Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion There must be more true friend companions in the game who support you no matter what

--- General ---

Your Tav is a blank slate that is barely their own character in the world of Baldur's Gate 3. Even as a Baldurian, you'll at most get some one-liners showing that you know some history or peculiarities about the city, but nothing beyond that to acknowledge that you actually exist, have background and that there are people that know you or have known you. You're a vehicle to progress the main story and origin companion stories, you're the glue that keeps this eccentric bunch of goofballs tolerating each other's presence and you're the one steering the story one way or another. If you choose an origin character to start with, Tav doesn't exist and is irrelevant, Durge is dead and irrelevant, all the other origin companions do exist and have just as much relevance as they have when you start out with a Tav or Durge.

Your Tav also doesn't have any personal stakes or goals beyond wanting to get rid of the tadpole, there's no personal quest like all the origin companions have. Depending on romance and epilogue choices, you'll end up just tagging along with a specific companion's epilogue and will not do anything meaningful beyond sharing their closing story. So the story will never be about companions being loyal to you, it's about you being important enough to them and liked enough by them for them to consider your opinion and allow you to somewhat steer their personal choices and path in their personal companion quest. It's not about loyalty to you, it's about trusting your judgement when it comes to most decisions on which path to take even when it comes to themselves. And if your personal choices are opposite to their core beliefs and views, this will be a deal-breaker and lead to confrontation, like Jaheira and Minsc choosing to square off against a Durge fully accepting Bhaal and having them try to convince other present origin characters that this is against their core beliefs as well. I've never gone on that path, but I believe it comes with persuasion dice rolls depending on the origin companions and you could possibly end up in a 1v5 with Wyll, Karlach, Selunite Shadowheart, Gale and/or Halsin switching sides in that moment upon failing rolls.

Even though your Tav is the PC you control, your character is not the main character of Baldur's Gate 3 and is less important than the main story and the origin companion stories. Anything beyond this is a lot of head canon and using imagination as to why your Tav exists, where you came from and how you are important and relevant without the game facilitating any meaningful way to affirm your head canon. It'll never be about true friend companions supporting you no matter what, it's about you supporting them (or not) and giving them a nudge in a certain direction here and there when you feel that that's what would be best for them. Your Tav simply doesn't have any strong ties one way or another in-game to anything and it's all about whether you want to involve yourself in the strong ties the surrounding companions do have.



--- Shadowheart ---

When it comes to Shadowheart (and likely other romances that are a bit less familiar to me), there are several things to take into consideration. There are distinct differences in the romance stages for every companion that influence which interactions are available with them, alongside main story relevant events and canonical time spent together in act 1, 2 and 3. Being 100% approval with Shadowheart before even seeing her wolf memory gives different conversation options and bonding moments than when you reach the 4 Nightsong point threshold for example, or having had your moment alone with a kiss yet or not, or seeing her reaction in act 2 to the Shadow Curse, or her reaction to entering Shar's temple and later the Shadowfell, etc. etc. etc. In act 1, you can have the kiss and then be considered flirting, which is a status you can have with more than one person. In act 2, you can have the moment where you have to break off other flirts and choose one person for an exclusive relationship. Then in act 3 you can have a moment that solidifies this and you are considered partnered. It's not a simple matter of how much approval you have, the story events play a huge role as well.

And during almost all of the interactions you have with Shadowheart specifically up until the encounter with Nightsong, you learn that she pretty much sees herself as a tool for Shar and that she thinks she will get rewarded for her blind faith, rather than being her own person with the freedom to choose for herself what's right or wrong beyond Shar's doctrine. That's a core view she has of herself. And in all the interactions you have with her leading up to Nightsong, you'll quickly find that most interactions that are judgemental, negative or in any way aggressive towards that core view she has of herself, she will disapprove and lash out. However, being kind towards her or others, listening, being open-minded and allowing her to work things out on her own will often lead to approval and way more pleasant conversations. You don't even have to necessarily agree with how she views herself or Shar, just lending an ear and not judging is enough for her to greatly appreciate you. And when you give her that space to breathe, she'll come out herself that she's starting to doubt her blind devotion and starts thinking for herself more and more.

Then you enter Shar's temple and there are several moments you can notice Shadowheart feels Shar's presence and from the outside you can even catch on to the fact that Shar is literally speaking to Shadowheart similarly to how The Emperor is trying to manipulate you in your own head. However, you also know at that point that pushing Shadowheart, the thing Shar is doing at that time, will likely cause Shadowheart to disapprove and become more adamant in wanting to do the opposite. Until Shadowheart specifically asks for advice and is open to listen, she wants to be left with her thoughts and be given the space to figure things out for herself. So the entire temple, and all interactions leading up to that, you'll have yourself listening to Shadowheart and allowing her to breathe, and Shar pushing and saying "do it do it do it do it". And what does Shadowheart do if you don't interfere? She goes against the one pushing her and spares the Nightsong. And what does Shadowheart do if you don't interfere until the moment she actively asks you which choice to make? She'll do exactly what you'll tell her to do because she asks for your opinion and trusts you. On the flip side, what does Shadowheart do when you push her to make a certain choice before she asks? She digs her heels in the sand and becomes adamant about doing the other thing.

For (pretty much) all of act 1 and 2, Shadowheart's a character that is very predictable and consistent in her behavior. The only part that's a bit sneaky and contradicting is with high approval, right at the moment of sparing the Nightsong or not, the narrator mentions "You may yet be able to sway her from the path of duty to the path of light". It's sneaky, because what this means is that you have already done so with your high approval and Nightsong points and she will spare the Nightsong if you take a hands off approach. However, it sounds like you need to actively convince her in this moment to spare the Nightsong and that your high approval makes it possible to do so.

So in my opinion, it's not bitchy or egotistical. It's getting to know a person that's deeply troubled and indoctrinated and gently helping her to break free from this.



--- Lae'zel ---

I'm less familiar when it comes to Lae'zel's romance side of things, but as a character she has a lot of similarities with (parts of) Shadowheart's experiences with being indoctrinated into a cult. She starts off seeing herself as a tool for Vlaakith who will get rewarded for her blind faith. If she switches sides, rather than being adrift and unsure like Shadowheart, Lae'zel responds by immediately seeing herself as a tool for Orpheus. Her own identity, wants and desires will always be subservient to the greater good of her people. She makes it very clear from the get-go that this is how she views herself and stays consistent with this both on the Vlaakith or Orpheus route. This is also why she so willingly wants to take the direct route to saving Orpheus by accepting Raphael's deal, whatever else is happening and whatever else she might want is less important to her than saving Orpheus and her people. She can greatly appreciate you and even love you in her own specific way, but this concept is largely unknown to Githyanki and their own wants and needs are very much subservient towards their duty towards their people. So what you see is what you get, she's very adamant about it and consistent in it, you (should) know what you're getting into if you choose to go for her romance.