Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General "Choose" your party

This isn't exactly new since we've largely been aware of the party composition since the first release. Now we have confirmation and our choices for companions and origin characters seems pretty grim.

Laezel is Lawful Stupid. It's hard to take her since she's a one note fanatic who will hurt herself in order to hurt other people. As an evil run you could play as her but otherwise it's hard to take her in your party.

Shadowheart is Chaotic Stupid. She's so obsessed with lying and betrayal its hard to play as or with her.

Astarion is Chaotic Stupid. You might want to play as him in an evil run, but he's otherwise hard to include.

Minthara is Lawful Evil. You can't play as her and it makes little sense to take her along even on an evil run because there's no way your goals align.

Gale is Lawful Jerk. You can argue from a good standpoint youre morally obligated to take him along but from an actually enjoying the game perspective he's hard to take.

I'll be generous and assume Karlach isn't going to be a poisoned chalice. That leaves making a party out of Karlach, Wyll, Jaheira, Minsc and Halsin with Gale as a sort of option if you're playing a good party and 4 picks to make out of those 6. 3 of them don't look to be available till midgame, only 3 of them are origin characters. As someone who prefers playing as female characters and spellcasters I'm feeling almost locked out of playing an origin character at all.

This is the way the game is going to be now but I wish in future Larian would either focus on having more companions or if they're focussing on having a smaller number of higher quality ones not making a large number of those intolerable one way or another.

Laezel actually start to emit doubts about her believes after meeting the gith patrol, so her character is prone to evolve. I would argue that Shadowheart is in the same bag too since the more you talk to her, the more she opens to you. The only shady part about her is her connection to Selune and her mission, which doesn't mean much in the context of early access. I really don't see where the "jerk" part of Gale is, like at all.

Laezel's "doubts" are whether the Githyanki are evil and bigoted enough for her tastes. Shadowheart shares her hatred of ever telling the truth even in circumstances it's of benefit to her, her dedication to an evil god and not much else. Other than being condescending and hypocritical Gale doesn't really have any characterisation at all.

I think it's entirely plausible all three of Laezel, Astarion and Shadowheart are on redemptive paths, probably alongside Wynn and Gale and I half suspect Karlach too. But that's not enough for it to make sense anyone would ally with them, nor does the trajectory of those arcs look on course to be worth the trouble until Baldurs Gate 4. The first chapter represents about thirty to forty percent of the game so hints that they may start considering change towards the end of that chapter doesn't leave much space for a good redemption. It's similar to taking Viconia as a companion in BG1 with expectation she'll eventually stop complaining about you doing good.

Funny ...
I never noticed any doubts. O_o

What happen when you meet the patrol with her is quite telling :


Also she straight up dies if you live here alone with them :


If she didn't have any doubt, she would just commit unalive on the spot.

And Tav is a lawful jerk who cannot tolerate any faults or differences of opinion in others?

LOL 😂

I would go with Stupid Evil.

My thoughts exactly but put into such a delicate message. My hat's off to you.

Two things ...
1) This scene was changed several times, it no longer plays this way.
2) How is this showing her doubting her believes? As far as i know, if you talk to her right after battle, she claims that Kithrak is betrayer, bcs ... and i just paraphrase "This is what my Queen teachings say, and so it must be!"
That dont seems much doubtfull to me. :-/

Yes she do ...
But again, that dont show any doubts ... only that her thrust (you know, oposite of doubts) was missplaced.