Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback The Emperor's story suggestions

1. If the Emperor is involved in a romantic event, teammates should have a reaction when they find out what had happened, especially when the player has another lover.

2. Since the Emperor has a romantic storyline, there should also be a dedicated epilogue for him.

3. There is a lack of exclusive content for the Emperor, and some story elements are incomplete. For instance, the true reason behind Belynne Stelmane's stroke, how the Emperor entered Astral Prism, the unique tadpoles of the main characters' team. I wish these could be fully elaborated.

4. The Emperor can only be encountered within the storyline. Can his participation rate be increased? (for instance, by adding him to the team, allowing visits to Astral Prism during long rests, or adding random teammate dialog options involving him).

5. Many players are prejudiced against the Emperor because he is a mind flayer. Expect there can be a complete storyline to show that he is a mind flayer but Balduran's soul within. Not a mind flayer who possesses Balduran's memories and behaves like a human. (This can be seen in the deleted epilogue, but it is not fully explained in the current game.)

6. Fix the bug where, when sneaking into Raphael's domain (House of Hope), touching the Orphic Hammer displeases the Emperor, even if it is discarded before returning to Baldur's Gate. (Alternatively, add an option to entrust the Orphic Hammer to the Emperor for safekeeping when returning to Baldur's Gate.)

7. Looking forward to add the option for the Emperor's romantic storyline players to convince Emperor to awaken the Prince when choosing the "Orpheus and the Emperor route," allowing players to choose their path based on what Orpheus and the Emperor said.

The Emperor is undeniably essential to the BG3 story; however, his screen time is extremely limited. Dear Larian, shouldn't the Emperor's story, at least, have as much importance as other origin characters?

MY POST ON DISCORD

MY POST ON REDDIT

Explain how the great, human, hero Baludran was able to live in obscurity for more than a thousand years before becoming a mind flayer.

I have also provided feedback on the official Discord, and others have expressed similar opinions. I hope that Larian can give the Emperor's story the same attention as they do for the other origin characters.

I really like the idea of having an illithid ally, I'd love to see them expand on him. As things stand, his character has too many holes and inconsistencies. The game gives you the option to interact with the prism by right clicking and using it, but it doesn't do anything. It makes sense in the beginning when we don't know what the prism is. Once we figure out the dream visitor/emperor is within the prism, we should be able to interact with it in a companion-lite kind of way. Use it as a means to interact with him and explore more of his character through dialogue options.

There are a lot of great reddit threads with feedback and insights regarding his character that I just want to add to here. He's definitely a very controversial topic if these threads are anything to go by. I think it's because of how dramatically his character sways depending on the dialogue options you choose. People who react suspicious and rude to him see him as this big evil character with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, where as those who are trusting see him as a good guy who's had to make some questionable decisions to survive. I mentioned it before, but it's like the game can't decide what he wants to be. His personality can do a complete 180 depending on your dialogue choices. His actions and personality aren't consistent, and people either really hate or like him depending on what side of him they see.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/15s8tln/kinda_frustrated_with_emperors_dialogue/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGat...or_his_identity_and_choices_end_of_game/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/16192oc/about_morality_and_the_emperor/

When you romance him and ask him if you're going to talk about what happened he says that we are communed with our minds entire at the deepest level. The narrator said that now since we are bonded, Tav can truly understand The Emperor. I just feel like if we are connected at such a deep level this should be recognized in game as the OP's post suggest and The Emperor should want to keep us around even without fully transforming. To add he has Orpheus' power at the end so what if he stuck his own tadpole in our minds? I see that Duke Stelmane is mean to be his "flaw", however Astarion can sacrifice 7000 men, women and children, and a lot of people don't bat an eye when they choose that option. I am also quite jealous of Duke Stelmane as Tav because all he ever does is speak highly of her and praise her. She wasn't even infected or a mind flayer.

I find it super strange that he just f's off if you romance him and don't transform. He supposedly loved Stelmane despite her being human, so why does he only continue his relationship with the MC when they fully transform? If the MC doesn't transform, then he could revive the shield without requiring a puppet. He could have the hero of Baldur's Gate as its face instead. It could benefit his cause and make his life easier to have a willing partner who can communicate things on his behalf.

So why in the world would he throw that opportunity away?! I seriously don't understand.

His actions do not reflect his motivations very well.

Meanwhile....Some players be like....



The funny thing is that both of these characters are very similar. They were both mortals who got infected and turned into an evil creature against their will. After which both of them were enslaved and forced to do terrible things. Unfortunately for the Emperor, he doesn't get the same bonding experience and screen time as Astarion. Therefor, a lot of people don't see them in the same light. Add on that Astarion is conventionally good looking where as the Emperor is a hideous squid monster, and It makes the Emperor a lot easier to hate.

I honestly argue that the Emperor is more good leaning than Astarion is.

Astarion literally wants to enslave others. He loves to watch people die and he enjoys it when people suffer. The Emperor on the other hand needs to be convinced to enslave the brain. He just wants his freedom.

Sorry Astarion, but I'd trade you for the squid any day.

In regards to the Emperor, who serves as a pivotal character throughout the BG3 storyline, his lack of narrative depth is quite unfortunate. However, there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Emperor that lead to misunderstandings and even dislike for this character. I believe the Emperor deserves a more substantial and profound storytelling, considering he was, after all, a legendary figure before.

That might be a question for Wizards of the Coast. In Larian's story, it is only mentioned that after his ceremorphosis, he worked as the first Elder Brain for over thirteen years until Ansur found him.

There are too many gaps in the Emperor's story, and people can only speculate based on the clues and information provided by Larian. It's unclear whether Larian might have cut out some crucial plot points, which has left players feeling confused. Details like the Emperor still possessing a soul were only revealed after unpacking the game, and I believe this crucial clue is an indication that he still retains aspects of Balduran's will.

Many attribute Duke Stelmane's death to the Emperor, but in reality, the Emperor was not responsible for Duke Stelmane's demise. The true reason was that Gortash orchestrated the murder of Duke Stelmane, using Orin as his pawn, in order to seize power as a duke. Afterward, he betrayed the Emperor and pledged his allegiance to the Absolute Elder Brain.

Moreover, the emotional storyline of the Emperor is extremely limited, with little to no impact on any of his subsequent dialogues except for the ending. I believe that the Emperor's narrative presence is lacking, despite being a pivotal character and a former legendary figure. The legendary Balduran of the past has transformed into the lonely Emperor of today. From being a hero of Baldur's Gate to becoming an enemy, he has gone through a lot. I only hope that Larian can provide a more detailed explanation of what exactly happened in their story.

Many attribute Duke Stelmane's death to the Emperor, but in reality, the Emperor was not responsible for Duke Stelmane's demise. The true reason was that Gortash orchestrated the murder of Duke Stelmane, using Orin as his pawn, in order to seize power as a duke. Afterward, he betrayed the Emperor and pledged his allegiance to the Absolute Elder Brain.

Furthermore, the story of Balduran and Ansur is a tragic tale. Balduran maintained his own will and even wrote letters to inform Ansur. Balduran hoped that Ansur could be free, but Ansur did not respect Balduran's opinions. I believe that individuals should not force others to make sacrifices for their own idea of justice. Everyone has the right to their own life, unless they are a heinous criminal deserving of capital punishment. This isn't meant as an excuse to attack the emperor.

Moreover, the emotional storyline of the Emperor is extremely limited, with little to no impact on any of his subsequent dialogues except for the ending. I believe that the Emperor's narrative presence is lacking, despite being a pivotal character and a former legendary figure. The legendary Balduran of the past has transformed into the lonely Emperor of today. From being a hero of Baldur's Gate to becoming an enemy, he has gone through a lot. I only hope that Larian can provide a more detailed explanation of what exactly happened in their story.

The emotional storyline of the Emperor is extremely limited, with little to no impact on any of his subsequent dialogues except for the ending. I believe that the Emperor's narrative presence is lacking, despite being a pivotal character and a former legendary figure. The legendary Balduran of the past has transformed into the lonely Emperor of today. From being a hero of Baldur's Gate to becoming an enemy, he has gone through a lot. I only hope that Larian can provide a more detailed explanation of what exactly happened in their story.

I don't dare to ask for too much; I just hope that Larian can prioritize expanding the Emperor's storyline in a similar manner to how they prioritize other origin characters.

I agree, the Emperor’s narrative presence does feel lacking. I’m glad to see people talking about it.

I really hope Larian takes some of the feedback here to heart. He’s such an interesting character! And I would love to see him expanded on.

Like, the most interesting part of the Emperor is that he does not lie to you. Up until the end, he wants to defeat the Elder Brain and will do so. Up until the end, he's a trustworthy ally. Sure, he's a weirdo, and he's done some questionable things, but just look at Astarion. Sure, he thinks being a Mind Flayer is some great evolution and maybe he's wrong, but Wyll is the most boring guy to take a demonic pact. I actually really like that he reacts badly if the player thinks he's a shifty asshole, because he's been helping you for so long that, yeah, I'd probably get snippy too. Like, it's very funny that his 'look into my mind' exchange is him trolling the player and the player basically being a hypocrite (I won't believe anything you tell me, unless you tell me something bad!)

The problem is, he just... has to be Daisy, too. He has to join the Absolute at the end. He has to come to you as the dream waifu/husbando because that was what Daisy did. Why doesn't he come to you as Balduran? That'd be just as odd. "What, you expect me to believe you're Balduran? Seriously?" It'd make the player just as prone to scepticism, and yet be much more interesting as you learn throughout Act 3 that he is exactly who he says.

other baldurian characters! The fact that he is the founder of the city isn't given the importance it deserves. It makes perfect sense for him to be dismissive of it because obviously he sees 'Balduran' as someone that was limited in potential and ambition compared to who he is now, but I think it would be neat if we, Wyll or whoever could actually remind him of how much weight that name he left behind still carries. There's a dialogue option with Granduke Ravengard that I found very poignant, about the need to keep the fact that the city's founder turned into a mindflayer a secret because people need to still think of him as a hero (and I don't disagree with him on this) but basically the conversation ends there without giving you any option to reply or say more. The Emperor chimes in in your thoughts to remind both you and Ravengard that you're alive only thanks to him and that he doesn't see himself as a 'fallen hero' at all. Again, I felt like this could've been expanded in a way or another, especially when it comes to Gortash's claim of power over the city. A city that clearly the Emperor still has a lot of interest in. He clearly wants to stay there and have some control over the city he built, instead of fucking off in the underdark or setting his sights on a different town or group of people. There's probably some pride and attachement right there that he may struggle to admit to himself :P.

the best suggestion i could offer for the emperor would be to remove him entirely, for me his addition to the game is the reason the whole main story sux. he is merely a vehicle for larian to legitimize and encourage the use of the ilithid powers. As some others have said it almost feels like they removed daisy and added emperor because folk werent using the illithid powers they took the time to develop, so adding himand giving him a backstory you could empathise with would make (not to mention have him try to strong arm you into using said powers at every opportunity the entire game) us more likely to use them.

The real sin is the removal of choice he represents. you cant tell him to get fecked at the end of act 2 when he is revealled or the game simply rolls the credits on you. but at the end of act 3 you are placed in the exact same situation as act 2 but suddenly you can tell him to get fecked and he throws a hissy fit and decides to side with the evil he wants to remove.... utter nonsense.

Actually the data mine revealed they were two separate entities. So he wasn't a replacement, but they did merge Daisy with him. I think it's a bit unfair to claim he is a primary reason the main story "sucks". He really doesn't get a bigger role until Act 3 and is simply a few cutscenes or voices from Act 1-2. Removing him wouldn't change the story at all. We'd still have the Power Rangers Three, Shadowfell, the githyanki murdering people, and every other plot point in the game. What you might mean is to remove Orpheus, as he is a non-character and his only purpose seems to be for githyanki, lae'zel players/romancers to feel like special snowflakes. It's not like you're saving this amazingly good person within the prism. He's a nobody prince who has probably killed or gotten thousands of innocent people killed for his cause.