Another POV

1. "are you okay with Halsin's behavior in the game?" Yes

2. "Do you endorse it?" Yes

3. "Do you think the polyamorous proposal he makes to the player is well written" Mostly. He is clear about expectations and requires explicit consent from your partner, unlike either the Emperor or Mizora. Like every other companion aside from Astarion, he only asks once and then drops the subject; Astarion asks twice. (Note on Drow twins exception below.)

4. "or that you can only talk about his past with the drow if you engage in an orgy with him?" No. I think it's an awkward inclusion on its own. The new dialogue helps, but given how many other companions have pasts with SA or exploitation, it either shouldn't have been there at all, or it should be more integrated with the other companions.

5. "What improvements would you suggest for Halsin currently?"
  • He and Shadowheart are currently the only companions you can't reject or avoid from joining you. Players should have the option (for both).
  • He should be able to join you at the beginning of the shadowcurse quest, not halfway through. It's HIS quest, not yours.
  • Some sort of minor side quest in Act 3 that ties him in better
  • A better continuation of his characterization in Act 3 versus earlier. In particular, being the steady mentor, and a greater range of emotion. Example: Why does he not get MAD about the refugee situation instead of just sad?
  • If Halsin has been turned down already, he should not invite himself at the drow twins
  • The "relationship" dialogue is bad because it's a whole lot of nothing with no answer
  • Okay, the bear thing was marketing gold, and sure it shows he's GGG. But really?


Halsin being sex positive and open about his desires is great. He normalizes consent (including during sex). He doesn't approach you until he feels mentally ready to deal with a relationship.

I find it humorous that the complaints about him generally boil down to either you can't change his sexual preferences (icky), or that his approaching the PC is disrespectful in the first place, despite the fact every other companion does the same.