Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General What Companion don't you Trust?

Apologies to everyone who deserves a response but didn't get one - I'll try to respond in the coming days


Both were intended as compliments. If I'm I going to respond to you I know if I'm going to have make an effort - I'll have to fire up google and do strange things like actually proofread my post before I push the [reveal errors] button.





There's something to that, Gale put my teeth on edge from the moment I met him, yes. For wizards, the romance begins with a neg. "Yeah gale? Defend yourself against attacks from this mere gust of weave . . " You see Gale as a genial academic, I see him more like the creepy professor who tries to date his students.

I think my interpretation is better supported because I can make my case by referring the things Gale says instead of wishing that the devs would insert dialogues that would support your interpretation. We can agree that a dialogue like this would be better if your interpretation were correct:


But don't I consider its absence an oversight. Instead it's true to character.

If you say no he just asks again anyway in a separate dialogue. You eventually learn that he needs artifacts without making any promises - so what was the the purpose of the extracting the promise in the first place? Answer: he wants to make the request in a manner that allows him some degree of control over Tav.




I disagree - a classic form of foot in the door is survey research. "will you agree to answer 5 questions"? followed by "will you agree to answer 30 questions" Initially, the interviewer doesn't ask for anything tangible - she just secures increasingly large promises. So securing increasing large promises is indeed a form of escalation.

And his requests do escalate. The promise not ask questions > the promise to deliver artifacts > the delivery of minor artifacts > the delivery of artifacts that cause troubles for the party. You can't just feed Gale a series of small artifacts like the staff of crones and the amulet of Selune - you will eventually need to give him an artifact that impacts the plot. You can give the idol of Silvanus - which will make the grove go hostile if you don't use crate-o-mancy. You can give the Iron Flask (which upsets the Zhents) or the sword of Tyr (which is relevant for reasons I'll mention later). Upsetting the Druids or Zhents is a big ask.

I can't find a video of refusing Gale's ask for the Idol of Silvanus but refusing it's pretty humorous - Something like "I require powerful artifacts and the Idol is one such artifact" "I am not stealing from the Druids" . . . "I wasn't saying steal the idol I'm just saying it's the sort of artifact I need" Right Gale, you just thought you would mention that you needed it and that if you don't get it I'm responsible for multiple deaths and it sure would be nice if it ended up in our backpacks. Gotcha.



Now I did cheat some in last post because I only linked to wiki and not something that would fully the point I was making about the foot in door technique. The foot in door works because each escalating ask represents a threat to self perception. "I just helped Gale, I'm a good person " "he's asking again, if I say no am I no longer a good person"?

Now I didn't send an article like this because doing so on a video game forum this is kinda crazy but here goes - you only need to read the first five paragraphs:

https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/9296

It's the strategy used by NGOs when fundraising. "We're so happy you care about the environment, thanks for signing our petition good climate champion! Can we count on you to support us on a monthly basis so we can continue to do the sort of work you value"? Saying no risks the loss of your climate champion status - do you really care if you can only manage to donate a signature?

Your distinction between saying he does trust you and feels he can trust you is a good one but I fear we still have very different interpretations even with that interpretation in mind - indeed I see the provisional nature of the trust as part of the manipulation.

(unfortunately the forum seems to eliminate embedded time stamps on videos)

Note how quick he is to threaten your self conception as a good person (timestamp 26:17)



And why would you refuse? Because you object to the destruction of the holy artifacts of Tyr, Selune or Silvanus? No! It's because you have been taken by the allure of magical power (timestamp 27:18)



*grumble mumble* stop pulling my strings Gale *grumble*



No question. As would I. My irritation is that it's the only way to get rid of him. You can't tell him go away once he joins. Indeed if you kill him he still hangs around camp and his body kills your pets.

I just mentioned it because, yes, you are right that we should be able to "sense motive" or similar. I just mentioned it because you had mentioned tadpoles as way to get at the truth.



And **major spoiler** this is what you see if you refuse every request to give artifacts and then use the tadpole:


https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3d_6O3J6hDM



*Auntie Ethel voice* "What a terrible cough! Now you just drink this slippery elm tea and you'll feel as right as rain. Now, let me speak to the handsome, trustworthy-looking man you brought with you"



Granted I do think this is a god move by the DM - I'm hoping we get some explanation as to why sense motive never ends working. But as a player I think I can sense the deception in the words and in the voice acting.

And of course with metaknowledge of Larian - In DOS2 the companions you leave "in camp" turn on you at some point. Someone is going to betray us. All have the potential but I think the most likely is Gale and least likely is Lae'zel

See also my response to red queen.

with respect,

that strange murder rabbit