Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Halsin Romance, Expectations and Obligatory Poly

Guys I have a theory. What if the version of Halsin we have gotten is secretly some mythological creature that can influence the minds of the most vulnerable people to do and think things they wouldn't normally be okay with? I mean he's obviously not, but it would make for a cool plot twist and explain... almost everything.

You could have asked for some clarification in that thread. Me, personally, is not too bothered about whether the different romance and relationship outcomes around Shadowheart are consistent. Because the ones I find inconsistent, I can easily avoid. I only mean this in regards to the romance and relationship options that the player themself actively chooses!! Let me really emphasize this so there's no misunderstanding as we now move to other issues.

In contrast to Halsin, where there are no options or decisions that would make Halsin into the romance character that most people want him to be. Halsin is an entirely different problem to me in that regard, you have no choice but to have him treat you in a way that to most people feels manipulative. His portrayal of poly is a terrible representation, because to him it is only about casual sex, which isn't something exclusive or central to poly relationships at all. Monogamous people who are not in a committed relationship also engage in casual sex. What makes him any different from a monogamous person who just don't want to commit to a relationship? If he isn't any different in that regard, what's the point of calling it poly at all? Why not just fuckboy?

And then, the real heart of the problem. How he acts when people don't want to romance him and he turns into this horrible Steubenville frat boy character that harasses Tav and their companion about sex, refuses to respect consent, engages in gaslighting and thinking patterns where he convinces himself that he is entitled to sex and that it is unfair that everyone doesn't want to have sex with him. This is where Shadowheart comes into the picture and I support those who are romancing Shadowheart who find his unwelcome advances really cringy and disturbing. Not because it is consistent or not with Shadowheart's character, but because it is just gross and toxic. A fully consensual relationship between Halsin, Shadowheart and Tav is not an issue to me, if a player wants that - have your fill, it's not my game! But when this turns into a homophobic, creepy, rape-culture simulation to someone who didn't want anything to do with him, you just created a real problem with me. I am on your side in that I truly don't want such an experience for you and I will support you in asking for this to be changed. As for changing everything around the situations the player chooses themself, I am just not as invested.

Still, that's just what it is. You can choose to romance Halsin or not, but that's the story you're given even if inconsistent. The story plays out wrong for you, but then some people are fine with how it's done.

You see how things can be twisted to fit either scenario? Both SH and Halsin have inconsistent writing and both are treated as nothing but sex dolls in act 3. So maybe consider that fans of both SH and Halsin deserve better, rather than trying to throw us under the bus.

Hes a hag. Thats explains it.

I was thinking changeling, but I guess hag can work too.

I only call it poly for Halsin because thats what everyone else does and its easier to use the term.

I thought he was gonna be like the others, but just open to be in a threesome. That it was a fun silly option, nothing serious. Not that it was gonna be his whole character.

My whole argument is that Halsin isnt poly, never was poly. Poly is just the excuse, not the reason. Wether you want to call it poly/RA/insertanyothertermhere

Halsin is just treated like a side piece regardless. Hes not in a relationship with Tav/Astarion or Tav/SH. He just joins them for sex.

They only try to push this non monogamy for him because his whole "romance" was centered around him being a side piece and they have to try and justify it. It doesnt feel like a natural part of his character.

Kind of like the phone guy in SH3 when they did the HD collection. He diddnt have DID before, but he does in the HD collection. People dont hear a character with DID they hear people in an office making the decision "Wouldnt it be cool if this guy had DID"

Thats how Halsin feels for me. He doesnt, and has never felt, non monagamous. He feels like someone decided that for him after the fact.

He is not my side piece. He is my beloved.

Let's not make this long-winded here and spam the thread more with Shadowheart stuff.

Fix Halsin being creepy and getting himself involved in Tav and Shadowheart's relationship uninvited and we fix a lot of the problems for those who want an exclusive relationship with Shadowheart, right?

I was also gonna say inccubus(sp?) lol

That was my original theory. Orin got him on the road to Baldurs Gate and hes been a dopple all throughout act 3.

I don't think it's a bad idea for companions to have their own preferences. Making them completely playersexual is... I don't know... boring? Not interesting? I remember some people were confused when in Dragon Age 2 all companions were bisexual, some did not like it. It's just... people in real life are not all bi/pansexual and do not prefer both mono and poly relashionships (yes, I know, the games shows us not real world but still). Also, there are such things as head canon, fanfiction and stuff where anyone can use their fantasy in case if they cannot romance a particular character (or if they like NPCs).
I think turning all companions to be open to poly relashionships (to have such option if player decides) will need much more resourses than solving problem of two the most problematic ones.

This!

The more I think about it the more unreasonably angry I get lol. Especialy since Halsin himself said he feels like people forget big guys like him have feelings.

And I agree that making them all poly is boring and might even mess stuff up even more because the game is horny enough as it is. But they arent gonna cut the fake poly thing because it sells too many games. Thats what I want because the whole thing is a joke and its difficult to seperate the wanna be poly bullshit from Halsins degeneracy. Theyre one in the same because thats how it was written, and I think it should just be cut, the people that do seem to want it, want it just for the novelty of it anyway, not because its meaningful or makes sense. Same with the drow thing, but thats easily cut because its just a few lines.

Hey, if Larian wants to be the game company remembered by its horny games complete with bestiality, I guess that's their choice, right?

Hopefully, if that is the case, WotC won't give them any more licensing contracts.

Here's a question for all of you folks who have solomanced Halsin -- if one stays monogamous with him, and doesn't visit brothels or entertain devils, the only letdown is the end? I'm not giving this the thumbs up, I'm just wondering if I should risk it at all.

If you ask him about the status of your relationship, even solo, he will apparently refuse to say its a relationship at all, says monogamy isnt for him and uses "nature" as a reason for that. If your poly with him this could be acceptable, hes the side chick after all. Not so much if your solo, particularly after he says "I only want you."

"I only want you, you can bang other people if you want Im happy to join in, but I dont want to call what we have a relationship and monogamy is overrated" is what this ultimately comes down to.

And yes, the ending is the icing on the cake. He basically says "Ok well Imma go live my life now hope you come visit bye"

So wether or not its worth it is up you to and your emotional investment in the character. The old Halsin is still there sometimes it seems.

I don't know that I've the stomach to scroll through 50+ pages to see if someone asked or brought it up before, but...

For reasons somewhat related to but also entirely separate from the Halsin problem, I don't think I'll be planning to bring Shadowheart with me anymore (and may be dropping her from what, for now, will be my last playthrough of BG3 until the Definitive Edition). My question is, does Halsin still have all of this... gross stuff go on with him, if you don't bring Shadowheart, don't romance anyone else, and don't talk to any of the Caress courtesans in Act 3?

Other than the gross "poly" talk, obviously. I know that is sadly unavoidable. But, I could deal with it if the rest of his veritable mess disappears from neglecting to take Shart with me.

Shadowheart shows no interest in Halsin if not romanced. Halsin shows no interest in Shadowheart when he is solo romanced or not romanced at all. He doesn't try to join as far as I know in drows encounter, because he proposes himself as 5th only if you romance someone already and they agree to do foursome.

Usually when companions are gated behind sexuality or whatever there ends up being mods for them anyway. So like mine as well save the modders the work and just make them all open to anything. Those kinds of mods tend to be popular too, so I think more people seem to care about player choice/agency than anything.

We should have less gatekeeping, especially in a game like this, that is supposed to be heavy on player choice. Otherwise this isn't the game it's being advertised as and is just like the other fake "choices matter" games. Choices don't matter if you don't have much choice to begin with.

Good to know, at least. Would've been enough to keep Shart around, if it weren't for other problems in her story during Act 3.

Of course, still may not romance Halsin at all - but I want to know what specifically does and doesn't trigger him being a massive creep. So, that's some stuff off my mind, at least

Funny that to avoid Halsin's creepness you have to avoid SH lmao...

You literally spammed the SH thread with an essay about Halsin so lol

SH is written as monogamous throughout all of act 1/2 so making her suddenly poly is inconsistent with how she has been written, similar to Halsin. So even fixing Halsin isn't enough to fix the inconsistencies with SH.

"Funny" is a word for it, for sure.

It's tiring, too, because aside from how her Selunite route plays out in Act 3, I genuinely love her character. She's been with me in my first game since the beginning.

Disappointing how both Shart and Halsin fans have to avoid one or the other character just to avoid bad self-insert fetish writing. \:

As long as the moderators dont care I personally dont mind having some discussion on SH here. Theres overlap in our grievances with both characters.