Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Playing Shadowheart is harder than it should be

I just tried picking Shadowheart as an origin character, playing on Tactician.
After landing from the Nautuloid, while I usually hit level 2, Shadowheart did not get any extra XP points from... rescuing Shadowheart. She only got to level 2 after rescuing Gale.
Also, while any other character gets to recruit Shadowheart for the first fight with 2 intellect devourers, making it a 2v2 fight, for Shadowheart it's a 2v1 fight.

Add to that the fact that on Tactician they shoot a ranged attack, and that 2 hits can kill a level 1 char like Shadowheart that only has 10HP, so you can see that winning this first intellect devourer fight is a matter of luck.

There's nothing wrong with the fight being harder if you make some choices (i.e. do not recruit shadowheart), but as I see it, a new player choosing to play as Shadowheart should not get the game to be so much harder (fight at lvl1 instead of 2, with no recruitable helpers at all). You choose to go it alone, it's fine if its harder. But there's no warning before picking Shadowheart....

I suggest Shadowheart should somehow get a few more XP points before (or right after) landing, i.e. get a sidequest to save a disposable character or something.

Shadowheart can't recruit Lae'Zel?

On the Nautiloid she recruits Lae'Zel, then when it crashes to the ground, Lae'zel gets captured by some Tieflings.

The fight with the 2 intellect devourers comes before you can get to Lae'zel's cage. It's on a corridor you have to pass on the way to Astarion, Gale and Lae'zel.

Maybe the solution should be that if you choose Shadowheart, Laezel should land near her so the fight will be a 2v2 again.

I understand where you're coming from. There's also the issue of being one person down in the fight on the helm. If you play as Lae'zel, you get Losiir, but nothing as Shadowheart.

That said, it's worth pointing out that you don't *have* to pass by those intellect devourers to get to Astarion, Gale, and Lae'zel. You can climb the cliff and bypass that section.

Also, there are generally three intellect devourers there, not just two. I believe it scales down to two if you're alone, but I'd have to double check to be sure.

While I know where you come from, because those two intellect devourers can be pretty mean on tactician, you do get a warning to be careful, when you approach them. You also do not have to fight them, you can climb up the the side of the mountain and land in front of Gale's spot. There is even a tempting treasure chest that leads you up the way. I'd also guess a new player does not start on tactician. Also a normal Tav might also decide, that they don't like Shart and not recruit her or send her to camp, leaving them also alone. - Does she even end up on that spot if you have not previously rescued her?

If you don't rescue her, she ends up pounding on the door to the dank crypt by the first waypoint/sigil.

Ah! Thank you, I was wondering when you get that scene.

The door near the dank crypt is still 'usually' before the Intellect devourer fight.
And while you can sneak or climb around it, it feels like a really weird thing to 'require' to do just because you choose to start your adventure as sheart....

She is a Sharran, she likes sneaking and subterfuge! But on a more serious note, I like the game for it's immersive sim aspect (and for Gale's humour) so if I reach an obstacle that I can't solve with application of lethal force, I am usually happy to find another way. Might just be me, but I thought that is one of its strong points. So I don't think altering the setting so that Shart has a friend at the start is really necessary, it was makes it different for her.

That's how it is for every playthrough. Unless you play as Lae'Zel.
You can just run past them for the most part. The biggest issue with playing as Shadowheart is her stats aren't the best and she always tends to miss her hits.