Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Fixing Astarion's "Good" Ending

I know how game development works, and I think adding an option to go after Astarion needs some flagging with the other origin character endings. It's all just a logistics at the end, especially around Karlach. (Yes, I know, not everyone has Karlach in their party, but since she's a barbarian, a lot of players very likely do.)

I know how game development works, and I think adding an option to go after Astarion needs some flagging with the other origin character endings. It's all just a logistics at the end, especially around Karlach. (Yes, I know, not everyone has Karlach in their party, but since she's a barbarian, a lot of players very likely do.)

It's not about howit is done.

You know, I somehow get the feeling, you're just trying to invalidate our thoughts on the matter. You didn't answer the questions I asked you on the last page. Instead you bring up all sorts of stuff that might or might not directly relate to our request. It's all right if you don't care about the issue. But I do. And I can't help but start do wonder why this thread seems to bother you.

There are (a lot) of people who have an issue with the way Astarion gets treated on the docks.

Like it or not but I'll keep asking Larian, please change or remove companion remarks and give the player an option to follow Astarion until Larian tells me it's impossible / not going to happen.

To be honest, originally I just commented that I generally agree with the sentiment, the dialogue could/should be changed, but I do not necessarily feel the need for an option to go after Astarion. I'm essentially agreeing with you and the thread but I just have a more realistic view of the matter. I'm sure Larian knows about this issue since it has been a topic of discussion in gaming circles since the game launched and not even a partial modification has been done in the past 5 patches.

I'm happy to answer all your questions as long as the forums load.

While it obviously would be incredible to have a cutscene that shows, we folloow Astarion, it'd be fine if the unnecessary rude/cruel comments from our companions were fixed/deleted and a dialogue option along the lines of:
1. let Astarion leave
2. follow Astarion to make sure he's safe
were available.

Instead of forcing my character to ignore Astarion. Of course it would interfere with Karlach's cutscene but perhaps they could be switched around.

Even though Larian is (probably) aware, what's the harm in repeating the request? I haven't seen any feedback about the issue from their side yet.


I quote myself for easy access. It's the reply to your first post in this thread.

And it's not, as if less cruel versions of these comments didn't exist. Adding an option to follow Astarion sounds like an endeavour but using the character reactions from his Origin for the Companion version as well, sounds much less challenging.

Larian added a little scene to the end of the drow orgy of all things. They sure can add a short animation of the pc walking towards Astarion's general direction after Karlach is dealt with, for those who choose to do so. He's right there behind some crates.

And change what the narrator says if Astarion is the only person with us on the docks. Neither me nor any of my characters would ever think "the guy who's been abused for years will be fine by himself because he's good at comforting himself, I don't need to go check up on him."

Come to think of it, he is kind of hard to miss when they leave the dock.

I didn't answer because I assumed that it was obvious I agree that it is not handled the best. Maybe the biggest difference between our views is that I do not see it as a huge character-defining moment for Astarion the same way the dock scene is a huge moment for Lae'zel, Karlach, or Gale.

While there are comments about the sun throughout the game by act two I thought his arc was more about trauma and bodily autonomy. After his quest is completed he would be able to start the healing process and start being able to process emotions and situations in a more balanced and healthy way. Of course, he's just a fictional guy and it is all just speculation, but for me, he was already after his big moment.

When I romanced him, I played as the Dark Urge and my Tav assumed he could protect himself, the same way he took care of my character during the game. In romanced and non-romanced games too I imagined the group going after him, but I never felt I needed an extra cutscene.

It's only mildly related, but even after several playthroughs I feel like the group dynamics need more work. The companions never came across as friends (at most they seemed to be coworkers). The remarks at the docks scene seemed to underline my assumptions that they do not like each other, and they really don't like Astarion. I would love it if Larian could put more work into this.

The sunlight is the one thing he really enjoys from the start of the game on. That one moment of genuine bliss, when he is trancing in the early sunlight, is personally what "saves" that incredibly fake night together with him for me. And it's more than just light and colour, being able to walk in the sun is being part of the world instead of having to hide in the shadows. If you look at the dock scene, the group is in the process of finding a tavern in which to celebrate their victory together, when the sunlight casts Astarion out of the group. Like the heaven telling him: You don't belong. That is harsh.

They also never treat the subject lightly in any other situation. It is a topic that is part of his dialogue during the epilogue party when you are friends, you can talk about finding a way to cure him with Minsc when in a relationship with Astarion and even in my otherwise very sweet romance dialogue for Origin-Astarion and Gale, they snuck in a line about how it was difficult for the two of them to settle into their living arrangements at first.

And yes, I agree portraying them as friends by the end could have been handled better, though it works in some cases - and also it depends heavily on banter playing and such.

His "moment" is definitely with Cazador. But sunlight is always right there too. If you click on him in Lower City he talks about seeing all the city's colors in sunlight with such wonder in his voice. And at the party if you're just friends he tells you how he felt he lost everything at that moment, right? The docks scene is the only one where it's not treated seriously. Or maybe they wanted to show the loss, but it really doesn't work with the way he runs off followed by these comments. And if you don't romance him it turns out you never even tried to find him later. While all you had to do was look behind the crates.

The companion comments also don't work with the rest of what they say about him. If you talk to them after you learn what his scars are for, and after Cazador, they're much more caring. (And no, Gale, we are not "never seeing him again". Me and him live in the same city. Oh and I'm sleeping with him, if you somehow haven't noticed.)

Speaking of moments, Gale's ending also wasn't good as a character defining moment. I told him what to do, he was like "yeah ur right" and that was it.


Everyone rolled a nat 1 on that perception check.

Gale doesn't really have one, in that sense. The way you deal with him during the game creates his final decision about the Crown. If you tell him on the docks to get the crown after all, while having dissuaded him before, he won't do it. He will offer to sacrifice himself for the group so nobody has to become a Mindflayer, but if you decline and later on decide the final battle is too hard and he should blow himself up after all, you'll have to bully him into it. (No idea how much approval matters) I think, they tried to give him a slow progression instead of one big moment. The thing at the docks is more a wrap-up than anything and he never has a heroic scene like Astarion, Lae'zel or Shadowheart. (Unless you count his dagger animation if he blows up.)

He is also the only one who expresses that he really likes their little group in the "good" version, wants it to stay together and they drive that point home again during the epilogue, so his comment undermines his own character arc. In Astarion's Origin it's something like "we should find shelter" just with more words, which fits much better. But ... not the thread to talk about my favourite wizard. *coughs*

Just saying, Lae'zel, Gale and (I assume) Shadowheart would totally be free to do stuff by the time Astarion's sun-problem hits.

What strikes me as kinda odd is how short the reunion party dialogue with him is (I'm going back to this because I watched romanced Gale convo and it's a full on married couple conversation there). I loved how it's mentioned twice that he's happy and I absolutely loved the hug, it's a beautiful callback to act 2.. but we are robbed of a proper conversation which you can have with him as a friend...everything he says there is profound, shows his confidence, and character growth. However, we don't get to hear any of it in the romanced conversation.

Why can't we mention anything about the spawn in the underdark or let him talk about our travels or anything related to the sun-walking?

Once again feels like there wasn't enough time spent on this ending.

I filed a bug report about that. There's a couple of things not adding up. You get the adventuring narrative introduction to the scene, even if you chose to settle down, you can always tell Minsc that you are looking for a cure which seems to be very specific to the "looking for a cure" plan for the future and, like you said, the dialogue feels very short compared to all the other conversations, as if the middle / main portion would be missing.

I also get the narrator telling me I'm "almost entirely free" before the romance epilogue now, which I'm pretty sure is a line meant only for ascended Astarion.

Huh, is that when you're playing as Astarion or Tav/durge?

Tav/Durge if he turns you.

That's super confusing... do you have a video of it or a screenshot?

That's super confusing... do you have a video of it or a screenshot?

That's super confusing... do you have a video of it or a screenshot?