#but i prefer bg3 combat

[sarcasticsra]

I’m obsessed with this game a normal amount

[overwhelmed-frog]

in my current/first bg3 playthrough, due to a series of unfortunate choices and events, everyone at last light inn became shadowcursed undead and had to be killed. including dammon. which means there’s nothing I can do to fix karlach’s engine (at least as far as I am aware). and if I think about this fact too hard I WILL cry. my girl karlach deserves the whole world!! and I can’t give her the one thing she asked for? to say I am devastated is an understatement

[wizzardhat]

OK WELL I GOT THE REALLY BAD ENDING BECAUSE I FUCKING LEFT THE STUPID HAMMER WITH LAEZEL AT CAMP LMAO

OOPS ID LOVE TO AVOID THIS MAJOR ETHICAL DILEMMA BUT GOLLY WOULD YOU BELIEVE I LEFT THE HAMMER I STOLE FROM A DEMON AT HOME TEE HEE

[devotedlystrangewizard]

hes rotting my brain

[smallhatlogan]

Bg3 pushed me from “I hate dragon age the way most dragon age fans hate dragon age” into “I hate dragon age”

[ofstardustanddreaming]

mythological form

preference summary: bg3 characters reacting to you, their s/o, who has some kind of superpowered battle form that they take on in combat while protecting them. you have the design like a giant half-beast form (like Chimera Falin from Dungeon Meshi) and they get like 10x as powerful as you already were.

content warnings: none

fandom: baldur's gate 3

characters: gale, astarion, wyll, halsin, karlach

gender neutral reader

requested by: @tolkien-fantasy

a.n. - i think this is my sign to watch dungeon meshi on netflix, i've been meaning to cause it looks so good lol. (or if anyone wants to info dump some of the show to me, i'd love to hear the lore, it looks super cool from what i have heard/read about this character/show.) i'm also sorry these are coming so late, i thought i'd have more time this week! all of the posts are coming soon after this one, within the next couple days!

Gale: Gale's so attracted to you, oh my god, the camp won't be hearing the end of it. I headcanon that he's so in love with someone who's a protector, who would come in to help him whenever he seemed to be failing, loving that you're so selfless to help anyone in a fight. The moment you take your form in battle for the first time, he certainly wasn't expecting to see what you transformed into. He loved that you could take form that would be beneficial to a fight. He's awkward about asking to see your Chimera form again in private, but he's curios. He can't help that, his personality needing to know about this new transformation. He's asking you a lot of questions about how your transformation works, if you were born like that, what magic it could be anything and everything under the sun he can think of that you might have the answers for.

Astarion: Astarion is a bit more prideful when you initially help him, although he'll admit to being starstruck at your form. He tends to stick next to you in battles though, and you always fail to hide a smile from him when he does so. He scoffs at you when you do smile, but you know it's a defense mechanism. Slowly, over time, you both get closer and he's more likely to ask you questions about your form. He does think it's pretty badass that you become much more powerful in this form. (He finds you stunning in either form, he just really thinks your Chimera form is ethereal to see.) He'll stroke over your form gently, wanting to see what you felt like. Not in the sexual sense, he just wants to take in every part of you. Sometimes he ponders if he'd feel better about himself if he wasn't a vampire, and if he was more like you. (You help him convince himself that he can be a protector too as a vampire, he's not defined by his past.)

Wyll: Like Gale, Wyll consistently talking about you to the camp, very enthralled by what you can do. He loves when you give him advice, strong in more ways than just the battlefield, something he loves a lot. He values wisdom in strength, and loves that you tend to think before you attack, which he thinks is important in someone who has considerable brute strength. One of his favorite things to do is fight with you side by side, loving to see the showcase of wisdom and strength coincide with you. You very much let him have his moments in battle, as he extends the same kindness to you, you're both very much capable on the field. But, he very much appreciates when you step in to help him, thinking your kindness and willingness to help those in defeat makes you a well rounded person, and he's perfectly content to seeing what you can do, really loving your form.

Halsin: He loves that there's someone like him that also transforms into some other form. Although, in his biased opinion, he thinks you're much, much cooler than him. A giant being that can kick ass on the battlefield? He's sold! He's willing to help you find questions to your origins if that's what you're looking for, but if you know everything about your being, he's very curious. He has a thirst for knowledge and he wants to understand his partner on every level. He'll ask a lot about you, wondering how your values are impacted by your being, like how his values around nature are impacted by him being a druid. He loves seeing you on the battlefield, the two of you always a great match against anyone who thinks they can take you. You're both a menace to deal with and the camp is very glad you're both there to help fight.

Karlach: She thinks it's the raddest thing ever, wanting to always wrestle with you in your Chimera form. Karlach wants to use her leftover energy from a fight with you, something you also really enjoy. Where you both go at it with one another with the adrenaline, your match that always ends in laughter. She knows you wouldn't actually hurt her, as she would with you, but you're always a little more considerate, considering your form. When it comes to fights, she's glad that she can count on you to help her if she has many people surrounding her. Granted she is strong enough herself, but she loves having reliable people around her, like you, to help her when the going gets tough. She's loves having another strong s/o, and would never feel threatened with them being as strong/stronger than her.

[paragonraptors]

YEHAW DA:V REVEAL THOUGHTS BELOW!!

Overall: Feeling so excited for this game. I'm climbing up the walls. I can't believe that was 20 minutes, it felt like 10. Need this in my hands yesterday.

What I liked:

-Holy fuck wow wow wow the hair looks like nothing I've seen in a video game before.

-Combat seems very different but also a natural progression of gameplay past. Real-time turn-based was always a little on the clunkier side, and while it never really bothered me, moving towards something more ME-style was expected. Very excited about being able to aim a bow. Would like to know what difficulty they were showcasing bc I'm considering jumping right into a Nightmare run.

-Now that I've been soulsborne-pilled the prospect of a parry mechanic has me buzzing.

-I feel like people are gonna dunk on the "stiffer" animation, but I prefer it so much more than the BG3/HZD constant wobbling. It'll make the key performances stand out instead of mostly jangling keys in front of a baby and letting the big moments get lost in the sauce. (Not that the aformentioned games didn't have good animation, just. If your characters don't need to move their whole body to convey dialogue I'd prefer if they didn't.)

-The sublety in the facial animations is CRAZY.

-The roleplay dialogue seems really reactive!! And the cuts to inject the unique dialogues feels smooth. I'm sure there will still be moments where it's easy to tell, but still cool. Seems like they're gonna be paying more attention to your personality type like DA2 too.

-So excited about Harding and Neve as companions and can't wait to meet everyone else.

-Neve's staff/wand makes me excited to see what kinds of focus options we'll get as a mage AAAA.

-God the costumes have so much swag. One of my hottest of many BG3 takes was that the costumes were overall flavorless. (Really hoping they didn't change the Grey Warden uniforms though that would really disappoint me.)

-Cinematography looks fantastic. Lots of well set up shots.

-NGL I felt something when Solas showed up. Wasn't expecting that. And while not perfect, I liked his interaction with Varric. Their relationship from Inquisition really slips under the radar if you're not bothering to look.

-Varric has never gotten over the trauma of what happened with Anders and it breaks my heart in a good way. God you could see it in his eyes!! [chef's kiss]

-However, I definitely have to kill Solas now for what transpired in this preview.

What I'm iffy about:

-The voice peformances feel a bit stilted. Not really what I'm used to from Bioware and I feel like it's important when the animations are more subdued. Hopefully this feeling will change when I get more of the game.

-The dialogue also felt a bit dumbed down. "Solas is doing his ritual!" "Yes. Solas' ritual. The ritual that we have to stop." Again, hopefully this is symptomatic of a tutorial level/trying to onboard newbies quickly and not the whole game lol. While I prefer this to dialogue that tries to sound smarter than it is, I'm really hoping we see an overall improvement from Inquisition.

-Sort of wish they went with the Andromeda dialogue system instead of bringing back Inquisition's, but I do like that it seems all dialogue options are getting tonal indicators again and they're not as easily conflated with morality. (Though I imagine people will STILL interpret it that way.)

-A little confused about them introducting Minrathous' panopticon shit and then immediately swerving into Solas' ritual. Would have liked some breathing room on that kind of worldbuilding.

- While I'm generally open minded about the change, I Do Not Love not being able to switch to playing companions. Might turn around on this if your ability to issue them commands opens up the closer you are to them/the more you grow into a leadership role. I do like that it seems you will eventually be able to command when they use abilities a la OG Mass Effect bc that was my biggest beef with the Andromeda gameplay, esp on Nightmare/Insanity difficulty.

-Not crazy about the new Pride demon design where are their leggies.

-Not really a Criticism, but they are definitely setting up for Varric to die and while I get it, narratively, I'm NOT HAPPY. Dragon Age has been almost allergic to scripted deaths so it's also gonna feel like being dunked in an ice bath. EVIL STUFF. IN DENIAL.

[wyllzel]

🔗 Link to Google Doc.

This is how I built Wyll in my Origin Wyll playthrough. This keeps Wyll in his canon Warlock class, while also ensuring he’s handy with his trusty rapier.

The vibe of this Warlock is a spellcaster (Eldritch Blast, AOE, and Enchantment spells) with good melee action. (Very gishy! 👽) The goal is to build up both Arcane Synergy and Arcane Acuity.

Leveling up is fairly flexible, so the focus for this guide is on gear interaction. Key pieces of gear include the Ring of Arcane Synergy (Act 1), Helmet of Arcane Acuity (Act 2), and Band of the Mystic Scoundrel (Act 3).

Overall, this is a fairly standard Fiend Bladelock build, and is not so much an “end all, be all” as it is a basic (but strategic!) approach.

(Fair warning: Possible spoilers ahead!)

Leveling

Please note that this guide is really just my personal preference! I recommend fully reading through the Wiki page on BG3’s Warlock so you get a good idea of what this class can do. In this guide, I’ve added a star (⭐) next to each of the class features or spells that I especially like.

To start with, this is my Wyll’s base stats:

Since Pact of the Blade Warlock’s “Bind Pact Weapon” feature scales weapon Attack Rolls and Damage Rolls off your spellcasting modifier, I recommend heavily prioritizing Charisma. The Warlock class becomes very SAD (Single Ability Dependent) with Charisma which is very convenient.

I prioritized Dexterity after Charisma because your Dexterity modifier affects your Initiative – and the higher your Initiative, the easier it is to get a leg up in combat. Additionally, your Dexterity modifier is added to your AC (when wearing Robes or Light Armor, which this build will be utilizing).

The next prioritized stat is Constitution, which is good for maintaining Concentration spells as well as boosting your total HP.

Level 1

One Level 1 Warlock Spell slot

Select:

Subclass: The Fiend

Two Cantrips: ELDRITCH BLAST 💥, Minor Illusion ⭐

Two Warlock spells (Level 1): Hellish Rebuke, Command

The Fiend subclass gives you:

Dark One’s Blessing (Temporary bonus HP when you kill a hostile creature)

Access to the Spells: Burning Hands, Command

Eldritch Blast genuinely solves any and all problems. (Force Damage is especially good in BG3, where 99% of your enemies do not have Force Resistance.) And Minor Illusion is a really good utility spell – especially if you’re into barrelmancy and need a safe and reliable method to cluster enemies.

The added HP from Dark One’s Blessing is really good, especially in earlier levels (Act 1) when your party is extremely squishy.

Level 2

Two Level 1 Warlock Spell slots

Select:

Eldritch Invocations: Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast ⭐

One Warlock Spell (Level 1): Armour of Agathys

Replace a Spell: N/A

Level 3

Improved Warlock Spell Slots: Warlock Spells are now Level 2

Select:

Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade

One Warlock Spell (Level 2): Cloud of Daggers

Replace a Spell: Armour of Agathys → Hold Person

Level 4

Select:

Feat: Ability Improvement (ASI) = +1 CHA, +1 DEX ⭐

One Cantrip: Mage Hand

One Warlock Spell (Level 2): Shatter

Replace a Spell: N/A

Level 5

Deepened Pact: Pact of the Blade → Gain an Extra Attack with your weapon ⭐

Scaling Cantrips (ie., Eldritch Blast fires an additional beam) ⭐

Improved Warlock Spell Slots: Warlock Spells are now Level 3

Select:

One Eldritch Invocation: Devil’s Sight ⭐

One Warlock Spell (Level 3): Hunger of Hadar ⭐

Replace a Spell: Hellish Rebuke → Counterspell

The Fiend subclass gives you:

Access to the Spells: Fireball, Stinking Cloud

Level 6

Select:

One Warlock Spell (Level 3): Fireball

Replace a Spell: N/A

The Fiend subclass gives you:

Dark One’s Own Luck: Add +1d10 to an Ability Check once per Short Rest

Level 7

Improved Warlock Spell Slots: Warlock Spells are now Level 4

Select:

One Warlock Spell (Level 4): Banishment

Replace a Spell: Cloud of Daggers → Wall of Fire

Eldritch Invocation: Armour of Shadows ⭐

Armor of Shadows is excellent if you’re wearing robes. Because you’ll probably be wearing the Potent Robe at this point (early Act 2), this Invocation is particularly useful.

Level 8

Select:

Feat: ASI +2 to Charisma

One Warlock Spell (Level 4): Fear

Replace a Spell: N/A

Alternative Feats:

You may want to consider Alert to get the jump on enemies, especially when playing in Honor Mode. 

War Caster is a good idea if you plan to lean heavily on Concentration Spells such as Hunger of Hadar or Wall of Fire. 

Another good Feat for Concentration Spells is Resilient, which you’d take for Constitution. However, your initial Ability Score numbers would probably look different than how I have mine set up!

Spell Sniper is fun if you plan to lean heavily on Attack Roll spells – like Eldritch Blasts!

Level 9

Improved Warlock Spell Slots: Warlock Spells are now Level 5

Select:

One Warlock Spell (Level 5): Hold Monster ⭐

Replace a Spell: N/A

Eldritch Invocation: Life Drinker ⭐

Hold Monster is extremely useful in Act 3, where a lot of the major bosses you face (Orin in her Slayer form, Raphael, etc.) are Monsters.

Level 10

Scaling Cantrips (ie., Eldritch Blast fires an additional beam) ⭐

Select:

One Warlock Spell (Level 5): Flame Strike

Replace a Spell: N/A

The Fiend subclass gives you:

Fiendish Resilience: Once per Short Rest, choose a Damage Type to become Resistant to

Level 11

Gain an additional Warlock Spell slot (for a total of 3 Warlock Spell slots)

Select:

One Warlock Spell (Level 5): Cone of Cold

Mystic Arcanum: Eyebite

Any of the Mystic Arcanum spells are good, though! I just find that Arcane Gate, Circle of Death, and Flesh to Stone are only useful situationally. Create Undead is good for summons-focused teams.

Level 12

Select:

Feat: ASI +2 to Dexterity, or see Level 8.

One Warlock Spell (Level 5): Blight

Replace a Spell: N/A

Eldritch Invocation: One With Shadows

Final Composition

By Level 12, Wyll can have the following notable qualities:

Three Level 5 Warlock Spell slots 

One Level 6 Warlock Spell that can be used once per Long Rest

Three Damage die on Damaging Warlock cantrips – AKA three bolts of Eldritch Blast for 3d10+5 Damage (the +5 applies to each Blast bolt)

An Extra Attack (Weapon) from Pact of the Blade

Spells List and Invocations

Note: Scaling Cantrips (Level 5, Level 10) is based on your overall caster level rather than your Warlock level. As such, if you multiclass Wyll with a class like Bard or Paladin, he’ll still get the fully scaled three bolts per Eldritch Blast at Level 10.

Gear

The goal of this gear selection is to maximize the effectiveness of Wyll’s spells – particularly Enchantment spells. With the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel, Enchantment spells can be cast as a Bonus Action. Without this Band, Wyll generally won't be doing much with his Bonus Action as a Warlock – so let's fix that!

To align with his backstory, Wyll should be a formidable swordsman as well as spellcaster. As such, the weaponry in this build enhances his spellcasting, and ensures that his spellcasting enhances his sword fighting as well. (Synergizing!!!)

Headwear: Helmet of Arcane Acuity

Battle Acuity: Whenever you deal damage with a weapon attack, you gain Arcane Acuity (+1 to Spell Attack Rolls and Spell Save DC) for 2 turns.

+1 to Dexterity Saving Throws

Armor: Elegant Studded Leather

14 AC + Dexterity Modifier (18 AC)

+2 to Initiative Rolls

Can cast Shield once per Short Rest

Alternatively, you can use the Potent Robe and cast Armour of Shadows to bump your AC. However, you cannot wear the Helmet of Arcane Acuity if you do so (the helmet qualifies as Light Armor, meaning it cannot be used simultaneously with Armour of Shadows). If you’d like to use the Potent Robe instead, an alternative headwear is the Diadem of Arcane Synergy.

However, I wouldn't recommend the Potent Robe for a Fiend Warlock once you get the Elegant Studded Leather or an equivalent Light Armor. This is because the Potent Robe's added temporary HP (equal to your Warlock's Charisma Modifier) overrides the Dark One's Blessing, which will grant your Warlock temporary HP equal to your Warlock's Charisma Modifier plus your Warlock's Level.

Cloak: Cloak of the Weave

Arcane Enchantment: Gain a +1 bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack Rolls.

Absorb Elements: Absorb elemental damage once per Short Rest. Take half damage from the next elemental attack targeting you, and deal an additional 1d6 of that element type on your next attack.

Alternatively, if you expect Wyll to regularly be in melee range, I’d recommend the Cloak of Protection (defensive, +1 to AC) or Thunderskin Cloak (offensive, pairs well with the Spineshudder Amulet). 

The Nymph Cloak pairs well with the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel.

Handwear: Daredevil Gloves

+1 to Spell Attack Rolls

Daredevil Proximity: Can make Ranged Spell Attack Rolls as Melee Spell Attack Rolls

For boosting the effectiveness of Eldritch Blasting! Alternatively, the Gloves of Battlemage’s Power would be perfect for this build, but apparently they’re currently bugged (as of Feb. 20, 2024, Hotfix #18).

The Spellmight Gloves, Quickspell Gloves, Gemini Gloves, and Helldusk Gloves are also interesting options.

Footwear: Helldusk Boots

Ignores Difficult Terrain

Cannot be forcibly moved by spells or actions

Use a reaction to succeed on a Saving Throw

Hellcrawler: Teleport to an area and deal 2d8 Fire Damage upon landing in a 3m/10ft zone

Utilizing infernal gear is very synergetic with Wyll’s story. However, these boots are good for characters who want to move into melee range. Alternative teleportation boots include the Disintegrating Night Walkers or the Spaceshunt Boots.

Additionally, the Boots of Stormy Clamour pair well with the Spineshudder Amulet.

Amulet: Spineshudder Amulet

Inflict Reverberation when you deal Damage with a Ranged Spell Attack

Eldritch Blasts are Ranged Spell Attacks. :)

Ring A: Ring of Arcane Synergy

Synergetic Cantrip: When you deal damage with a Cantrip, you gain Arcane Synergy for 2 turns

When you have Arcane Synergy, your Weapon Attacks deal additional damage equal to your Spell Casting Ability Modifier. This makes a lot of sense since Wyll’s highest stat should be Charisma (aka his Spell Casting Ability Modifier), and because Wyll will probably be Eldritch Blasting (Cantrip) a lot.

Ring B: Band of the Mystic Scoundrel

Illusion Quickening: After hitting a creature with a Weapon Attack, you can cast Illusion or Enchantment spells as a Bonus Action

This item is why this build prioritizes Enchantment spells! Otherwise, the only thing Wyll can really do with his Bonus Action in combat is chug a potion (or teleport), haha.

Melee Main Hand: Infernal Rapier

High Spellcasting: +1 to Spell Save DC

Planar Ally: Cambion (Summon a Cambion as an ally)

However, being able to Bind Pact Weapon via Pact of the Blade means Wyll can wield any weapon in the game! So this slot is very flexible depending on the encounter. I favor the Infernal Rapier for the +1 to Spell Save DC and the RP value.

Melee Off Hand: Viconia’s Walking Fortress

Rebuke of the Mighty: When a foe hits you with a melee attack, you can use a Reaction to deal 2-8 Force damage and possibly knock them Prone

Spellguard: You have Advantage on Saving Throws against spells; Spell Attack Rolls against you have Disadvantage 

Swires’ Sledboard is also interesting for potential Force damage. Ketheric’s Shield is good for casters in general (+1 Spell Save DC and +1 to Spell Attack Rolls), although I usually have this shield on my party’s Wizard (Gale).

Ranged Main Hand: Darkfire Shortbow

Grants Resistance to both Fire and Cold Damage

Can cast Haste as a Level 3 spell once per Long Rest

This weapon slot is less important since Wyll will be Eldritch Blasting if he needs to make a single-target Ranged Attack. The only reason he might be using a Ranged Weapon is if he’s Silenced.

As such, it’s nice to just benefit from this bow’s passives. With Fiendish Resilience, Wyll can potentially have four Resistances at once in (very late) Act 2 – Fire and Cold from the Darkfire Shortbow, Necrotic from Selûne’s Blessing, and another from Fiendish Resilience.

Additionally, an emergency Haste is great to have on the backburner.

The Bow of Awareness is another such bow that grants a useful passive (+1 to Initiative).

Ranged Off Hand: N/A

Number Crunching

If you’ve followed the above gearing, you should have 20 AC on Wyll. Hooray!

The following table should give you an idea of how Wyll performs on the battlefield as a result of his gear synergy.

Because this Warlock build has a lot of flexibility in what it can do (#gishy 👽), it’s hard to say how much damage Wyll can regularly dole out. However, in an ideal world, Wyll can take the following actions to get the most out of his gear:

Combat Round #1

Cast Eldritch Blast on three separate enemies, inflicting Reverberation on each and gaining Arcane Synergy.

Combat Round #2

Land a Weapon Attack (which uses Arcane Synergy) on an enemy, gaining Arcane Acuity.

Use Bonus Action to cast Hold Person or Hold Monster.

Land a Weapon Attack (which uses Arcane Synergy) on the held enemy; this Attack is automatically a Critical Hit.

Conclusion

Of course, this is just one way to class Wyll (or a general Warlock)! I prioritized thematic gearing over pure Damage output, so there are definitely ways to get this build even more powerful. For example, Wyll would probably be ethically opposed to using the Bhaalist Armor even though it would greatly enhance his rapier attacks. 

As an aside, there’s a funny bug with Warlock’s Pact of the Blade Extra Attack – in Explorer, Balanced, and Tactician, this Extra Attack adds to (instead of overlaps with) any Extra Attack you get from another class. 

So instead of having an Attack and Extra Attack like most other martial classes, the Lockadin gets an Attack, an Extra Attack, and an extra Extra Attack, for three Attacks total, LOL. (This bug is unfortunately resolved in Honor Mode.) Subsequently, the Pact of the Blade is a great multiclass with martial classes, but especially a Paladin (5 Warlock / 7 Paladin). 😁

Additionally, a lot of this gear is also excellent on a College of Swords Bard (another Charisma-based gish type). To that end, it may not be a good idea to have both a Bard and Warlock on the same team, as they’ll be fighting for the gear listed here.

Thanks for reading, and hope this gave you some ideas for your Warlock builds! :)

[agent-cakeshroom]

ayo

My Gravity Falls obsession is slowly being raised from the dead. ON THAT NOTE Let's once again combine it with my BG3 obsession

RACES, CLASSES, WEAPONS, ETC!!!

I see the Stan twins as Elves (possibly high elves?? mostly because I want them to live long lmao) with Stanley being in a similar situation to Halsin with his physique being more broad and muscular compared to the regular Elf. Meanwhile Ford is outcast because of his six fingers(of course) and his obsession with darker magic.

On those notes! I think Ford would have been aiming to become a Wizard, but ended up a Warlock with Bill as his Patron. Maybe Bill is some super powerful devil with control over dreams, idk. He ends up in a situation similar to Wyll, but for different reasons. Wyll has an intense sense of Justice, while Ford has an insatiable desire for knowledge of things better left undisturbed. I also feel like he'd use a Quarterstaff, preferring to cast spells over physical fighting. Or possibly a Glaive to keep his distance while striking.

Stan however I see being a Barbarian or Fighter with underlying roguish skills. He'd also prefer using his fists over a weapon, despite carrying a Club or Mace. He'd have gloves much like the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength that he uses to empower his punches, and anytime he fails a roll for things like stealth, sleight of hand, or deception his first reaction is to just punch out the target.

Now the Pines Twins I see as half-elves, making them even closer than they would have been as either side of their community sees them as 'other'. Mabel is still a social butterfly, but she's not oblivious to how people see her as odd. She's determined to still be herself, but sees Dipper as the only person she could ever truly rely on. Besides being a half-elf, Dipper also has his constellation birthmark plastered across his forehead and is still insanely self-conscious.

Dipper is, of course, a Wizard. He's much like Ford with the unending need to know things, but he's more cautious. He knows where his boundaries are, and Mabel helps keep him aware of when he's delving into dangerous topics. He focuses more on healing spells than anything else at first, mostly because of his own innate clumsiness and his sister's recklessness. What kind of Wizard he's be, uuuuh I dunno yet lol

Mabel was hard for me to figure out for a while, but I like the idea of her being a Beast Tamer Ranger with her own Boar familiar aka Waddles. She's much more comfortable with Crossbows than any other weapon, but like Stan she's got an affinity for Clubs as well. There isn't an animal in existence that she won't try to befriend, so she's very thankful for Dipper's skill in healing magic.

I haven't thought much on What Soos would be, but I have considered Fiddleford and Wendy. Fiddleford I see not being a fighter at all, but rather a skilled Blacksmith and Alchemist. He's scrawny and small looking, but it's all wiry strength underneath. He's closest with Ford, although there's an odd tension after Fidds confronted Ford about Bill, but he gets along well with the whole Pines Pack. Wendy is, of course, a Rogue. She's a bit of an odd one though, with her weapon of choice being a Handaxe. She's a natural at stealth and deception, and after Stan takes her under his wing she quickly picks up on sleight of hand as well. She's not fond of direct combat, but is quick to defend the people she cares about of course.

[meanbossart]

i feel compelled to ask more about izzantar now since i’m a little obsessed with every character you’ve created in A Novel Experience. would you mind going a bit in depth on him as well? what is that little freaks Deal? (affectionate)

I mean what IZZY'T his deal, am I right.

I gotta be a little vaguer with him because his story ties more closely to the main plot in ANE, but the good news is that the very next chapter and a few more after that center around him, and I'm VERY excited to get into those!

What I CAN tell you is that he's a 32 year old drow, he's lived his whole life in a military academy for males and serves as little more than an expendable soldier/errand boy. He's never met his parents in person but they keep close tabs on him through his superiors. He did grow up with his older brother though, at least until killing him about a year prior to the events in the story.

He has a facial twitch that pops up when he's frustrated/nervous that he's made fun of for endlessly by his colleagues. While he does have a couple of "friends" in this academy (or at least as friendly as drow get with each other) he ultimately prefers the company of the slaves since those have less reason or means to harm him - he isn't their Friend, mind you, he just feels more at ease around them than his kin. Also he has a hobgoblin on the inside that hooks him up with recreational drugs every once in a while LOL

While he isn't considered particularly skilled in either magic or combat in comparison to his peers, Izzy gets by because he Tries very hard to please authority and will take pretty much any job thrown at him. He's also favored by a couple of matrons for both his appearance and passivity and has "fathered" dozens of children he's never met by this point.

His hair has a little waviness to it that his family isn't fond of, so they order him to keep it very short.

He likes finicky things - picks up instruments and languages very easily and enjoys doing the upkeep on his clothes, armor and jewelry. He values his appearance a whole lot since it's gotten him so much leniency.

Lastly, I tried doing a in-character BG3 run with him once. It didn't last very long because I realized he wouldn't want to ally with anybody. Sweetie, you're a BARD.

[lemonsrosesandlavender]

Introduction

Hello, I’m Cabbage! You can find me as Cabbage_Vampire on AO3. My icon is from Eleanor’s KissCrew Maker! This blog is 90% Rolan (and so is my writing!) but I do love discussing the writing process and reblogging all sorts of wonderful BG3 fan art. Please note my writing is explicit, and this blog is 18+ only. Anyway, on to the master list!

Rolan Fics!

Steel Weave Series (Rolan x f! Human Fighter Tav, E Rated, Second Person POV)

Sharp Teeth 41,316 words, Falling in love with Rolan over the course of the game’s events, and annoying the Hells out of each other. That’s amore! (Complete)

Tail and Tongue 2,475 words. Fluff and smut on the Elfsong roof before the Absolute’s defeat. Will eventually get a second chapter. (WIP, 1/2)

Sharess’s Sundries 10,804 words. Working out the kinks (gags, strap-ons and spankings…) with Rolan, as he explores his submissive fantasies and after a non-zero amount of prodding finally tells you (Tav) what he wants. (Complete)

Laced Close 4,569 words. Inspired by all the wonderful Rolan corset art on Tumblr! A trip to Figaro’s results in some kinky tight-lacing and a very flustered Rolan manning the counter at Sorcerous Sundries. (Complete)

Combat Training 7,572 words. Sometimes the only way to get Rolan to talk about his feelings is to pin him down and threaten him with a good time. After a lot of playfighting, of course. (Complete)

Along the Chionthar 6,654 words. A wedding, a honeymoon, and… watersports. Lots of watersports. (Complete)

Planar Tears (Rolan x OFC (Catrin), E rated, Third Person - Rolan’s POV)

Planar Tears 69,222 words. Isekai romance about an NHS doctor from our plane dragged into Rolan’s, when he uses an scroll of Summon Planar Ally far beyond his ability. There’s no other option than to bring Catrin to Baldur’s Gate with them, hoping Lorroakan can send her back - but getting there involves almost insurmountable danger. And as Rolan’s feelings grow, could he ever ask her to stay? (WIP, 23/35)

In Service of Magic (Rolan x OFC (Phaere), E Rated, Third Person, Royal/Concubine Femdom AU)

In Service of Magic 16,371 words. Rolan has long cherished the dream of being the one to break Queen Phaere’s curse. For her incredible magic library, of course - although her preference for male submission is secretly rather enticing. A shame that his arrogant tongue has already made him enemies in court… (WIP, 4/25)

Fast Times in Faerûn Series (Rolan x OFC (Lennie), E Rated, Third Person, 80s Camp Counsellor AU)

Short Shorts (And Cold Beer) 2,597 words. Lennie has had enough of Rolan’s shirking ways. When she finally confronts him over it, things get a little more heated than expected. (Complete)

Other

As You Wish (Rolan x GN Reader, E Rated) 2,441 words. Rolan wishes to be your obedient service sub… and you take full advantage. (Complete)

Bunchflower and Leeblossoms (Rolan x GN Tav, T Rated) 3,127 words. Rolan wishes to learn Druidic magic, and Tav is very happy to help. More than flowers bloom. (Complete)

Nailed (Rolan x F! Tav, E Rated) 2,003 words. It's hard to get a strap in the Shadow Cursed Lands. Luckily, though, Tav has her trusty warhammer - and its nice, thick handle is just the right size to blow Rolan's mind. (prompted by barbwillbrb <3) (Complete)

Other Stuff!

Sharp Teeth Rolan portrait, commissioned from luinen-bluewater <3

18th Century Rolan feat. ripped stockings, commissioned from orangekittyenergy <3

Phaere x Rolan Portrait commissioned from Goromimii <3

Nailed illustration by Viv/HoldingTwoPens! <3

Steel Weave Tav Backstory Bash.

Rolan, Cal and Lia backstory headcanon

Claws Out! (goofy lil Tara & Astarion fluff, there might be more in future if I’m feeling silly)

Rolan NSFW Alphabet

Rolan Finds Tav’s Sketchbook prompt, GN Tav

Steelweave Tav x Rolan “Ship in 5 Minutes”

Ballet AU Rolan drabble

Talk to me!

I love getting tagged in things, and getting asks. If you want to know why I wrote something a certain way, prompt some Rolan filth, or just want to kick your feet about Rolan together (my number one activity), my ask box is open ✨ or y’know, ask what I had for breakfast. I’ll answer that too lmao.

Request/ask guidelines. In case it’s not absolutely obvious, I’m here for subby Rolan only!

[TEMPORARY UPDATE - prompts closed bc I have an inbox backlog and want to give them all some love! But other asks still very much open <3 ]

If you ever do fan art for my characters or fics, I’d love to see it! <3

generally #cabbage writes and #cabbage answers are where the fun stuff lies on this blog! Or #cabbage trash for some filth ;)

And, as always, there’s much more Rolan writing to come.

[sovonight]

I've been considering playing Baldur's Gate because of you. Do you recommend it What is a good order to play the games in??

absolutely i recommend it!

first off, it's important to know that bg1 & bg2 are their own story, and bg3 is practically separate from them. bg3 is set a century after the events of bg1/bg2, and just has a few character cameos and references from bg1/bg2 (though from what i've heard some of the cameos aren't very good interpretations of the original characters). bg3 doesn't enhance the bg1/bg2 story in any way, and knowledge of bg1/bg2 doesn't matter when playing bg3.

i'd suggest starting with bg3 if you:

are used to modern rpg games, and 3d visuals are particularly important to you

know you don't/won't like infinity engine games (for a spoiler-free preview, look up walkthroughs of icewind dale 1 or 2 and watch a couple minutes of travel, dialogue, and combat gameplay)

i'd suggest starting with bg1/bg2 if you:

don't have a strong preference for starting with bg3 instead

enjoy the potential for mods to expand the game--not just in terms of gameplay, but in story/quest additions and companions, too

are interested in knowing the story that i'm drawing all my fanart of

have a limited budget (you can get these games for very cheap, they frequently go on sale)

if you want to start with bg3, you're all set! go ahead and get started. if you want to start with bg1/bg2, i have a bit more to add:

if you've looked into buying these games, you may have noticed that there's bg1/bg2, and then there's bgee/bg2ee (ee meaning "enhanced edition"). there's also a new dlc that's ee-only. so here's the original playing order:

baldur's gate (bg1)

baldur's gate: tales of the sword coast (tosc): bg1 expansion, adds new side quests and areas to explore during bg1

baldur's gate ii: shadows of amn (bg2, sometimes abbreviated soa to distinguish from tob below)

baldur's gate ii: throne of bhaal (tob): bg2 expansion, directly continues the story from soa and officially ends the series

and here's the enhanced edition order:

baldur's gate: enhanced edition (bgee): contains bg1 and tosc

baldur's gate: seige of dragonspear (sod): bg1 expansion released in 2016 to bridge the gap between bg1 and bg2 (i haven't played it yet, but if you're just testing out the series i'd say don't bother getting it yet, it was released 15 years after the story concluded so how necessary can it really be)

baldur's gate ii: enhanced edition (bg2ee): contains soa and tob

the enhanced edition also adds 4 new companions, an arena side adventure, and overall provides a lot of fixes/improvements/updates on the original games. obviously, considering all these additions and the ee mods that have come out since the ee series release, the ee series is where you should start.

side note--if you buy the ee series on gog (maybe on steam too, but i've only checked it on gog) you'll actually get downloads for the original, non-ee games as well. if you enjoy playing old games for the feeling of time-traveling into the past a bit, and you have the patience to fuss around with troubleshooting and mods, they're a perfectly fine place to start as well! (i personally am still playing the non-ee trilogy even now, but that's for a whole mix of reasons, including that i like using the physical cd's i bought them on lmao)

now finally, if you got this far and are thinking "okay, i'm cautiously interested in bg1/bg2, but which one of the two should i start with???"

start with bg2 if you:

just want to jump in and see what all the fuss is about

don't care about having context in the beginning (you'll gain some context as you play, though not all)

want vampires, technology, and more sewers in your d&d experience

prefer a story with darker tones and a lot of driving urgency

start with bg1 if you:

like starting at the beginning to have context for everything that happens

want a standard, classic adventure with camps, forests, and bustling cities

don't need the plot to engage you if your companions are there with conversations, commentary, and banter

are willing to install at least one mod, BG1NPC

i found bg1 to be kind of a slog to get through on my very first playthrough, but adding in character interactions via BG1NPC really livened the game up for me and made it my favorite game out of the series. (imo this works best if you're willing to do a romance though, bc unfortunately romanced companions tend to get the most interactions & care put into their conversations.)

you don't strictly need BG1NPC on bgee bc the ee adds those aforementioned companions who do have conversations with you, but iirc they don't talk as much or provide as many opportunities for interaction as some of the modded companions do. (for context, in the original bg1, companions don't talk to you or comment on events at all; that only became a thing in bg2.) playing bgee without BG1NPC means you'll have to get at least 1 of the 3 ee companions to hear any conversations at all.

anyway, hopefully this wasn't too long or confusing. i hope you try the games out!

[sotwk]

Hi Naneth! Do you know and/or play D&D? So...I've recently started playing it and got addicted to the game (surprisingly for someone who's always been a bookworm than a gamer hehe), and now I can't help but be curious what would the Thranduillions (maybe bonus Thranduil and his wife?) be like as D&D characters (or what kind of characters would they create and play as during D&D sessions)? Ooooh, now I wonder what a Thranduillion D&D session would look like XD!

Omg it's amazing that you asked me this question, because literally just this morning I was chatting with my sister about her starting to play tabletop D&D with her old college buddies! I said to her, "Man I'm jealous and I wish I could join in, but I would just be so lost and confused and annoying because I'll need everything explained to me multiple times." XD My sister is also trying to get me to play BG3, and although it's really, really tempting, I'm afraid even venturing into that would take up what little free time I have left!

Anyway, going into your question that I LOVE so much, about what the Thranduilions would be like if they had a D&D session. Using my limited knowledge of the actual gameplay, it would go something like this:

The Royal House of Greenwood Plays Dungeons & Dragons

Characters Chosen

Everyone in the family prefers to play Elves but sometimes may choose a Half-Elf, Human, Dwarf, or Halfling. Legolas may dare to try controversial classes (i.e. dragonborn, half-orc), but only when their parents aren't playing.

Mirion: Barbarian. Values Strength.

Turhir: Paladin. Values Constitution.

Arvellas: Wizard. Values Wisdom.

Gelir: Ranger. Values Dexterity.

Legolas: Druid. Values Wisdom.

Thranduil: Rogue. Values Dexterity.

Maereth: Bard. Values Charisma.

How They Would Play

The family likes to run the campaign as a group that quests together, rather than individuals, so they work together as a team.

Arvellas is the Dungeon Master mostly because he wrote the guide books and has by far the most organized brain among the brothers. He's also the calmest, most patient, and can keep his brothers in line in case things descend into chaos.

Legolas was the ringleader who initiated the idea to start/play this game in the first place. He begged and helped Arvellas to create the game books, with Arvellas wrangling Legolas's wild enthusiasm and all-over-the-place ideas into brilliant manuals. Legolas also crafted the dice, miniatures, and game boards himself, and he always has the most elaborately detailed character sheets.

Mirion is not much for this sort of game but is absolutely happy to humor Legolas and spend time with his family. Barely knows what is going on and essentially just follows what Legolas tells him he "has" to do. His character is often first to get injured or in trouble, but he laughs it off. Is eating an unholy amount of snacks the entire time.

Turhir is the tactical genius who thinks of creative ways to solve problems and defeat opponents. Mostly does his thing to keep the quest going and everyone alive, but also gives advice regarding combat tactics when asked. Is quietly the MVP of the campaign.

Gelir is just really annoyed by the concept of dice controlling his fate and blames lousy dice rolls a lot. Protests and argues against the "logic" of difficulty checks. Heckles any of his brothers who "mess up" (in his opinion). Chooses courses of action based on what's flashiest instead of what's wise. (He's much more strategic in real life, but this is a GAME. Plus he likes to mess with Legolas.)

Thranduil picks up on the game super quickly despite having the least experience. Frequently leaves the table to attend to crown business (or grab more wine). Assigns Turhir to play for him in his absence because they have the same mindset. Drinks a crazy amount of wine during the course of the game (it helps him relax) but still does not appear drunk, nor is his gameplay affected.

Maereth never gets into trouble (in the game) because literally everyone is half-focused on protecting her. Eventually she gently removes herself from the game so they can play for real without having to consider her. Helped Legolas make the dice, miniatures, and game boards.

I hope you (and all D&D/BG3 readers) enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for this very fun Ask! <3

For more SotWK AU headcanons: SotWK HC Masterlist

Elves HC Tag List: @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @achromaticerebus @acornsandoaktrees @aduialel @asianbutnotjapanese @auttumnsayshi @blueberryrock @conversacomsmaug @elan-ho-detto-elan-15 @entishramblings @glassgulls @heilith @heranintomyknife23times @ladyweaslette @laneynoir @lathalea @quickslvxrr @spacecluster @stormchaser819 @talkdifferently6 @tamryniel @tamurilofrivendell @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras

Special Moots who are BG3 fans and might be interested tag: @ass-deep-in-demons @kylobith @tolkien-fantasy @creativity-of-death @missiemoosie (I probably missed some.)

Other useful links:

Introduction to SotWK

Fanfiction Masterlist

Fanfiction Request Guidelines

[tsims]

RPG GAMES RANKED

Since Baldur's gate 3 I've played 3 more RPGs, and here's my ranking:

(1)The Mass Effect Series. I'm deeply attached to this game, the romance of the character's I choose to pursue were very well done. I actually love the combat in this! I think it's because it's ranged (guns), and you can make quick set up decisions (using droids, elevation etc.)

(2) Baldur's gate 3: I really liked this! It's only lower than mass effect because I prefer mass effect's combat system, and even though Baldur's gate has more romance scenes, I feel like mass effect has more believable romance progression and it makes you buy into the fact that you're truly in love. Also I cannot emphasis how a voiced playable character highly improved my attachment to my Mass Effect playthrough. BG3 sometimes feels like you're being talked at lol.

(3) Greedfall (I'm still playing this 20 hours in): I'm so shocked no one seems to know this??? I only found out about this while specifically looking for RPGs with romance. The plot is VERY GOOD, and the side quests are intertwined and are not fetch quest filler. It in my opinion has a better story than both mass effect and baldur's gate, and only ranks below both of them because the combat is 'mid' (gets very easy after you skill specialize! I had to up my difficulty because combats were starting to end in seconds after they were initiated) and the romance is barely there. Story wise though in my opinion it BLOWS all the games in this list out of the water story wise, and has more variable paths towards the ending. To emphasis how okay I am with the plot and character build --- this is the only game on the list I play with no mods. I am okay with all possible outcomes and their combinations. In contrast I modded Mass effect's ending, Baldur's gate charisma checks (absolutely BRUTAL if you're not a charisma class), and dragon age's romance (sorry, I am a woman who would like to kiss Cassandra. 💀)

(4) Dragon age inquisition: has a better romance than Greedfall, and a better story than Baldur's gate. It's ranked dead last because while good it doesn't blow my mind, also the side quests have me feeling like a hunter gather lmao. It gets very tedious towards the end. The combat isn't hard, and I enjoyed being an archer tbh, but the "find this and that timed quests" (ball quest I'm looking at you) are such a DRAG. This is not something you can crank out a few quests before work. This is something you'll spend hours on youtube looking at guides if you don't want to fail a quest. A lot of places are also level gated without telling you they're level gated. Walking into certain locations while under leveled will have you DEMOLISHED.

-----

I'm going to get dragon's dogma 2 when it comes out, so we'll see if I like that!

[dare-to-dm]

So for my first playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3, I'm trying to go in as blind as possible and not looking things up or save scumming. I'm just letting the chips fall where they may and seeing how it plays out.

I'm certain I must be missing things, though. I've gotten through what I think is the entire first act and have only recruited Karlach, Wyll and Shadowheart. I am tangentially aware that there are far more companions than that, though maybe some of them get introduced later.

This is partially a personal problem I have with isometric top down perspectives in video games. With the camera pulled so far back, not only do I find it more difficult to get immersed, I also find it easier to get lost and miss things. I personally prefer games with a more "over the shoulder" third person perspective, like Mass Effect, or that give you the option to toggle to a first person perspective, like the more recent Fallouts.

Obviously for the squad based combat in a game like Baldur's Gate, you need that top down perspective in order to see everything and make tactical decisions. But I would prefer a camera system like in Dragon Age Origins which usually stays "over the shoulder" but pulls back for combat. You can kind of zoom the camera in BG3 when you're just walking around, but it's definitely fiddly. And it's a shame, because the graphics are great. The game would definitely look good more zoomed in.