Baldur's Gate 3 II: The Urge for a Second Playthrough

[Keltest]

The crown specifically shows up over player avatars. In multiplayer, it shows up on every avatar, whether the player is in game or not, or a custom origin or not.

[Zevox]

You could actually turn off that setting before - at least on PC, not sure about console. I'm guessing they disabled it by default across the board now.

Well, maybe they didn't do that, because I just had it trigger the automatic second attack on me, even though it didn't before. Not sure what's going on there.

I don't see any options related to it the options menu though, so I don't believe that setting exists on the console version. Unless it's somewhere else on the PC version?

[Psyren]

Well, maybe they didn't do that, because I just had it trigger the automatic second attack on me, even though it didn't before. Not sure what's going on there.

I don't see any options related to it the options menu though, so I don't believe that setting exists on the console version. Unless it's somewhere else on the PC version?

It's on the action bar on PC - no idea how that translates to console, sorry.

[Eldonauran]

Well, maybe they didn't do that, because I just had it trigger the automatic second attack on me, even though it didn't before. Not sure what's going on there.

I don't see any options related to it the options menu though, so I don't believe that setting exists on the console version. Unless it's somewhere else on the PC version?

Here is a comparison between the two versions (PC top / Console Below)

Spoiler

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As a side note, you can just attack with your offhand first to prevent using both actions together. It'll leave your normal action free.

[Cikomyr2]

Here is a comparison between the two versions (PC top / Console Below)

Spoiler

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As a side note, you can just attack with your offhand first to prevent using both actions together. It'll leave your normal action free.

That button doesnt always reliably works. Ive had Wyll often wasting his bonus action.

And "just use your off hand first" means wasting my bonus action on an attack. The reason i dont want the auto-Main Hand/off hand is because i don't want to spend ressources i did not explicitly asked to be spent.

When i ask the character to do a ***standard*** attack i dont mean "and use your bonus action while you are at it"

[Psyren]

Here is a comparison between the two versions (PC top / Console Below)

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Yeah that's the one (for PC anyway).

That button doesnt always reliably works. Ive had Wyll often wasting his bonus action.

The button worked continuously for me, with three dual-wielders - Astarion (Swords bard), my Tav (Arcane Trickster Rogue) and Jaheira (Gloomstalker Ranger) dual-wielding on my last playthrough, and on all of them I was able to stop them from doing the automatic offhand so that I could trigger it manually or use their BA for something else. That was my mod-free playthrough though so maybe one of the mods will interfere with it now, dunno.

[Cikomyr2]

Btw...

Spoiler: Act 3 impossible check

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anyone else is a bit miffed that even a crit success doesnt do anything for the DC 99 check the game throws at you near the end of act 3? The game just showed a cinematic of me binding the Brain and then it breaking free

[Zevox]

Here is a comparison between the two versions (PC top / Console Below)

Spoiler

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As a side note, you can just attack with your offhand first to prevent using both actions together. It'll leave your normal action free.

That doesn't look like anything I've seen in the console version at all. Where's it supposed to be?

And I'm aware, but as Cikomir said, there are situations where that's a problem. Sometimes I want to use my bonis action on something else, but want to attack with my action first. For instance, if I want Lae'zel (who I have as a sttength-based dual-wielder this run) to attack an enemy, then push them off a cliff to a spot where they'll be out of her movement range, I just can't currently.

[Psyren]

Btw...

Spoiler: Act 3 impossible check

Show

anyone else is a bit miffed that even a crit success doesnt do anything for the DC 99 check the game throws at you near the end of act 3? The game just showed a cinematic of me binding the Brain and then it breaking free

It does do something actually:

Spoiler

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Every Crit Success during that sequence takes a big chunk out of the brain's final HP you have to burn through (assuming you're not using the Gale method of brain removal, that is.)

[LibraryOgre]

I haven't sat down to check but... can Astarion get sneak attack dice on a bite?

[Eldonauran]

That doesn't look like anything I've seen in the console version at all. Where's it supposed to be?.

The far left side of the UI at the bottom of the screen. If that is not correct, I can't help you any further as my UI apparently doesnt match your own.


As an aside, I knew a Bard could pull this off... But a Dark Urge Paladin?

Spoiler: Mahkloopmah

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[Cikomyr2]

It does do something actually:

Spoiler

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Every Crit Success during that sequence takes a big chunk out of the brain's final HP you have to burn through (assuming you're not using the Gale method of brain removal, that is.)

So this is what caused the status effect at the end. I was wondering what prompted these.


Thanks!!

[Zevox]

I haven't sat down to check but... can Astarion get sneak attack dice on a bite?

I don't think so? I've never had it offer to do that when I've bitten a threatened enemy. I assume it doesn't work because bite doesn't involve an attack roll.

The far left side of the UI at the bottom of the screen. If that is not correct, I can't help you any further as my UI apparently doesnt match your own.

It must not, yeah, because what I have there is just my currently-selected character's name and class level, with buffs/status effects listed above it. Odd, if you're on the PS5 version.

(I'm pretty sure that's the only console version that's out, right? X-Box has been delayed by the Series S issues, and I doubt they could get this running on the Switch if it has trouble on the Series S.)

[LibraryOgre]

So, what subclasses are y'all doing?

MC Bard: Swords
Astarion: Assassin
Lae'zel: Battlemaster
Karlach: Beastheart or whatever it is called; wolf aspect, bear for carrying capacity and easy shoving.
Shadowheart: Life
Wyll: Fiend, Blade
Gale: Evoker

Haven't had Halsin or Jaheira long enough to choose for them... didn't even KNOW Minthara was an option. She just got killed a lot.

[Zevox]

So, what subclasses are y'all doing?

MC Bard: Swords
Astarion: Assassin
Lae'zel: Battlemaster
Karlach: Beastheart or whatever it is called; wolf aspect, bear for carrying capacity and easy shoving.
Shadowheart: Life
Wyll: Fiend, Blade
Gale: Evoker

Haven't had Halsin or Jaheira long enough to choose for them... didn't even KNOW Minthara was an option. She just got killed a lot.

First run:

MC: Light Cleric
Shadowheart: Trickery, later respecced to War after mid-game plot event.
Lae'zel: Battlemaster
Karlach: Berserker
Wyll: Fiend/Blade
Gale: Enchanter
Astarion: Lore Bard
Halsin: Land (barely used)
Jaheira: Moon (barely used)
Minthara: Killed.

Second/Current Run:

MC: Wild Magic Sorcerer
Shadowheart: Vengeance Paladin
Lae'zel: Eldritch Knight
Karlach: Open Hand Monk
Wyll: Fiend/Blade + Ancients Paladin
Gale: Knowledge Cleric
Astarion: Arcane Trickster
Halsin: Moon (Unused.)
Jaheira: Not yet recruited, probably just make her Land and then never use her.
Minthara: Killed.

[Spore]

So, what subclasses are y'all doing?

MC Bard: Swords
Astarion: Assassin
Lae'zel: Battlemaster
Karlach: Beastheart or whatever it is called; wolf aspect, bear for carrying capacity and easy shoving.
Shadowheart: Life
Wyll: Fiend, Blade
Gale: Evoker

Haven't had Halsin or Jaheira long enough to choose for them... didn't even KNOW Minthara was an option. She just got killed a lot.

MC is a Fiend Warlock, and Gale is an Abjurer (because he dies so damn often) but otherwise you might be me.

[Eldan]

Somehow, most of my characters ended up doing magic. Laz'ael got Eldritch Knight, because I felt like githyanki should have psionics and that was the closest I could think of, so she's a Gish now. Astarion got magic to emulate vampire powers, because that made sense too. Wyll is a Paladin warlock now.

[LibraryOgre]

I'm considering throwing Paladin on top of Wyll, and maybe Ranger on top of Astarion.

[InvisibleBison]

So, what subclasses are y'all doing?

First run:
Durge: Hexblade Warlock
Gale: Diviner Wizard
Astarion: Originally Arcane Trickster Rogue/Fighter 2, later respecced to Thief Rogue when I realized he was never casting any spells or using action surge
Lae'zel: Vengeance Paladin
Karlach: Wildheart Barbarian
Shadowheart: Trickery cleric
Wyll: Barbarian/Bard/Cleric/Druid/Fighter/Monk/Paladin/Ranger/Rogue/Sorcerer/Warlock/Wizard
Halsin: Druid of some sort, I never used him
Minthara: I killed her
Jaheira: Died in the assault on Moonrise Towers
Minsc: Killed him too

Second run:
Durge: Evoker Wizard
Gale: Severed hand
Astarion: Lore Bard
Lae'zel: Battlemaster Fighter
Karlach: Currently Vengeance Paladin, going to respec her to Vengeance Paladin 2/Swords Bard when we reach level 8
Shadowheart: Trickery Cleric
Wyll: Fiend Warlock
Minthara: Killed her again
Halsin, Jaheira, Minsc: Not yet recruited, no specific plans

[Eldonauran]

So, what subclasses are y'all doing?

Currently? Second full playthrough: We are level 6 and just started the Mountain Path and Grymforge portion of act 1.

Spoiler

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These are final build projections.

MC, Dark Urge: Seldarine Drow
Paladin 2 (Oath of the Ancients), Warlock 5 (Great Old One/Pact of Blade), Ranger 5 (Gloomstalker)
Feats: Polearm Master, Sentinel
(Currently: P1/W5/R0)

Astarion:
Bard 6 (Swords). Fighter 6 (Eldritch Knight)
Feats: Sharpshooter, any two others
(Currently: F1/B5)

Wyll:
Warlock 5 (Fiend/Pact of Blade), Paladin 4 (Vengeance), Rogue 3 (Assassin)
Feats: Dual Wielder
(Currently: W5/P1/R0)

Gale:
Cleric 10 (Knowledge), Wizard 2 (Evocation)
Feats: War Caster, Magic Initiate: Druid
(Currently: C5/W1)

Shadowheart:
Cleric 2 (Tempest), Sorcerer 8 (Storm), Wizard 2 (Evocation)
Feats: Elemental Adept (Lightning), Warcaster or Magic Initiate; Warlock
(Currently: C2/S4/W0)

Laezel:
Fighter 5 (Eldritch Knight), Warlock 5 (Fey/Blade), Paladin 2 (Vengeance)
Feats: Dual Wielder, any other
(Currently: F1/W5/P0)

Karlach:
Barb 3 (Berserker), Monk 6 (Open hand), Rogue 3 (Thief)
Feats: Tavern Brawler
(Currently: B1/M4/R1)

I am playing with the No Party Limits mod (and on Tactician) this time around.

[Psyren]

So, what subclasses are y'all doing?

MC Bard: Swords
Astarion: Assassin
Lae'zel: Battlemaster
Karlach: Beastheart or whatever it is called; wolf aspect, bear for carrying capacity and easy shoving.
Shadowheart: Life
Wyll: Fiend, Blade
Gale: Evoker

Haven't had Halsin or Jaheira long enough to choose for them... didn't even KNOW Minthara was an option. She just got killed a lot.

Bold are the only ones I'm likely to change playthrough to playthrough:

MC: 1st playthrough Tav HWElf Arcane Trickster Rogue / 2nd Playthrough Durge Open Hand Monk
Astarion: Swords Bard
Lae'zel: Battlemaster Fighter
Karlach: Wildheart Barbarian
Shadowheart: Light (after Trickery) Cleric
Wyll: Fiend/Blade
Gale: Evoker
Minsc: Hunter Ranger-Knight
Jaheira: 1st playthrough Gloomstalker, 2nd playthrough Land Druid
Minthara: Vengeance Paladin

Karlach, Shadowheart, Wyll, Minthara, and Minsc feel too tied to their class and subclass for me to change, and Gale I could probably try other subclasses.

[Anonymouswizard]

My setup is:
Durge: Devotion Paladin
Lae'zel: Battlemaster Fighter
Shadowheart: Trickery->Life Cleric
Astarion: Assassin Rogue
Gale: Evoker Wizard
Wyll: Fiend Chainlock
Karlach: Wildheart (bear)
Halsin: Bear Bear, occasionally a Bare Bear (Moon Druid)
Jaheira: staying in camp, some kind of Druid most likely Land

If I can complete this run (messing around with settings to get the lower city to run with a frame rate that doesn't cause lag) I'll likely abandon my partial ones and start a new post-Patch 4 run with a monk or archer Durge/Tav, but will keep most of the cast the same (Astarion will probably become a Gloomstalker or Swords Bard, and I'll likely do some multiclassing).

[Psyren]

Jaheira: staying in camp, some kind of Druid most likely Land

No Minsc?

Also I highly recommend you take them with you at least to certain places, such as

Spoiler: mild spoilers, location only

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the Tribunal and the Temple. They have some great unique dialogue there.

[Cikomyr2]

Mc: Durge Oathbroken Paladin5/Storm Sorcerer 7
Lae'zel: Eldritch Knight Fighter 11/Rogue 1
Wyll: Fiend Melee Warlock
Shadowheart: Light Cleric
Gale: Conjurer warming the bench in camp
Halsin: spore druid who has sex alone in camp
Karlach: hunted down successfully by the Blade of the Frontier
Astarion: Rogue Assassin, killed after revealing to be a vampire trying to feed on the Durge.
Jae'hera: Died during the assault on Moonshine
Minsc: Died a madman in the sewers

[Anonymouswizard]

No Minsc?

Also I highly recommend you take them with you at least to certain places, such as

Spoiler: mild spoilers, location only

Show

the Tribunal and the Temple. They have some great unique dialogue there.

Haven't found the hamster yet.

I also might use Jaheira more once I've ground up Halsin's approval.

[diplomancer]

First run:

My "main team" was MC Tav(Swords Bard), Shadowheart (Trickery Cleric, later Tempest Cleric), Gale (Evocation), and Karlach (Berserker). At certain levels, I'd have Lae'zel (Battlemaster) instead of Karlach.

The other ones I'd only use when they were plot relevant. Astarion was Rogue Assassin/Ranger Gloomstalker, Wyll was Fiend Pact of the Blade, and the Druids and Minsc I'd hardly remember as I don't think I used them in combat at all. Jaheira I used a little bit in the "find Minsc" plot and at her house, I think she was Moon Druid. Minthara was killed

This second run, I'm going with the NPL mod, but still only using a "main four" in combat. I'm also heavily changing the characters. This time the main four are:

MC Durge (Conquest Paladin, also modded. Just now decided to make her a Conquest Paladin 7/Fiend Pact of the Blade 5 after "communing" with Mizora )
Wyll (was Fiend Pact of the Chain, now just changed to Blade Pact). Was a Sorlock for a while, but now full Warlock again. Considered making him a Sorcerer after he broke his Pact, but decided not to.
Astarion (Rogue Thief/Ranger Gloomstalker. Tried Beast Master for a while, but it was a pain to have the summons correctly follow all the time). I plan to have him alAscend, it will be fun to see his vampiric powers.
Laezel (Open Hand Monk 9/Rogue Thief 3. Faster than a speeding bullet!). Has an unfortunate addiction to elixirs of Hill Giant Strength, just graduated to stronger drugs and is now regularly taking Elixirs of Cloud Giant Strength.

Supporting cast is:
Gale (Divination Wizard 2/Lore Bard 10)
Shadowheart (was trickery Cleric, now light Cleric)
Karlach (Wild Heart Barbarian -wolf and elk. Animal talker of the group)
Jaheira- Land Druid
Minsc- Beast Master Ranger
Halsin- White Dragon Sorcerer (I still don't understand why 2 Druids).
Minthara- Vengeance Paladin (I'm using the mod that allows you to have her if you knock her out instead of killing her in Act I).

First run was "pragmatic good", second run is "pragmatic evil". I believe 3rd run will be the full evil one that kills refugees, becomes the Slayer, etc.

[Jophiel]

Current Team:
MC: Wood Elf Archfey Tome Warlock
Shadowheart: Life Cleric
Karlach: Veng. Paladin
Lae'zel: Battlemaster Fighter
Astarion: Thief Rogue
Wyll: Brass Draconic Sorcerer
Jaheira will probably be Land Druid
Halsin will sit in camp like a stump
Minsc will likely be Wildheart Barbarian
No Gale

Won't detail every past team but my own MC's have been Drow Spore Druid, Halfling Swords Bard and Deep Gnome Rogue/Barb
Shadowheart goes Tempest or Life each game, Lae'zel did a game as Open Hands Monk, Wyll usually does Warlock 2/Sorc 10 (but with no Gale, I went full sorc this time), Astarion spent a game as a Beast Ranger. Gale's gone Evoker and Conjurer and I don't know if it made much difference. Even without Sculpt Spell, fights are usually spread enough (and Fireball radius nerfed) that landing AoEs without blasting my party is rarely an issue.

[Anonymouswizard]

In Act 3 and got the game running okay but I'm thinking of restarting just because I feel like Level 9 is too low and I should have started the act at roughly 10-11. Thinking of an Asmodeus Tiefling Ranger, either Hunter or Gloomstalker, who specialises in archery because their talent for blades scares them.

Thankfully there's a mod that restores Asmodeus Tiefling to having Thaumaturgy.

[Zevox]

Okay, Dark Urge question for people:

Spoiler

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So, I'm at the point where I've started the endgame of Act 2. I let Shadowheart kill Nightsong, because I want to see that version of her story this time, and I figure my character this time isn't too invested in keeping Shadowheart from going full Sharran for various reasons. This drops the barrier on Last Light, which I knew it would (though of course my character didn't); turns out this does count as you killing Isobel for Dark Urge purposes, and I got my visit from the butler after.

My question: does this lock me into a more "embracing the urge" route at this point? My intention has been that, as the urge stuff has gotten more disturbing (especially after the butler showed his face), she's becoming more intent on resisting it. If I wasn't going for Shadowheart's Shar story, I wouldn't have killed Isobel. If I can't get the resisting the urge ending now, I'll probably want to re-load my pre-Shadowfell save and stop Shadowheart after all. If I still can, I think I'm good with this as-is, feels appropriate that this character would stumble into this result, and freaking out over it would make her that much more determined to resist the urge.

I'm particularly concerned because I'm not really getting dialogue options to be upset over what happened to Last Light or getting the Slayer form, only to be thrilled with it, at least with my companions. I did get to express that sort of thing during the scene with the Butler though, so, unclear if more will be forthcoming.

In Act 3 and got the game running okay but I'm thinking of restarting just because I feel like Level 9 is too low and I should have started the act at roughly 10-11.

I don't even think it's possible to be level 11 when you hit Act 3, and being level 10 when you get there requires doing basically everything beforehand (it's looking like I'll probably barely get there at the end of Act 2 on this run, and I think that's about where I was on my first). I don't see being level 9 at that point as likely to be an issue.

[Psyren]

Okay, Dark Urge question for people:

Spoiler

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So, I'm at the point where I've started the endgame of Act 2. I let Shadowheart kill Nightsong, because I want to see that version of her story this time, and I figure my character this time isn't too invested in keeping Shadowheart from going full Sharran for various reasons. This drops the barrier on Last Light, which I knew it would (though of course my character didn't); turns out this does count as you killing Isobel for Dark Urge purposes, and I got my visit from the butler after.

My question: does this lock me into a more "embracing the urge" route at this point? My intention has been that, as the urge stuff has gotten more disturbing (especially after the butler showed his face), she's becoming more intent on resisting it. If I wasn't going for Shadowheart's Shar story, I wouldn't have killed Isobel. If I can't get the resisting the urge ending now, I'll probably want to re-load my pre-Shadowfell save and stop Shadowheart after all. If I still can, I think I'm good with this as-is, feels appropriate that this character would stumble into this result, and freaking out over it would make her that much more determined to resist the urge.

I'm particularly concerned because I'm not really getting dialogue options to be upset over what happened to Last Light or getting the Slayer form, only to be thrilled with it, at least with my companions. I did get to express that sort of thing during the scene with the Butler though, so, unclear if more will be forthcoming.

I honestly have no idea. Most people planning to resist save her, and most people planning to embrace kill her. I have no idea what happens if you become the Slayer on a resist run.

I don't even think it's possible to be level 11 when you hit Act 3, and being level 10 when you get there requires doing basically everything beforehand (it's looking like I'll probably barely get there at the end of Act 2 on this run, and I think that's about where I was on my first). I don't see being level 9 at that point as likely to be an issue.

Agreed - my first playthrough I was even lower than that (8 going into Act 3) and I didn't have any issues apart from Cazador - and even that wasn't due to difficulty, rather it was due to not knowing how to stop {redacted} from happening for the first few tries.