D&D General BG3 Massive Spoiler Thread

[Ruin Explorer]

Are you using Tavern Brawler on Karlach? If so, you probably don't need a tank for her. TB boosts her accuracy so high that she can eat disadvantage for throwing in melee and still be over 90%.

In fact, I used TB/throw Karlach herself as my tank in my first Honor run. I went with an "all ranged" party and it was amazing. Really drove home how much damage you leave on the table while your melee fighters are Dashing and jumping to reach the enemy. It also gives you a better chance to escape a battle that goes pear-shaped; or turn a losing fight into a win by killing the archers and then kiting the melee monsters.

Yes I've been seeing exactly this - even with EK Lae'zel's insane mobility (and it is insane) it seems like ranged contributes to a lot of extra damage early in fights when it matters most, and often even Lae'zel is better off standing back and shooting/throwing with the team rather than advancing, this often forcing the enemy to waste actions on Dash or position badly to get us. Lae'zel does get an interesting trick later on where thanks to Cloak of Displacement, Blur or Protection from Evil she can have both the lowest AC (so is aggressively targeted) and yet also be extremely hard to hit, but I could work the same trick with Karlach probably (though without beautiful Shield to fill the gaps when it fails - I do have Cutting Words though) - and yeah at melee range I often see 90% chance to hit with a Throw (inc Disadvantage) where I only have 75% to hit with an actual melee attack.

Welcome back Astarion, is I guess the message! Though he, Karlach and my Lore Bard will all be competing for a lot of the same items by L8 (at which point I will have two levels of Warlock on the Bard).

Thank you for the suggestions, this should be fun!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I just chucked him a scroll I happened to have on me, which unfortunately emboldened me into thinking I could similarly chuck water at his torch.

Ironically in my current group Astarion is barely used, because my Lore Bard has no issues with skills and I need a tank to keep Karlach able to throw (which even with fixed rules is brutal). That said last time I brought him he was terrifying, maybe Lae'zel can take a break for a bit. I certainly miss his sardonic tone.

I am a filthy cheater and have the mod where I can bring every companion with me.

It's funny, they never mention on Critical Role how hard it is to get in and out of rooms in a dungeon when you've got nine characters, including pets, to wrangle. Karlach and Lae'zel spend a lot of time jumping over their own party members to get where they need to in battle.

 

[Zardnaar]

Orin is absolutely the Kai Leng of BG3, because fundamentally, ME3 and BG3 share a number of narrative flaws, it's just that in ME3 they're horrific and nearly fatal, and in BG3 they're largely superficial and easy to overlook.

But she has an identical inability to be stopped even though her plans are (almost literally) childish and absolutely defeatable with basic D&D planning and magic, and likewise gets to monologue the player obnoxiously despite being a moron.

The biggest narrative problem in BG3 for me remains scouting Moonrise though. You can find hard documentation conclusively detailing the core bad guy plan, revealing tons of stuff, including that Gortash is 100% part of it, Isobel is related to Ketheric, etc., you can even take that evidence because it's books and letters, but can you tell anyone?

Nope.

Jaheira directly asks you for that kind of info and you just have to flatly lie and say "some areas of Moonrise are off limits to me still", even after you've broken in everywhere!

You also can't confront Isobel with the info. Nor people who think Gortash isn't a crook.

Yet Larian know you have it because you can use it on Ketheric in his boss fight!

It's one of the worst cases of this I've ever seen in CRPGs and particularly bizarre because the game has so much reactivity otherwise, like even for 1% corner case scenarios. Sure they put it behind a DC30 door, but Knock is a spell, people, and DC30 isn't that hard to hit with Expertise and Guidance. Also how they put the cool undead dog friend behind the same door so they clearly wanted me in there!

Just did Orin. She didn't get a hold on honor mode. Wizard snd sorcerer magic missile spam then tav 2 shot her.

 

[Zardnaar]

Darkness theme is cool and surprisingly effective, and between the tadpole and the Emperor, there's plenty of RP justification for everyone in your party putting a couple levels into GOO-pact warlock. (There are also a couple magic items that grant immunity to blindness, though very few available before Act 3.)

You also get to point and laugh at Viconia DeVir and her army of darkness-slingers.

Fid rgat last game with shadow assassin tav. Rest of party had Shars spear, steel defenders helmet or Paladin 7/Warlock 5 devil sight.

 

[Zardnaar]

Are you using Tavern Brawler on Karlach? If so, you probably don't need a tank for her. TB boosts her accuracy so high that she can eat disadvantage for throwing in melee and still be over 90%.

In fact, I used TB/throw Karlach herself as my tank in my first Honor run. I went with an "all ranged" party and it was amazing. Really drove home how much damage you leave on the table while your melee fighters are Dashing and jumping to reach the enemy. It also gives you a better chance to escape a battle that goes pear-shaped; or turn a losing fight into a win by killing the archers and then kiting the melee monsters.

Wife discovered this very early on. As I said earlier mobility is very important.

This translates to Monks and misty step melee characters. Or haste helm, crushers ring, longstrider etc. Only melee really worth using are Paladins early, late game baldurans sword or unseen menace mobility build.

You can ditch melee entirely and use summoned elementals. They can all fly or trleport around or both.

 

[Zardnaar]

So suggestions so far on new Tav.

Gloomstalker Ranger
Barbarian
Shadow party of warlocks including goo
Dex based paladin

Kinda over hit stiff really hard as thats my current Tav. Right near the end of act 3 still using the titan string bow.

 

[Dausuul]

Wife discovered this very early on. As I said earlier mobility is very important.

This translates to Monks and misty step melee characters. Or haste helm, crushers ring, longstrider etc. Only melee really worth using are Paladins early, late game baldurans sword or unseen menace mobility build.

You can ditch melee entirely and use summoned elementals. They can all fly or trleport around or both.

Another option for melee enthusiasts is the Astral Tadpole. It's much easier to close with the enemy when you can fly at will, at double normal speed.

However, that's not available until Act 3. (It also requires you to go down a path that you may not want to go down for RP reasons, and you'll have to roll to convince your companions if you want to bring them with you. Oddly, Astarion is one of the hardest to convince, even though he's usually gung-ho for more power. Minthara, however, requires no roll and practically grabs the Astral Tadpole out of your hand.)

 

[deganawida]

I keep waffling on a Dark Urge play through, and abandoning my Tavs.

Those of you who have done redeemed Dark Urge, how is it overall?

 

[Zardnaar]

I keep waffling on a Dark Urge play through, and abandoning my Tavs.

Those of you who have done redeemed Dark Urge, how is it overall?

Kinda better due to more story and you get a couple of exclusive magic items, dialog options etc.

You may miss out on potent robes and an early part involves a murder you have no control over.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I keep waffling on a Dark Urge play through, and abandoning my Tavs.

Those of you who have done redeemed Dark Urge, how is it overall?

I haven't finished my playthrough, but I love my Dark Urge. My wife, who has many full playthroughs under her belt, says that non-Dark Urge playthroughs now feel shallow in comparison for her. She's played both "good" and "evil" Dark Urge runs.