Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Act 2 - Balthazar Plot Hole

Hey Larian and fans,

First off, absolutely love this game but that's hardly news.

So I went to moonrise, got the quest to find Balthazar in the Shar temple, and eventually made my way to him. Here, I was able to learn from him that the artifact he's looking for is the source of the General's invulnerability.

The game then presents an option to tell him that finding it isn't your problem. It even forces an intimidation check to do so. I succeeded it and he let me roam free. At this point I got really excited that I learned what I needed to and then successfully found an excuse to escape.

Upon returning to the Harper camp, there is no dialogue options with the Jaheira to report what you've learned. I was kind of expecting her to want to know... well exactly what she wanted to: the secret to General Voss' invulnerability. It seems logical you could return to the Shar temple and meet up with the Harpers, racing to the artifact and earning yourself a couple of NPC allies to fight off Balthazar with.

Even returning to moonlight towers doesn't make sense - you can't report to the half-orc lady that Balthazar is alright and things are "going according to plan". She expressed she primarily cared that he isn't dead. And obviously he's a much more trusted individual than I am, so I don't know why I couldn't report this to progress the story.

In the end, I'll go back, help Balthazar, and do what I think the game is trying to get me to do. It's just doesn't feel right compared to how insanely well programmed the other story options are etc.

Anyways, again, love the game. Thanks for reading my little disappointed rant.

Kindly,

Stratosfyr

The Eurogamer review complains about this. In Act 1, there are so many different ways to solve a problem and get others involved or aware. In act 2, this becomes narrower. The review says in Act 3, there’s a set order and process you’re supposed to be doing things and the game will actively stop you from doing otherwise.

I found Act 2 to be more limiting than Act 1 in almost every way, including choice reactivity. You learn so much in that temple that you cannot mention to persons of interest in Moonrise or Last Light.

Yeah, Act 2 was a bit strange. It felt like Jaheira and Tav would learn about all of the various things happening at Moonrise and then come up with ways to counteract them, like a heist story. I know I avoided killing Balthazar the moment I met him because I assumed it'd alert Moonrise somehow. Instead it was just kind of... what it was.

Glad I'm not the only one who felt that way about it. It's not that Act 2 is bad; it just has a bit of a disconnect from how well-developed Act 1 was. But more time in testing I suppose!

Will be interesting to see if Larian picks up some of these as updates to round of the experience or if they're too difficult to build out now (post-release).

Yeah exactly! The tower is very heist-y. Would have been neat if bringing the harpers the info allowed Belth to get the artefact, then you have to grab it from the tower and escape before the Harper assault.

I say that like I'm even out of the Shadowfell. Still have to cheese Big Belth before continuing.

I also avoided killing him thinking that an all-seeing Absolute would catch on to my "betrayal". I wonder if an evil playthrough has the same issues in Act 2 or if it's different enough to not fall ill to them.