Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Spoilers: Changes in the Necromancy of Thay

If you try to read the Necromancy of Thay and succeed all the rolls, the book will scar you for life BUT also give you 4 inspiration points.

Pretty neat

Now off to reload and feed Gale, he gets hangry for Cormyrian apples if you don't keep the schedule.

Pretty good change. Is this together with the Speak to Dead ability or was it removed?

No idea -- I think that "Speak with the Dead" was only for Astarion -- at least in the other playthroughs he was the only one who managed to get that spell.

There is a necklace you get early on that provides speak to the dead as well.

My main character got Speak With Dead after reading the book in patch three. I haven't tried it yet in patch four.

You still receive Speak to Dead, once per long rest as an action if you pass the rolls, and get the 4 inspiration points. Not just Astarion.

They also added a new cutscene in camp if you choose to give the book to Astarion.

I must admit that im kinda confused about this book ...
That all saving throws required Wisdom. O_o

I would presume that Wizards, Necromancers especialy, should be able to unlock its secrets ... but now im not so sure.

//edit:
Also i dont quite understand that Gale cant absorb the book anymore once you read it. O_o
It was "superb powerful artefact of necromancy having even its own semi-inteligence ... that is for single use only" ? o_O

I gave the book to gale initially, but now he doesn't seem to realise it's in his inventory ...he says "you have such an item!" (and won't give it back to me to give to him). That can't be intended? I mean he goes on about needing powerful magic item....and when I had it last playthrough and he requested it, things worked as they should.

I always give Gale the book from his own dialogue menu, not the book's menu, and he's nommed it happily every time (though in previous patches the quest wouldn't update properly). You could give that a try, if you haven't already.

Astarion's new cutscene is a treat. I still feel kinda guilty if I give him the book instead of Gale, I can't help thinking our pet vampire is in over his head with that tome.

I passed the checks as a Warlock under Patch 6 and only received the Speak with Dead spell, no extra inspiration points. So maybe the IP are only given to Asterion?

I would prefer animate dead rather than speak to the dead personally and it is already in game. Speak with the dead is a ritual spell so doesn't need a spell slot anyway just like speak with animals. I mean it requires a spell slot in BG3 but it may be an small oversight.

What I find interesting is that thee latest text (for Gale I believe, but possibly others), involves the mention of particularly powerful spells slipping through your grasp and the opportunity to obtain them being lost forever - even if you succeed all checks and saves. It might be worth holding onto the book until a higher level, and higher level spell access, in the full release.

Is Astarion hoping to get something out of the book other than Speak with Dead?

I ask because I had him read the whole book, pass his checks, then he got Speak with Dead, and later I still got a cut scene of him trying to read the book. I wasn't sure if the cut scene was implying that there's going to be something more to do with the book after EA, or if the cut scene just didn't realize (take into account) that Astarion had already finished reading the book.

*

Regarding the reward for reading the book, I like Speak with Dead, but it doesn't feel like enough after the built-up hype. Having Animate Dead on top of Speak with Dead would be perfect.

This is an issue I've noticed consistently. The story has a way of hyping everything up, but the results are often lackluster. Phalar Aluve, for instance. A sword that levitates out of a rock after a blood ritual... and it's a +1. The Adamantine Forge that will rock the power balance of the realms... gives a conditional -1 to hit. And the book of necromancy, revealing secrets mortals were never meant to know, protected by vicious spirits that fight you as you read and obtain forbidden knowledge... gives you the ability you got from the amulet.

The rewards have got to get into the ballpark of the story. Otherwise, it gets ridiculous.

And it gets even better:

If you give it to Astarion ...
Then you read the book as Astarion ...
And then atempt to read the book again as Astarion ... it refuses to open ...
Yet in your camp he is reading it.

I wonder (suspect) that Speak with Dead is just a placeholder for the EA and that when the game is released, we will get something further and possibly more dark from reading the book. Also, it might be something that activates each time you level (or at certain points) granting you the ability to read more and gain further spells or abilities. JMO.

I've given Gale the book when he suggests giving it to someone better prepared to deal with dangerous books, but he returns it after a preliminary look through. Then I've given it back to him for consumption purposes. It's rather confusing to work through if you have both the book quest and the artifact quest active. It's definitely best to save before attempting to navigate your choices.