Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion What Is Worth Of A Single Mortal Life?

I suggest discussing this important question here (unfortunately didn't find a way to add a poll)
What Is Worth Of A Single Mortal Life?


No one life is worth more than any other. We are equal.

That depends on a person’s deeds.

Life’s only value is as currency. Doesn’t matter to me otherwise.

Each life is of infinite value and merits sacrificing everything for.

The only life that matters is mine.

Depends on the mortal.



Personally, I think that it depends on the mortal.

Apparently it is exactly 200g, so I don't know why he's getting so philosophical here

There's some nice class, race, or origin specific answers too.
For my part, especially considering the setting, I'm disappointed by the lack of answer that amounts to:
"There is no value to a temporary life, a mortal life. You have to be immortal to matter."
And one that just directly says they don't matter, without further implication (suggesting immortals matter like I said, or suggesting only you matter like option 5) would be nice too.

I was actually thinking of starting a thread about this quote myself but for different reasons.

The way this interaction is presented, felt like it would be setting up the major theme of the game, and from a sidelong perspective it does maybe play into everyone's personal quest
But a lot of that is circumstantial, and more about chosing others over yourself. Like Swen's response regarding the evil path, power is the draw, at the cost of fellowship.


But as far as the main plot goes, I see very little connecting it, or Withers for that matter, to the grand scheme at play. Which I'll be honest I don't totally understand.

Ah, but there is no answer...save for the opinion of the answerer.

It is presented by Withers as rhetorical and meant to invoke philosophical introspection in deciding the path of one's life.

I personally always go with "That depends on a person's deeds", as to me that is the most pragmatic response.

The question has four postulates:

'Worth' - How dost thou judge worth; against what whilst thou weigh the life?

'Single' - Vedic, Taoist and Buddhist philosophy would suggest that this is not a valid consideration. All is in The All and The All is in all.

'Mortal' - At the very least this term would require defining. To the ancient Greeks the race of Man were mortal immortals while the theoi were immortal mortals. The phrase "born again", which long predates Christianity, is related to this.

'Life' - Again this term would require defining. Most of the people playing the game or reading this thread will have had their ideas about life and death coloured by Abrahamic religion as will whoever wrote the scene. Philosophies such as the four previously named have a very different view of life and death.

My answer is always the same:
Withers: "What is the worth of a single mortal life?"
Me: "About two and six in the old money".

I always go for the special 'Origin' /Class specific answers. Adds a sense of personal investment in the idea of the answer. Although given who/what Withers is, I wonder if he is asking us the players or the character we are role-playing.

I always say that each is of infinite value, no one really has the right to judge that

About tree fiddy

It was at that time I noticed he was an ancient mummified skeleton from the Dawn Era.

Depends on the person's relationship to the one judging the person worth
For example if you ask a parent the value of a child, it's high, but their child is obviously more valuable than someone else's. Value is relative.

I don't like this question, I think it's pretentious and dumb, but if they added an option to say "200g, no more, no less." then I would instantly be satisfied.

The book in the catacombs tells us 3 is the cannon answer.

Mortals live to die. To be slaughtered

I find this question annoying and pointless. There is literally no good answer. Its not something you actually can specify a worth for.

A single life is worth as much, as far you can shove it.