Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback [SPOILER} ACT 3, Epilogues & Endings

Act 1 was immaculate and perfect, and we got a amazing end, a party with all NPCs we saved, a conversation with our companions and it was truly lovely, getting to know them all and it made the group feel "close".

Act 3... well...

I reached exceptional approval from all companions except Astarion who I only reached Very good approval with.

My character never took a single tadpole or the Astral tadpole, I also avoided to use Illithid powers except for 2-3 times.

I never made a deal with Raphael, instead stealing the Orphic Hammer and killed Raphael.
I managed to get Lae'zel to oppose Vlaakith and join Voss.
I freed all Gondians before blowing up the Foundry, and the Ironhands got new leadership with Barcus as the leader and allied with the Gondians (but still Toobin seems to think his daughter was dead in the cutscene even though I told him that we saved her.)
I completed all of the quests for my companions.
Astarion broke free of Cazador and freed the thralls, Shadowheart reunited briefly with her parents, Wyll rescued his father and finally got to see the truth and reunite and chose to become "The Blade of Avernus", Gale spoke to Mystra again, Minsc was freed and united with Jaheira and chose to help the Guild after the battle was over, Karlach got to land the final blow on Gortash and I promised to be by her side when she died, Lae'zel joined Voss, I discovered the Emperor's true identity, Halsin and I freed Thaniel and united him with Oliver.
I romanced Shadowheart and agreed to share our lives together after the battle.
The Guild assisted me and approved of me.
The Harpers and Jaheira were at my back.
I never allied with Orin or Gortash, I instead fought my way through Sarevok and the Bhaalists, and then stormed Wyrm's rock.
I cleansed Moonrise, and freed Dame Aylin.
I rescued all of the refugees and got the achievement for it.
I gave Mol her contract back.

Many might think this is a "boring, goody-two shoes run" but I like being on the best sides of as many as possible, I gathered tons of allies who chose to assist me in the end, and I was ready for the endgame baby.

So, we approached the Elder Brain, and was overwhelmed, and rescued by the Emperor, who is calculating the next move.
We descend to Orpheus prison, and the Emperor says "You can't do this, only a Mind flayer can do this, so I will assimilate Orpheus" since I was playing a good guy, I chose to oppose this, telling the emperor he may have the stones but not kill Orpheus.

So this meant that the Emperor straight up says "nu-uh, then I will join the netherbrain...
Gale even spoke that we ought to reconsider the orb, but the emperor was still like "nu-uh, that failed before" (Which it didn't, we just didn't do it before)

So we free Orpheus, and Orpheus says that the Emperor was correct... we need to become a Mind flayer, sure we could place this burden on Orpheus (but that is not worth it, and it is a poor choice since we freed him to be able to free the Giths...)
Again and again we are told in the game that Mind Flayers lose their souls... I am not sure if this means that Person X goes to the afterlife, and their body remains as Illithid, or if it means that Person X just loses their soul, but it is a fate to be avoided to be sure.

SO... I reloaded several times, trying out what I could do to make it out with no one as an Illithid, but turns out it is impossible and can't be done.
I even thought I got close, because I convinced the Emperor I wanted to be a mindflayer, then I betrayed the Emperor and freed Orpheus, so I got to play the endgame as my PC, which made me happy, I thought I managed it finally.

But then I got to the Netherbrain, and killed all of the Arcanists, the Dragon, and Emperor.
...

Then nothing.
I played for almost 30 turns on the ship, just using Wall of Fire to block off all entrances to the crown and avoiding the strikes from the Nautiloids... but there was no way to progress without turning in to a mind flayer... so I had to do it.

I really... really did not want that, because this meant that avoiding all Illithid powers, avoiding using the tadpoles it did not mean anything, in the end I would still lose myself and need to become an Illithid.
So I became Illithid, destroyed the tadpoles and the brain and then killed myself.

And then I got to see Karlach die without me by her side, which I had promised to do... I didn't see Shadowheart react at all(she just lost her parents and a good chunk of her identity, and now she lost her partner too, but not a single reaction).


IF this story had been linear, then yes, this ending would have been impactful, but in a story that is as open as Baldur's Gate 3 is... this is very disappointing.
Some games does this story, but they do it different, and their stories are usually less open.

Now it felt like the game has pushed you from day 1 to "hey dude, become a Mind flayer" and you will be much more powerful, if you avoid this power there will be more difficulty. In the end you get nothing from avoiding it."




I think there should be an alternative.

Maybe let Gale Absorb the crown along with the Orb, if you want a consequence then maybe he will require to consume magic in large quantites from this day, but with the help of our party, Gale still manages to live a long life until he eventually retreats to a solitary place and dies, maybe leaving a large crater in some part of the Forgotten Realms now known as " Gale's Heroic" in contrast to "Karsus' Folly".

Or since Gale used to be a powerful Wizard allow him to cast the spell without being Illithid, but he needs 10 turns to concentrate before he manages to open the gate to the crown.



I understand that maybe the Devs wanted the feeling that there is no "perfect" ending here
But IF you have played or DM Dungeons and Dragon, then you know that the players usually try to achieve the impossible "best case" scenario no matter the situation, and this is what makes D&D magical.

Allow the players to achieve the impossible, but with the caveat of additional challenge and hardship.

But most of all after Act 1, all I wanted in act 3 was a more involved ending, and sure I am just a random on the internet, but I think a lot of people would agree that they would enjoy something like this, it would be a nice ending to the wonderful game we just played.
I wanted a party scene in the end, with my PC spending time with all of her companions and characters, that she now has grown to love and befriend.

I would like to see Minsc and Jaheira talking about the battle and old heroics with Wyll, and they invite Karlach to sit with them, they were all her heroes once, and now they are her peers, maybe some characters approach to ask them all for autographs, and they ask Karlach as well.

I want to see Astarion and Gale talking about the power they once held in their grasp... and how they ended up.

I want Lae'zel and Shadowheart just smiling at eachother and toasting, seeing how rocky their relationship started and where they ended up...

I want to see a drunk Halsin speaking with Minsc and Boo, but Halsin understands Boo perfectly just like Minsc much to everyones surprise.

And talk to them again, exchage a few words, maybe play a drinking game or pubgame like darts for some last "checks" and dice rolling.

Finally ending with your character heading in to the horizon alone or with their partner.


Then ending with a slideshow talking about the people and places you affected, what happened to the Emerald Grove? Moonrise? The Refugees?, the Dead Three/Absolute worshippers, Ironhands etc.

And finally the Companion endings,
Maybe Karlach lives longer than she thought she would, but when the time came, you made sure to be by her side... sharing a last dinner with Fytz and her family, and reuiniting with the party again, as she spent her last moments looking over the horizon.

Let Gale regain favour with Mystra, and restore his status, or maybe he chooses an other path.

Astarion maybe takes over Cazadors palace, but he is a kinder lord than Cazador ever was, or if he took the power for himself, stories about the Vampire god spreads terror to good and evil alike.

Halsin returns to Nature, checking in with the grove at time, but mostly he spends time with Thaniel and other nature creations, or maybe if Thaniel was never freed, then Halsin becomes depressed and isloated.

Lae'Zel joins Orpheus and Voss, or maybe stays in Faerun.

Shadowheart becomes a feared dark justiciar, or maybe she becomes a selunite again.

Wyll as the Blade of Avernus strikes terror in to all of those who would pray on the weak, and becomes immortalized in the stories of the great heroes of Faerun, or maybe he becomes a Duke like his father, ensuring just laws.

And then maybe finally if you romanced some of them, then maybe a small slide what the PC and their partner chose to do the next few years.


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