

⌗ 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.

Hello everyone! I'm known as Moon, and I use she/her and they/them pronouns. I'm 18+ and I'm currently on the hunt for a roleplay partner for Baldur's Gate 3, specifically focusing on Astarion x Halsin. After recently purchasing the game due to all the hype around it, I've quickly become hooked! I'll be playing Halsin and I'm in search of someone who's up for doing Astarion. Since I'm a newcomer to the fandom, I don't have a wide assortment of specific plots in mind yet. However, I am more than open to working together with my roleplay partner to come up with exciting ideas – in fact, I highly encourage it! It's important to create a scenario we both find enjoyable.

On a related note, just a heads up that I am quite drawn to dark, twisted themes. The darker, the more appealing to me! That being said, I'm not strictly requiring this, and lighter-hearted plots are also welcomed. Just be aware that darker themes tend to captivate my interest more. When it comes to Astarion x Halsin, I believe that they are a pairing that can either draw out the worst or the best in each other – so, let's explore that together! 🐻

⌗ 𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒.

🩸 ACTIVITY - Please maintain a reasonable level of activity. While I don't anticipate constant responses around the clock, I do expect a reply every 2-3 days and at most within a week. If you tend to respond infrequently or have a habit of randomly ghosting people, kindly refrain from reaching out. I'm seeking partners who are genuinely interested and attentive.

🩸 LITERACY - I don't have extremely demanding expectations for my partner's writing. However, I do anticipate that they possess a reasonable level of literacy (or perhaps even advanced), a good grasp of basic grammar, and absolutely no one liners.

🩸 NSFW - When it comes to NSFW, I usually see Halsin and Astarion as versatile switches. I'm looking for a partner who can effectively convey this switch dynamic. I imagine that Halsin and Astarion would continuously engage in power struggles, each striving to take the upper hand from time to time. If you're a person who exclusively bottoms, I'm not interested.

🩸 OOC - Unfortunately, I'm a professional yapper, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Be open to some OOC banter and easygoing conversation. I'm a pretty laid back person, just looking to have a good time! Let's ramble about the characters, make playlists, the more the merrier!

🩸 TRIGGERS - I tend to lean toward partners who have minimal or no triggers. I'm seeking someone open to exploring diverse themes and, above all, won't restrain themselves in any way - particularly in the portrayal of Astarion. Feel free to depict him as manipulative or cruel whenever it's appropriate. What frustrates me the most is when people deliberately dilute morally ambiguous characters. So please, indulge in those darker inclinations - or don't, let things take their natural course!

Further details will be shared in DM's. This will take place on Discord. Thanks for reading! 🐻

give a like and anon will get back to you

[remythologise]

haven't finished the game yet and I have a lot of other thoughts on it but extremely funny how orin is literally white girl feminism girbossing her way to the top of the patriarchal cult she's in (she wasn't invited to the boys club and got glass ceilinged because her way of murdering is too girly and artistic)

[strawberrypinky]

He was so fucking done with them, I just KNOW 😭

Your average meeting of the Dead Three

I think I talked too much about just how grossly they kiss but did not make it clear enough. Right in front of Ketheric's salad, too.

[hauntedfalcon]

I changed my character’s camp outfit to a red shirt once I romanced Karlach, like some kind of DA2 companion 🥰

[galedekarios]

seeing a post that basically confirmed the obvious disparity in content made me think more about a scene i would have liked to see with gale and that i've been thinking about for a while now.

i always felt a bit sad that his condition is so often treated as a joke by the fandom and to a lesser extent by the game itself. i always thought that this is partially down to the fact that we don't truly get so see gale actively be in pain due to his condition, other than brief glimpses and hints:

we do hear the urgency in his voice when he explains when and why he needs an artefact and the relief in his voice when the protag chooses to help him.

we see it, too, when he is afflicted by the arcane hunger condition:

we get glimpses of it when he consumes an artefact:

he mentions it, too, in his dialogues, but it's very much downplayed by gale or phrased in such a way that is meant to overplay it with humour, or perhaps even to distance himself from it by using metaphors:

that is until we actually get to see it through his eyes, if only for the briefest of moments:

*Its teeth, its claws, it's unstoppable as it digs through and becomes part of you. And gods, it is ever-hungry...*

gale also has an idle animation where he--quite often--reaches up to touch the orb, perhaps because it flares with pain, like an old wound is wont to do:

(gif by @bladeofavernus)

from the last conversation we have with gale, and after catching all of these little moments of things he says or does with how the orb affects him, we learn that consuming the magic from artefacts no longer has any effect at all. the only solution that tara and he were able to find no longer works:

it would scare him and imbalance him, and it would finally destabilise the orb, make it more volatile.

but what happens in the game after that? the orb becoming volatile enough for the artefacts to no longer have an effect has no consequences at all: you are able to do the tiefling party, all quests in the underdark, the entirety of the grymforge, and, should you choose to do so, the entirety of the mountain pass and rosymorn monastery without an incident at all or any mention of the condition itself/any discomfort or fear it might cause.

there's no urgency here, no follow-up, to what the narrative set up... and then we meet deus ex elminster and the orb is stabilised, and the urgency that came before literally is handwaved out of existence.

what i would have liked instead to happen--or at least to bridge the gap between the artefacts no longer working and elminster stabilising it to be used on mystra's behalf--is the following:

i think it would have been nice to have a scene with gale where we do get to see--on a much smaller scale--him losing control over the orb, have the protag and the companions see what he is trying desperately to keep contained within himself, what gnaws at him, what continues to haunt him.

it could happen perhaps after a particular gruelling and intense fight--and there are enough of that in the underdark and at the mountain pass. it could have been a ! conversation, providing both friendship and romance content.

have the orb act up after expending so much energy to manipulate the weave to the fullest of his abilities, have gale manage to reign it in, but barely, show that it takes a lot of power and effort for him to do so.

that it hurts, with none of gale's metaphors to hide behind or jokes to play it off.

have the audience truly see the gravity of what he is going through.

[loquaciousquark]

The Great Counting House Docks Heist

THE RULES

face value awarded for all materials stolen: all materials must be sold post-heist by a neutral third party (Gale) to avoid CHA- or theft-based adjustments of cost

natural 20: +250gp bonus

successful pickpocket of any guard: +100gp bonus

disabling an alarm: +100gp bonus

any detection or accusation of theft: -500gp bonus each

THE SETUP

each Thief will be given a scroll of Haste, which must be cast & concentrated on by the respective Heister

each Thief will be additionally buffed with one casting of Greater Invisibility by a neutral compatriot, who will remain unmoving in a safe zone at all times

each Thief will have his or her inventory fully emptied prior to the Heist*

each Thief will have all curses, poisons, bloodlessness, divine disfavor, or any other negative status effect removed prior to the Heist

any potion, elixir, divine blessing, or other imbibement which would provide a material advantage to the Heister must be removed prior to the Heist†

no previously looted keys to any chest, lock, door, or crate may be used by either Thief

the bounds will be from easternmost docks alarm-stand to westernmost alarm-stand, with the northern border being the Counting House doors & the southern border being the Chionthar; no Thief shall leave the bounded area at any point

THE HEIST

Shadowheart & Gale are the Greater Invisibility casters for Tav & Astarion, respectively. From the perspective of the above screenshot, Tav takes the rightmost boat and Astarion takes the left. While I've robbed these docks before, it was on my last playthrough & done entirely with one character, so I have absolutely no idea which boats contain anything of value.

Immediately, I'm surprised by how little Tav's Thief-based extra bonus action helps. I was worried it'd give her extra mobility, but she's limited by the lockpick action rather than her speed, and I have to end several of her turns early with her sitting on a chest and kicking her heels.

Guard distribution is very equal between boats. The Steel Watchers move fairly quickly, and the guards have comprehensive pathing within the target area.

The locks range from DC 10 to DC 20. None pose any issue for either Astarion or Tav.

Astarion immediately rolls two natural 20s within his first few chests. Tav successfully pickpockets a patrolling guard of 23 gold, a Docks Chest key, and a torch.

Both Tav & Astarion successfully disable their alarms.

Astarion pickpockets a guard of 23 gold.

Both Tav & Astarion completely wipe their respective boats of all wares, including paintings, chest contents, and food, without detection.

On the final approach back to the Counting House (which they did at approximately the same time), there are a pair of guards on either side of the doors. Tav successfully pickpockets hers of 6 gold and re-enters the Counting House. Astarion, on the last check of the entire heist, rolls a 2 and is detected.

Chaos breaks out immediately. Astarion is accused of theft and, while able to persuade his way out of prison, is thrown from the Counting House. (He'll claim he got caught on purpose for a more expedient escape.)

The docks guards realize theft has occurred and begin accusing everyone they can reach. This includes Gale, Shadowheart, Minsc, Jaheira, and—tragically—Tav. One by one, everyone either claims innocence or Persuades their way out of trouble. I can barely take two steps in any direction without being accosted by a guard.

The chaos brings some of the internal guards up to investigate, where they discover the interior thefts from the previous ransacking of the Counting House during Minsc's quest. The rounds begin again, though Tav manages to avoid accusation this time.

Eventually, both thieves manage to escape, along with the rest of the party, clutching their ill-gotten gains.

THE RESULTS

Gale acts as intermediary with Dammon, the only merchant in the game Tav hasn't stolen from. (This is because I, Quark, was challenged in Act 1 to not ever steal from him again, and @probablylostrightnow rolled a 16 with inspiration & Guidance from @bettydice on a DC 16 Persuade check against me. This is a holy binding to which I have adhered religiously.)

ASTARION'S WARES TOTAL: 1636 GP

TAV'S WARES TOTAL: 2602 GP

ASTARION BONUS ADJUSTMENT: two natural 20s, one successful pickpocket, one disabled alarm, one unsuccessful pickpocket resulting in detection & accusation of theft:

250 + 250 + 100 + 100 - 500 - 500 = -300gp to final score

TAV BONUS ADJUSTMENT: no natural 20s, two successful pickpockets, one disabled alarm, one accusation of theft:

100 + 100 + 100 - 500 = -200gp to final score

FINAL SCORES

ASTARION: 1336 GP

TAV: 2402 GP

WINNER: TAV

*soul-bound relics, prisms, prisons, or weaponry excluded

†permanent blessings, benefits, or buffs which would disappear only on death excluded

[galedekarios]

[source]

i had not seen the "durge/astarion is canon!" post until earlier today with that discord screenshot and honestly ... a writer being like "i managed to shove in all this extra content for astarion/dark urge, but then we simply ran out of time for the other characters" is not good, actually. that doesn't mean your ship is the most canon. it means that astarion kept getting extra attention and other companions kept getting neglected. that other companions simply do not have the amount of content astarion has is not a good thing, it is a bad thing.

and like i'm saying this as someone who really loves astarion/durge. it's unplatable to me and that larian writers are sitting in fan discords going "yeah we just didn't do that for other characters but somehow i found the time for this!" is kind of gross to me

[canaryarrow]

Baldur’s Gate friends…if I’ve never delved into ANYTHING dnd/bg related, how hard would it be to get into Baldur’s Gate 3 👀