Bg3 Hot Take Edition

[u/Feeling-Classroom729]

I'm feeling spicy and I want to hear some of your hot takes about the game. Perhaps, I'll see the game from a fresh perspective and/or learn something new.

There's no limit to the hot takes you can share.

I'll go first.

Despite Araj's negative reputation, I think she's one of the best merchants in the game. In act 2, she carries the risky ring and the ring of free action, which is already amazing. But she also offers unique elixirs in act 2. In act 3, she sells sanguine explosives, which is basically a level 4 fireball that you can buy for less than 20 gold. Getting the unstable blood condition from her in act 3, can also be powerful if you build around it. The +2 to strength is super powerful if you're willing to torture Astarion, but even without that, she's still an amazing npc. She's a little pushy with Astarion, but she ultimately accepts his no. So, I don't stay mad at her.

I don't think completing a "good run" automatically makes your character good aligned. Basing your decisions around not making your favorite npcs sad is not a sound moral compass. I think there are more morally neutral people out there than people are willing to admit. It isn't a bad thing to be morally neutral. Jaheira is canonically true neutral in the older games, and people love her.

[u/moistwaffleboi]

Oh, I've got so many.

I have a massive dislike for Astarion. I will never understand why people like him. He's rude, abrasive, and just overall annoying to be around. I'm not one of those people who kills him every playthrough because I recognize that he can be useful, but I just really don't enjoy him as a character.

Wyll is super underrated and doesn't get as much love as he should. He's so lovely and kind, and he's really great in combat if you build him correctly. I will never understand why people find him boring.

I also really like Halsin. He's super chill, handsome, and sweet. I don't understand the dislike toward him whatsoever.

Out of all the builds I've done (I've played every class at least once), cleric and ranger are the most fun. They're both super underrated classes, and I never see anyone choose them. Ranger especially can be super overpowered if you build it correctly.

Lastly, I'm not sure how much of a hot take this one is, but I really wish there wasn't an option to play as an origin character. I just really don't get why it's an option. It's supposed to be an RPG where you create a character who you can make into whatever you want them to be. Playing as a character who already has a fully fleshed out story is completely pointless, especially if you've already played the game as a Tav or Durge. There is almost nothing special in origin playthroughs. Also, Larian could have put more effort into other parts of the game if they didn't implement them.

[u/Accomplished_Area311 → u/moistwaffleboi]

Re: Astarion - it’s personal taste and being able to relate to his arc, at least for me. Sexual abuse survivors are so often shown as “perfect victims” in media, I love seeing how unapologetically messy he is. His Spawn route is very healing for me… Especially when I romance him as a Resist Durge.

Re: Playable origins - this was a thing in Divinity: Original Sin 2, so I’m assuming Larian carried that pattern to BG3. Astarion and Lae’zel’s origins have exclusive content, Shadowheart’s does too at the end of Act 2 (you get to experience the punishment/chastisement from Shar). Karlach’s origin run isn’t playable for me though, she never shuts the hell up 😭

EDIT: Lae’zel’s worst ending - and the rarest ending in the game - is only available through her origin run. It’s so rare only 34-35 people have seen it. I want to finish a Lae origin run specifically for that ending.

[u/Ladyfriday1 → u/Accomplished_Area311]

Hi, where did you get the 35 number from? Just curious!

[u/Accomplished_Area311 → u/Ladyfriday1]

Here's the screenshot, if the link I posted ends up not being allowed. I couldn't remember if it was 34 or 35 so I said both because of that.