Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Killing Goblin Kids ok but not Tieflings

The only way for WoTC to stop screwing with the Realms at this point would be to just write-off the current timeline and revert to pre-4th edition. No more of this non-committal PR spin of 'look we fixed things with the Sundering It's just how you remember it! Pay no attention to half the world still being in ruins, now lets get started with sweeping lore changes and more apocalypses every week!'

At the very least support earlier editions like letting people publish new stuff in pre-5th edition settings.

But that is not happening. 'Looks like 3rd/2nd edition if you squint real hard' is probably about the closest things have a chance of getting. It is what it is.

As for the Tieflings vs goblin kids stuff....

When you side with the goblins against the druids and tieflings, a lot of the narrative Larian builds around the aftermath of the battle seems focused around trying to make the player feel absolutely miserable (honestly to the point I felt like I was being pressured to reload and play the other side) Really going out of their way to tug your heartstrings IMO with stuff like the goblin giving you alfira's lute and telling you how he sawed off her fingers to get it, or your dog telling you he hopes the goblins aren't your friends if you have speak with animals, etc. What happens to the kids really exemplifies this approach-you can find a letter on the body of the kid you save from the harpies to their 'hero', one of the goblins will basically tell you he feels sorry for them. You are obviously supposed to feel responsible and guilty for getting all those kids killed.

By contrast, the goblin kids are less important plotwise -no quests to help/rescue goblin kids, no building favor with them like they are a faction....and they are simultaneously both easier to kill (can be targeted and killed directly) while also being optional-you don't *have* to kill the goblin kids, but the game doesn't guilt trip you if you choose to either.

Narratively it feels very lopsided. I don't appreciate how Larian goes out of their way to show that while bad, the goblins are still *people* with more nuance to them then they are generally given in similar media, but then practically bludgeon the player with how much of an 'absolute' bastard they are if they side against the tieflings. The game already punishes you pretty heavily if you do so, I could deal without the massive guilt trip that you get handed as well.