Since the Druid grove is the center piece for the first act and it is really badly done i think its worth to consider rewriting it.
Not entirely by changing it into something different of course, but in a way that would make the available content better. The moral alignments of the old games and previous DnD versions basically dont exist anymore and shouldn't even be considered in writing and designing any quest in the game.
The problems with the current version is that it is constrained, limited, forced into simplistic take on the issues more connected to our real world then Faerun but done so badly it completely fails to create anything interesting to play through or anything actually relevant to any current issue in our world. Because its twisted into a forced simplification of "refugees good - anyone who dislike them bad" without any consideration of the third force attacking everyone and specifics of the setting and lore about any of these sides. It makes as much sense as if anyone blamed the Syrian refugees for isil terror attacks and refused to ever consider isil in any way. No, thats not what happened in our reality at all.
The current setup and situation in the grove is: - A third unnknown mysterious force is increasing attacks on the grove and everything around it. They attack the Druids, small settlements in the region, the Vaukeens rest inn, the Toll collectors inn and practically everyone else - (that are not True Souls or belong to the cult of the Absolute).
- Refugees from Elturel find themselves attacked too and barely escape with their lives. Out of desperation and necessity they seek refuge in semi secretive Druid grove.
- The Archdruid boss of the grove joins a group of adventurers and leaves to seek the source of the attacks by himself, and keeps all his info about the third force a secret from everyone else except Nettie. For some reason. (no reason at all - it does not make any sense at all he would hide any of that from all other Druids in his own grove)
- The remaining Druids start to blame the refugees for the attacks - although it doesn't make any sense and they have no info to base that assumption on. They dont want to consider anything else, dont want to investigate the third force at all, cant seem to even think about anything else and the player cant even bring that up in any dialogue in any way.
- The refugees have no intention of staying in the Grove but cant leave at the moment because they will be killed by the third force if they leave. (because they are not fighters... although they have several fighters and mages in the group)
- The Druids want them gone regardless of consequences in order to start a ritual which will encase the grove into magical thorns and so protect them... from attacks ... which they blame on the refugees...
Although if refugees leave... since its the refugees that are causing the attacks... the attacks will stop... why would they need the ritual then?
- The fact that the refugees are all Tieflings - basically devils - is barely mentioned. Its never mentioned as an issue by itself. The only issues that are mentioned as reason for trying to expel them is that "they are foreigners!" and that the grove is being attacked because of them. But as the players learn themselves the attacks started before refugees came along, and will not stop after they are gone. Yet nobody else of the druids care about that at all or wants to find out more.
- The fact that the grove maybe wont have enough food to maintain larger population is never mentioned as the reason why they want to expel the refugees before sealing the grove.
There is a storehouse where you can find a list of food supplies and reserves saying the reserves are almost gone but lets say due to the location not being fully implemented that issue is never mentioned by anyone. >Even if it was, its difficult to imagine Druids would have such problems with food - especially considering there is a river flowing right next to the grove. Additionally, im pretty fing sure that in such extreme circumstances Druids with all their knowhow of the nature and wildlife and related magic skills could in fact cooperate and help refugees to grow food enough to sustain them for a while - at the very least.
- Another issue is that the ritual of Thorns is presented as a definite sure shot solution but all it really means is that the Druids will close themselves off from the world. The duration of this separation is never mentioned, considered or allowed for discussion. At all. Even if doing that will allow for the complete destruction of the whole area which will be taken over by that third force which will then be free to create an indefinite siege of the grove. We are not allowed to point this out to anyone either. Not a single Druid is able to stop, think about for two seconds and say "Umm... how long is that going to last? And, err, are we sure the attacks will stop after we expel the refugees... wait a minute, why do we think refugees are the cause of attacks?" And of course, closing off the grove means that the Druids just cowardly abandoned their sacred duty to all of the nature and every living being in the area.
- Why, if refugees leaving will stop the attacks? If it wont stop the attacks then... why would you expel so many innocent people to die and then close yourself off - or how long?
- What exactly makes everyone so sure the magical Thorns will protect them from everything? How can anyone be sure - when they refuse to even consider the third force let alone investigate it in any way? The player discovers at least one cave tunnel leading directly into the inner sanctum of the grove from the outside. You find a wounded Druid in it, and if you manage to rescue him he just says he needs to tell others and runs off - never to be seen or heard from again. We are not allowed to mention this to anyone in any way.
And then we get to the... trial.
Jesus, this is already taking too much time and space and i just described the bare basics of this mess. The trial is basically forced onto the player and the most obvious dialogue options are simply not provided. Instead you get to choose among few really dumb and superficial generalizations - success of which is decided by three hard dice roll checks. All because the writers and devs really, really, really, wanted to throw a child death in your face. Because fake forced tragedy is drama.The only way you can get the better outcome is through pure lucky rolls or by save scumming. So its save scumming. You cant talk to anyone before the trial starts, you cant investigate anything, you cant even sneak in - even if invisible - because the devs decided to simply take you out of invisibility and push you into the "drama trial".
- Once it starts you cant even point out the child didnt simply just steal - but obviously tried to delay the ritual because she wanted to save her parents - from that third force attacking everyone.
- You cant of course even mention that third force. And you cant point out to the deputy boss that if she wants the refugees gone (however nonsensical that may be) - it doesn't really make sense to throw one of them into a "jail" - because thats fing gona make that child and her parents stay. And their friends too.
- You cant - not allowed - argue they should in fact throw the kid into the jail - only to sneak in and rescue her later on.
- You cant use any of your skills or magic. You cant use dexterity or sleight of hand to catch the snake in the nick of time. Apparently you can somehow talk to it but it tells you to hiss off.
- On the other hand you are not allowed to point out the refugees actually want to leave too. They dont want to stay. So, basically... they all want the same thing.
- You cant offer to find a solution to that mutual problem and investigate the real danger.
- You cant point out that the attacks have nothing to do with refugees, that its nonsense to simply assume so. That its something that should be investigated. Just like their actual boss went to do. That its very probable the grove would continue to be under attacks even if refugees are gone. That them being Druids... they could maybe try to spy on this third force using animals maybe? Which is exactly what you see one of them trying to do when she sends a bird to find their boss who "went missing".
- You certainly cant ask for the extension of the trial until you investigate whats really going on, or point out that having a riot and a war inside the grove may not be great for anyone -- while the third mysterious force is out there, the force that just tried to storm the gates.
- Or point out that "Im just trying to save my people" maybe isnt best done by closing them in from the world with no idea how long that will last and refusing to even consider investigating the third force that just attacked the grove in any way - or by expelling what can amount to a quickly trained small army?
....
I am aware that parts of this plot are not finished and fully implemented, but the core of it is so insulting, so badly done, so pretentious and full of most superficial demagoguery its ... infuriating.
And it plays really horribly too.THE SOLUTIONThe refugees are attacked and seek refuge in the Grove. The Druids in the grove already sense something is wrong and have suspicions about the mysterious third force. They have a whole forest of eyes and they use them to spy whats going on. Birds fly around, squirrels dart among the trees, rats scamper over and under ground, bugs skitter and fly around and snakes slide over the ground. Yet many of them get killed. The many eyes get extinguished. Some goblins and Gnolls are all the Druids can see.
Balsin and a few others join the adventurers and go to find out more directly.
The other Druids send some of these nature eyes to check the big ship crashing into the forest. These are the first contacts the player makes with the Grove. A squirrel chirps at you excitedly - if you can talk to the animals you get a short discussion, if not its still something interesting and unusual you may want to follow. If you turn left you encounter a snake or a rat, if you go towards the old ruined temple on the beach you get a visit by a bird. Link to the grove established.
- If you want to play evil you will need to kill these animals, else the Druids will see you came from the crashed ship and be suspicious of you. -
As i wrote here:
https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=707981(
The introduction of companions is greatly improved. + Wyll would join you on the Nautiloid immediately (theres no time for him to crash with it and then end up training kids in the Grove anyway). Shadowheart is also released on the Nautiloid, or if dice rolls fail found in the crashed ship, still inside the pod which now you can open more easily. Astarion is in the Jergal temple as befits a vampire, already killing and drinking blood of one of adventurers inside. You immediately figure out what he is. Decide. Gale can remain as is, i guess. Gale...)
You get to the gate of the grove and have the same fight. Only - if the player wants - you can attack the defenders, including Wyll the Blade and immediately turn for Absolute Cult. Only the Druids inside are not first, second and third level. Maybe a few are but most are much more powerful. Kagha is full Archdruid now. You try to fight the whole grove - you get ice storms, insect swarms and the full artillery compliment of high level Druid spells in your face.
The Tieflings are not weaklings.
Some of them are not fighters, but some actually are, and a mage or two, and a warlock or two. Because they are basically just random citizens of Elturel so most classes would be represented in that random group. We do encounter a fighter or two arguing with a mage of some sort, right? They do have their own very skilled smith too, so they dont lack very good weapons and armor.
Try attacking the whole grove that early - and be lucky to escape. Escape to Minthara to heal the bruised ego and plot your vengeance. Get early Absolute (tadpole) power or two from Gut and Mindhara and Razglin, go all muahaha theose dastardly Druids and hellspawn will pay dearly for their impudence! ("who is this Minthara and these ugly goblins anyway, who they are talking to down their noses like this? Just wait till i get some levels and those cool weapons Tieflings had... heh, heh, yes, yes True Souls, Absolute! right on!) Orchestrate the full frontal attack for maximum casualties on both sides, or discover and sneak through the tunnels (punish those impudent goblins for not reporting it back)
Rewind. Reload. Fight to defeat the goblin attack on the gate as usual.
Get in, talk to some Tieflings and Druids to get your bearings, get limited trading services because the times are difficult - but you did help them. No weapons or gear +1 for you - yet.
There is no talk about "refugees causing the attacks" - at all. There are talks about "what should we do?" and "who is behind all these attacks?" and "something is extinguishing the eyes we send to investigate!"
Find out about the trial. Its not immediate but it will happen. Rest and sleep and it defaults to girl being killed by the snake. Extra option is going outside, finding the cave tunnels into the inner sanctum, defeat the goblins, save the Druid - have all that as relevant dialogue info including the fact the goblins are killing all the rats and animals to prevent them from spying - get inside in time to prevent Kagha making a big mistake. Intervene in all the ways i listed above as obvious and absolutely unavoidable by basic common sense.
Sneaking in and or talking to everyone before trial starts is now allowed.
Including the discovery of Shadowdruid links to Kagha.
- Option for more dastardly players and evil Druid characters -
Side with Kagha and Shadowdruids to take over the grove and close it through the Ritual. This option would be against the ordinary Druids and Tieflings and the Absolute. Work to get the Tieflings out before the takeover to have an easier fight, or kill them all. Lead the Tieflings into an ambush prepared by yourself and goblins - or not. Get all that sweet loot - or not. Stage the false invasion by Absolute forces then double-tripple-quadruple cross everyone! Muahahaha! (with further long term consequences later on - "Return to the Grove", the way in is through the cave tunnel of course).
Get some nifty unique gear, Shadow armor, shadow staff, shadow ring, crown of shadow thorns, shadow helmet, etc, maybe a special extra tadpole power, learn some unique Shadowdruid spells if you are a Druid.
If you are not a druid the Shadowdruids and Kagha try to doublecross you and reveal or steal your powers - they try to extract the tadpole - with interesting consequences.
"Return to the Shadow Grove"
In act two or three get the option of traveling back to the act one area. Find it changed based on your decisions. If you sided with the Shadowdruid plot find the grove still covered by ritual of Thorns, only its corrupted and shadowy now.
Get in through the cave tunnels. Or maybe if you are a druid and a shadowdruid you get some item that lest you through the thorns. Inside the Shadowdruids changed everything, killed everyone else. If you are a druid, an evil druid - have the option of dueling their boss to become Shadow Archdruid and boss of the grove - which then becomes your base of operations - stronghold. Or just leave them doing what they do, spreading the corrupted ritual over the whole area. Selune temple is left devastated and empty.
- Help Shadowdruids clear any other humanoids in the area including the Zhentarim. Then explain/remind them (mandatory tadpole dialogue option) they too are humans and so threat to the nature and have them commit mass suicide. Suckers.
Rewind. Reload. The normal - decent play through.
Stop the attack, get inside.
Prevent the mistake and bad consequences of the trial through all the extended options listed above. Fail and have a war break out inside the grove. Reload or deal with the consequences.
Discover the goblins in the tunnels and use that in dialogue and arguing too.
Act to start organizing mutual defenses by Druids and Tieflings. Decide if you will let Wyll train the Tieflings or go with you. He trains the warlocks too, not just fighters.
Act to discover who is behind the attacks as usual.
Decide whether to release or kill Balsin depending on whether you want to restore him to the grove or side with Kagha and her Shadowdruid plot.
Exterminate the cult of the Absolute. Or switch sides mid stride and double and triple cross everyone.
Lie to Mindhara to lure her into invading the grove - now even more prepared to fight. Side with her forces or Druids by acting in that fight. Or, just outright clean the Selune defiled temple as usual.
Help Balsin defeat Kagha and the Shadowdruids who attempt a takeover after the Goblins are solved.
If playing as a Druid, have a few extra options in dialogue. Help or enable some Tieflings to stay in the grove and become druids. Maybe an option to become the Archdruid later on in the positive "Return to the Grove"
Most Tieflings leave for Baldurs gate in any case.
On return the Selune temple is restored and cleaned, some people and few Tieflings start to live there.
OR, keep everything as it is and listen to Druids tell you that
"Uhh, refugees must go... because of the ritual... because... uhh, it has electrolytes!"
