Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Disappointment with the end of Halsin's romance

I find Halsin's romance very satisfying, even considering the negligible amount of content in Act 3.However, the ending and epilogue disappointed me a lot. A wild Druid with a need for freedom turns into the founder of an orphanage. However, this is not a bad thing. What's worse is that it's our only destiny if we want to go with him and continue in a relationship. My wild druid wanted to roam the world with Halsin, to have high adventures, to live free. The only thing he gets is the option to sit with him stuck in the orphanage. What a disappointment.

Oh, that's easy. Just hire some adventurer to tell him there's a quest somewhere dangerous. He'll leave the orphanage in the hands of someone even worse than him, that will likely murder one or two of the orphans in his absence. But, there's a good reason for that, and you'll soon see why. At least, that's what he'll tell you. Now you can rescue him and live happily ever after.

It's a better option than being stuck in an orphanage permanently. At least there would be something interesting going on, except maybe for those murdered orphans.

The epilogue was one of the few things I liked about his romance! I thought it was sweet! It was great to be able to take the owlbear as well! I wish the rest of the romance had been written like that. An ending where they had adventures would be good as well, but I think the current ending is great!

Part of the issue to me is that they didn’t write his romance to fit his Act 1 and 2 character, so his romance dialogue about freedom and him being a player doesn’t match his actions and character outside the romance, where he is a responsible and good guy who would want to be a father to orphans!

The ending with the orphanage is ok, but in my opinion it should be an alternative for those who "fell in love" with Halsin wild and free. We are currently forced to settle down as a babysitter if we want to stay in a relationship with Halsin. The player's decision is limited to one choice, leave him and go his own way or live the life he wants.

I'm with Icelyn. It suits him - he mentions lack of family, his loneliness from lack of peers and friends who died in the war with Ketheric, the need for a new purpose to his life, ongoing theme of protecting children, and wanting to return to Thaniels realm (his childhood home). It's certainly a FAR better ending than the original where he just leaves you.

He talks earlier about roaming free but the reality is he's been running the Grove for 100 years; any roaming hasn't taken him far away.

I just wish his character in Act 3 was more a continuation of his druid scientist persona than complainer.

He also talks a lot about how he is stuck in the grove and how happy he is on the journey with Tav. It seems to me that there should be an option to develop his nature, the wild, untethering nature. Tav should have a dialogue option, ok let's help the kids, we'll make them a home in Thaniel's land and whoever wants to stay there if the role suits him. The second option is, for example, let's help the children temporarily and let's hit the road, free and wild. Otherwise, there is no consideration what's right for the player. Other romances from what I've read give more decision-making power to Tav at the end. Halsin, if you're having an affair with him, says of many hikes, that he's seen the world. In the epilogue, I had the impression that he wasn't that happy after all. Rather, he is full of fear, doubts, also about whether Tav wants such a life. What's the harm in doing this alternative option without an orphanage?

I dont think Halsin would attend to the orphans forever. He simply wants to help those in need. When they are no longer in need I can see him wanting to move on to something else.

He states that there was already tension between the druids and the people of Reithwin due to the town conitnuing to develop and encroaching on the local natural habitat.

I can tottally see a scenario where, once the refugees re-esablish Reithwin as a fully functioning town/village again, Halsin may be open to doing something else. Maybe hed want to visit the grove, see how Kagha is doing. Maybe he and Tav go out to seek a cure for Astarion and Karlach.

Im not against the orphan ending though and honestly the man makes my ovaries scream. I cant imagine Astarion being the family type for example. Halsin is absolutely perfect for the family ending once you get past his...writing issues.

I *personally* will follow my beloved pooh bear where ever he goes and support him in whatever he wants to do. Take care of some orphans? Great! Im on board!

Gods I love him so.

Edit: I also really like the idea of him and Tav going on adventures. My ideal ending would be for all of the crew to continue adventuring, maybe minus Jahiera and Minsc because we need them for BG4.

I feel confused by this ending. My character bonded with a druid tormented by all the duties that bound him in place. Suddenly, at the end, it is completely ignored and you find out that this sex machine and opponent of any strong commitments is tied to the orphanage to the point that he has trouble going to a one-night stand because he is afraid of "what's up the house". No, it was far too subversive and I wasn't prepared for it.

Oh no I tottaly agree with you there. Many of us Halsin lovers are kind of whiplashed by his behaviour.

But taking care of orphans isnt the same as being a leader, and I think this is where we may disagree. Even then, I dont think it was being a leader that bothered him so much as the idea of his leadership not mattering and how trivial some of the duties it came with are. He wants to make a difference. Its why hes kind of sad when he gets that letter saying how well the grove is doing, it probably makes him feel like all his work and dedication was for naught. Halsin is a natural leader, but hes starting to learn that this doesnt always mean being in a position of power over people and being the boss. Im sure he felt a lot of pressure and self imposed expectations that he now no longer has to bear. Its choosing vs being expected, he inherited the role of arch druid, he diddnt exactly *ask* for it, hes just very dutiful and loyal, taking it upon himself to step up when he was needed, and I love him for that. He just needs to cut himself some slack.

Hes only comitment phobic when you ask him about your relationship. Otherwise hes the walkimg talking comitment machine.

It's interesting how differently we interpret this character. I see him as an anti-leader. It seemed to me that he kept saying it, how tiring it was, how unfit he was for it. I agree that caring for orphans is a very different story than leading a grove. However, I didn't see a happy man in the epilogue, when I watched the friendly version on YT he seemed more cheerful. With Tav it was full of melancholy and heaviness.

This is mostly fanfiction on my part, but I attribute the meloncholyness to suddenly having nothing. I also feel like he was dealing more with self doubt, rather than being anti leader.

The curse hes been trying to lift for 100 years is lifted, and hes no longer arch druid. Thats been his whole life for a century, nearly 1/4 of his life. And its all gone in like a few months.

He litteraly has nothing, and after being so consumed by his duties, thats very very jarring for him. It would make sense for him to be drawn toward something like the orphans.

What was it he said? Something like he lets things consume him, or he gets too focused on the task at hand? Hes trying to find something to do with himself that will make a meaningful positive impact.

I do agree tho, that maybe what might be more helpful for him, is to wander and take a sabbatical with his beloved. Re discover himself. Reconnect with nature. Lord knows the guy has earned it.

Yes. =) It's so refreshing to see people liking the adventuring endings. I always feel so alone for preferring them as most people seem to like the endings in which you settle down with your partner better.

I want both!! I wanna keep going on adventueres with my tadpole family, and have all of Halsin's babies.

As much as I want all the guys to make new lives for themselves and to be happy, to go off and do what they want to do, accomplish what they want to accomplish, Im very saddened that the group splits up. I know my Tav is.

I'm definitely not dissatisfied with the ending, it saved the whole romance for me. It definitely would've been nice to have a choice, though, as you do with most (all?) of the other love interests. Just another consequence of him being a late addition, I suspect.

Great leader? The Grove was a mess under his leadership. He's the first one to admit he was bad at it and never wanted the job in the first place.

Now that Im thinking about it Im not sure I made myself as clear as I could have.

I do agree that Halsin wasnt happy being leader, its not a job hes really inteested in, its what he says himself. I just interpreted that as him just not desiring power, and not wanting to deal with the inner squabblings of his grove. I dont think he felt particularly burdened per sey, just that the title and the things that came with it werent something deeply important to him, so it wasnt like he was making a huge sacrifice by stepping down and leaving. Im sure he felt relieved. But I just dont interpret that as being anti leader and not wanting to make a commitment to something.

This! To me at the end he seemed a bit nervous (if the kids would be okay, if Tav was happy) but still generally happy with the life he picked!

I felt more like the writers knew in the epilogue that they didn't give Tav a choice, and that's why Halsin is so nervous, so insecure, so much so that he was afraid to come to a party where Tav might have doubts about their life in the orphanage. In the end, he himself admits that he took away her life of great adventures. My Tav had no choice so she went to an orphanage, but that's not her calling, she's there because of Halsin and to be honest I feel like a failure. And all it took was one line of dialogue. Hey, we've saved the world, let's pack our bags and go, maybe even with a persuasion test if he had doubts.These are Halsin's writing mistakes, Tav's inability to comment on polyamory, and the inability to decide my fate through compromise, rather than just going with it or going out into the world alone.

You are absolutely correct about his writing flaws. We have two threads about them.

I think what it ultimately boils down to is that they never took his romance seriously. Functionally speaking, hes just side sex for Tav.

I wanted a family with him anyway so the orphan ending doesnt bother me as much but I do understand why this would be unsatisfactory. Its also a bit that way for me too, because the option of adventuring and wandering the wilderness with him would also fit my Tav very very well. And the idea of everyone just splitting up at the end makes me kinda sad, but only because I bonded with everyone so strongly. I would never keep them from persuing other things in their lives though.