baldur’s gate 3

To keep the dwarf train rolling, we’ve been playing Baldur’s Gate 3 (featuring LOPEN). We’re using a mod so that we can have a six-player game. 

• Dante: Ilanis the bard
• numbers: Astarion the rogue
• Lopen: Lae’zel the fighter
• newbie: Shadowheart the cleric
• HGR: Polly Ripplebrook the sorcerer (lmfao “Polly Ripplebrook”)
• me: The Dark Urge the sorcerer

I just went with the character defaults, while HGR min-maxed his stats. That’s why I have an armor class of 11 while he has 18. On the other hand, I have a butler who gives me free magic items. “I can’t believe my sorcerer rival has a butler who gives him free magic items,” said HGR. 

Notable events so far: 

(1) High Priestess Gut: We entered the goblin camp and got an audience with High Priestess Gut. While everyone was wandering around and checking out the place, Lopen spoke to the priestess and said that he was going to gut her. He pretty much had to say it because (a) it was in character for him, (b) it was in character for Lae’zel, and (3) it was funny. Anyway, the entire goblin stronghold turned hostile. We were all suddenly in combat (and way out of position). We made the best of it and managed to kill some of them, but one of them beat the WAR DRUM (a literal war drum) and summoned reinforcements. We had to bail.

tl;dr we made it out, but incurred 600 gold in revival costs. Dante had to revive us in the right order (people carrying gold get revived first). But we all agreed it was worth it because Lopen’s comment was funny. Then we went back and wiped out the rest of the goblins.

(2) The boat incident: In the Underdark, we took a boat to travel across an inland lake. Although we’re using a six-player mod, certain events in the game are hardcoded for only four characters. So Lopen and I were left behind on shore.

In our absence, the party was attacked by a boat of enemy duergar. I didn’t see any of it (was busy sketching a candy-colored mindflayer), but based on the audio, it was a bad time. In desperation, newbie spent a bunch of time creating grease so that numbers could try and shove enemies off the boat, which did not work. Shoving people is Lae’zel’s lane. In any case, the party wiped and we reloaded.

We came back later with an extra level, and Lae’zel and I were chosen for the boat party (it seems to be random who gets picked). Lae’zel kicked things off by shoving the enemy leader off the boat in cutscene (she succeeded a 20 check with bonuses). Then HGR hasted me and I nuked the enemy boat with a double fireball. After that, it was just cleanup.

Amazing how much difference just one level makes, said everyone, but having the right people helps too.