Man, I'm glad that I am not the only one who's a little broken by this.
Karlach by far became my favourite character really quickly, in fact so much that I decided to restart the entire game about 40hrs in just because I picked her up too late (after saving the grove. Yeah so I actually didn't know she was a companion, I just thought you'd go there and fight a boss...) so I could not start the romance with her any more, even though you can fix her engine twice. And while I do see that there is supposed to be a tragic aspect with her storyline, I think it's absolutely awful and heartbreaking that she is somehow the only companion that does not get an ending where you can say it's clearly good so either:
- she goes to Avernus with Wyll (if he becomes the Blade of Avernus). - she returns to Avernus with Tav (if romanced AND Wyll does NOT become the Blade of Avernus. WTH by the way? Luckily I did Ansur basically directly before going to bonk Orin because I'm not letting Wyll become the Blade of Avernus if this leaves me no choice to go with her myself). - she explodes, while telling you that she did all this for you, out of love (probably not if not romanced) and you just have to watch. No last touch, no kissing her goodbye, nothing. - she turns into a Mindflayer which uh... I just kinda think that's straight up terrible, although she doesn't seem too unhappy with it herself.
No matter how you twist and turn it, none of these are clearly good in my opinion because there's no way you can tell that she'll be fine. They could be hunted down by Zariel in Avernus anyhow, in that way I think I prefer the Tav + Karlach ending the most, because she gets to spend as much time as possible with the one she loves, or the one where she dies because she often says that she wants to go out with a bang (although she will go with Wyll if you leave that choice to her).
Meanwhile the others:
- Astarion can kind of be "freed" from being a vampire spawn (although I personally would not take that choice, because he's a sleazebag... I think, I actually didn't like him enough to figure that out yet). - Wyll can get forgiveness and recognition from his father and become either Arch Duke or the Blade of Avernus and keep doing Wyll things while free from his pact. - Gales Bomb gets stopped and it doesn't actually need to be used, although Mystra might be upset if you leave the crown laying in the sea so who knows what happens there. (I think it's actually quite odd that you didn't just get the chance to destroy the crown? Did I miss something?) - Lae'zel gets to start liberating the Githyanki in a rebellion against Vlaakith. (and actually kind of stops being a meanie all the time, she'll even say "thank you" at some point!) - Shadowheart can be freed from the curse, return to Selûne while actually freeing her parents. - Halsin gets to lift the shadowcurse and be a happy bear. - Minsc just keeps on being Minsc, thank the Boo. - Jaheira keeps own growing old.
But the Character that has arguably been dealt the worst hand of them all, suffered through years of treason and abuse, finally receives love, a glimpse of hope, makes plans for the future including you while selflessly helping everyone, no matter how hard you try, cannot really be saved. Meanwhile, throughout the entirety of Act 3 the Game keeps throwing loads of possible solutions at you:
- Dammon says he'll keep thinking about a solution in Act 2, but when you go to him in Act 3, he'll just remind you of how well he's doing, to which she basically replies "at least one of us is happy" (thanks for nothing, Dammon). - The Steel Watchers will remind you that her engine is an outdated prototype and needs to be replaced, and you can talk with her about that, they even drop "enriched infernal iron" but I found no use for it. (wonder if you can use that for her second uprade, if you only get her the first upgrade in Act 1? Sincerely doubt that, but I might give it a go when I have the time again. That would also actually drive me insane if that's the fix, although it'll probably just break the romance from progressing.) - You save all the goddamn Gondians who built the Steel Watch with their engines, and they do nothing, it's not even brought up?! - You save Hope in Hell while stealing the orphic hammer with her basically creating a "safe haven" in Hell (at least temporarily) but Karlach doesn't want to go there.
It just feels way too much like the possibility of saving her was planned, but they ran out of time and just cut it off there, which for me is the only stain on what is otherwise a monumental game, and that makes it hurt so much more.
I mean we completed a heist in hell while killing the owner (literal devil, btw) in his own domain, freed a long lost prince from his eternal prison which put his people on the path to liberation, spoiled the plans of three gods, killed what basically became a god and everything in between... but we can't fix an engine. Yeah, call it simping or copium or whatever you like but in my head they went to the House of Hope and lived happily ever after, until they actually get to fix her engine or her actual heart back somehow, return to Faerûn, do adventuring, have a family and all that happy stuff.
Actually kinda sounds like a sick questline for an epilogue, find a solution and a way back out of hell. I think the heist in the House of Hope was the best part anyway, with Raphael actually being the hardest bossfight for me.
Sorry if this was a bit disjointed, I don't really post in forums all that much. But this just bothered me way more than it probably should've, since I haven't felt this attached to a game character in god knows how long, probably ever. Justice for Karlach! Even if it takes another 40 hours of stomping through actual hell!
Wow, this is essentially verbatim how I feel, even down to the Wyll bug. I too think the Tav + Karlach ending is the best. I had been unable to articulate just exactly what I was thinking, but this is it.
