Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Join the absolute? Better reasons needed

Many players have completely missed the option to join forces with the absolute. If they do side with it the goblins turn hostile anyway.

Make Edowin or a dream point the player towards a contact person to the absolute
Make that absolute priest explain what matters to the player
You will not turn into a mindflayer, that does not happen to true souls. Keep all the benefits of the tadpole.
You will be rewarded for helping the absolute
You are on the stronger side that will aquire dominance over all of faerun. Explain why this is a likely scenario.
You have nothing to gain from siding with the druids. They can't help you and you would be defeated along with them.

Right now the absolute route is disjointed.
Manage to not turn the goblins hostile.
Have really good rolls in dialogue with Minthara.
Butcher the druids and tieflings for no apparent benefit.
Goblins hate you anyway.

The absolute is a new cult trying to expand its ranks. They have no reason to scare potential recruits away.

I completely agree with you, Larian wanted us to play as an evil character, but I did not see this in the game at all. The evil line is poorly worked out (now), but has a lot of potential

Do not repeat the mistakes of the third Fallout, where being evil means do not play for dark side of power, but being a dumb maniac. They are different things

It's not disjointed, it's incomplete. Because, you know, it's act 1 in early access. Why people always ask everything of a game even though they know they are only presented with a third of its actual content? That's beyond me.

I still have yet to determine what the Absolute intentions are? I mean I know that the mindflayers injected me with the tabpole but not sure if the mindflayers are the ones responsible for me not turning into a mindflayer by ceremosis.

Because Sven and Larian have encouraged people to try an evil playthrough. If you want to test something specific start by making sure that it is in a state somewhat representative of what you want to test.

I strongly agree there is no reason to join the Cult.

The main predicament you are in is the tadpole and the threat of dying due to ceremorphosis. It is never mentioned or even hinted that joining the cult would prevent or forestall this condition.

There are also no other motivators, some of which could be:

• Monetary reward
• Mention that joinging the cult would give you power
• Some of the people at the grove have slighted you

Some of this has been discussed in the Minthara nature of evil thread. I wanted something more focused on the absolute plot and a thread title that made it easy for Larian to see what it is about.

I agree with you that this needs to be added, but currently this is simply not true. Everyone in the goblin camp thinks you are going to turn into a mindflayer. Gut imprisons you for it, Minthara does not reference it but has tons of other reasons to kill you anyway. Everyone is so hostile against their fellow "true soul", it makes the two novices that were with Eodwin showing up in the party a little ridiculous. "The Absolute brings people together" my ass, the Absolute just wants me dead apparently.

Thats fair, was just adding it in case some people hadn't seen it, its adjacent

This is a lot more practical steps haha

I agree...

Join the Absolute Cult only to become friends with goblins instead of druids/refugees because they're evil and you're playing an evil character just suck...

They said they won't introduce a classic alignement system but that's worse because you just have the choice of black or white, and you don't know why except that "they are bad guys / they are good guys".

You don't really join the cult. They brand you and talk to you but then they are enemies again. To quote Priestess Gut "We true souls ought to care for one another". The cults way of showing their care is a bit lacking.

The best reason to try join the absolute in act 1 is drow waifu

Love Is… - when you ready to commit genocide to be with her

Bit of a problem that, since I'm a straight female and female drow LI are not my thing ><

Then, this is the way to find a good friend. More precisely, an evil friend, but good for you.. in the release version of the game

I think the evil path needs be far more enticing.

Right now it just feels both suicidal and nonsensical unless you're just out for blood.

Pragmatic evil path to power needs to be introduced - there is some, but it feels somewhat disconnected from the actual Act 1 story (as in Raphael (who really does a bad job, IMO, coming so negative from the get go) and dreams just sort of appear here and there and then just seemingly go away.

There also need to be some far more charismatic agents of evil, yes like that one self-declared agent of evil we all love from D:OS2 who happens to narrate now.

Raphaels intentions are not clear yet. He wants to sow doubt and clearly does not like the absolute but his final proposal remains unknow.
I can understand why the absolute does not like the druids (they tried to remove a tadpole and are attached to god) but why do they attack the tieflings. They don't have a lot of valuables but some of them could be lured away in their desperate situation.
Its as if *insert your favourite dictator* would have risen to power by scaring potential allys away and being utterly rude and uncharismatic. Even ruthless tyrants usually offer something. Be it protection, wealth or religious freedom. The absolute offers, well if it has something to offer its priests certainly don't like to talk about it

Who knows, Icewind Dale

The whole "they are just religious zealots and crazy people join up with them because they are crazy" does not work when the PC is a rational being 99% of the time. The Absolute really needs a few missionaries to entice you with.




Imagine if Malady shows up in Act 2 lol.

They should send one to the Tieflings. Join us for beneftits x,y, don't join us and we attack. Some food for the travel and free passage in exchange for being branded and helping to overthrow the druids