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- Dec 16, 2019
No, this isn't mine and I don't know whose it is, but enjoy.
Baldur's Gate III Announced - ...and it's coming to Google Stadia and PC
- Thread starter Duncan Hills Coffee
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No, this isn't mine and I don't know whose it is, but enjoy.
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2019
Okay the streams are crossing, the Merge is happening... I sometimes read that laubritter tumblr for the lulz, and to see it over here messed with my brain. lol
The new letters are boring! Put the weird faggy ones back, Larian!
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2019
What's the point of this change?
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- Nov 6, 2014
My face when the devs who made the original Mr Aylin sneak in a bit of trololo.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2013
Don’t know. They’ve made some other recent changes without explanation too, like playing “I Want to Live” (the camp music) when Astarion breaks down sobbing after killing Cazador, and people aren’t happy about that one either.
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- Dec 3, 2013
And people were already super weird about that segment already, like insisting Astarion becoming Ascended and becoming a full evil bastard is the “actual good ending”.
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- Mar 12, 2021
He gets +1d10 Necrotic Damage to unarmed and weapon Attack rolls. I call that a good ending.
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- Jan 17, 2023
I noticed that too. Originally wasn't it quiet? The chamber echoes too so the stillness of the air as the sound bounces off the walls gives weight to the actor's performance.
You don't need it, though. That is, essentially, the moral of the story.
One of the best lines in the game is when Durge boasts his Slayer form to Lae'zel and being daddy Bhaal's Chosen One. Lae'zel admits it's all impressive but then adds, "...but you were impressive already."
The game rewards you for being evil, but at times you're also reminded that said rewards are a crutch for what amounts to true strength.
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- Joined
- Dec 3, 2013
Yeah, like if you want to play an evil murdering bastard, than obviously go for it. It’s there to let you do so if you want, and there’s some interesting lines and scenes you can get from it.
It’s the people that want to do the horrible evil shit but somehow twist it into an “actually, this is me being morally valid and good” that I’m gonna mock the shit out of.
As for the unliked additions, they have walked stuff back before based on feedback, so maybe they’ll do there here too.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2022
Allow me to get super weird about Ascended Astarion, potentially. (I've had these thoughts and no where to dump them.)
On my first playthrough, I let him do the ritual. The character I was playing was morally grey, leaned more into being utilitarian rather than emotional. So, there are 7000 vampire spawn in play. If the ritual goes through, that is 7000 dead vampires. If it doesn't go through, that is 7000 homeless, PTSD riddled, starving, problems to deal with. It seems like a logistical nightmare to allow them to live. Then Astarion becomes evil? Think of all the characters around who could keep him in check. Jahiera even has a line of dialogue stating that she plans on watching over him. Yeah he is worse for it, but it seems like a lesser evil?
Second playthrough my character is far more softhearted, and actually took the time to befriend Astarion. She doesn't want to lose her friend to the cycle of abuse. But, again, 7000 fucking vampire spawn. Not to mention the literal children. It seems unfair to let the children live and suffer like that, children forever, always starving, kept from the sun. Shouldn't it be the compassionate thing to let them die? Literally the only thing keeping this character from letting Astarion Ascend at this point is her being concerned about the souls of those involved being consumed and therefore possibly locked out of any peaceful afterlife.
So, Ascended Astarion is not a good Astarion, but is a happy Astarion worth all the problems he brings? Unless you romance him, how happy is his ending really? I don't know. It feels like this dilemma wasn't intentional though, like you aren't supposed to think about the consequences.
Rant over.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2013
Ascended Astarion has him essentially becoming another Cazador, turning people into his slaves and taking over the city slowly. You can argue “well, he won’t treat his thralls as badly”, but he’s still doing the same thing Cazador did, and he becomes a lot more cold and detached vs how he is if you befriend him and talk him out of the ritual.
As for the 7000 vampire spawn, the whole point of it being the evil choice is you’re not given them a choice in the matter. Yes, some of them may just want to die, or some may go blood crazy, but you’re making the decision for them. Astarion even says “they deserve the same chance I was given”. Killing them all after Astrion helped make them what they are in the first place without thinking of them as people is a pretty shitty thing to do, especially considering Astarion could have easily been just another thrall in one of those cages.
Ascended Astarion is an Astarion that’s learned “people are just tools to be used as the stronger sees fit”. Happy or not(and you can argue just how happy he truly is, you’ve essentially just created another future dictator/villian. You even described it as needing to “keep him in check”.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2013
While it's obvious that he's happy if you're romancing him, if you didn't, they still make it evident that he's enjoying life again in the epilogue. He lets you know that he's come to appreciate the night, and I think he even mentions becoming an adventurer.
As SteelPlatedHeart pointed out, letting the 7,000 vampire spawn die is the evil decision because you're taking away their say in the matter, let alone assuming that they all want to be mercy killed. If any of them really want to die, they could easily end their lives on their own terms after being freed, but it's better to at least give them that choice. Gandrel is happy just to have his children back.
So, yes, spawn Astarion's ending is happy both ways. It's only bad if you didn't kill Cazador, as it's revealed he's gone back to hiding in the shadows and fearing for his life. You can argue that ascended Astarion could in theory be reigned in, but it doesn't erase the fact that he's become the worst version of himself - the devs stated this themselves. And that's not even touching on if he's romanced.
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2013
I pretty much maxed out his approval without romancing him, and in the epilogue he talks about how he’s enjoying being an adventurer and hero(“it turns out nobody really cares about murder so long as you’re murdering the right people, and apparently I’m rather good at it.”) and that he likes inspiring people with hope rather than terror, though he still does a little terror because he’s him. He’s also happy with being in the dark because it’s a part of who he is, and he can finally be himself, rather than defined by the choices others make for him. Though he wouldn’t be against finding a sunlight cure if the chance arrises.
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- Aug 2, 2018
Monk's get even better when you start multi-classing into Rogue, fighter, and Spores druid. Each give you extra attacks, bonus actions and damage buffs with Symbiotic Entity up.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2023
The whole Ascended Astarion thing can be answered very simply and I believe the game even hints at it several times. Namely, Astarion changed, so why can't other vampires change as well? If you romance him, your MC can even pose the question about how she could have become just another mark and Astarion concedes that's true, but things are different now.
This is really all you need to know. It's 7000 vampires given back their freedom which means each and every one of them has the capacity become just another wicked bloodsucker at midnight or maybe they'll save the world from whatever apocalypse occurs. Who knows? Either way, the crux of it all is Astarion robs everyone of their freedom to make that choice by ascending.
This is why refusing ascension is the morally good choice. Astarion is sacrificing his own desires for the desires of others.
This is really all you need to know. It's 7000 vampires given back their freedom which means each and every one of them has the capacity become just another wicked bloodsucker at midnight or maybe they'll save the world from whatever apocalypse occurs. Who knows? Either way, the crux of it all is Astarion robs everyone of their freedom to make that choice by ascending.
This is why refusing ascension is the morally good choice. Astarion is sacrificing his own desires for the desires of others.
They did this because Gortash is a villain. That's really all there is to it. Evil people aren't allowed to also be alphabet people.
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- Nov 4, 2020
I find it odd that nobody questions whether or not Astarion's redemption arc is at all possibly solely because of the tadpole situation he's in.
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- Sep 22, 2019
Actually, he outright states he's an adventurer at that point. Paraphrased, "Turns out murder is legal, so long it's the right kind of people." and "It's nice to not be feared. Well, a little fear still."
As for the 7000 spawns you released, you do get a letter from Sebastian in the epilogue describing what happened. As expected, a majority probably died in the Underdark. The few that survived eventually fell under "control" of the other six named spawn. They seemed thankful, at least.
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2022
(Not able to quote SteelPlatedHeart for whatever reason, but I'm sorta responding to them too)
Not arguing that Ascended Astarion isn't the worst version of himself, because he is totally is. He is going to pull some BBEG hooey. Astarion will absolutely try to be the new Cazador, regardless of level of success, no argument there. People will get hurt, he will cause suffering.
And I totally like Astarion, he was the first companion I liked, and is still pretty high on the list. I was kind of peeved that my approval was stuck in neutral in my first run. I want to see the Spawn ending in this second playthrough.
In this case I'm more focused on the logistics of the rest of the spawn. Sounds autistic now that I'm reading what I wrote, but I'm choosing to continue the tism train. Where are 7000 people going to suddenly live? What are they going to eat? I can't imagine violent crime wouldn't rise after their release, either the spawn get hungry enough to attack, or people attack them. How many of them are just going to off themselves, who is going to have to clean up the pile of hero-ed spawn? Do the spawn get preferential treatment over the refugees because they are residences of the city? Are refugees going to have more to complain about? Or are they going to get thrown out along with the refugees and cause all the problems stated above but without a single attempt at regulation because they are consuming the lesser-thans? How many of the children spawn actually have anyone to care for them? And so on.
Yes, killing innocents in enormous quantities is evil. I don't want to do that. It seems like that is all of the thought intended for this dilemma. Either "I want my buddy to be a villain" Or " Save the Spawn, save my buddy". Prior to actually saving them (Because I haven't yet), it seems like a massive risk that will cause mass deaths and suffering anyway. Prior to knowing how bad Astarion gets post-ritual, Ascending seemed like the lesser of two evils, because it is dealing with one vamp (you think) you know vs literally thousands you don't.
Edit:
I don't want to double post, and it isn't letting me quote CheeseKnife either, so quick edit. I like your explanation, thank you. It's hard to not get caught up in logistics sometimes.
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- Joined
- Jan 17, 2023
So...
...and this really pissses me off...
I went to go save Duke Ravenguard. In this playthrough, I didn't talk to Mizora first. I just headed straight for the Iron Throne without saying anything. Got there, and what do I find? Duke Ravenguard is automatically dead!!
WTF?!
What this means is the game wants you to go through denying Mizora dialogue at camp before you even go to the Iron Throne first, else, Duke Ravenguard will automatically be dead and there's nothing you can do to change that. Fuck that. And I can't reload beceause this is an Honor Run. Oh, and Omeluem even tells you to save him. Right off the bat. Fucking deceptive as fuck because he's dead in his prison from turn one and there ain't shit you can do about it. Despite the fact that Ravenguard is DoA no matter what. Fuck that. Larian should be ashamed. Good thing I don't hold Ravenguard in as high regard as the rest of these NPCs.
EDIT:
HOLY. SHIT.
The game fucking accounted for this:
She offers to raise Wyll's father. That is fucking amazing!
Minthara spot-on, as always.
...and this really pissses me off...
I went to go save Duke Ravenguard. In this playthrough, I didn't talk to Mizora first. I just headed straight for the Iron Throne without saying anything. Got there, and what do I find? Duke Ravenguard is automatically dead!!
WTF?!
What this means is the game wants you to go through denying Mizora dialogue at camp before you even go to the Iron Throne first, else, Duke Ravenguard will automatically be dead and there's nothing you can do to change that. Fuck that. And I can't reload beceause this is an Honor Run. Oh, and Omeluem even tells you to save him. Right off the bat. Fucking deceptive as fuck because he's dead in his prison from turn one and there ain't shit you can do about it. Despite the fact that Ravenguard is DoA no matter what. Fuck that. Larian should be ashamed. Good thing I don't hold Ravenguard in as high regard as the rest of these NPCs.
EDIT:
HOLY. SHIT.
The game fucking accounted for this:
She offers to raise Wyll's father. That is fucking amazing!
Minthara spot-on, as always.
Not directly, but that's good storytelling. It's funny with Karlach too because her case is the opposite. The whole game is about denying ceremorphosis, but Karlach discovers the only way she can even continue to live (if you want to call it "living") is through ceremorphosis. Unlike everyone else, Karlach's tadpole offers her the only way out of her current predicament.
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Incel Death Note
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2023
When should I start MCing him?