Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General What kind of companions would you like to see?

Ok cool, new page again

For Astarion we got an Elf/Daywalking Thief with an arcane trickster option
Abilities are also in flux here, but currently he has Str 8, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 13, Chr 10
he's reppin a dagger and a bow, and collar popping with padded armor
He's the basic sneak-about and lock-buster. Not the best backstab for damage but he does have some bite, mainly operates at range though and for rogue utility like scouting.

For an alt sub, I think the natural might be to drop a Tiefling on us, Alfira might work, or even a Sazza if they let us roll with a goblin. The former more on the spellcasting/utility charmer line as a Bard, the latter more the sneak or cutpurse Thief line. I think the challenge with Astarion is that, despite being ghost white ex sanguine, he's got a lot of color in the personality and that rakish charm. So I think in a sub in you'd want an archetype with some dazzle sazzle to em. I do feel like we need some shorties even if it breaks phenotype, so Sazza might qualify there. Astarion presents as neutral-evilish and hypersexual, so it might be fun to see them go a similar route with Sazza. She strikes me as having the confidence and experience to lean into it with the cat calls, even if its not exactly what Tav is after.

Lmao.

Also just one more thought on Sazza, there are no companions that seem particularly Chaotic right now. Everyone seems to have a plan and a pretty solid grip on things. Maybe Sazza could fill in a gap there? Whatever one thinks about the traditional Alignment Axis, its still useful for this kind of characterization. Since Astarion presents as a bit over the top, Sazza I think might handle going under the bottom. He can croon from the roof, while she guts from the gutter.

Also another thought, if Larian adopts the idea of cross-over alts in the Party (basically making sure we have a minimum of 2 options for each desirable slot/type), then, if both end up rolling together in the same party, with overlap in skills/utility, their banters with each other should make up for this by being even more engaging.

Like if utility gives you a reason for wanting to choose one over the other, then narrative/characterization should provide a reason for wanting to take both as on offset to that in another playthrough. Basically if you reduplicate Class/Skills/Abilities/Archetype, there should be some story reward for that, since you usually take a hit on the mechanical rewards for not having a 'balanced' party. Or same thing for D&D race. Like if there are utility reasons to want a variety of racial abilities and stat bonuses spread out across the party, there should be counterbalancing rewards in the banters and such if you elect to ignore the incentives for party balance, and instead opt to reduplicate.

So in the example above, this might take the form of Sazza turning the tables on Astarion and constantly gunning for him to dive in bed, while he discovers his prudish side. Or even better, if Astarion is super into her, but she's all unimpressed at his underwhelming libido and "boring" kinks.

Or maybe they alternate like that between the two, before finally finding true love with each other at camp. Where they ignore Tav completely to hop in the sack with each other, in their own extended cinematic. Shit like that

Yes I was trying to have fun but I was also trying to say that something was going wrong in the thread. So yes "just joking" but also, no, really, I'm not joking.

If I opened then thread hoping to see a discussion about companion personalities and was instead greeted by a discussion about sexual assault I would be upset. It's easy for me to have a calm discussion about such issues because I've never been assaulted but I've met people who have and have strong negative reactions to such discussions. I wasn't trying to call a mod (never once in my internet life have I flagged a post) but I was suggesting that the conversation deserved its own thread with an appropriate title.

The mods here are actually pretty tolerant -- one seems more inclined to lock and another more inclined to move and merge and I don't think a move / merger would be a bad thing. And I say this as someone who has a talent for getting banned.

Black Elk is valiantly trying to get us back on topic so I'll leave it there. Can I resist the temptation to discuss gender essentialism -- dc15 . . . Yes! I rolled a 17! See you all in the new thread.

Again, I want to see a Mazzy sort. Someone strong and optimistic, someone who compliments the party, someone who reminds the MC to do the right thing, who performs religious devotions from time to time . . .

Mazzy was one of the best companions in BG 2 so yeah,someone like Mazzy would really be great.

I personally feel like Astarion is just begging to be multiclassed as a ranger or a fighter. His natural Dexterity is amazing and he can go meelee, ranged, or if they don't touch his WIS (they better not because I have plans for it) you may multi him into a cleric for the ultimate support character, picking locks, disarming traps, scouting, giving buffs, while still being amazing with a bow.
I think Astarion's stats are as diverse as they are exactly because they are setting him up as the flexible support companion who can fill the gaps, whatever it is that you may need. in 5E, DEX based rogue/fighters are incredibly reliable damage dealers, but Astarion can become an AT, an Assassin, he can multi to ranger, fighter, cleric and wizard, and he is just a joy to have around. The only reason not to take him is if you can't stand his personality.
If we must have a sub, we should have an evil bard to cover for Astarion. No clue who he might be, but I don't want a goodguy bard in my party, unless if it's the aforementioned dwarven skald.

Yeah I had a similar thought when I saw Astarion's stats, like maybe they had plans for Astarion to be the new Tiax? Its a bit of a shame that they decided to open with a cap at lvl4, rather than 5 or even 6, because I think it makes people rather less likely to explore multi-class builds if they can't advance to at least the 3rd level in one of the classes before hitting a cap. Like as a general rule, I usually want to hit at least the second level in the initial class before I cross over into something new. Multi-Classing is obviously way more flexible now than it used to be when BG1/2 came out in second edition, certainly less preplanning required than Dual-Classing a human used to be, but even still I feel like you want to have some room to grow if developing a multi-class idea. I think its rather more stark when combined with the limit of just 4 PCs, but of course that's been talked about endlessly elsewhere. Like either they're going to take the party size gripe seriously or they're not, but either way, the low level cap nerfs a lot of otherwise interesting multiclass options. Its unfortunate, because I suspect there will be some bugs with at least a few combinations, and it would be helpful to work out how the UI is going to handled multiclassing in EA.

Anyhow, the idea of alts/subs for the current Companions, is sort of just an expedient jumping off point to think about what other companions might be fun. I suspect a lot of people will opt to keep Astarion around, but if not for whatever reason, I think it would be nice to have an alt that could also fill a solid support role.

So say they give us Sazza as a potential alt for Astarion, she might have similar wide ranging options to multi, maybe along different lines. Like perhaps she really discovers a calling as a Paladin of the Absolute, or who knows lol. But basically some flexible stats to provide some options there, for the whole reduplication/party balance idea. Or again if the Player chooses to keep both characters in the party, that they might be able to Multi in different support directions as a possible payoff. Like maybe he goes Dex based fighter or ranger, she might go caster or vice versa. I just really hope some of these fan favorite NPCs like Sazza make it into the roster. It was a total tease to let us spring her from the cell and tag along as a follower but then take her away hehe.


How about a Gale sub?


Gale: Human Wizard with an appetite
His stats haven't changed yet I don't think, so STR 9, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 16, WIS 11, CHA 13
Other than the snazzy purple robe, his starting get up is pretty standard (Wizards are painfully plain in the style department right now)
He's the Mage, and the only one so we've seen, so obviously we know what we're dealing with there. He's going to be misty stepping about and trying to hurl the big spells.

For a sub, this is a bit of a dilemma, because a proper BG game should give us more than one Wizard. Right now the only schools to choose from are Evocation and Abjuration, and of the two he strikes me as more of an Evoker, even though they don't set him up with magic missile by default. Just because he likes to talk and you can't evoke without a gift for the vox. Hopefully they plan to include more magical schools than just 2 (like of course my dream would be a party of 6 mages each with a different specialization, but that's for dreams.) So who do we got? For candidates among the NPCs who either look like they might be wizards or who sling spells at some point...

*spoilers* (I guess, although people should assume them by now in an EA)

Zevlor does toss some spells around in the gate battle, but he's also sporting Plate, so there's that. He could make for an interesting Battle Mage if companions are already multi-classed but that seems a bit limiting. I think a Gale alternate should be able to hold their own as a purist.

Rolan the Tiefling, the one arguing with his friends that they should leave when you first enter the grove. He looks the part, since he's wearing the lame wizards robes. He doesn't jump out at me as a fan favorite, but maybe we just need to get to know him lol.

Eramas the Tiefling, the one in the hallows who wants to leave the village. She doesn't seem to like the Druids or the Goblins so maybe she has the intelligence at least. Her main point of intrigue is that she is a tiefling wearing a hood. Which is a better look than I'd imagined. So hey, at least it's a cooler outfit than the usual robes.

Roah Moonglow the Halfling merchant in the Goblin Camp shattered sanctum. The idea of recruiting a merchant into the party is a bit of a stretch, but she's got some potions on her and that staff. So maybe wizarding is a possibility for her? Probably just because I'd like to see some shorty companions, but yeah.

Finally there's Florrick, she's the one trapped in the burning inn. They call her counsellor, which seems like a fairly wizardy job title, and she does have a quarterstaff. Of all the NPCs we run into I think she's probably the top contender for a possible alt wizard. And her outfit is at least pretty cool, sporting some feathers and some decorative flourishes. Obviously her familiar would be a raven

Thoughts?


ps. Oh I almost forgot about Nadria the Tiefling with the telescope (every other NPC in this game is a tiefling lol) but she could probably fit the bill too. I mean she is in there from the crash cinematic. They must be trying to kill her for a reason right? A pink necromancer might be fun, once she's seen the other side. Keeping that coin to pay the ferry man for a return trip?

I'm replaying BG1 with the NPC banter mod and i'd trade Gale, Wyll and Astarion for my man Kivan so quick. For Imoen too. Wisdom and (non-malicious) light-heartedness are definetely missing from the current companions, especially the former.

I am thinking about this more and think the character should be named Barnolo and I have the distinct feeling that Neil Patrick Harris might be willing to voice it for the normal voice actor's fee just to build his brand.

Hehe I'd let him tag along. Neil wouldn't do us wrong.

I could also go for a Mazzy. They need a shorty!

Or a Kivan, give us a hood!

I don't really have anything else for wizards right now. Well ok...

Emanrahc, a dyslexic Wizard who's spellbook requires constant editing? Insists he's from the mirror dimension. But no one believes him.
Uses the gruff scottish voice for sure.

I just felt like I needed to add a Wizard companion idea, who's not a Tiefling, cause I think we got enough of those already.
But yeah, another Wizard too, pretty please.

I would like Halsin to be a companion.

I was disappointed that there was nothing special about playing a cleric of Selune, but there is some rewarding talk when being a cleric of Shar. But I really, really want to see a female cleric of Selune you can pick up and who, when it is revealed that - to which Shadowheart is going to do a lot of cursing and yelling.

She should be a really, really annoyingly perky cleric too.

Weird, that was actually my first full playthrough, Half Wood Elf Cleric of Selune obsessed with Shadowheart. Did actually stumble across a dialogue interaction: At some point there's a [Cleric of Selune] Option that's something like "Insult my god again and we're gonna have words." Would love to see them build on that.

I feel he has a serious job he can't leave?
One of the lesser druids would be good though? Maybe that one who talks to the bird.

Putting this in spoilers in case you haven't finished the EA content yet.

Thanks, I'd forgotten that. So yeah! wouldn't he be pretty high level? But yeah if he's in the camp he should be in the party. Like not a solid rule, litch and all, but definitely for people like him who would help and have a clear adventuring class.

Been so long since I played BG 2 don't even remember her might have to do another run-through of that game

Been so long since I played BG 2 don't even remember her might have to do another run-through of that game

If your talking about Hattie <sp?> How can she be in the party when a lot of us kill her when she tries to poison us? Astarion is lucky I didn't kill him when I first met him.

I vaguely remember Kivan and Imoen and the great banter of the party. Might have to buy that one again and replay through both it and BG2

Mazzy is the halfling Fighter who doesn't get to be a Paladin because of 2ed rules, but who is pretty much a Paladin. Probably one of if not the best character in SoA in my opinion, they milked the rules/story dynamic to very good result with her.