#durge boss fight

[kawareo]

My Durge's stats pre-tadpoles are absolutely insane so I've been thinking what it'd look like if Orin failed to lobotomize him... Like the fight with him a Tav would have to win?

It'd be a bitch but there'd be fun options to make it easier and winnable

Him and Gortash would be working together still but what'd complicate things would be that Bhaal would've grown impatient and reduce Durge to a mess that would've dragged hinself in his temple and stay there. When Tav talks to Gortash, Gort has a massive fresh scar over his neck where Durge nearly killed him last time they were together. Gortash sends Tav to the temple but he fully expects/hopes they would die and that that could bring Durge back to his own mind.

If Orin would still be alive? Tav could make a deal with her that she'd help them find the temple, where she'd eventually need help in the combat with Durge, but if Tav would've helped her, that'd initiate a fight with the entire temple and with Orin, who'd be furious that you intervened.

Then, fight with Durge would be a bitch to win, but there would be some ways to get around and make it easier. Most of all would be useful a Persuasion or Deception proficency, and also going around Baldur's Gate and finding information about him - what would be Tav's best option would be to provoke Durge to a degree that he loses his already fragile cool and Bhaal forces a Slayer form on him - that way he loses his spellcasting abilities and also the double attack he gets from his fighter levels, and his paralysis weapons!

Options for that would get him to lose his shit would be

- [Deception] Gortash has sold you out, you mad dog. You've grown too unpredictable after what happened, we're here to put you down.

Has Advantage if Tav found notes between them or used Detect thought when talking to Gortash and asking him about his injury. He lies to Tav's face but thinks about how Durge mauled him last time they fucked and Gortash had to fight him off of him

- [Persuasion] Look at what you've became; Chosen of Bhaal, yet fighting His gifts? Your own Kin died for what you're rejecting so.

Only available if the above mentioned Orin thing happens. Durge stares at her corpse for quite a while, then proceeds to sort of... Give up. Accepts the Slayer and surrenders himself fully to his Father.

- [Persuasion] [Unholy Assassin] You think you know better than your own god, Chosen? You, who has failed him so in every way?

He starts to yell at Tav that he didn't fail, then as if something hit him, clutches his head and starts begging Father for forgiveness (reciting some parts of Prayer of Forgiveness). While he prays, he cuts himself, the blood drips down his arms and draws itself into the circle of Summoning for the Slayer.

When Tav wins, Durge lays there dying for just a bit longer, stares into nothing and clutching at his wounds and begging Father to forgive him because "im not done yet, Father, please, I can do better, plea-!" And then his eyes roll up suddenly and he dies in a moment, when Bhaal chooses so. His body falls apart and leaves behind only the Stillmaker, his Netherstone, and a half-writen letter that's like Prayer of Forgiveness, but adressed to Gortash and one Durge never got to finish.

The idea is very rough but essentially I love the thought that Bhaal is the one who fucks it all up because he can't be patient for two minutes, and Gortash is still delusional enough for him to hope Durge can go back to normal. If you win and kill Durge, Gortash will be upset and surprised, but will kind of shut off the grief in the moment to focus on dominating the brain. If you would've lost, the canon ending would be that Durge pulls through with the stones, him and Gortash get the Brain under control, and then Durge almost immediately slaughters both of them, leaving Toril to the Brain's mercy.

Another bonus option in the dialogue would be to tell him that you killed Gortash, but if you lied or didn't have Gortash's head to prove it, he would just laugh at you. That option wouldnt be a good idea in any way, because if you wouldn't pass the deception check (DC20) or wouldn't have the head, the laugh would clear his mind enough for him to focus on the fight (not as a Slayer) and if he WOULD believe you, he'd get so angry that he would start a fight with an extra feature that would be an absolute bitch to deal with.

[leyartser]

*runs into another one of her victims* God she's such an artist <3

[asteriasfallingstarsandtears]

It kinda drives me nuts that Gortash spills the whole Absolute plan in front of everyone at the Coronation. What the hell man, I know you're killing everyone after I leave, but still?

In front of everyone? Anyway, what if Durge went to visit him the night before? What if he spoke some phrase that was meant as an invitation that only the Durge would know or be insane enough to know it's for them?

[antiqua-lugar]

bg3 redeemed dark urge exclusive dlc where instead of a boss fight durge carries on a heist to lobotomised and tadpole orin and gortash and everyone has to go along with it because technically it worked once

[tavs-brainworm]

Ascending Astarion and immediately changing his color scheme from blue to black >>>>

[abelas]

I beat honour mode 🥲

[maleficore]

I'm sorry but the second Durge turns into the Slayer when fighting any Bhaal cultists they should all immediately go "aw shit nevermind". I don't care that Orin supposedly has them in her pocket, you can't convince me that people that fanatical about their worship can see the avatar of their god manifest before them and still try to beat the shit out of it lmao

[scribblingface]

next bit of my bg3 durge playthrough. collecting lae'zel and exploring the ruined temple!

The gang finds Lae'zel in a predicament.

There are a lot of traps scattered around the area, most of them broken, but apparently not all of them: Lae'zel has gotten stuck in some sort of cage. Two tieflings are standing nearby watching her and discussing what they should do, but 'letting her out' doesn't seem to be an option they're considering.

Oak is so incredibly cheered to see her angry face again. She did survive after all!

"Your quarry looks dangerous, but I've handled worse. Leave it to me and get to safety," he says, putting on a suitably serious expression.

(I love the rare times that the paladin dialogue option is not just a bland goody two shoes line, like this paladin deception option. truly the paladin dialogue choices are the worst)

Oak has a brief conversation with the two tieflings, getting directions to the the nearby settlement they're currently camping at and the name of a healer there, Nettie, and then they head off.

"Enough gawking," Lae'zel growls. "Get me down."

(the first time I played I got stuck here for a minute trying to figure out how on earth to get the cage down/opened. 'shoot the part that lae'zel is standing on with an arrow' was not the most intuitive option. to me.)

"But the longer we wait, the more it consumes. My people possess the cure for this infection. I must find a creche; you will join me."

"Careful," Shadowheart says. "She obviously sees your kindness as weakness. Don't let her take advantage."

His kindness? It's not even an admonishment; she's being protective of him, and he finds himself a little bit pleased and flattered.

"And what exactly is a creche...?"

"It is many things. A hatchery, a training grounds, a shelter. Githyanki protocol is clear: when infected by a ghaik tadpole, we must report to a ghustil for purification."

"All right, we'll go together. Let's find this creche."

It's the only real lead they have, and Lae'zel is nothing if not motivated to get her parasite removed.

"I'll trust your judgment," Shadowheart says, "but I won't trust hers. Not until I've gotten the measure of her."

"You've a sharp tongue, elf. Would that your mind proved its equal."

"Half-elf. I suppose the finer details are lost on a creature like you."

Shadowheart trusts his judgement, and she and Lae'zel are back at each other's throats. What more could Oak ask for.

"The horned ones mentioned a camp. One there--this Zorru--has seen githyanki. A creche must be near. We will ask this Zorru where he has seen my kin."

and Astarion once again has the best comments on companion recruitment: "I am enjoying the latest addition to our little group. Lae'zel is delightful--in a very 'look at me twice and I'll dismember you' kind of way, of course."

Their next order of business is following the tieflings' directions to their camp, but on the way they spot some interesting ruins. Large sections of an ancient building are still standing, and Oak gets the impression that it used to be a temple, although it's hard to tell much at a distance. Something about it draws his attention, and almost without thinking he detours to take a closer look.

At the ruins they run into a group of well armed scavengers who are staking a claim to both that site and the crashed nautiloid ship. Oak could just apologize and back off, but...he wants to see the temple. He convinces the scavengers that there are live mind flayers at the crash site and that they better run for it while they can. And with that, they have the place to themselves.

Gale and Shadowheart are clearly curious about the place as well, which is lucky for Oak, because he doesn't know how to explain the odd pull he feels to explore it. The group drifts apart, Gale and Shadowheart speculating on the era of the architecture and which god it might have been built for, Astarion wandering off into the lower area where Oak can't see him, and Lae'zel impatiently grumbling about time wasted while she keeps an eye in the direction the scavengers left.

Oak finds a large crack in the old stone floor. There's no dirt in it, no plants growing through. He kneels down and puts an eye to it. His darkvision is limited, but there's definitely some kind of room down there. Unnoticed by the others, he climbs up onto the wall overlooking the cracked floor, and manages to leverage a large piece of masonry off the crumbling edge. The resounding crack of breaking stone brings everyone's attention sharply back to him.

In response to the chorus of 'what are you doings', he points to the room down below. This is not an entirely satisfactory answer, so he elaborates that the scavengers might have had the right idea about the ruins containing something valuable, and besides, it would be a great sheltered spot to camp in if they turn out to be unwelcome at the tieflings' camp. And really, how long can it take to have just a little look around?

He knows there's something important down there, but he doesn't even understand the odd hunch himself and he thinks he'd sound crazy if he tried to explain it.

They carefully lower themselves down into the room below... startling a group of scavengers who were already exploring underground and were presumably also drawn to investigate the noise. Before Oak has a chance to try talking his way out of the problem, they attack.

The room Oak and company occupy is small and cluttered with debris. The scavengers are in the hall beyond, blocking the doorway, and the sunlight from the hole in the ceiling only serves to cast everything beyond it into even greater darkness. Then one of the scavengers throws something incendiary through the doorway, and Oak's group are in a mad scramble to get out of the room. Oak slams the man blocking the doorway back a few steps, grappling with him to keep the exit clear for the others. Then someone else comes at him, swings at his head before he can react, and his vision's blacking out as he crumples to the floor.

He comes to a moment later with Shadowheart kneeling over him.

"Easy," she cautions with a hand on his chest, and he waits for the energy of her healing magic to fade as he tries to reorient himself. It's quiet. The others are all standing around him. It's clearly been more than a moment.

"Good to have you back with us," she says, offering him a hand up.

It's beginning to sink in that he was uselessly unconscious while the others fought for their lives. It's beginning to sink in that they protected him, and he would have died if they hadn't. He's been preoccupied with how to get them to trust him--to rely on him--but only now does he consider the strange possibility that he might already be able to rely on them, even hardly knowing them. It's oddly uncomfortable and reassuring at the same time.

"Next time, leave breaking and entering to the experts," Astarion says. "There was a door, you know, and it's not that difficult to force a lock." His words are light and mocking, but Oak can hear the real anger beneath them. It was a stupid risk that Oak took and it landed them in trouble.

"Not my finest moment, I know," he says grimly, gingerly feeling his head for any lingering sign of injury.

"You weren't wrong about it being a lucrative site to scavenge, though," Gale says dryly, nodding towards the discarded bag of one of the scavengers with ancient coins and silver dishes spilling out of it.

Taking a moment to look around and assess the space, Oak can see that it's part of a large complex with rooms branching off in multiple directions.

"Since we're already here..."

And luckily for him, he's fallen in with a curious company. They have to take a look around before they leave.

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[maegalkarven]

Nemo was that kind of the leader who acted overly familiar with his subordinates. He knew them all by name, knew their habits and quirks. Helped two of his men move homes and lay low after they got under suspicion of the Flaming Fists. Took several starving orphans off the streets and made them into the unholy assasins.

His subordinates could approach him, talk to him, touch him. For him the cult of Bhaal was a family and he made it feel that way for many initiates to come.

He made it feel like a special club with people who are better than everyone else, where people ascended over the "normal" understanding of things, became better beings.

Is it a crime for a wolf to eat a sheep, for a man to crush a rat under his feet? Is it a crime to get rid of the vermins populating YOUR city? No, it's only the right thing to do; this is not only accepted, but expected.

He accidentially lowered the level of religious worship of the entire cult and made it more self-sustained. Of course all of them were doing it in Bhaal's name, for Bhaal, by the Bhaal's will. But holy assasins rarely hear Bhaal the way bhaalspawn does, so they heavily relied on what their leader, the Prodigal Bhaalspawn, told them.

They trusted him, they followed him.

And one day he disappeared and Orin climbed the ladder.

[communistfries]

Spam kissing astarion while my husband sorts all the bones and candles he looted i love being a gamer ❤️

[xhinc]

finished my third playthrough and the game still has this tiny bug that makes the narrator say my durge killed astarion right before he appears on screen for the last romance scene haha

[clowndensation]

the question is: if i side with the goblins, do i get to see wyll and karlach again later in the game after they abandon my ass for being evil.

[asterdeer]

nothing like blazing through the cazador fight with almost 0 damage taken, not even on baby mode, perfect party dynamics for once, and then immediately picking the wrong astarion dialogue so i have to do the damn fight over again. love that. thanks fangs, love that for me, i have nothing but time and energy to baby you out of your homicidal impulses, please let's do this five more times, it's so much fun

[amaranthsynthesis]

looking at timelines and thinking about the CONSTANT near misses where Durge and Karlach almost met while involved with/working for Gortash. the overlap is there!! but Karlach doesn't recognize Durge when they meet in game, so they must not have ever met

Karlach was Gortash's bodyguard, it would have made sense for him to bring her to meetings with a Bhaalspawn--when would he be in more danger than that? That he didn't means that either he trusted Durge not to kill him, or worried instead that Durge would kill Karlach if they met. Which, yeah, if her temperament pre-Avernus is anything like in-game then that meeting would have extraordinarily poorly! Faced with a very real threat she would have stood her ground to protect her boss and friend, still, and there is no way Durge could let that slide--there is no way she could have won that fight. Gortash liked her too much, or did not want to replace her yet, or had already put the wheels in motion on the infernal engines front and knew she would make an excellent candidate for a test, when the time came. Cuz he sold her anyway, didn't he?

so I'm emo about that but ALSO the slapstick hijink potential of Gortash running interference so that neither of them ever encounter one another is UNPARALLELED.

[alicelufenia]

Testing new ways to recruit Minthara in Patch 6 - Part 1 (KO at the grove battle)

First of what may become a series of attempts to find new ways to recruit Minthara on the good playthrough.

Now according to the patch notes:

It's unclear what they mean by "number of valid methods". So far the ONLY valid methods to recruit Minthara are siding with the Goblins (ie the best method) or to knock her out while temporarily hostile. I go on all about it in this post.

So to start I wanted to see if the number of cases where she becomes temporarily hostile have been expanded. And the first method I wanted to test is possibly the coolest way to knock her out; by fighting her and the goblin horde at the grove! I don't need to show any screenshots of that, suffice to say, she was marked fully hostile by the game, and her knocked out status was NOT temporary (ie., said this entity would disappear permanently after a long rest)

So I played the rest out as you normally would; long resting to go to the tiefling party, then heading to the mountain pass, past the undead patrol, into the shadow-cursed lands, summoned Kar'niss, turned on him at the Harpers, yada yada Last Light Inn yada yada Isobel and Marcus.

So I arrive at Moonrise, and while expecting nothing, who do I see?

THERE SHE IS! And wearing her camp clothing cause I stole her armor again lmao (and she didn't wear the blazer of benevolence I reverse-looted into her inventory, cause she'd rather be in her PJs in front of her boss than anything from Volo. Honestly understandable.)

The cutscene plays out normally, but after going down into the prison, freeing her mind and fighting her interrogators

She just... breaks. No dialogue, not interactable, doesn't follow me, nothing. Killing the other guards outside doesn't do anything.

At first I was ready to call this whole attempt bugged (which don't get me wrong, this IS a bug)

But I thought, what if I have her play along (I never did that in my own playthrough) So I reload, and trick the guards instead.

SUCCESS! She's a follower npc now!

We deceive our way out of Moonrise, send her back to camp

Also, incredibly funny that both Astarion and Karlach approve, when Astarion is the only one who voices major objections, and earlier Karlach had this to say at camp before we headed into the prison

I guess seeing her tortured and grateful for being freed warmed Karlach's heart to her. Awww :3

Ladies and gentlemen, we got her

It's not completely without bugs. Karlach and Wyll both didn't have anything to say about Minthara's recruitment, but that might have been because I hadn't exhausted their reactive dialogue beforehand, as they both had things to say about prior events. Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Astarion and Gale (y'know the regular durge squad) all had their normal reactions.

Also Halsin isn't there cause he's currently at Last Light hanging out with Art. I hadn't even found Thaniel yet. Although I don't anticipate any interactions with those two, as the ultimatum dialogue is still inaccessible, and even if it was, involves an absolutely convoluted way to get both Halsin and Minthara that will almost never happen anyway.

Final Verdict: Recruiting Minthara by KOing her while defending the grove - WORKS!

[lelalyo]

Larian's really out here buffing Gortash's boss fight by adding dialogue to make Durge players hesitate fighting him at all.