Just keep clicking the autoselect button, it’ll figure it out eventually.
I’ll have to try that. If it’s been 43+, I’ve always manually tweaked it and always brought it down myself (assuming that auto-select would just give the same response as before)
I realize no one here needs a game review at this point but, for those interested, IGN just dropped their review (game reviews have been slow with this one since it takes so long for a playthrough to give a proper review):
I may not need a review but I am still looking forwards to Mandaloregaming’s review.
Amusingly, Lae’zel is perma-dead in my game because I failed to find her before taking a long rest, and also had to run away the second time she showed up. Apparently the game doesn’t just pause the battle when I’m off doing other things. Eh, didn’t like her anyway.
Isn’t his thing reviewing very old games? You may be waiting a while.
Sometimes he does older games, but he does do very recent releases occasionally, and BG3 seems like the sort of game he would do that for. Maybe.
I hope he does BG3 soon(ish) too. I enjoy his videos.
I wish intimidation was based of STR and deception of INT so i didn’t feel the need to always play a CHA based character.
That’s common in lots of TTRPGs, but D&D has always had Charisma as the “social” stat for everything.
5e lets the DM situationally decide to use different stats for skill checks. BG3 sometimes does that by allowing your class or background to grant you advantage on particular checks when appropriate.
Yeah, Strength-Based intimidation is the classic example of using an alternate stat for a skill check. I was a little surprised/disappointed that Karlach can’t intimidate via flexing (even allowing for the occasional class based Advantage).
That’s modeled through [Barbarian] dialogue options, which from what I’ve seen include things like:
[Barbarian] ROAAAAAAR!!!
Or Advantage (reason: Barbarian) on intimidate checks, which i find hilarious. Specially since the hag decides to talk to whoever is closest at the end of the fight, which just happened to be Karlach.
I had a fun moment at the Grymforge:
Shadowheart got ahead of the group somehow and was the first to talk to the deep gnome standing above a barrel of runepowder in the ruined temple. The gnome threatened to blow everyone sky high; Shadowheart had a [Cleric of Shar] option to say “go for it, I could use a show”. I figured that would be calling the gnome’s bluff, so I picked that option. The gnome blew us all up.
Back at the creche, I also had one of my favorite character moments so far.
We had a Gith visitor in the night- the red ragon rider from before, who we learn is a rebel against Vlaakith. He lays out his charges against the Lich Queen and Lae’Zel pulls out her sword to kill him for his lies.
I had the choice to back her up and follow her lead, or to influence her to believe him by reminding her of stuff we saw in the creche. She’d given plenty of indications that her faith was wavering thanks to earlier interactions, so I told her that I’d follow her lead… and she turned on Vlaakith by herself, without me needing to pick the “good” path in a binary “good vs evil” choice.
I loved that. It felt like I was interacting with a real person, or at least an NPC played by a good DM, rather than a video game character.
It’s not really though. I’m playing Barbarian and get those options but they usually don’t result in an Intimidation check. It’s just a dialogue option.
Sometimes a class dialogue option results in a skill check with advantage. More often, it’s just another line of conversation you can opt for. Also the two aren’t exclusive of one another. I’ve picked [DECEPTION][ROGUE] and getting both Advantage for being a rogue and the +5 for Expertise in Deception.
Also, you don’t have to be a Barbarian to have high strength. Vae’zel should have the same option to hulk up and glower menacingly that Karlach would if they’re both rolling with STR 18.
Today I found a scroll for a wizard spell that you can’t learn by leveling up. Gale learned it and then used to it one-shot the boss that we stole it from.
As if anybody needed more reasons to explore for treasure, but there you go.
Here’s an idea. Since I can’t decide between Necromancy and Two Weapon Fighting for my evil playthrough, maybe I will just have one of my companions be the necromancer. Either Gale, if I can make him go evil, or Astarion - I can give him the book Necromancy of Thray and then respec him as a wizard if Gale leaves us.
Act III spoilers regarding The Emperor’s old hangout
Encounter Spoilers
Going near his old hangout, the voice of The Emperor was “Hey, go in here! Go downstairs! Find my old house, I have awesome shit there!” So off I went, only to find a bunch of Gith down there digging through the joint. Wow, did that fight suck. Lae’zel got hit by a Hold Person that lasted 8 rounds with zero savings throws even when hit while Held – which is total bullshit. The only reason it didn’t last the full ten was because she was finally downed and I got her back up with a heal. Shadowheart got blinded, my character was Frightened for much of the fight, Wyll got Frightened… it was a whole clusterfuck. Some dudes kept summoning more Gith warriors but I couldn’t do much about it because my party was all fucked up. We eventually struggled through and OF COURSE none of the shit down there was worth the effort. I guess Lae’zel has some boots that let Gith fly and give her a minor damage boost when she does so – yaaaaay…
I saved right before a fight in the Shar temple which I’m sure will be another delight. At least my gnomish Advantage on Mental Saving Throws will get a strong workout.