Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Suggestion: Nere as a companion

Hello,
In the Act I in Grimforge location we can save drow Nere , after the event with rescuing him from the trap we have the chance to save him from Absolute influence by the right choices in the dialogue , then he just leave the Grimforge and his story ends there.

For now this character looks like cutted content from the game: Nere have his own appearance (not NPC's standart) , his own voice actor , interesting manner of behavior.

This would be a great idea to add Nere as a companion in the future updates/dlcs , especially for players who choose Minthara's side in the Act I. Other three lore companions (Gale , Karlach & Wyll) will run away in tears with this choice . Nere will be good companion to replace those 3 fugutives.

Anyway Nere is a colorful character! Hope to see him as a companion in the future updates!

For you old school anime folks, Nere reminds me a lot of Desslock.

I'd sooner, and rather Xeph as a Companion. In fact please do. She deserved far better than what she got. Although I'd turn her into a Zariel Teifling instead.
I'm no fan of Nere, considering what he does when you do save him.

In general going down the evil route should add more companions, and camp followers. Not really ones that are super fleshed out the "main" path companions, as I think Lae'zel, Shadowheart and Astarion have enough there to justify losing Wyll, Karlach and Halsin.

But it would be fun if the evil route gave you the vibe of building your own evil army to oppose the absolute for your own nefarious goals.

I'd just be content for now if me sending him back to

Yeah, at the moment we can't compare the amount of content in these two playstyles - Good and Evil.
Good playstyle - we have 6 companions in Act I + Halsin in Act II
Evil playstyle with raiding the Grove - only 3 companions in Act I + Minthara at the start of Act II.

So , we lose 4 companions with their lore , quests and storylines in Evil playstyle for only one - Minthara. The Evil playstyle requires more content , maybe 1-2 additional companions , and Nere one of the best for this. Especially Minthara and Nere have the dialogues about each other , if you met one of them before. Would be fun to see them both in your camp .
Nere really looks like cutted content from the game.

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agree 100%. that there even IS an "evil" path you can follow in the game is good, but it does need some fleshing out. I'm hoping that is going to happen over a series of future patches, culminating in the "definitive" edition release, probably about a year from now.

I could easily see Sazza as a goblin companion, for example, and also the Goblin "witch doctor" (the one who offers the absolute branding).

I hope for more neutral companions, the follow you in good and evil run. Like Astarion do.

I'm a villain enjoyer but Nere managed to be pathetic in a way that didn't endear him to me which... was kind of impressive. That's hard to pull off.

Who knows what he was like before the Absolute got him though, we got to see Minthara and she's interesting - I don't see why Nere couldn't be as well.

I do think the roster would feel better for having more evil-leaning character options. Another elf, though...


This would be amazing.

I agree, the guy literally refused to man up and own to his own mistakes, instead he started killing people for his own incompetence, I rather he'd killed them because of their mistakes rather than his own.


I second or third this, personally I'd rather have Sazza as a romancable companion than Halsin, would be great to have a fellow green skin for my Half-Orc playthrough.

That's right , Nere is under Absolute's control similar to Minthara. Would be good to have him as companion with his own story and vengeance to the Absolute on "evil" playthrough , especially considering that half of the companions are dead/ran away in tears in the first act.


This scene after Nere's rescue hits the mark with dark elf's image perfectly : Nere arrogantly rushed forward , got trapped , and then , when rescued , he killed his slaves just because he could.
For players , who also wants to save gnomes too , there is an opportunity to choose right dialogues with Nere : gnomes will be free , duergars will return to Moonrise Towers and Nere will escape the Grimforge no longer as a slave to the Absolute. At this point his storyline ends just like that without anything , Nere just escape the Grimforge without a trace. He would be the perfect companion for "Raiding the Grove" choice with Minthara + his story has not yet been written , open space for a good storyline as a companion.

Im sure , Nere is cutted content from the release version. It feels like Act III was compressed on the release , there were no space in game for some storylines , good example - shadow druids line , you can not help them and interact with them , they just attack you without a bit of logic , refuse your help and then attack you, three against the grove... "smart decision" , especially when you know about their plan and choose the dialogues about helping them.

Hope to see Nere as a companion in future updates/dlcs !


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Why not , gobbos are fun lads in BG3. I chose Minthara and them in most of my playthroughs. This will be nice to have a few goblins as summonable creatures with some interactions/dialogues/funny phrases like "Shovel" , when we rescue them - Sazza & Fezzerk - in the Moonrise Towers in Act II.

Counterpoint: Nere had no redeeming features.

Agree I would like to see a gobbo companion for an evil party.


Yes. Though I really like the fact that the Drow are, for the most part, really horrible people. They should make you want to punch them in the face. That is their primary cultural feature.

I don't understand what the point of Nere was. He's got such a time-sacred quest just for keeping him alive, and the only purpose of saving him seems to be immediately killing him after you rescue him. He doesn't end up doing anything for the player. What's the point in building him up like that?

I do not play evil characters but even I am honestly surprised that Nere is not a companion for the evil PTs. He would fit perfectly.

To give you the illusion of free will, it's just like how voting works IRL, no matter what, you're screwed with the same option, while making you think that you had a choice between the 2 options given to you.

And for roleplay too. For example , i like dark elves in fantasy settings like Warhammer Fantasy , in DnD they are interesting too. Playing as drow , of course i will help Nere to kill duergars , save him from the Absolute and send him to Menzoberranzan to allert about illithids danger(there is such option if you play as a drow).
Quest of overgrown mushroom is absolutely not important in the game.
Roleplay at the 1st place. Especially with only 12 lvls in game , we have tons of unused exp in Act III , so it's ok to skip unnecessary quests like this one.


Yeah , Nere will be perfect companion for an evil playthrough with Minthara. They already knows each other , we can see this in the dialogues with them.
He is one of the best options for a new companion for evil playstyle. Not standart NPC's appearance & the manner of behavior as dark elf should be , one of the most colorful characters in the Act I. Open space for his own story and some content for the Act III with him , maybe for the Act II would be better.

This quest with Nere is one of the most memorable events in Act I , cause of good voice acting , phrases and the scene. Same with Grove raid with Minthara and gobbos , when you open the gates.
Btw , Nere also has good voice acting and voice lines too:
"As you say. Ghil lu'nin !"
"Nere pities you , Thrinn. Your errors and excuses... And your sorry end."
"You're in my thrall"

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Really yu guys let him leave ?
jesus his boots are the Best one in the Game till act 3.. did yu guys Know that ?
thats for me is reason enough to always wipe the floor with him without even thinking Twice..
(theres no universe in the know dimension where i would lose a Misty Step Boots.. Sorry Nere Just Die.RS)

There are Better Options for a Dark companion or they just Make Durge a Custom Companion for us to Went Nuts. lol

Giving his content during early access, I fully expected there to be more of him� but alas, part of that dialogue with him in the forge was completely cut.

I really don�t understand why we couldn�t have a similar situation with Nere as we did with Minthara when he reports back to Moonrise or realises he�s been screwed at the forge itself, instead he just dies off screen. It feels like a waste for a character that had seemingly quite a bit of effort put into him originally (the whole underdark just kinda feels like it has no payoff the more I think about it actually, given that his moonlantern was basically the main reason for being down there).

I also like his voice actor very much too.

Despite being another drow, I wouldn�t have minded him as a companion. The banter between Minthara and him would have likely been interesting and he basically already had the perfect set up for him joining you in EA, especially given you lose so many companions by siding with Minthara in the first place.

Even in the full release it would have been nice for him to join you as support at the end of the game. Hell, he doesn�t even need to be a companion, just have the option to hang around like Dame Aylin and Isobel.

I know about boots , there is much better way.
i helped Nere with duergars & saved him from the Absolute , but after that i just stole his boots from the inventory and damaged lantern without killing him before i went out of Grimforge , cause he escapes the Grimforge as soon as you leave the location.


Yeah , there are few ways to add Nere: as a full playble companion like Minthara to take a place of some fugitives from Act I (companions) or as non-playble character in the camp with some dialogues , comments , interactions with heroes and his own story , like you said above.

I would love to see Nere become a companion! From a RP perspective he could serve as conduit to glve the players a glimpse into drow society from a perspective of a man (as a mirror to our female drow companion). His banter with Minthara would have been hilarious too. I could see potential for an interesting rivalry mechanic going on between them. On a shallow note, I like his character model and outfit, he would have been a pretty addition to my drow Tav's camp.
The game clearly favours the good path, which is a shame because both routes are equally valid and the amount of content should be comparable.

I made a similar post here
https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=891924&page=11
The game is definitely lacking evil companions, terrible trade off in any hostage situation or prisoner exchange.


Right? I absolutely agree. I killed him for the boots, hells with saving him if he isn't gonna join me. Same goes for Dhourn, he has part of the ice staff.

All in all, we could use a Bard companion and Nere would definitely fit the bill, especially for an evil playthrough that is lacking companions.

It is a little bit redundant since we already have Minthara. Maybe Nere orders one of the duergar or gnomes to accompany us instead. I think he�s crazy enough to give us a person as a reward, lol.

Hmmm, I don't think it'd be redundant. It's common knowledge that the cost is too great when it comes to recruiting Minthara. (losing Halsin, Karlach, and Wyll) so it would be nice to have another companion who could accompany you. It's a plus that he is evil aligned, however the very fact that you are also able to convince him to abandon the Absolute gives him so much potential as a character imo.

Nere is probably the best example of how lacking and generally railroady the evil routes of this game are. He has unique loot that yu can't get if you let him live. He dies anyways if you spare him, despite his offer to recruit the Order of Soul Spiders as allies (seems like obvious cut content for the endgame where you gather all your allies for the final battle), doesn't reward you with anything meaningful if you save him, and is written in such a way to make you despise him, even if you are rp as an evil character.

And to boot, his death is required for the resolution/continuation of several plotlines. The whole thing with the Deep gnomes and Barcus, and his head for the Myconid questline.

You get nothing of worth for helping him and lose on a ton of things in tradeoff. Nothing in his interactions has any followup later in the game despite indicating it will. It's a huge letdown, honestly.

Honestly, I kinda like him better than Minthara in some respects. Despite her great acting, I'm kinda disappointed with how Larian wrote her to be nicer and more accepting despite being an evil-run exclusive party member. Nere is at least consistently a reprehensible person, and he's faithful to Lolth, which would be a nice break from the 'ubiquitous heretic drow party member' that D&D rpgs love so much.

I get this comversation is a bit old now (a year)

I recently did another playthru and honestly, I still can't get over the fact how much you loose if you go sorta evil.
Nere seems to be much more significant that he actually is. At least as much as Jaheira is.

Making Nere new companion for evil characters would be great. I know it would require getting the voice actor back to record some voice lines, but that's pretty much it. If they make him be recruitable only if you actually play evil that could limit the possible other companions you have. So it wouldn't require all companions to have anything to say about Nere. Maybe only Minthara should need some interactions with him. But the rest seems to not really aknowledge Minthara either. So Nere too could be "ignored".


Nere has musical instrument, weapons, tadpole, shoes. He is pretty much set to have regular gear as other companions. He could use Absolute Outfit as his camp clothes - would be nice to see that piece of clothing actually used.



I get that there are more liked evil characters. However, most don't really seem to have no reason to join you and/or don't offer anything new. As it was already said, male drow, faithful to Lolth. It simply makes him way more interesting than any other regular human/half-elf mean person.
Not to mention getting him as companion would make it feel earned, consider that it means we have to not deliver his head/not finishing that quest.

It would be complicated to have both Minthara and Nere in the party. The latter should be completely subservbient to the former, according to Drow culture and civilization. That would probably clash with Nere's ambition to replace Balthazar as nr. 1 commander under Ketheric. It would have to be either Nere or Minthara, for a credible party. So we would gain nothing.

I too have always wanted, desired that it was possible to recruit Nere. He would be a very interesting and fun companion to have in the game in my opinion. But who knows... at this point, I doubt that Larian will have a way to make it happen. Maybe some modder could do it.

This game is filled with companions whose interests and motives clash. Yet that is what makes them so charming.
Didn't Wyll try to get Karlach's head? And what about Shadowheart & La'zeal; if you don't intervine, they kill each other.

If written well, their dynamics could prove very thrilling. (or they could just ignore each other, just the way Halsin & Minthara do it on good playthru)

I could see Nere being an interesting companion, especially with unique interactions with Minthara, similiar to what you see with Karlach and Wyll, Shadowheart and Lae'zel.
That said, I never thought much about him being a companion but I have always thought it would have been nice if he reappeared in act 3 and became an ally for the final fights.

It feels like he should have been a companion for the evil route. Also there is (or was? not sure if it was changed because I didn't see it last time) a dialogue response you could say to Minthara at the Goblin Camp, where your character mentions having spoken to Nere. I thought it was very odd since I'd never met him before. That made me think there was cut content for him.

Nere as Companion?
YAY!
Imma fix him!!111

Nere is the most pathetic character in the whole game. There are so many more interesting candidates for evil playthroughs, like Z'rell, Balthazar, even Gortash, if you agree to work with him.
Nere is just such a whiny and weak character. Heck, even if the reasoning is 'Want hot drow' there is still the drow crew near the Spectator, that are tied to Grymforge.

I never knew about this dialogue, the few runs where I sided with Minthara have always been before exploring the Underdark. I wouldn't be surprised if there originally was more content planned with him, either way I think it's a shame we can't get him as an ally.

Another elf/drow while we still don't have any half-orcs, dwarves/duergar, dragonborn, halflings or gnome companions? Why??

I bought a DnD game, not an elf community sim.

There is a certain lack of evil companions, especially when Minthy also bugs. I never considered Nere as a potential companion, but my Dark Urge would immediately offer the Shadar Kai "He who was" a new job since he apparently no longer follows the Raven Queen's orders. His talents open up completely new possibilities, which the Dark Urge immediately recognizes and almost send him into joyful ecstasy.

I would also like Z'rell, if you as evil Durge/Tav have wiped out Last Light Inn and the Harpers are not at your side in the fight for Moonrise Tower, you should be able to make her an offer.

Or when you kill Karlach, Mizora offers to accompany you instead of Wyll.

Nere would be one of my last choices in the series of possible evil companions.

Z'rell is
Both Balthazar and Gortash literally send you to do their dirty work. THere is no way they would camp with you and fight side by side you.

Z'rell is interesting as she's half-orc. I could see her be devastated by Moonrise Tower being wiped and open to joining you. But I don't really see anything she's give us especially in terms of intersting dynamics for the crew as whole. Minthara would most likely just kill her, or die trying. As her motives would be 'She sent me to death.' With Nere their rivalty would have more depth due to how drow society is.


"He who was" sounds as an interesting choice, I do agree on that. I could see him join Dark Urge, but not regular evil Tav. I feel like his reason to join would be even more shallow than Nere's (or Halsin's)

The "strange ox" would also be a highly orioginal evil companion. Simply disappearing in Act 3, it makes you wonder if there was another role for it planned also.

Strange Ox can help you in final battle. But you need to not forget to pick the apple to get it behind walls. (Like I did)

That's the problem I see, what motives do these characters have? Why should they want to join? The current story of these characters does not reflect that.

Like you said, “He who was” would be a good companion for the Dark Urge. That he no longer follows the Raven Queen's orders could be a reason for wanting to join the Durge.

I went one better - I had a twitchy finger over the space bar and completly missed the apple

Also - I want to reruit and romance the Strange Ox! He more interesting, so deep and tragic than Nere or Halsin. Or Astarion. And Not!Elf.

He who was is infected with the Shadowcurse,which means, that he is doomed. There doesn't seem to be a cure.
I did understand this as the reason he did go against the Ravenqueens order. When you kill him, you find a letter from a fellow Shaddar Kai expressing concern for his condition.
Of course trying to save him could be a questline.

I could also see Roah Moonglow as an evil companion. Since she is a bard, that would fill out a class slot, that isn't already taken, if Tav isn't a bard. As a Zhentarim her recruitment could be tied to how one I reacts in the missing shipment quest and you of course have to destroy Nine Fingers guild.

Then there is Yurgir, who is very much balanced, when he joins you as an ally later on.

I also understand it to mean that he is affected by the Shadow Curse and therefore no longer serves the Raven Queen and has also developed his penchant for cruelty. A quest line to free him from the curse and then he enters as a companion to the Durge, the Durge support this with rising both hands + the hands he founded by chance.

Roah Moonglow would be a possibility for a halfling villain and a good possibility for the continuation of the Lost Cargo quest. Would probably also suit the Durge if he wanted to betray Jaheira and Minsc.

Yurgir is your ally in final battle if you helped him and got rid of Raphael. He also has unfinished bussines with Raphael. Tav would recruit him basicly at the end of the game during act3.

I always thought about Roah as of somebody who should aid us in final battle if we were to helo her with Nine Fingers. Would be nice to have bard, but story wise having whiny halfling in your camp doesn't seem as interesting - I might be wrong about this, but all she could offer is jokes about her hight. Question is, would she join in act 2, or act 3 like Minsc, leaving no real time to get to know her.



I get Nere is second Drow, and yet another character with pointy ears. (most characters have pointy ears; half-orc, goblin, tiefling, even hags). But him being Drow male could lead to tension with Minthara. Which could lead to Minthara be even more mad at Tav. - Forcing Tav to a) manage them or b) get rid of one of them.
Him being quite naive and and easily manipulated with option to be told to not follow the Absolute makes it easy for Tav tosuggest him to join your crew. He also has inside knowledge about Moonrise Towers and from his desire to replace Balthazar we know he is quite ambitious.
And the game already acts as if saving Nere was truly important.

+ as I already mentioned, he is basicly already ready to go. His loot is two sword with dagger, necklase, ring, musical instrument, moonlantern, boots. His camp clothes could be the Absolute Outfit as who else would wear that hideous thing. And Robe of the Cult of the Absolute was already datamied, so it most likely should fit Tav if Tav chose to wear Nere's stuff.

He is a Drow, there was nothing to develop. He was born cruel ...

Shadar Kai are cold and indifferent as they collect mementos for the Raven Queen. "He who was" has escaped the influence of the Raven Queen through the shadow curse and is now torturing the dead souls for his own pleasure. As a Shadar Kai, it doesn't matter whether he was a Drow at some point.

Shadar Kai were never drow though. And they are more gloomy than evil. Think of them as emo elves

He looked like a Drow, hence I labelled Nere as a Drow. So is an Emo Elf? Fitting, I suppose ...

Nere is drow. "He Who Was" (Shadar Kai) is a different guy. One has fancy clothes and love the Absolute, the other looks like he woke up the day after rock concert.
Drows are more like goth elf.

No, I meant He who was - sorry. Nere is a drow.

I see a lot of potential in Nere as a companion. I've always wished he could be recruited. Had been holding out hope to get a mod for it. But would love to see it in the actual game as a party member.