Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback SPOILER: Problem with final battle in Prelude

Commander Zhalk killed off the last Mindflayer before Lae'Zel or I could make it to the transponder. The next round it killed me and then Lae'Zel activated the Transponder. In the cutscene my char was alive and doing the usual stuff so the fact that moments ago I was on the ground bleeding out and no one helped me didn't end the game. When I landed on the beach I just got up as usual rather than laying there dieing so that was good if somewhat confusing.

I think the fight between the Mindflayer and Commander Zhalk should be rigged so neither can win before the Transponder is activated. Each round I had moved as far as I could toward the Transponder so it's not like we were standing around trying to kill all the Imps for XP first (which is how I usually play it).

I guess I should say I was playing v4.1.106.9344

Hmm…I have played that multiple times, and almost every time I rob every dead creature, clear all the tables (some bulbs lying around), kill all the imps, and make it to the transponder waaaaaaay before their fight ends. I did not even know it *could* end. I play on normal difficulty (ie, the default). So maybe that is the difference? Or a bug?

I did once get to close to them and the Commander killed LaZael. But I never checked to see if she was still in the cage with the tieflings.

That should def be fixed for continuity…ie, death in ship should be permadeath

I usually take my time and pick over the dead (well, that sounded gruesome) for the experience and the odd sellable loot. But I was just trying to get through it so I could test out some things with the character in the first act. Sometime it looked like it was getting close but it never ended for me before either.

You mention you play on "normal difficulty". As far as I know that's the only difficulty setting so far. I'd love to hear there's some checkbox(es) somewhere to change difficulty level.

When I say I died I mean Z one-shotted me and I got the "Death saving throws" red skull and hand graphic over my body. So I guess we could pretend Lae'Zel patched me up somehow after twanging the transponder and before the cinematic shows me getting tossed around. Hmmm. Yeah.

I'd hate for deaths in the prelude to be permadeath. It's a just a flesh wound like in the movies. :-/ Of course Lae'Zel could have been found by her captors, patched up, and tossed in that cage while they figure out who to sell her to.

Oh, no idea if one can change difficulty! I just assumed one could in the option menu. I have just been playing on default setting as I usually do in games, tho did not realize that was the same as everyone else! Lol

I have died and had to redo the encounter (back to save) once now out of about 20 + times doing it. I honestly don't mind the "risk" as that puts pressure on you to get the heck out of there. Unless you have other plans before you go mind you... like killing the two Cambions for xp and their great-swords (you don't currently get xp from Zhalk nor the Mindflayer).

I don't mind a little pressure but I had the main char and L'Z both make a bee line for the transponder and couldn't have gotten there any quicker. Sure, if you stop to loot the bodies and fiddle around I'd understand it. But that fight was over pretty quick. :-/

Unless the commander got multiple crits on the Illithid, or you started in stealth mode and didn't realise the turn order was progressing without you (if you're sneaking when the cutscene plays, combat moves rapidly without your input once it ends, unless you're seen and thus enter initiative), there is no realistic way that either of the boss characters can die short of 4 rounds, which is the most it can take you to reach the transponder if you just run straight there. If the commander crit the Illithid multiple times in only three rounds worth of combat, then that's very bad luck, but it's also extremely unlikely.