Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Party failed Perception Roll in Dank Crypt

I had always assumed that the perception roll to find the button that opens the door to the talkative undead was a gimme.
Just had the party all fail their perception rolls and I can find no other way to open the door and start the combat with the other denizens.

Hope the talkative skeleton isn't important for future storyline.

Perhaps just having the button there or making it so the check can't be failed would be better (It's likely a remarkably low check as in over 20 playthroughs this is the first time I've failed to perceive it. )

As I've learned from DMing: Pointless dice rolls are pointless. If you don't want your players to fail a roll, then don't have them roll.

"If absolutely you need players to succeed a check, then do not make them check for it."
"If you absolutely need players to fail a check, you've failed as a DM and need to reconsider what you're doing."
"Whenever you present a check, be prepared for either outcome. Both should allow the story to move forward."

These are lessons that the current design and writing for BG3 have yet to really properly learn, and it's hurting their game.

As far as I could tell, the undead character is equal to the dog you can get. He's nice but not needed, generally for someone that NEEDS that perfect play. Save scumming I heard, will be rewarded with better rolls for the people that go that route.

He does a bit of foreshadowing that he's going to be important later. (And he actually pops up in the underdark to raise party members if they get pushed into the abyss)
For play-through 21 of Early Access it doesn't matter but if he is important later I'd hate to see someone miss him after go live due to bad rolling.

I always got the vibes that he was important and that you're intended to take on the Crypt area early, if not even before you get to the Grove. New players would benefit from having this character in particular. I managed to get Gale killed while doubling back into the crashed Nautiloid when I wasn't paying attention.

I also always felt that if you could perceive a button to gain entry to the room, then that meant you are bypassing a different way to get in that required a puzzle to work out. Like the Selune Moon puzzle. It would make sense why it triggers guardians and has [Cinematic Pending] if that whole thing wasn't actually finished.

At present though, I think that is the only way to get into the room with the skeleton. I feel like maybe an additional way is just not implemented, but intended.

You're talking about the guy who revives companions for a price right? That's a character who's pretty damn important, especially if he sticks around later in the game when you only have 4 companions total. If you can't figure out a way to revive a fallen companion, that could really screw a new player over. Also, providing a straight forward way to revive companions is just a good quality of life feature even if you want to give them other, cheaper ways to revive that require more effort.

Its nice but not needed, rez scrolls do exist in the game. My first play through of the game I didn't even know about his rez feature till I was more than half way done and I think I used him totally once the whole time.
Ya I remember him saying that, I never played that part of the game, been waiting for a update.

I'm going to presume if your toons get pushed into the abyss, they pop back up at camp and can be rezed normally.

Edit*
I'll add this also, he's not a companion, just additional story feature (hence equal to dog). In the game is even possible to not get some of the companions via bad rolls.

You can still recruit SH later though

The first time I encountered the Talkative Skeleton was in the defiled temple of Selune after one of my companions died. He appeared spontaneously and offered to revive them for a fee even though I had never woke him from the crypt.

Larian Studios needs to blow up those quotes on a banner and hang them in their office.

Agree, but between the real live RPG and the computergame, there is the issue of foreknowledge. Around the table, if you miss this occasion to unlock the TS, the DM can add other occasions and the players would never know.
Now, despite the failed perception check, you know what it is you failed to find. And that's -- understandably -- perceived as a problem,. We don't know if there will be alterntative paths (yet).
Save/Reload and the foreknowledge that comes with it, change the game mechanics from a tabletop session.

Foreknowledge doesn’t apply to the first play through. Table top is essentially the first play through. After that, it’s like the players have read the modules and know all the secrets.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Tabletop DnD 5e is fun because even low rolls have entertaining/value added outcomes. One of the things holding back BG3 from being a great game is situations where the party is stymied because of a low roll. (100% referring to what the player would experience on the first playthrough).

There are indications this is what Larian is aspiring for and I'm hopeful a future patch will address this. It's hard to thoroughly vet an expensive cRPG before opening it up to early access and I wasn't expecting perfection in early access.

In several Larian videos showing the game, they've hoped players (en masse, not just RPG fans like us) would want to see all outcomes.