Baldur's Gate 3...confirmed!

[Erloas]

Would an extra rebellious young illithid try to get back at it's parents/culture by sneaking off and helping children and saving animals and do other good deeds?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Oh come on, how come anyone can surpass the one and only Anomen?

Is that sarcasm? Ihave yet to play the games, but don't most players (and characters in-game) find Anomen obnoxious?

[Rodin]

Which, yanno, would be nice to have a dude and a chick having a platonic but deep friendship in a game where either they weren't compatible due to gender preference from either party or weren't so focused on the violence that it effectively WAS a (very twisted) romantic, just not erotic, relationship.

Shepard and Garrus definitely seem to have this relationship if you don't romance him. The bit where they put their heads together before the final assault always really touched me.

I love that there's lots of speculation on ilithid romance when I picked that specifically as a joke..

If there is indeed romance (and I assume there will be), I do hope it's handled a bit better than DOS2. That's the only game I've played where I accidentally slept with a party member.

[The Glyphstone]

Jokes aside, if they do have an Illithid companion I'd expect a 'enemy of my enemy' archetype rather than Tentacle Drizzt. Still evil to the core and perfectly happy to snack on brains, but whatever huge plot is at hand is being orchestrated by an internal political rival, so it needs to fail even if the species as a whole would benefit.

[Winthur]

Is that sarcasm? Ihave yet to play the games, but don't most players (and characters in-game) find Anomen obnoxious?

He is. He has the ignoble distinction of being the only female romance option while having a jerkass personality, although he is technically two romances in one because you can take his personal quest through routes that turn his personality in different ways (though they both default to him becoming less obnoxious overall).

Luckily, Enhanced Editions give us Rasaad, a brand new spin on the spiritual warrior formula, who is infinitely more useful and powerful than anyone else while still being romancable by ladies. He mixes power and stealth in such mysterious ways that it will take you the entire game to notice him ever doing anything useful, for his way is not one of such earthly things as "combat results". As you journey with Rasaad, who single-mindedly climbs the mountain of enlightenment, you find that while he might fare excellently on the plane of the mind, he cannot climb any mountain on the plane of the body as he has non-existent scaling. As a result, you, the player, flourish in spirit, and achieve the peak of personal Zen by realizing that the Monk's late game power is as the sound of a single hand clapping. Rasaad uplifts your spirit by taking 1/6th of your overall XP intake and ensuring all challenges provide more hardships, for enduring them is a virtue.

Spoiler: BG2EE spoilers

Show

His romance ending is idiotic, too.

[Morty]

I think Haer'Dalis was slated to be a female romance option, but it got cut. Might be just a rumour, though. Either way, the romance options for women are... not great. It's a pretty 2000 game in this respect, I suppose.

[Cikomyr]

I think Haer'Dalis was slated to be a female romance option, but it got cut. Might be just a rumour, though. Either way, the romance options for women are... not great. It's a pretty 2000 game in this respect, I suppose.

Wasn't there also rumors that the sympathetic drow guy would be a party member at one stage of development?

[Kyutaru]

Is that sarcasm? Ihave yet to play the games, but don't most players (and characters in-game) find Anomen obnoxious?

People find many jerks obnoxious but still endearing because they have personalities. Nice guy isn't a personality. As flawed as he was, he's still going to get picked over someone with the personality of wet toast. You don't have to be a perfect romance partner; you just need to be better than the next best option. Anomen won this contest hands down by being the only willing party member for females.

[Morty]

Wasn't there also rumors that the sympathetic drow guy would be a party member at one stage of development?

I've never heard of it before and it would be very odd to introduce a party member so late, and in a place anyone you replace him with is going to be stuck in for good.

[Cikomyr]

I've never heard of it before and it would be very odd to introduce a party member so late, and in a place anyone you replace him with is going to be stuck in for good.

Actually, Imoen wasnt supposed to rejoin your party initially. She was supposed to die in Spell hold.

The drow wouldn't have joined your party *that* much later than Imoen does.

[Morty]

Actually, Imoen wasnt supposed to rejoin your party initially. She was supposed to die in Spell hold.

The drow wouldn't have joined your party *that* much later than Imoen does.

Yes, and her last-minute inclusion already causes the problems I've mentioned. Why would they do it again, only a bit later?

[Cikomyr]

Yes, and her last-minute inclusion already causes the problems I've mentioned. Why would they do it again, only a bit later?

"Again"?

[Keltest]

"Again"?

The first time being Imoen.

[Cikomyr]

The first time being Imoen.

But... They didn't plan to do it with Imoen. It was just a late addition.

And in the end, it's suboptimal, but it's hardly a "problem".

[Anteros]

People find many jerks obnoxious but still endearing because they have personalities. Nice guy isn't a personality. As flawed as he was, he's still going to get picked over someone with the personality of wet toast. You don't have to be a perfect romance partner; you just need to be better than the next best option. Anomen won this contest hands down by being the only willing party member for females.

Note: This only works in fiction. In real life jerks are just jerks and no one finds it endearing.

[Keltest]

But... They didn't plan to do it with Imoen. It was just a late addition.

And in the end, it's suboptimal, but it's hardly a "problem".

But they did do it with Imoen. Hence why it would be "again".

[Starbuck_II]

Jokes aside, if they do have an Illithid companion I'd expect a 'enemy of my enemy' archetype rather than Tentacle Drizzt. Still evil to the core and perfectly happy to snack on brains, but whatever huge plot is at hand is being orchestrated by an internal political rival, so it needs to fail even if the species as a whole would benefit.

Or, a human that has been polymorphed into a Illithid, because he isn't really one, he doesn't have the psychic powers. He does have the Int damage power though.
Maybe a pirate? Swords and tentacles! You and Boo, being heroes.

[Cikomyr]

Or, a human that has been polymorphed into a Illithid, because he isn't really one, he doesn't have the psychic powers. He does have the Int damage power though.
Maybe a pirate? Swords and tentacles! You and Boo, being heroes.

How about the opposite. An illithid turned into a human?

[Spore]

Jokes aside, if they do have an Illithid companion I'd expect a 'enemy of my enemy' archetype rather than Tentacle Drizzt. Still evil to the core and perfectly happy to snack on brains, but whatever huge plot is at hand is being orchestrated by an internal political rival, so it needs to fail even if the species as a whole would benefit.

Bending the tropes like that is out of Larian's ball park I assume. Or at least I very much hope so. But you can bet your precious behinds that we will get Dak'kon 2.0, with all the fanboying around Gith. I assume (s)he will be a DLC thing , but there is no way you have a story about Mindflayers without the Gith empire involved.

How about the opposite. An illithid turned into a human?

The zanyness of Baldur's Gate could even mean you get a benign illithid larva to insert into your choice of custom follower. Have the voice lines by the larva, but customize the follower being whatever you like and/or need.

[Cespenar]

Bending the tropes like that is out of Larian's ball park I assume. Or at least I very much hope so. But you can bet your precious behinds that we will get Dak'kon 2.0, with all the fanboying around Gith. I assume (s)he will be a DLC thing , but there is no way you have a story about Mindflayers without the Gith empire involved.

There could even be a classic "choose your ally" thing with Githzerai and Githyanki. And of course, one companion for each side. I'm thinking... a male Githzerai monk, and a feisty and sarcastic female Githyanki warrior.

[Keltest]

There could even be a classic "choose your ally" thing with Githzerai and Githyanki. And of course, one companion for each side. I'm thinking... a male Githzerai monk, and a feisty and sarcastic female Githyanki warrior.

Know that if they give them the same verbal tick that Zhjave had, I will go out of my way to avoid them as much as I can.

[Narkis]

Know that if they give them the same verbal tick that Zhjave had, I will go out of my way to avoid them as much as I can.

Know that Zhjaeve was a nod to Dak'kon. Know that Dak'kon was the original Githzerai companion, and in so knowing accept that any Githzerai companion will be known to speak the same way and transfer his knowledge of the teachings of Zerthimon to a new generation.

[Morty]

Yeah, Zhajeve tried way too hard to be Dak'kon. Copying the "Pronouncement of two somethings" scheme was a step too far.

[Narkis]

Yeah, Zhajeve tried way too hard to be Dak'kon. Copying the "Pronouncement of two somethings" scheme was a step too far.

To be honest, I didn't use Zhjaeve all that much. I wasn't interested in a poor copy of one of my favorite companions ever. What did she have to do with the Pronouncement of Two Skies?

edit: spelling

[Morty]

To be honest, I didn't use Zhjaeve all that much. I wasn't interested in a poor copy of one of my favorite companions ever. What did she have to do with the Pronouncement of Two Skies?

edit: spelling

She copied it and Dak'kon's "Pronouncement of two deaths as one" and made an, uh... pronouncement of three in shadow, two in light, or something. About how she'd help you defeat the big bad shadow creature. It's been a while and I'm honestly not sure how I managed to finish NWN2 to begin with.

[Spore]

She copied it and Dak'kon's "Pronouncement of two deaths as one" and made an, uh... pronouncement of three in shadow, two in light, or something. About how she'd help you defeat the big bad shadow creature. It's been a while and I'm honestly not sure how I managed to finish NWN2 to begin with.

I hardly ever finish games. But now you have reminded me I never finished Throne of Bhaal proper. I gave up before Amellisan and don't have my "CE jerk sorcerer" save anymore.

[Narkis]

She copied it and Dak'kon's "Pronouncement of two deaths as one" and made an, uh... pronouncement of three in shadow, two in light, or something. About how she'd help you defeat the big bad shadow creature. It's been a while and I'm honestly not sure how I managed to finish NWN2 to begin with.

Oh. I'm glad I didn't see or don't remember that. Such blatant copying would have pissed me off when it doesn't suit her and her relationship to NWN2's protagonist.

[Honest Tiefling]

He is. He has the ignoble distinction of being the only female romance option while having a jerkass personality, although he is technically two romances in one because you can take his personal quest through routes that turn his personality in different ways (though they both default to him becoming less obnoxious overall).

Correction, he was the only romance option for ladies in the original game while having a jerkass personality and being fairly stupid, too. He really seems to be quite slow when Keldorn is trying to engage him and completely misses Yoshimo's sarcasm. I think the main character herself can take potshots at him, but I'm not going to replay the game with him in my party.

His arc with his sister could have been interesting, but maybe you shouldn't have to steer the cleric who has shown NO signs of actual competency back onto the path of his faith? Unless Helm was the god of pompous buffoonery, he didn't really seem to reflect much of his god. And the idiot is in the Copper Cornet, good job hero. This is why I wish that Yoshimo was the romance option.

I wonder if you're going to get a companion that survived ceremorphsis, given the emphasis on it. I vaguely recall that it was very, very, very rare, but possible, but I can't remember where I found it. Getting to play with some illithid abilities would be nice.

[LibraryOgre]

His arc with his sister could have been interesting, but maybe you shouldn't have to steer the cleric who has shown NO signs of actual competency back onto the path of his faith? Unless Helm was the god of pompous buffoonery, he didn't really seem to reflect much of his god.

I've always seen Helm as the god of Pompous Buffoonery, but that may be the influence of my first game of D&D, where my character openly mocked Helm, in his temple, for how his priest (another PC) was acting.

[Honest Tiefling]

I've always seen Helm as the god of Pompous Buffoonery, but that may be the influence of my first game of D&D, where my character openly mocked Helm, in his temple, for how his priest (another PC) was acting.

I've always thought of him as the god of 'GAZE INTO THE FIST OF DREAD HELM' because he had no qualms about killing his lover to uphold his creed and was the ONE guy Ao thought could be trusted to actually do something. I mean, even in the craziness of fourth edition, the dude was just doing his job.

Maybe Anomen was some sort of pity hire.