Yeah, I remember the excitement of rolling up a character and hoping to get something good. It’s a bit of a gambler’s rush. Since this was most people’s first interaction with D&D, it likely played a role in the game’s early success.
But it sure was frustrating grinding up a level and then rolling a bad hit die.
I can agree with that. With clearer cues I would have figured it out the first time and felt good about it. But having to reload and try the same thing again is definitely video gamey.
In tabletop, the DM could adjust the narrative the clue you in on the missing piece.
A video game can only do so much, it can’t fully replace a tabletop experience.
I think BG3 has done an admirable job replicating that experience as much as any game can, but at a certain point it’s still a video game.
I overall agree which is what made that fight ring poorly with me. I’m definitely not saying BG3 is a bad game or anything, just that I felt like that fight missed its mark both times I went through it. Also that @Vislor wasn’t alone in disliking it.
So, I went back, placed my people, and managed to plow through it. I managed to keep it in front of the release area but when I got it down to less than thirty hit points, it shifted just enough that it wasn’t vulnerable anymore. I managed to get it again but it was fiddly in how I had to pull it in the right place. If it hadn’t had a large area of attack spell, I might have done it quicker. The fight was okay overall but, as others said, a bit gamey. It’s still amazing!
FR lore and game spoilers
I think what throws me more is the little things. I like the idea of Grymforge and actually wish that FR had this type of lore. At least, I don’t know of any details like this within ancient dwarven kingdoms. FR is not a fantasy world. It’s a real world with fantasy put over it. BG3 is pushing it to fantasy and I’m really torn on that. I can’t find a way to leave Grymforge when I’m at the bottom.
Yes, the game allows me to teleport to any runes I have found but that’s not typical for FR. I wanted the ability to walk or raise it back up.
I’m annoyed by the lava and how close it was. That should be lethal! There is even a supplement about this that still amuses me. XRP Lava Rules
Thanks again for the replies!
My first game, we just threw a lever and went back up. My second game, i couldn’t make it work and fast traveled. Dunno if buggy or what.
I couldn’t find the lever and gave up. When I did an internet search it sounded like a common problem (as well as the lever not working). Once I knew the lever existed I was able to find it.
I seem to remember Gale referring to gunpowder at some point in his dialog. I know there are explosives, cannons, and smokepowder in the world, but are there guns?
Is gunpowder a standard concept in 5e or in Faerûn? Or is that a BG3 addition?
Yep, though rare enough in most settings that you need to take a feat for firearms proficiency.
Kinda sorta. Firearms exist as an optional system in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. It’s not a standard part of the Player’s Handbook rules but not outside the 5e system either.
Thanks @Johnny_Bravo and @Jophiel.
Tales of Evil: Meet the New Boss
Having completed the House of Hope, I set out towards the Steel Watch foundry. I avoided the golem outside to enter, deceived a guard harassing a gnome into believing I was part of the next shift and had almost opened the door to the office when the question occurred to me: Why? This was just going to cause a bunch of hassle and for what? I could walk up to Gortash any time I wanted.
So, that’s what I did. I left the foundry untouched, visited Gortash and said “Hey, I got your other two rocks” and Gortash tried to give me some shit about handing over the stones but I wasn’t having it. Turns out he was just “testing” me to see if I had the resolve to rule alongside him. Now convinced of my mettle, we met again at the dock in the undercity, took a skiff to see the brain and Gortash didn’t inspire confidence when he remarked that it had grown huge since he last saw it. This is why we won’t get you a dog, Gortash. The brain started demanding freedom and I failed the first two saves to rein it in which caused Gortash to give me the best “wtf is wrong with you?” look and grab the stones from me to do this himself. The brain wasn’t having it though and commanded Gortash to die so NOW who’s the idiot, Gortash? The one with the exploded head, maybe?
As expected, I couldn’t stop the brain, the Emperor grabs me back into the Astral plane and demands the stones, I laugh at him and he gets pissy and leaves. I free Orpheus and tell him to stop whining before having him turn into a squid because ew, no, I ain’t doing that. We leave and meet in the guard tower where a commander is making a rousing speech to my many allies consisting of… Volo and a cow. I gave Volo and the Cow a rousing speech about how we had to get the crown and did the fight up to the brain. Well, half of it. When I reached the part where you get bombarded, I just threw Sanctuary on everyone and rushed the door to end it.
After defeating the brain, Orpheus and I stood on a rocky cliff, straining to bring the brain under control for a final time. Seizing the opportunity, I pulled out a dagger and stabbed Orpheus repeatedly, finally sinking my blade under his chin and grabbing hold of the Netherstones. Mithara asked what I was doing which mad eme wonder how she thought “We could rule” was going to work. I assured her that they would have a place in my New World Order before the brain dominated Minthara, Asterion and Shadowheart and I took my rightful place upon a handy throne there on top of the brain, my companions looking thrilled to be there if you ignore their glowing yellow dominated eyes. Got the achievement “Absolute Power Corrupts: Reign of Terror” and roll credits.
It’s too bad there’s no epilogue but I also half expected to be blocked from just taking over the world. Or the city. I took over something anyway. Stay tuned for Baldur’s Gate 4 where a group of plucky and quirky young adventurers have to defeat a Drow spore druid, his Drow paladin wife, a super-vampire lord and the Pope of Shar. That reminds me, I should replay the ending straight and see what becomes of Shadowheart and Asterion ascended to their Bad Guy forms.
FR lore guy here.
Yes, guns exist in FR and have existed since 2E FR Adventures handbook. They don’t call it gunpowder, though, they call it smoke powder and it is considered magical. The guns listed in that handbook are early firearms, such as arquebus, blunderbuss, and match lock type of guns.
/stands on a soapbox
FR has a very weird history with technology. They have a deity of technology, Gond, but then somehow Mystra (goddess of magic) was able to restrict certain tech and make it not function, i.e. smoke powder instead of gunpowder.
One of the things that LOVE about BG3 from a lore perspective is that it shows these huge ruins that existed in the past, which is said to be better than current times. This is one of those many layered things due to how old FR is and how much RPGs have evolved in the decades. FR existed in the 60s when Ed was a kid, he wrote about it in Dragon magazine in the 70s and 80s, and then it released as a world in '87. Due to that, the lore and the mechanics haven’t matched up well. The sourcebooks talk about how Netheril was the most advanced but they don’t show that well. Or, the sourcebooks that come out don’t reflect it well. Or they created brand new classes that no longer exist to show how much better the Netherese spell casters were.
(If you want a good example of a world that shows this, but has horrendous mechanics, check out Exalted.)
It’s why I like PF1 because it has classes that fit and could be used to show what the casters were like back then. I tried to do a campaign that only had core PHB classes and the idea was to have the PCs find the way that old kingdoms used to do it, bringing those things back. It didn’t work as my players didn’t like to be restricted but I still like the idea of it.
(To get really geeky, my idea was that if someone wanted to be a Magus, they play a multi class fighter wizard and then at some point, they would find the old records of a Magus and could freely convert all levels over to it. Arcanist was going to be the Netherese Wizard. Things like that. It didn’t work out.)
/gets off the soapbox
I have hit the lever several times and the platform hasn’t gone back up so I guess I teleport.
Thanks for the discussion!
Its ridiculous how much more footage there is in this game Ive seen on the second playthrough
Act II/Act I Question: I am in the thick of Act II. I found the inn and Harpers, saved Isobel, and I’m exploring the Shadow Lands. Prior to this I did clear the Gith Creche but I came up to the Shadowlands using the Underdark elevator. In my exploring I came across what I think is the entrance to the Shadowlands from the Mountain Pass which is the method I did not take. Can I now take a side trip to the Mountain Pass via the Shadowlands to see what I missed or is it too late and that would break something? I asked a similar question earlier but that answer suggested I could do both before I entered Act II which is not my current situation so I just wanted to be sure I could go backwards to explore the other half. Thanks!
You can go back and explore the other side, it is not until much later that you can’t return.
I believe you’re good to return until you get the “Going further will change the world” style warning message deep into Act II. At which point trying to return to Act I will cause the voice in your head to throw a tizzy.
Too much of the story is locked behind long resting, and the game is too easy even on tactician to require me to long rest the proper amount. Then whenever i get around to it there are too many things happening and some things get lost in the commotion. What I am trying to say is that I am too good at this game and it keeps cockblocking me from sexy time cut scenes because i am way behind on plot relevant cut scenes.
There’s a mod that puts a “!” over your head when there’s long-rest content waiting for you. And note that you can long rest without using any vittles–you won’t get the full benefit of recharging things, but you do get cutscenes.
My current playthrough (still the solo* Monk) I haven’t done any long rests, except when the game doesn’t let you leave camp until you do.
*I actually prefer games that are “too easy”, because it lets me do fun stuff like play solo.
I’ve moved on. Uninstalled. BG3 was good during the time I was hanging with the Goblins, but as soon as you have to go to Moonrise Tower, and the you have to do Gauntlet of Shar, that was after having to kill the Goblins. . .You’re forced to do things in order to push progress in the game. That is BS. This game constantly tries to force you into radical decisions with unreasonable NPCs. Very poor campaign design. It’s just not fun. That’s why I’m here really.
I’m moving on to Starfield.