Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Problems with Halsin's character, advances, LI and general character interactions, etc.

This! He also says he wants only Tav. No reason there can’t be multiple paths for his romance!

I didn't know that what I suggested is already in the game basically. Idk what to say then, I guess they really wanted him to follow his path no matter what. Was it it originally in the game or was it added?

100% agree, if the lore bending works in their favor, people will never complain but if others want something differing to their opinion (read as: obsession) then they will slap you with a lore book.


As Tarlonniel and Icelyn said, you can be in a relationship with Halsin as a monogamous Tav, he even practices the relationship on a monogamous level. We never see him dating others and whenever he has sex with others, the Tav is always around and Tav' has to agree.
So, Halsin and the Tav are fundamentally compatible (be it just because of lazy writing) and in the end his personality changed a lot - contrary to his belief in act 2 - as he settles down, so why would it be impossible for him to live in a monoship?


First of all, I don't think there is a reason to get a mod in here, no one is insulting anyone because of their sexual orientation or anything.
Maybe you got it wrong, it was never about talking bad about polyamory, it's just that it's something less people are familiar with and that - in a game that is mostly player driven - it feels weird that the only thing that's really forced is Halsins polyamory. As for the marketing scheme: I'm still sure Larian decided to depict Halsin like this when they decided to go for the famous Astarion x bear scene on last PFH. If anything, then it's not the fans who are to blame for how Halsin is perceived but Larian for portraying polyamory in such a bad way. After full release, there were more than enough posts about how bad the representation felt for people who are actually polyamorous, so yeah, something didn't go as planned.

Don't get me wrong, if the depiction of Halsin would be that of someone who really shows his polyamory, like you see him dating others, maybe even catch him having sex with others and so on, then I wouldn't even mind asking for a rewrite as that would be way too much to work on.
In this case, they just added some voiced lines and that's it, nothing more than that.
No one asks for it to be removed, it's about adding something (not limited to Halsin, please add poly options to other companions) so it's sad to see that people are against that. Larian should keep his polymance, maybe even extend it but should do the same for solomance.
To be honest: If someone would ask about adding poly to another character, I feel like less people would be against that, as it's just an additional path you can take in your game while others can stick to the mono path on their own game.
I feel like this is more a matter of representation rather than game choices.

As a monogamous woman who likes Halsin and who sees how Halsin is in a somewhat monoship with the Tav, it's sad that he wants the Tav to be poly and that he refuses to call it a real relationship. I think it's the same for polyamorous people who want to romance someone like Gale who isn't into that or for asexual people, who want a romance without sex yet lots of companions are trying to jump you as soon as possible.
It's great that Larian decided that gender should not be an issue in romances but they should've also added more kinds of relationship to every single companion.

As for the RP:
Not sure about you, but personally whenever I play a game with a self created character, I play the same character with (kind of) the same background (a bit changed to fit the world the game takes place in) and usually the games let the player decide most things when it comes to romances. Of course, playing a female character does mean not being able to romance a female companion in some games (which is fine for me) but I never felt forced to play a different character just to be able to say "The rules a guy forces on me are fitting my character better now".

I don't think this would ever work, it requires tremendeous amount of rewriting. I think poly thing will probably always be just Halsin thing. Unless you meant other companions than existing 3 to agree to Halsin's offer, but that would create further inconsistencies honestly. 3 exisitng options to agree to Halsin you can sort of understand why they agree. SH has fucked up boundaries and views sex in a different view somewhat due to her background + she is half HIGH elf(also she should really split Shar/Selune SH interactions, but that's another topic). Astarion again has his background + he is HIGH elf. Both these high elves work weirdly consistent with the lore surrounding how high elves treat any relationship with wood elf(same lore where wood elf poly argument comes from), they never take it seriously and they are right if you look at the epilogue. Karlach is dying and doesn't want to limit Tav. I would say that Lae'zel would probably fit, because Githyanki are usually polyamourous in the lore(correct me if I wrong).

I think at this point it's just about adding extra flavour to Halsin's mono path. Probably dialogue that Autistichalsin mentioned about mono/poly on Halsin solomance route was in the game from the start(and Halsin was never intended to stick with you, remember his parting dialogue and no option to go with him even on solo romance? Whole topic Halsin and obligatory poly was created mainly because of it), so I think they can easily add something in the future.

"I only want you, but I want others to find happiness in you."

I dont understand how being upset about Halsin asking Tav to be with other people when solomanced in act 3 is forcing him to be mono but okay. Whatever.

Just seems to me if he only wants Tav he only wants Tav, so all the poly stuff when solomanced is just stupid to even be there.

People were asking for a typical romance with him from EA, and thats not what was given. This is the core of the problem.

The idea that Halsin will not commit to or aknowledge an esablished relationship with Tav because he's poly is ridiculous, and only adds to the idea that its just about sex, not a polyship. Long term polycules exist, and in polycules you still have to make a comitment to your partners, because its still a relationship, or am I wrong? Cheating exists in polycules, you cant just date/sleep with whoever whenever just because youre poly, and you definitely cant compell your partners to sleep with other people. Halsin and Tav, and whoever else Tav is in a relationship with, are supposed to be in love. Thats why its a ROMANCE.

I wasn't really expecting it to be added, it was more like a wish how it should've been from the beginning, just to be fair to everyone.

As for adding extra flavour, that would be the best to me, like it's not much that's needed, just some lines here and there. Of course, it would be better to have more difference between Tav romancing Halsin only or as a second one, but lets face it: This game has been released like 7 months ago and I don't expect big things like the epilogue to be added again.

The whole race thing is not enough for me, personally. Like yes, your culture does define you, but there is still room for individualism, as Ed Greenwood said himself. Also sure we can try to find reasons why the characters work in a polymance, so it's gotta be a coincidence that those characters are the most popular ones
It just would've been too much work to add it to everyone and to make it a really good representation or they just wanted to have the Tav being the center, it's not a Triad, it*s a Vee. A Vee that Halsin forces you into, to be precisely, at least if you want him and want to play by his rules. Fun fact: He doesn't even say anything bad if you don't date someone else beside him, so it can't be of that much importance for him. And forcing someone to do something doesn't really fit a character who's all about being wise, peaceful, forgiving and so on.


Exactly, people asked for Halsin to be added as a romanceable companion just like the others were and afaik, none of them has been a polyamorous character in EA, so why did Larian even come up with this idea? (Ofc it's to sell their game, let's be honest).
To add insult to injury, they even changed a lot of his EA character, slapping the faces of all his EA fans a second time. Maybe its just like they say: "Be careful what you wish for".


Another good point, it's not like Halsin says "I want you and everyone else who stirs my heart" and we try to force him to stick just with Tav, it's his own decision.


Thank you! This is exactly why I feel people who defend how Halsin acts now are not interested in a good representation but they are more about being able to have 2 partners (see people on X, who are bragging about that sometimes).

It also contradicts his whole "My heart doesnt stir lightly" bit.

Also, his whole bit about needing consent before he joins Tav's established relstionship. Why does he get to set that up, but Tav has to just let Halsin do whatever he wants without their consent? Shouldnt he seek out Tavs consent, like how he made sure Tav's partner consented? So far all im hearing from his defenders is I have to put up with him doing whatever he feels like whenever he feels like and I get no say in it. Doesnt sound so "free" now does it? If he needs Tavs consent the way Tav and him needed SH/Astarions consent is it really a free and open relationship?

I really had to laugh about that, as he tells the Tav how much lovers he had within the same dialogue and he even starts bragging about what he experienced. And the funniest is, he even tells you all of that without the Tav even asking.
They knew about the contradiction, as they added the dialogue option to question this whole "heart does not stir lightly" thing given his number of lovers and then he is like "I'm 350 years old."
To me personally, this whole attitude and bragging doesn't fit the character he is supposed to be.


Yeah at one point he seems to care about the consent, but the next moment it's just him deciding. This whole character is a living contradiction.
Lets take Mizora. If you sleep with her, Halsin thinks that it's okay to do so, so that leads to one question. If Halsin needs the consent of Tavs partner to join them because they are in an existing relationship and he doesn't really care that he never gave his consent to the Tav having sex with Mizora, does that mean he doesn't even value what's between him and Tav as the same as what's between Tav and their first LI?

Not sure if it's only me (seems not, someone else commented this on YouTube) but the way Halsin's voice sound after the Mizora scene feels a bit like he is not totally honest with his words, like it's hurting him more than he might admit. It just didn't sound the same as for SH or Astarion, it sounded way more hurt and I was glad that at least someone felt the same like me. If it's all about doing as someones wishes to do, why does Halsin even say that he has to give his best next time to not be boring after we tell him how good the sex with Mizora was? I don't think that's how it's supposed to be in a polycule.

This really bothers me too. If Tav had gotten prior knowledge and consent, it would still be wierd for me but okay. But Tav essentially cheats on their partner with Mizora and I hate that some of them are okay with it, poly or not.

This is not true. I swear SH is not cool with it, she shows it clearly(I admint, they could've expanded it and split shar/selune, I was talking about it), spawn Astarion dumps you now. The only "cool cool" is AA and Halsin(??? I am not sure after filia comment).

In the clip I saw she was okay with it, said not to apologize, so they must have updated it. But if they updated it then that means it was a problem before.

Wdym ok? If you mean that she forgives you - she does. Karlach, Astarion, Halsin, SH can be "ok" with it. Karlach forgives you with a check, spawn Astarion check required, AA is not bothered, Halsin is not bothered, SH at the very least asks you to ask her first if you are going to do shit like this again and asks to not forget about her, that she needs your attention too and she insults Mizora. They haven't updated it, I hope they will split her in the future(selune/shar) and reactions to things like Mizora/Halsin/Drows depending on the path she takes.

Is this something that got changed? I remember when watching the YouTube videos on release (I didn't play all the romances myself) SH and Astarion were pretty fine with it, same for Halsin.
SH: "I'm not jealous, you know. If I wanted to bed something loyal and pure, I'd find a swan." and she goes on that you shouldn't forget her needs and that's about it. Doesn't sound like she is totally against that, she just wants to know it in advance.

Tav to Astarion: "Like you wouldn't have jumped at the chance!"
Astarion: ""Well of course I would have [...] So what was is like? Tell me everything."

Halsin talks about how our hearts are free to roam and we don't need jealousy (but on another line he is like "hopefully I'm not boring now". If he doesn't care, why does he compare himself to her?)

Either way: Cheating is one of the worst things to do and you are in relationship with every companion, so they should break up with you. Larian could've made a statement on how hurtful cheating is and how important communication is, but it's not the first thing they sacrificed for adding the forbidden fruits without any regrets.

EDIT: Just saw the new post about that is hasn't been updated. Not sure if we just have a different understanding, but to me it feels like SH is pretty fine with it and not just ok.

You are right, I misinterpreted her reaction. Its still wierd to me, that Tav is so easily forgiven. But Im brushing it off as the devs wanting to give players that option without screwing up the romances and diddnt have time to flesh out long term consequences of that choice.

Edit: ok so now Im even more confused, I took her swan analogy as being okay with it, and others may have too. Maybe this isnt the best rabbit hole to go down right now since this is Halsin's thread.

Also she insults Mizora(why?), calls her "inferior goods". Asks to not forget about her and that she needs your attention too(why?), asks to ask next time beforehand(why?).
Regarding swan line, it's more like she tries to insult you, because you can use "swan" line in act 2 if you ask SH to do poly with Karlach(obviously she refuses) "I am not a swan to mate for life, I want to be with both of you" is the quote and she goes "nope". Also she falls into Sharran condition(thats why I believe it fits Shar path more) and brags about Sharran time. All in all her reaction is "fine", I don't see her breaking up over this with how she is portrayed overall, but she is not fine with it.

If you ask your partner before you do the deed(thats what SH asks you) - cheat becomes not a cheat at all.

Well they had the time to do so for Gale, Lae'zel, Minthara and Wyll, but as the others are more of the favorite characters and sex sells.

Hopefully they will have Selûne SH to break up and Shar SH to be cool with it. Same as for Spawn Astarion and AA.


It might be no cheating anymore then, but still it doesn't fit the whole "don't wanna be a spare lover" thing she tells you.
Also, sure she uses her lines to insult you and Mizora a bit, but that's one way of coping, still she would've ended the relationship if it was such a hit for her she could never accept. Instead, she even tells you that you can f*ck others if you just talk to her in advance.

For Spawn Astarion there is apparently new datamined but not yet included dialogue for Mizora as well as for the dock scene.

Wouldn't be in character for her to break up even on Selune route, I'd expect her maybe to run in tears or smth(something like what Karlach does). But ye, they should totally be split.

Whoa, this is perfect, this is what I wish it would be like for all characters. You feel how hurt he is, yet he wont be like that on the AA path. Any chance the same got added for SH?

Not yet obviously, but seeing spawn Astarion and AA being split(with their different presonalities of course) makes me believe that Selune and Shar Shadowheart should be split too given their absolutely different personalities and relationship goals. It's just silly that they say exact same words to Mizora/Halsin/Drows etc.(it's the main reason why many brag OOC this OOC that for SH). Makes sense to split them next after they did split Astarion.