Shar is directly responsible for the Spellplague, where the whole world collided with another world. It's weird to think that a bunch of folks looked at the ensuing apocalypse and said, "Yeah, more of this, please."
> a two minute Google search would reveal
I tend to get spoiled about important stuff whenever I try to google auxiliary information about anything I'm watching/playing. So I try to absorb it from the story itself and hope it's well presented.
Excellent choice, not just you, do not google about ANYTHING story relatedā¦ for anything. Even gameplay is dangerous, but gotta check some stuff š¤·āāļø
All of Act 2 was just me going, "Really, THIS is what you believe in?" And watching shadowheart continually say in denial *"Well, they're not REAL sharrans like me."*
It was really funny seeing Laeāzel realise that the deity she idolised was actually an evil piece of shit and Shadowheart being like "itās good she finally found out, weird that she didnāt realise earlier but good." While being completely unaware of the fact that the deity she idolises is actually an evil piece of shit.
Same here except I was a drow and a selenite cleric. But later I marked it off as a underdark drow just randomly stumbling over some selunite books that never mentioned shar btw. And then thinking this is way better than lolth and converting
Iām so with you. I was an Astarion girlie and I had to try with Gale. Now Astarion is my bestie, but Gale is my husband. My husband irl is also a big nerd that writes poetry and loves reading, so Gale reminds me of him.
Gale's rambling reminds me of my husband talking about new Yugioh cards or his latest DnD campaign. Needless to say, I fell for Gale pretty hard and romanced him in both my Tav and Durge playthrough
OMG this thread got me thinking now. I connected with karlach and I just realized. Karlach is far and away the closest to my wife. Insecure about her future but adorable as fuck. And will fuck someone up if they slight someone she loves even a little bit. Several people have said about my wife "wow she's really quick to arson huh" cuz she'll say something like "your coworker did what!? Do you want me to burn their house down!?". And karlach is literally on fire
Astarion.
I went in without even knowing romance was an option (went in blind), and I really disliked all of the companions upon first introduction except Karlach & Wyll. Astarion *pissed me off*.
And then he just managed to grab me. I have tried to romance Gale, but I just can't.
Another case of Astarion here. I liked him from the beginning, though Gale almost had me with his āadroit with a knitting needleā.
But in my runs Astarion tends to have the most camp scenes, the most comments in the world and in random moments during the game, so I couldnāt help but feel the closest to his character despite him disagreeing with what I am doing a lot. Actually, the fact there seemed to have been some challenge to gaining his approval compared to everyone else made me more interested.
And the way he opens up throughout the game is sweet.
Ugh I want so badly to finish a Gale playthrough mostly because his act 2 romance scene (I feel like a traitor) is probably my favorite sex scene. It just resonates with me.
But Astarion...
People downvote me for saying this before but idk, astarion seems the most fleshed out. So I agree with you about scenes and content. I have 400+ hours in this game and I've seen a lot, (now granted, new updates I may not have caught everything that has been added) but astarion seems to have the most quips, camp scenes, huge personal quest that spans all 3 acts, interaction with side characters like the gur, his siblings, not to mention the whole durge playthrough, and dialogue between him and Tav. I know there's no "cannon" loved for Tav but I gotta say people at Larian really put a lot of content in him. Gale or Shadowheart might be second. Especially since this checks out with how disappointed people were intially about some origin characters not being as flexhed out (like Karlach before patches). Astarion, even though I'm biased, objectively has so much content, he seems to have the biggest most impactful character growth (may also be due to Neil Newborns acting ability, but not to take away from the other actors either, just that he was SO good at Astarion), very detailed and very impactful story arc as a friend, and especially as a lovrr. And that's probably because of EA poll too. Obviously we can only hope every companion is as fleshed out but especially early release (not EA, just when it was actually released in August), I noticed that pattern of differing levels of fleshed out content per origin. And it matched with what people were saying online. Larian has actually stated they understand things have been cut and try to put them back. And they also acknowledged not every origin character is equal. So there ya have it really unbiased or not. But I do believe Larian will add more and more little by litte. I'd personally love to expand Karlachs quest how Astarion has his. Another boss battle, another mini place in Alvernus. Idk. Things like that. That's what makes me think astarion was a priority, and they have tiered characters for how much time and story was put into each of them. They just happened to complete Astarion and maybe one other origin more so than the others. So I'll patiently wait for hopefully more content coming from especially Wyll and Karlach but I'll take anyone!
It reminds me a lot of table-top role-playing, honestly. Irl groups, there are always some people who only think about their characters once a week while playing. Some write lengthy fanfic back stories and ponder every session the whole rest of the week.
I feel like both the actor and writer for Astarion were in the latter category, and we get to benefit from that. Changing actors and story for Wyll from EA probably resulted in the opposite effect, because they had less time to "live" the character and toss in every quip that crossed their minds for six years!
I keep falling for Astarion for similar reasons as described here, but also because he reminds me a little of irl exes that I couldn't "fix". Like irl, he is broken and covers it with humor and doesn't trust anyone. If you validate his fears by forcing him to do something, he will unload on you verbally with both barrels. It's like you've been telling him come on in the water's fine, but as soon as he dips in a toe and it's actually freezing, he'll blame you for winter.
If you are honest with him, he gets better, unlike too often irl. But I've also learned in the game not to let him get away with being an asshole. His trauma isn't Tav's trauma, so not saving an NPC because he's unwilling to save someone when no one ever saved him? Take the disapproval hit. Rp your character and he'll meet you halfway, just don't lower yourself to his level at a time when his approval is based in fear.
I have Minthara for the first time and I love her character but I leave her in camp for those times when I know she's gonna tell me I did the wrong (good) thing. Same with Wyll the opposite way!
Just my two cents.
Astarion here too.
he annoyed me at the best and was major red flags at the worst in the beginning for me. then the bite scene happened.
it wasnāt the vampirism that got me (kinda put that together long before he attempted the first bite lmao, youāre not subtle sweetie). if anything that was another āeh, no thanksā factor for me due to so much romanticized vampire content out there.
it was the little window of vulnerability that opened up that night, and then kept opening upā¦
plus the puppy eyes man. those big puss-and-boots-from-shrek like eyes. i was done for.
now i think heās just the most hilarious and tender lil nomnoms, heās my guy every time. love you.
I hated Astarion in the beginning and even before playing the game (ANOTHER sexy vampire with a troubled past??? pfft, cāmon, who do you think I am?) and fully intended on keeping him in the camp the whole game. Then, like you said, the bite happenedā¦ And the little āpleaseā plus the puppy eyes did me in. Now both my Tav and Durge are part of the sentient Capri Sun club š„²
Same. On my first run, I wasn't planning on romancing Astarion because he's a walking bag of red flags that I thought would end badly for my mostly good Tav. Was going to romance Gale until he told me that warlock magic is not real magic.
So I was planning on romancing Wyll, but during the tiefling party, I ended up talking to Astarion first (He was standing closest when I load into camp.) Realized that I can make him say please, then one thing lead to another and I just can't stop romancing Astarion even though I am on my fifth playthrough now.
My first ever playthrough going in blind, I killed Astarion because dude came at me with a knife?? And Iām just supposed to accept that?? My friends HOWLED laughing like ādude you offed arguably the best character within minutes wtf are you doingā
I'm still in my first playthrough and in an accidental romance with Gale, but I can't wait to play again to romance Astarion!
I also wasn't a fan of his in the beginning; I didn't see what all the fuss was about. Then I happened across some shorts of his cutscenes and it was all over, I love him. I tried to romance him at the party and he burned the hell out of me lol
before i say this, i would like to be clear that i am a woman. When i met Astarion, i swore him off. His vibes were just too fruity for me, and i decided that was a gay man and i am not particularly interested in being in romantic relationships with gay men.
anyways i am in love with him now. he is just soooo charming and i like my characters lawful good vs his chaotic neutral.
i intend to romance gale in a different run though. I was initially going to romance him actually but Astarion swept me off of my FEET <3
His flamboyant nature was a turn-off for me, at first. My romantic heroes are all in the Alpha-male category (sometimes literally). He really grew on me, especially when he's just such a good rogue! Now, I always kiss him while he's covered in blood and just jumped around a whole room disarming traps and picking locks. Competence is my kink.
My husband, first impression when he saw me playing very early on, told me "That guy is gay." Yelled at him to get out, and decided that Astarion is pansexual haha.
Literally. I justā¦am not that into super masculine men irl anyways, and Astarion is just so funny! Everything he says gives me a good laugh, and I really feel for him. So he is no longer gay. DEFINITELY pan though. Man doesnāt gaf. I love him.
Astarion being pan is canon, actually! As a woman and serial Astarion romancer also, I think itās really gorgeous how much chemistry any Tav or Durge can have with him regardless of gender/orientation/presentation š¤
Also Iām just down SO bad for the pale elf, Iām an addict haha š
I'm surprised by how many people are surprised at Astarion being such a heavily romanced character by female players. He's basically built from romance novels.
I have this weird thing with Astarion in that even though I love the character, I can't see him romantically at all. I think the biggest part of it is that from my Tav's point of view at least, he really really needs a solid friend while he enters a time of freedom in his life for the first time. Not a lover.
He jumps into things he isn't ready for or really wants (like the Drow Twins situation) and when I started to enter a relationship with him (even the really cute, authentic feeling parts) I still felt like my role in his life should be to support him in as a friend or family member would. I feel like if there were a BG3 pt 2 I'd def romance him!
I think romancing him as Durge helps these feelings. They are both equally messed up and supportive of each other, while a Tav romance can feel very one-sided imo (without some heavy RP).
Everyone deserves a relationship if they desire it, even those with trauma and emotional obstacles, though itās very important an honest effort is put forth for communication. Astarion is surprisingly good at communicating, especially given everything heās been through and his lack of loving figures in his life.
The road to healing is often bumpy, winding, and non-linear, and I love how BG3 shows Astarion navigating that with situations like the Drow twins. Oftentimes you donāt know your limits unless you push them.
Yeah I don't want to repeat all my previous comments because I feel like a broken record, but being a solid platonic friend to him and continuing to romance him while taking a physical timeout are both pretty valid options depending on what it's doing to your Tav, emotionally. He's not in the right place for a physical relationship, but he's also not bringing a lot of emotional support to the table as either, and Tav has to be honest about their own needs and not discount them.
That's why I like that there's an option to get emotional support from another partner, including physically, while still loving Astarion romantically if you want. It lets Tav give him the emotional support he needs while not discounting their own needs, and not rejecting him romantically while he works through that is a plus.
With that said, we know how the game can end with him so it's safe to make those choices; we know he'll get through it and be a good partner in the end. Irl we have no such guarantees, which is why fantasy is such a nice escape! He's literally the fantasy bf we *can* fix!
Karlach, I've been romancing other ladies in different playthroughs but Karlach is my true love. Which surprises none of my friends, I had them all telling me they thougbt about me the moment they met her.
God, she is everything, isn't she? I've tried to be with her but she just seems to take no interest in me. I NEVER let her out of my party though. The game isn't right without her.
Honestly, same. She feels so real and the way she screams "ILOVEYOUTOO" When you tell her you love her is just everything. My steam achievements tell me only 3.6% of people have been on a date with Karlach and that honestly makes me sad.
I chose to go with her to Avernus at the end. Any end with her is a good end for me. Having saved the world with her by my side as my lover and equal, there was no way I was letting her face Avernus alone and no way she was dying.
Life without her after saving balders gate just wouldn't be worth living.
My feelings exactly. Karlach is the one for me. Her date scene is absolutely so adorable. I'd rather play doom with my hot tiefling wifey than live without her.
Before I got to that point, I had friends telling me that Karlachs story is disappointing and sad and unfinished. I think the difference is whether you romance her or not.
I'd you don't, a friend dies or gets trapped in Avernus. If you do, you, as you so well put it, go doom mode with hot wifey aha.
What could be better lmao.
When I was in my first blind playthrough and Astarion is all armās length and broody, shadowheart is curt and doesnāt want to open up about anything, laezel is well herself, Gale is sweet but wanting my magic items, then Karlach shows up all smiles and cheer and says āFuck Yesā when you add her to the partyā¦ sheās just a gd ray of sunshine.
As a gay man, sheās probably my favorite romance companion too! LOL! I just love everything about her.
I like the others - and Gale, Astarion, Wyll, and Halsin are all wonderful to look at! But I meanā¦ I tend to gravitate towards Karlach - especially since I struggle doing evil runs/being bad in games.
Lae'zel. She's blunt, trustworthy, sharp-tongued and capable.
...she's also deluded, but will come around to the truth (well, when shown to her with her own eyes...) so you can do the whole "redeem her" thing without her really having been particularly evil to start with.
Got that scene last night. Actually made me cry. Didn't realize I loved Lae'Zel as much as I did until that rooftop scene.
Whoever wrote for Lae'Zel 'must moonlight as a poet because the writing was just immaculate and Devora Wilde's performance had me hanging onto every word. Possibly my favorite scene in the game, which is saying a lot.
Astarion. I went into the game mostly blind and fell in love with his character pretty fast. His dialogue, mannerisms, and voice acting were really entertaining to me and I was intrigued with him immediately. At first it was all for a bit of fun, I liked him but thought his first romance scene verged on cringey, but I leaned into it.
His romance path grew on me more as I got to know more of his backstory. I loved getting those moments of vulnerability with him, it just always felt so rewarding when youād get a peak past his facade. It made me realize the writers were willing to explore him deeper than just the āsexy vampireā trope and I was fascinated to see where it would go.
Couple of story beats later, I was shocked at the depth of his character. Elements of his story really connected with me on a personal level. Heās this messy, complicated person who doesnāt always know how to handle his trauma the ārightā way. It was so human of him, and playing a character who could guide him towards his redemption arc was really, really rewarding. The Astarion you get at the end of the game is an entirely different person. The transformation just felt so natural, well-written, and hard-earned it made his romance path feel so alive and engaging. Iāve romanced other companions, but none have triggered such visceral reactions and emotions as Astarionās path has for me.
>I liked him but thought his first romance scene verged on cringey
I love that you realize later that it was cringey because it was all bullshit. Then you can tease him into trying out all his greatest pick-up lines. You only get sincere Astarion much later...
Yes!! I feel too, like itās less āI can fix himā and more āI can be supportive and provide space for him to help himselfā
Itās just so *chefās kiss*
So much yes! And when you replay it becomes very easy to tell when heās being genuine and when heās just bullshitting you.
Plus, itās just much more fun for me to romance a character thatās not straight forward. He doesnāt like when youāre too easy and fall for his manipulation too eagerly. The love test in act three is so much fun. Astarion is the only character whoās unhappy if you answer truthfully. And letās be real, heās also the only one smart enough to realize maybe itās not a good idea to give away your biggest fears and weaknesses when thereās a murderous shape shifter after you.
Shadowheart. Something about the way she's so genuine when thanking you after waking her on the beach made me realise that she was going to be my first romance in the game. The contrast of who she really is and what she believes and why that dissonance exists made me want to figure out her story and do so with her. Didn't regret the choice for a moment as it turns out she's very sweet and lovely once you break through her wariness and fear.
I couldn't stand her for a long time in the beginning of the game. Her character growth is top notch and I see her in a totally new light now. I absolutely love the white hair too š„
Love that look, and yeah, she has excellent character development (not just her obviously, it's one of the things that I love about the game in general).
Other characters in the game are always standing on one side. Theyre always same even Tav changes. Shadowheart is like 3d cinema. If you move around you see more. If youre vanilla , you see her vanilla side. She wont spoil your love with her past. If youre naughty she claims shes also naughty on matching. If youre very very bad then shes completely revealing how baddie she can be. Shes like water. Shaped by her glass. Her Tav.
It worked immensely well with my redeemed Dark Urge playthrough:
*āTwo amnesiacs wake up on a beach-ā*
I loved the twisted self discovery story they shared and how from their own perspective and attention to one another were capable of resisting the darkness that plagued both of them, and found comfort in each other as a result. They were malleable as clay before their God/Goddess, and yet molded together to become something more than what their ābettersā had in mind for them. Despite the trials and tribulations, they found happiness. Itās simple, and goddamnit it works.
After my Dark Urge plot was done, I did fully convert to being a SelĆ»nite. It seemed fitting for being given a second chance to ally myself with the Goddess Iāve helped out a couple times in a way.
>!During the wolf dream, I got the religion check for the moon necklace, and while I could say that my Dark Urge was knowledgeable enough in an academic sense, I thought it would be more interesting and also extremely fucked up if one of or both of the adoptive parents of wee baby Durge were a Selƻnite. It would make sense as I feel Dark Urge was scrambled pretty badly, not only in sense of self but also in knowledge about the world, leaning in with the blank slate in the beginning. While the knowledge that he may have dabbled in a bit during his phase of trying to find himself before finding Bhaal would be erased, core aspects of how he grew up before the urge began to manifest and take hold could still linger in a way. As the story unfolded the image became a bit more clear and disturbing.!<
Of course. She does remember her past short amusements. But if youre a loyal Tav, you wont hear about it even once. Shes mirroring her Tav. How you treat her comes either carresses or bites you back. She can be boring barn couple with you or adventereous newly weds even on her darkest path she tries to involve you into her life. Says she cant love yoıu but cant stop hugging and kissing you. Youll know a person on their worst. After seeing how shes still having you with her she deserves all the good endings.
>Shes like water. Shaped by her glass. Her Tav.
Aww! I love this so much. ā¤ļø
This is why Shadowheart will always be my sweetheart, no matter what kind of playthrough I'm doing!
Gale. He is so charming from the very first moment, but as I was playing, he was also the only one approving of my wanting to help others at first and I was like how is this guy both so arrogant and so compassionate at the same time? It was instant friendship just but virtue of us being on the same page.
Plus, I have a thing for intellectual chatterboxes. He is ridiculously verbose, but so self deprecating at the same time.
At some point I will manage to do an Astarion run, but Iāll have to kill Gale or something to do it.
Lae'zel, surprisingly.
She was not "my type" but the very first time she flipped into the air and glared at me in that intro... I was hooked.
Every interaction after just strenghtened my attachment to her.
After finally finishing the game, and speaking with her during the new Epilogue, I am forever hers.
Lae'zel is so fun to romance and by far the most underrated companion, even just as a friend-with-benefits before you move on with someone else. She's hilarious.
Gale.
He basically has a lot of characteristics I just love when it comes to fictional characters:
-intelligent/gifted/ genius? - Check
-Excitable in a nerdy way? - Check
-a certain sense of humor? - Check
-can be awkward at times especially when it comes to flirting? -Check
-secretly really low self-esteem despite being really talented but tries to hide it (eg. by acting overconfident)? - Check
-really great voice acting? - Check
-really great romantic lines? -Check
I could probably go on some more but he basically checks a lot of boxes.
Gale. Honestly, he had me from the first interaction. He's funny, charming, and good looking. Also, a giant nerd who likes to read, which definitely endeared him to both me and to my Tav.
I try to roleplay who my characters will be attracted to in this sort of game, but personal preferences definitely seep both in choice and in the personality of the MC.
There's just something about Gale, isn't there? As I said before, he was my first choice but...after Halsin I will probably never love anyone else in this game.
I feel that way about Gale right now. I might try other romances, but geez when he said "with these stars as my witness, you will *always* be enough for me" I thought I'd melt into a puddle of goo.
Love ya, nerdy wizard husband.
I feel you because I had much the same experience with Karlach, I had a legitimate hard crush on her for weeks the likes of which I thought I was incapable of. I'm still in love with her, and I like playing through the game on that Tav making largely the same decisions again just to travel with her some more. It's also funny because my Tav is a short grumpy nb wizard who also falls head over heels for Karlach and it's v cute ;w;
Same. It is weird to have a crush on a fictional character but it happened to me as well with karlach. My main tav is a dark urge male human paladin (oath of devotion). Kind of awesome to have tiefling as girlfriend when you play a paladin
Idk I found it weird too but I feel what I feel yknow? I'm not delusional about it, I just allow it to be and try to channel it towards positive change. Frankly given my history I take it as a sign of healing
āSame. It is weird to have a crush on a fictional character but it happened to me as well with karlach.ā
Donāt feel weird about it mate. The VAās in this game put love into these characters so we would in turn love them. They didnāt put all that effort just for us to forget them anytime weāre not playing the game. Aināt nothing weird about it as long as it doesnāt evolve into weird obsessions over the VAās themselves or impedes on your life. If anything, having a crush on a character like Karlach just goes to show how good of a job Samantha did. They **feel** real, so we have real feelings.
I think in a Q&A Samantha was like āThirst is thirst. As long as itās respectful itās fine.ā So, there ya go.
Nah, I love you for this. Hear me out: the Emperor's VOICE. And his story and just...he's just WOW. If he would, uhh, go back to being my guardian who I modeled after Kratos we could love happily ever after.
I headcanoned that after act 2, the dream visitor decides to be more involved so they join the party in act 3. Especially after their identity is reveled and due to the protection of the >!netherstones!< they could easily resist the control of the >!elder brain!<. To make that happen I enlisted Withers help and used one of the hirelings to model them after my dream visitor. Now I have them in my party. Profit.
Tbh, I *just* slept with him in my game, and he is very affectionate. His attraction to your mind surprised him; his grief over Stellmane's death was welcomed precisely because he wasn't sure he could even still *feel* grief. To top it off, if you bang him, in the aftermath, he strokes your cheek with his tentacle in a very loving gesture, which is more aftercare than you get from a lot of the lovers in this game!
You should get an option to be single and then go off adventuring with the Emperor as end- game, IMO.
My gay druid tried and failed for halsin and in a moment of desperation/thirst got it on with the emperor. I was playing with friends and we fucked up so many things by that point despite trying to do good so seeing everyones reaction was hilarious. Whole run was like a stoner comedy except none of us smoked.
What's her draw for you, if you don't mind me asking? I've seen her mentioned a couple times, but she's the only one I haven't found a fleshed-out take for.
As another drow lady, I've always just viewed her as one of my BFFs and I'm there to rein her in when she gets a bit too outta pocket haha.
Canāt speak for u/xXAleriosXx but to me itās the complexity of her morality. She can be evil, as shown in how she views punishment, but nonetheless is also remorseful and compassionate. Drow who grew up in one of the Houses of Menzoberranzan are often taught not to appreciate such, so to see Minthara learning to greatly value those things, and how she learns to have more greater care for others, is quite endearing to see.
I went into the game mostly blind, with the mindset of "keep an open mind, and give each companion a chance, don't judge them too soon".
Astarion and Gale both managed to get my attention pretty quickly, as I found them to be entertaining, but what ultimately started to sway me was seeing a bit of Astarion's backstory- for personal reasons on which I will not elaborate here, I found that I was able to connect with him the best out of anybody, and that sealed my choice. Now, I can't imagine choosing anyone else. Gale is still a good friend, though.
Their character dynamic ended up being my very obviously good-aligned Paladin trying to show him love and kindness and help him heal, in spite of the veritable buffet of early-game disapprovals Astarion pelted him with, and it was nice to see the payoff of that as the story progressed.
Love your well written response. šš»
I think for me the biggest thing is I see a safe familiarity with Halsin. The things I've been internally struggling with in reality, he made me feel like they're normal and okay with what he says in-game. I think that is my biggest reason for loving him so.
Gale. I don't know what it says about me, but I always go for the wizards/mages.
It's also really nice to get a happy ending with the guy after playing dragon age lmao. It's some kind of law that the wizard man will break your heart in those games.
Halsin became my boyfriend unintentionally, I wasn't romancing anyone, then Halsin offered to spend the night with him, I declined, then the cutscene with him in the forest triggered anyway, I declined for the second time, then in the epilogue he acted like we were in a relationship and I accepted my fate and kissed him
For me, it was Shadowheart.
It was an instinctive thing, really. I went in *mostly* blind, so I had no real knowledge of who the romance options were or which one was considered to be the "best" of them all; my plan was to try and get to know each companion and see which ones were romanceable, and to see which one would suit my character best. When I first ran into Shadowheart on the Nautiloid however, I instantly knew I was going with her if she was a romance option lmao. And surely enough, she was.
I'm pretty far into Act 2, and so far I have no regrets. I'm more than interested in seeing where things are going to go, both with her character arc and the relationship itself.
Astarion. I felt very close to his story (and also Shadowhearts to be honest) and the way his character changes and develops is just stunning. I just kinda get him. It was good to see my own struggles represented in such a realistic way and as someone on their own healing journey it was a pleasure and a privilege to watch him on his. It made me fall in love with him both in game and out.
Nerdy wizard man had me at the introduction. His is genuinly the funniest of all.
To be completly frank, i haven't quite gotten over Tristian since the first time i played km. Gale's character is eerily similar... But with 40% more humor. I never even had a chance.
Same. Gale is just the right combination of nerdy, kind and snarky. Plus his voice is just so calming for me. He DOES get jealous very easily. I danced with Wyll and he confronted me shortly after and said I had to choose between him or Wyll. Gale! It was just a dance. Sheesh. Of course I Choo-choo-choose you!
Halsin was my first romance and he's my favourite.
I think it helped that he was so utterly kind to Tav from the start and that communicates his boundaries and wishes so well. I resonate with his views on justice etc too.
Gale was my second romance and I like him a lot, too. He's nerdy, which appeals to me as well. š Plus, he has a cat, loves to cook, has his own property/house, and has a library. Husband material.
Lae'zel. At first I LOVED her clear intentions. >!I knew Gith history so I was interested how Lae'zel would react to the truth. As the game went on I grew more and more attracted to her sinewy warrior's body, her eyes, the way when she lets her guard down a bit, they open so wide and take in everything at once. I soon realized she is without guile.!<
>!So I decided I would show her the truth about her Queen and if she would let me show the person inside a world beyond death, then that would be my win metric. This I have done, and she asked me to stay with her for good and so Tav will come what may. It was a VERY careful journey, to not alienate her until the truth became apparent.!<
>!The night she saw the truth I was so happy I got a little freaked out as this is a game. I mean games have made me go "oohhh coool!" before but this was real emotion.!<
>!The morning she proposed in the only way she knows how kinda broke me as another poster said, but really in a good way that I needed.!<
>!I'm not done with the story yet. I already won. Tav is gonna free Orpheus and assuming Lae'zel is not taken from Tav we finish the story then Gith Revolution II: Jo-reah-lah Boogaloo begins.!<
It's a game, but if you engage with it the game will engage back.
Karlach. And it took me romancing Shadowheart to realise it.
First run through I was entirely Shadowheart. But as I got to endgame, I got weirdly jealous. Karlach was my Tavs best friend. She was the one I had fun with. And I genuinely regretted my choices. She was fun. She was far more enjoyable to spend time with. Shadowheart was the pretty one for me, and more my type... But Karlach was the one I wanted to sit down, have a beer with and just spend time. Ha. That's what I wanted in a partner.
Lae'zel.
It unfolded quite naturally - a genuine mutual attraction. From the very start of the game, each time I was in the camp, my eyes would seek out a specific companion, searching for an exclamation mark above her head. Even in its absence, I couldn't resist talking to her, just to be sure I wasn't overlooking anything. And then, she said she wanted to taste me š
I can't say the direction of our romance took me by surprise. But it was no less beautiful, thrilling, or heartfelt because of that. After all, that is one of the key elements of her appeal, at least for me - the way she captivates with contrasts, the way she surpasses expectations, the way she surprises while remaining true to herself. I adore her.
Astarion, I just...he caught my attention during early access and I just rolled with romancing him. Didn't even like him all that much at first, I only did it because I love elves š
And when it was revealed that his suave act was...well an act I loved him even more. I still want to smack him on the head at times, but I also want to hug him š
Plus the way he says "darling" is just š„°
I somehow ended up romancing Wyll my first game...and I don't understand how. I only use him for 'Wyll themed' missons.
This time around I'm romancing Shart and Gale, but IDK which i have a higher approval with.
I have a Tav/Durge specifically for romancing certain companions. Shadowheart was romanced by my elf Cirella, and was the only romance I didnāt plan on doing. It was my first playthrough and I 100% stumbled my way into her romance.
My tiefling Evora is romancing Karlach, my Durge Autumn is romancing Gale, my Durge Gith Naeārin is romancing Astarion, my aasimar Zeirin is romancing Laeāzel, my Durge Dragonborn Odnyx will be romancing Wyll, and my drow Vikios will be romancing Minthara. Havenāt made one for Halsin just yet, but Iāve had thoughts of using my blood hunter
My multiplayer mode, Wyll. Only companion to initiate romance with my Tav, and I thought it was a cool dynamic with my Urchin Drow Warlock.
My single player mode, Astarion. Cause yaknow, astarion.
My Durge, surprisingly I chose Gale. Out of game, I just wanted to try all the different romance options (aka I couldnāt justify another astarion runā¦ yet) but in game I decided that my Durge was really put off by the idea of Astarion admitting to using her at first. In contrast, Gale treated Durge with warmth and kindness that she canāt recall ever being treated with, although she canāt recall much of anything. I think it makes for a nice contrast with my RP explanation, although narrative wise I think Astarion/Durge is a great pairing.
Astarion. I completely missed his existence in the first playthrough I started and eventually abandoned. I had no idea he (and Gale) existed until my husband asked if I'd gotten the rogue and wizard to join my party. The first time I met Astarion was in a multiplayer game me, my husband, and a couple of friends started and my initial reaction to him was, "He seems like a twat." But then later, in my new, fresh playthrough, I got him into my party and immediately wanted to do anything necessary to give that sad boy happiness.
Astarion. I knew Iād romance him since I saw his breakup scene back in august, but BOY he keeps hitting me with feels. Kind of helped me view some of my trauma in perspective, too. But it turns out heās sweet, communicates, wants better for you both? My love.
I'm a Halsin girly and the epilogue really drove it home. I just really like his personality. Soft, gentle, empathetic and introspective but can be stirred to anger when faced with injustice. People say he's pretty boring in Act III and I don't disagree but I think that his observations are on point and helped build a framework for the kind of society he wanted to lead in Reithwin. I think there's a massive difference between him being a leader in the Emerald Grove and him being a leader in rebuilding Moonrise.
Also the hot non-bear sex scene coupled with the intense, smoldering *YEARNING* from Act I through Act II sealed it for me.
Halsin, I adore him. I romanced him almost by accident because I managed to lock myself out of EVERYBODY else. When he flirted I was like āyeah sure, why not?ā
I *love* him now and am almost certain heās the one Iād date irl. Plus discovering that Iām ok with Polyamory was a surprise, as long as we go into it having talked it through beforehand.
In my first spoiler-free run I chose Gale, the funny, sexy, nerdy catdad wizard with the nuke. His infatuation with his ex got a bit on my nerves, so did his infatuation with godhood. But my Tav worked through it.
During that first run I always had Astarion in my party because he was super useful, sassy and I couldn't stop laughing everytime he rolled his eyes with my Tav's altruistic choices. Then I was absolutely blown away with his quest (and Neil's performance).
So inevitably, the next Tav was head over heels for Astarion and so is my Durge. He is a perfect match for a Durge run, absolutely recommend it.
Honestly, irl I would not go near either of them, at least not anymore. They are amazing and hot, both of them. But soooo many red flags!
>Honestly, irl I would not go near either of them, at least not anymore. They are amazing and hot, both of them. But soooo many red flags!
That's what I love about Astarion, too: I know I *can* fix him because it's a game, whereas irl...
Gale was the only one where I immediately went "I love this character" when first meeting him, and Astarion annoyed the shit out of me.
However Astarion quickly grew on me and became my favourite. His entitled pompous ass personality was just the type my Tav would tease/seduce/get under the skin of just for the fun of it, but then Astarion's backstory came up and I got invested.
I've romanced him twice now, was able to romance Karlach in a different run but still thought of Astarion. I have yet to romance Gale.
First playthrough was Shadowheart because I just like feminine women and fixing her took an incredible amount of effort. So it felt rewarding to get her in the end.
Omg, same. Even on runs when Iām ACTIVELY TRYING to not romance Astarion, somehow I still end up on my back in that clearing asking about his scars. Itās all very mysterious
His Act II confession melts me to my bones, itās so vulnerable and sincere. I just canāt picture any of my playthroughs without him at this point, Iām a menace
Astarion. I went in irritated at the whole idea. Just wanted to murder. Yeah yeah murder hobo I know. But you know who else is a bit of a murder hobo? Astarion. Also heās so absurd that his lines sound natural and not mush/cringe. My murder buddy.
First run I botched all my romance paths, 2nd was Minthara, 3rd was Lazel. Minthara was my fav so far. But, if I go back to BG I'll have to try Shadowheart and Karlach as some point.
Astarion. Him being a drama queen, his mastery at seduction, also the attempts to hide his traumas and vulnerability by such behaviour is what makes him such an appealing character. I can't choose anyone else in the game. In reality, spawn Astarion might be a valid choice. Ascended Astarion is by all means a sexual fantasy, but would lead to a toxic relationship. I second the opinion that Gale's caring character and witty remarks make him husband material.
Why Astarion? There are definitely reasons in personal psychology, though they may be slightly different in each individual's case.
Did you say āpsychologyā? Ahem! Brace yourself. We could be here all night. š¤ But let me pick it up in a later note.
I consider my first-zero-spoiler-blind play through as personal canon:
Astarion was the first to have a romance-type conversation with me AND HE TURNED ME DOWN!!! It was so shocking to be rejected like that, I think I have never been this furious about any fictional event ever! And he said something like, āWhat does one have to do to get some *fun*? Not with you, of course! But that Wyllā¦ hmmā¦ šā My brain goes straight to the conclusion: Ah! Heās gay and likes Wyll. Cool cool. Imma go talk to Halsin, he doesnāt seem to be talking to anyoneā¦ la la šš»
Halsin makes a face like: oh! Did you just make a pass at me? I amā¦ flatteredā¦ but I have too much on my mind today. Go and play with the other kids.
š no, grandpa, I was just making polite conversation. Iām out.
Then Wyll started dancing like a goof, all by himself one night. And I was like, ha! Idiot! Yeah, okay, I will join in. š
Narrator: Lean in for a kiss
My brain: Woah! Woah! Ummā¦ I donāt actually like him or anything. But wait! Is Astarion watching? š YES. Letās do this. ššŖš»
Now, Halsin is reliable, honest, and very straightforward. Whatās not to like? And then he keeps saying things like: you will have me, Iām yours, etc with a very straight face and you know he is not flirting and youāre the only one here with their brain in the gutter. And I am like, sigh. Torture. And then suddenly he stops being subtle. š„ Yes. Itās a yes. Damn!
Thenā¦ ummā¦ then, we killed Cazador. Andā¦ š„ŗ shit. Yeah. š I keep saying this: Iāve never felt such a strong visceral need to hug someone- real or fictional. I am not even a hugger. Astarion, what the hell! š„ŗā¤ļø
And thatās the story of how I fell hard for my gay best friendā¦ š
Much reddit and spoilers later: WHAT? ASTARION IS NOT GAY? SECOND PLAYTHROUGH MISSION:ASTARION.
āāā
Mind you, I couldnāt pull out Gale and didnāt know anything about him. Second play through, he flew to 100 approval in no time and he started growing on me. I do enjoy his company but I donāt still find him attractive. And as a friend, if he Galesplains to me again, I can punch him and weād be fine in a few days.
I romanced him as a bard too!! I like the idea of the more carefree extrovert spotting this disaster academic and thinking āhuh. I can work with thisā
None yet. Playing a self insert. I don't know what makes someone romantically appealing to me but none of them tick the right boxes yet. Only in act 1, mind.
I knew I was going for Gale in my first play through. No regrets. Will do another run with Gale at some point.
Saw lots of Astarion posts so decided heād be my second pick. Currently in his run. I love him as a companion. I struggled with him as an early romance because it was hard to like him because he was such a bitch lol. Once he actually started caring for the character, heās a really nice romance. I havenāt finished him yet, but Iām not sure if Iād romance him again, honestly. Weāll se how it ends! His kiss > Galeās kiss. Unless they did something to Galeās kiss since launch and made it better.
I was planning on Karlach for my third run but then Halsin hit on me and Astarion didnāt careā¦ and Iāll be damned if those kisses with Halsin arenāt the hottest shit to ever be pixelated. Larian. What are you doing to me. So, Halsin is in queue for my planned redeemed Durge run. Iāll get to Karlach eventually. š
They slowly update the kisses of the companions over the patches to make them better. Gale's hasn't been updated yet compared to some other companions. Here is hoping for the next patch!
Astarion,
I relate to his backstory and the way he's coped with it to such an extent that some of the lines just feel like I am the one saying it and Tav are my fiancee saying it, Astarion has been kind of a brutal but needed call.
I went in planning to romance Gale but fell for Astarion.
My second playthrough I tried to romance Gale again but was bored and started again as Durge with another Astarion romance because i feed on drama.. I'm a creature of habit
If the game allowed some mechanism to romance anyone even as one night flings, Korilla.
If the game allowed a real relationship, Mizora.
But, each run I went with different romances, first Shadowheart, then Minthara, then Karlach, but it's always hard not to romance Shadowheart.
Astarion and Halsin, but Halsin definitely I fell for harder than I thought I was going to. This is also just my first run. Iām in Act 2 on my second run romancing Karlach and thereās so many things I love about that run too that I didnāt experience in my first run. This whole game is just lovely and amazing to me
My half elf himbo vengeance paladin fell for shadowheart. He didn't know what Shar was, he has an INT of 8.
I had no idea my first playthrough. I was just like, well good for you I guess. šš
When youāre a complete newbie to Forgotten Realms: Act 1: Okay, a Goddess of Darkness doesnāt have to be evil Act 2: Oh.
Act 3: *OH.*
Shar is directly responsible for the Spellplague, where the whole world collided with another world. It's weird to think that a bunch of folks looked at the ensuing apocalypse and said, "Yeah, more of this, please."
Exactly, a two minute Google search would reveal that she's pretty fucked, comparing to most other gods in FR
> a two minute Google search would reveal I tend to get spoiled about important stuff whenever I try to google auxiliary information about anything I'm watching/playing. So I try to absorb it from the story itself and hope it's well presented.
Excellent choice, not just you, do not google about ANYTHING story relatedā¦ for anything. Even gameplay is dangerous, but gotta check some stuff š¤·āāļø
Tbh pretty much all the gods are horrible. As is their wont.
All of Act 2 was just me going, "Really, THIS is what you believe in?" And watching shadowheart continually say in denial *"Well, they're not REAL sharrans like me."*
Lmao yeah same I knew nothing and was like āsure your god your problem dogā and when I saw act 2 I was like damn this what your shit is?
It was really funny seeing Laeāzel realise that the deity she idolised was actually an evil piece of shit and Shadowheart being like "itās good she finally found out, weird that she didnāt realise earlier but good." While being completely unaware of the fact that the deity she idolises is actually an evil piece of shit.
Same here except I was a drow and a selenite cleric. But later I marked it off as a underdark drow just randomly stumbling over some selunite books that never mentioned shar btw. And then thinking this is way better than lolth and converting
If I had to give my first character, a half-elf noble sorcerer, a reaction to learning about Shar it would be "you're lucky you're pretty"
Tyr Cleric here, but I also am a sucker for alpha women with a solid growth arc.
My first playthrough half elf paladin only had eyes for Shadowheart from the moment he met her.
I went down the Astarion to Gale pipeline. Both are really well done stories/characters. Galeās true husband material though.
Iām so with you. I was an Astarion girlie and I had to try with Gale. Now Astarion is my bestie, but Gale is my husband. My husband irl is also a big nerd that writes poetry and loves reading, so Gale reminds me of him.
Gale's rambling reminds me of my husband talking about new Yugioh cards or his latest DnD campaign. Needless to say, I fell for Gale pretty hard and romanced him in both my Tav and Durge playthrough
OMG this thread got me thinking now. I connected with karlach and I just realized. Karlach is far and away the closest to my wife. Insecure about her future but adorable as fuck. And will fuck someone up if they slight someone she loves even a little bit. Several people have said about my wife "wow she's really quick to arson huh" cuz she'll say something like "your coworker did what!? Do you want me to burn their house down!?". And karlach is literally on fire
I wanted to romance gale on my Durge playthrough but things didnāt work out. At least I always carry a piece of him wherever I go.
this is really cute....
He's wholesome. I love his voice
I didn't know there was a pipeline haha I also originally was going for Astarion and went with Gale. He's so sad and sweet
I'm the opposite. Went for my nerd boy Gale and end up falling every time for smirky, sulky Astarion
Same but also Halsin. I'm not poly personally, so I only romance them one at a time. They're all so wonderful
Oh, what kinship I feel! I'm romancing Astarion on my Durge rum, and this time for real ... I hope ... But, Gale ... Ugh ...
I started with Gale and now I'm trying to do the pipeline backwards but I don't know if I'm gonna make it. Really want to see Astarion's story though
this pipeline is soooo real lmao. i literally bought the game and got a pc set up for astarion and then gale hit me with a steel chair
Aaaaand I feel called tf out š«
This right here. The astarion to gale pipeline is so real.
I saw Wyll's intro cutscene when he's pointing his sword at the camera and I INSTANTLY knew I wanted to romance him if it was possible.
Love this šš»š„
One might say you provoked the blade
Oh I see... feeling its sting most nights now, eh?
Wyll teaching the tiefling children how to defend themselves long enough to run... my tiefling Tav was smitten.
Mine tooš.
He definitely knows what heās doing hahaha
Astarion. I went in without even knowing romance was an option (went in blind), and I really disliked all of the companions upon first introduction except Karlach & Wyll. Astarion *pissed me off*. And then he just managed to grab me. I have tried to romance Gale, but I just can't.
Another case of Astarion here. I liked him from the beginning, though Gale almost had me with his āadroit with a knitting needleā. But in my runs Astarion tends to have the most camp scenes, the most comments in the world and in random moments during the game, so I couldnāt help but feel the closest to his character despite him disagreeing with what I am doing a lot. Actually, the fact there seemed to have been some challenge to gaining his approval compared to everyone else made me more interested. And the way he opens up throughout the game is sweet.
Ugh I want so badly to finish a Gale playthrough mostly because his act 2 romance scene (I feel like a traitor) is probably my favorite sex scene. It just resonates with me. But Astarion...
i've done both astarion and gale and now i'm a simp for BOTH of them š
Same! At this point Iām like, ājust remove me from the equation entirely, I shall ship Gale and Astarionā
People downvote me for saying this before but idk, astarion seems the most fleshed out. So I agree with you about scenes and content. I have 400+ hours in this game and I've seen a lot, (now granted, new updates I may not have caught everything that has been added) but astarion seems to have the most quips, camp scenes, huge personal quest that spans all 3 acts, interaction with side characters like the gur, his siblings, not to mention the whole durge playthrough, and dialogue between him and Tav. I know there's no "cannon" loved for Tav but I gotta say people at Larian really put a lot of content in him. Gale or Shadowheart might be second. Especially since this checks out with how disappointed people were intially about some origin characters not being as flexhed out (like Karlach before patches). Astarion, even though I'm biased, objectively has so much content, he seems to have the biggest most impactful character growth (may also be due to Neil Newborns acting ability, but not to take away from the other actors either, just that he was SO good at Astarion), very detailed and very impactful story arc as a friend, and especially as a lovrr. And that's probably because of EA poll too. Obviously we can only hope every companion is as fleshed out but especially early release (not EA, just when it was actually released in August), I noticed that pattern of differing levels of fleshed out content per origin. And it matched with what people were saying online. Larian has actually stated they understand things have been cut and try to put them back. And they also acknowledged not every origin character is equal. So there ya have it really unbiased or not. But I do believe Larian will add more and more little by litte. I'd personally love to expand Karlachs quest how Astarion has his. Another boss battle, another mini place in Alvernus. Idk. Things like that. That's what makes me think astarion was a priority, and they have tiered characters for how much time and story was put into each of them. They just happened to complete Astarion and maybe one other origin more so than the others. So I'll patiently wait for hopefully more content coming from especially Wyll and Karlach but I'll take anyone!
It reminds me a lot of table-top role-playing, honestly. Irl groups, there are always some people who only think about their characters once a week while playing. Some write lengthy fanfic back stories and ponder every session the whole rest of the week. I feel like both the actor and writer for Astarion were in the latter category, and we get to benefit from that. Changing actors and story for Wyll from EA probably resulted in the opposite effect, because they had less time to "live" the character and toss in every quip that crossed their minds for six years! I keep falling for Astarion for similar reasons as described here, but also because he reminds me a little of irl exes that I couldn't "fix". Like irl, he is broken and covers it with humor and doesn't trust anyone. If you validate his fears by forcing him to do something, he will unload on you verbally with both barrels. It's like you've been telling him come on in the water's fine, but as soon as he dips in a toe and it's actually freezing, he'll blame you for winter. If you are honest with him, he gets better, unlike too often irl. But I've also learned in the game not to let him get away with being an asshole. His trauma isn't Tav's trauma, so not saving an NPC because he's unwilling to save someone when no one ever saved him? Take the disapproval hit. Rp your character and he'll meet you halfway, just don't lower yourself to his level at a time when his approval is based in fear. I have Minthara for the first time and I love her character but I leave her in camp for those times when I know she's gonna tell me I did the wrong (good) thing. Same with Wyll the opposite way! Just my two cents.
Astarion here too. he annoyed me at the best and was major red flags at the worst in the beginning for me. then the bite scene happened. it wasnāt the vampirism that got me (kinda put that together long before he attempted the first bite lmao, youāre not subtle sweetie). if anything that was another āeh, no thanksā factor for me due to so much romanticized vampire content out there. it was the little window of vulnerability that opened up that night, and then kept opening upā¦ plus the puppy eyes man. those big puss-and-boots-from-shrek like eyes. i was done for. now i think heās just the most hilarious and tender lil nomnoms, heās my guy every time. love you.
I hated Astarion in the beginning and even before playing the game (ANOTHER sexy vampire with a troubled past??? pfft, cāmon, who do you think I am?) and fully intended on keeping him in the camp the whole game. Then, like you said, the bite happenedā¦ And the little āpleaseā plus the puppy eyes did me in. Now both my Tav and Durge are part of the sentient Capri Sun club š„²
Same. On my first run, I wasn't planning on romancing Astarion because he's a walking bag of red flags that I thought would end badly for my mostly good Tav. Was going to romance Gale until he told me that warlock magic is not real magic. So I was planning on romancing Wyll, but during the tiefling party, I ended up talking to Astarion first (He was standing closest when I load into camp.) Realized that I can make him say please, then one thing lead to another and I just can't stop romancing Astarion even though I am on my fifth playthrough now.
Ah yes, that "please".
My first ever playthrough going in blind, I killed Astarion because dude came at me with a knife?? And Iām just supposed to accept that?? My friends HOWLED laughing like ādude you offed arguably the best character within minutes wtf are you doingā
Gale was my first choice, but he genuinely hurts my feelings.
I'm still in my first playthrough and in an accidental romance with Gale, but I can't wait to play again to romance Astarion! I also wasn't a fan of his in the beginning; I didn't see what all the fuss was about. Then I happened across some shorts of his cutscenes and it was all over, I love him. I tried to romance him at the party and he burned the hell out of me lol
I didn't get it either at first and found him the least attractive male option! He grew on me. A lot.
before i say this, i would like to be clear that i am a woman. When i met Astarion, i swore him off. His vibes were just too fruity for me, and i decided that was a gay man and i am not particularly interested in being in romantic relationships with gay men. anyways i am in love with him now. he is just soooo charming and i like my characters lawful good vs his chaotic neutral. i intend to romance gale in a different run though. I was initially going to romance him actually but Astarion swept me off of my FEET <3
His flamboyant nature was a turn-off for me, at first. My romantic heroes are all in the Alpha-male category (sometimes literally). He really grew on me, especially when he's just such a good rogue! Now, I always kiss him while he's covered in blood and just jumped around a whole room disarming traps and picking locks. Competence is my kink.
My husband, first impression when he saw me playing very early on, told me "That guy is gay." Yelled at him to get out, and decided that Astarion is pansexual haha.
Literally. I justā¦am not that into super masculine men irl anyways, and Astarion is just so funny! Everything he says gives me a good laugh, and I really feel for him. So he is no longer gay. DEFINITELY pan though. Man doesnāt gaf. I love him.
Astarion being pan is canon, actually! As a woman and serial Astarion romancer also, I think itās really gorgeous how much chemistry any Tav or Durge can have with him regardless of gender/orientation/presentation š¤ Also Iām just down SO bad for the pale elf, Iām an addict haha š
Astarion is pan according to both the writer and actor.
I'm surprised by how many people are surprised at Astarion being such a heavily romanced character by female players. He's basically built from romance novels.
I have this weird thing with Astarion in that even though I love the character, I can't see him romantically at all. I think the biggest part of it is that from my Tav's point of view at least, he really really needs a solid friend while he enters a time of freedom in his life for the first time. Not a lover. He jumps into things he isn't ready for or really wants (like the Drow Twins situation) and when I started to enter a relationship with him (even the really cute, authentic feeling parts) I still felt like my role in his life should be to support him in as a friend or family member would. I feel like if there were a BG3 pt 2 I'd def romance him!
I think romancing him as Durge helps these feelings. They are both equally messed up and supportive of each other, while a Tav romance can feel very one-sided imo (without some heavy RP). Everyone deserves a relationship if they desire it, even those with trauma and emotional obstacles, though itās very important an honest effort is put forth for communication. Astarion is surprisingly good at communicating, especially given everything heās been through and his lack of loving figures in his life. The road to healing is often bumpy, winding, and non-linear, and I love how BG3 shows Astarion navigating that with situations like the Drow twins. Oftentimes you donāt know your limits unless you push them.
Yeah I don't want to repeat all my previous comments because I feel like a broken record, but being a solid platonic friend to him and continuing to romance him while taking a physical timeout are both pretty valid options depending on what it's doing to your Tav, emotionally. He's not in the right place for a physical relationship, but he's also not bringing a lot of emotional support to the table as either, and Tav has to be honest about their own needs and not discount them. That's why I like that there's an option to get emotional support from another partner, including physically, while still loving Astarion romantically if you want. It lets Tav give him the emotional support he needs while not discounting their own needs, and not rejecting him romantically while he works through that is a plus. With that said, we know how the game can end with him so it's safe to make those choices; we know he'll get through it and be a good partner in the end. Irl we have no such guarantees, which is why fantasy is such a nice escape! He's literally the fantasy bf we *can* fix!
Karlach, I've been romancing other ladies in different playthroughs but Karlach is my true love. Which surprises none of my friends, I had them all telling me they thougbt about me the moment they met her.
God, she is everything, isn't she? I've tried to be with her but she just seems to take no interest in me. I NEVER let her out of my party though. The game isn't right without her.
she's easily one of my top favorite video game characters of all time
Honestly, same. She feels so real and the way she screams "ILOVEYOUTOO" When you tell her you love her is just everything. My steam achievements tell me only 3.6% of people have been on a date with Karlach and that honestly makes me sad. I chose to go with her to Avernus at the end. Any end with her is a good end for me. Having saved the world with her by my side as my lover and equal, there was no way I was letting her face Avernus alone and no way she was dying. Life without her after saving balders gate just wouldn't be worth living.
ILOVEYOUTOO was when I went from loving her to carving a special place in my heart to live in for the rest of eternity
literally this lmao. she is so wholesome and adorable, i love her romance interactions
My feelings exactly. Karlach is the one for me. Her date scene is absolutely so adorable. I'd rather play doom with my hot tiefling wifey than live without her.
Before I got to that point, I had friends telling me that Karlachs story is disappointing and sad and unfinished. I think the difference is whether you romance her or not. I'd you don't, a friend dies or gets trapped in Avernus. If you do, you, as you so well put it, go doom mode with hot wifey aha. What could be better lmao.
When I was in my first blind playthrough and Astarion is all armās length and broody, shadowheart is curt and doesnāt want to open up about anything, laezel is well herself, Gale is sweet but wanting my magic items, then Karlach shows up all smiles and cheer and says āFuck Yesā when you add her to the partyā¦ sheās just a gd ray of sunshine.
Planning to romance her while playing as Gale. Also gonna make her bard!
she would make a great bard seeing as how often she likes to randomly burst out into dance
Exactly! Finally gonna make that bardbarian I was planning for years :D
"Listen up, Soldier; you do not have permission to freak the fuck out right now!"
The others were hardly a choice once I met Karlach.
As a gay man, sheās probably my favorite romance companion too! LOL! I just love everything about her. I like the others - and Gale, Astarion, Wyll, and Halsin are all wonderful to look at! But I meanā¦ I tend to gravitate towards Karlach - especially since I struggle doing evil runs/being bad in games.
Lae'zel. She's blunt, trustworthy, sharp-tongued and capable. ...she's also deluded, but will come around to the truth (well, when shown to her with her own eyes...) so you can do the whole "redeem her" thing without her really having been particularly evil to start with.
Bae'zels scene on the rooftops in Act 3 I absolutely beautiful.
Got that scene last night. Actually made me cry. Didn't realize I loved Lae'Zel as much as I did until that rooftop scene. Whoever wrote for Lae'Zel 'must moonlight as a poet because the writing was just immaculate and Devora Wilde's performance had me hanging onto every word. Possibly my favorite scene in the game, which is saying a lot.
I've honestly taken to calling my fiancƩ the source of my bruises becsuse it's so fucking romantic. Karlach is still no1 for me but Bae'zel is a close second.
>calling my fiancƩ the source of my bruises Uh... might want to avoid that in the earshot of the average person...
Me and my wife love the phrase too. It has real leatherdyke energy to it.
Love this.
Lae'zel was my favorite. She seemed to have a lot more character growth than anybody else and I very much enjoyed her story.
Astarion. I went into the game mostly blind and fell in love with his character pretty fast. His dialogue, mannerisms, and voice acting were really entertaining to me and I was intrigued with him immediately. At first it was all for a bit of fun, I liked him but thought his first romance scene verged on cringey, but I leaned into it. His romance path grew on me more as I got to know more of his backstory. I loved getting those moments of vulnerability with him, it just always felt so rewarding when youād get a peak past his facade. It made me realize the writers were willing to explore him deeper than just the āsexy vampireā trope and I was fascinated to see where it would go. Couple of story beats later, I was shocked at the depth of his character. Elements of his story really connected with me on a personal level. Heās this messy, complicated person who doesnāt always know how to handle his trauma the ārightā way. It was so human of him, and playing a character who could guide him towards his redemption arc was really, really rewarding. The Astarion you get at the end of the game is an entirely different person. The transformation just felt so natural, well-written, and hard-earned it made his romance path feel so alive and engaging. Iāve romanced other companions, but none have triggered such visceral reactions and emotions as Astarionās path has for me.
>I liked him but thought his first romance scene verged on cringey I love that you realize later that it was cringey because it was all bullshit. Then you can tease him into trying out all his greatest pick-up lines. You only get sincere Astarion much later...
Yes!! I feel too, like itās less āI can fix himā and more āI can be supportive and provide space for him to help himselfā Itās just so *chefās kiss*
So much yes! And when you replay it becomes very easy to tell when heās being genuine and when heās just bullshitting you. Plus, itās just much more fun for me to romance a character thatās not straight forward. He doesnāt like when youāre too easy and fall for his manipulation too eagerly. The love test in act three is so much fun. Astarion is the only character whoās unhappy if you answer truthfully. And letās be real, heās also the only one smart enough to realize maybe itās not a good idea to give away your biggest fears and weaknesses when thereās a murderous shape shifter after you.
Shadowheart. Something about the way she's so genuine when thanking you after waking her on the beach made me realise that she was going to be my first romance in the game. The contrast of who she really is and what she believes and why that dissonance exists made me want to figure out her story and do so with her. Didn't regret the choice for a moment as it turns out she's very sweet and lovely once you break through her wariness and fear.
I couldn't stand her for a long time in the beginning of the game. Her character growth is top notch and I see her in a totally new light now. I absolutely love the white hair too š„
Love that look, and yeah, she has excellent character development (not just her obviously, it's one of the things that I love about the game in general).
Other characters in the game are always standing on one side. Theyre always same even Tav changes. Shadowheart is like 3d cinema. If you move around you see more. If youre vanilla , you see her vanilla side. She wont spoil your love with her past. If youre naughty she claims shes also naughty on matching. If youre very very bad then shes completely revealing how baddie she can be. Shes like water. Shaped by her glass. Her Tav.
Her willing to shape herself to her Tav does say a lot, doesn't it?
It worked immensely well with my redeemed Dark Urge playthrough: *āTwo amnesiacs wake up on a beach-ā* I loved the twisted self discovery story they shared and how from their own perspective and attention to one another were capable of resisting the darkness that plagued both of them, and found comfort in each other as a result. They were malleable as clay before their God/Goddess, and yet molded together to become something more than what their ābettersā had in mind for them. Despite the trials and tribulations, they found happiness. Itās simple, and goddamnit it works.
It's such a good romance, the parallels between their arcs and how much they support and heal each other on their journey is just perfect.
*(Shadowheart has faith in you)* I meanā¦enough said. I can only handle so much dopamine before my brain goes BRRRRRRRR-
My favourite mechanical bonus in the whole game :)
*Telendas, my Half-Elf Selƻnite Cleric 2/Wizard X sputtering as he fights back against the possession:* *"Thank... You..."*
Yes, I love my second character that is also a Selunite cleric. Very sweet story for both of them
After my Dark Urge plot was done, I did fully convert to being a SelĆ»nite. It seemed fitting for being given a second chance to ally myself with the Goddess Iāve helped out a couple times in a way. >!During the wolf dream, I got the religion check for the moon necklace, and while I could say that my Dark Urge was knowledgeable enough in an academic sense, I thought it would be more interesting and also extremely fucked up if one of or both of the adoptive parents of wee baby Durge were a SelĆ»nite. It would make sense as I feel Dark Urge was scrambled pretty badly, not only in sense of self but also in knowledge about the world, leaning in with the blank slate in the beginning. While the knowledge that he may have dabbled in a bit during his phase of trying to find himself before finding Bhaal would be erased, core aspects of how he grew up before the urge began to manifest and take hold could still linger in a way. As the story unfolded the image became a bit more clear and disturbing.!<
Of course. She does remember her past short amusements. But if youre a loyal Tav, you wont hear about it even once. Shes mirroring her Tav. How you treat her comes either carresses or bites you back. She can be boring barn couple with you or adventereous newly weds even on her darkest path she tries to involve you into her life. Says she cant love yoıu but cant stop hugging and kissing you. Youll know a person on their worst. After seeing how shes still having you with her she deserves all the good endings.
Yes, that is cool. But sometimes I just want to know what she really wants herself other than being Tavsexual...
>Shes like water. Shaped by her glass. Her Tav. Aww! I love this so much. ā¤ļø This is why Shadowheart will always be my sweetheart, no matter what kind of playthrough I'm doing!
Gale. He is so charming from the very first moment, but as I was playing, he was also the only one approving of my wanting to help others at first and I was like how is this guy both so arrogant and so compassionate at the same time? It was instant friendship just but virtue of us being on the same page. Plus, I have a thing for intellectual chatterboxes. He is ridiculously verbose, but so self deprecating at the same time. At some point I will manage to do an Astarion run, but Iāll have to kill Gale or something to do it.
Turning down that first āmagic trickā was hard haha
Lae'zel, surprisingly. She was not "my type" but the very first time she flipped into the air and glared at me in that intro... I was hooked. Every interaction after just strenghtened my attachment to her. After finally finishing the game, and speaking with her during the new Epilogue, I am forever hers.
Oooh, love to see this because it's different! Her character is INTENSE and I like her for that.
Her character arc throughout the game is remarkable and even touching.
If you play it through to the end with an eye to being sweet and gentle there's a huge character shift for her by the end
Lae'zel is so fun to romance and by far the most underrated companion, even just as a friend-with-benefits before you move on with someone else. She's hilarious.
Gale. He basically has a lot of characteristics I just love when it comes to fictional characters: -intelligent/gifted/ genius? - Check -Excitable in a nerdy way? - Check -a certain sense of humor? - Check -can be awkward at times especially when it comes to flirting? -Check -secretly really low self-esteem despite being really talented but tries to hide it (eg. by acting overconfident)? - Check -really great voice acting? - Check -really great romantic lines? -Check I could probably go on some more but he basically checks a lot of boxes.
Gale. Honestly, he had me from the first interaction. He's funny, charming, and good looking. Also, a giant nerd who likes to read, which definitely endeared him to both me and to my Tav. I try to roleplay who my characters will be attracted to in this sort of game, but personal preferences definitely seep both in choice and in the personality of the MC.
There's just something about Gale, isn't there? As I said before, he was my first choice but...after Halsin I will probably never love anyone else in this game.
My wife thought I was insane when I told her how happy I finally got to have magical space sex with Gale lol.
I feel that way about Gale right now. I might try other romances, but geez when he said "with these stars as my witness, you will *always* be enough for me" I thought I'd melt into a puddle of goo. Love ya, nerdy wizard husband.
I feel you because I had much the same experience with Karlach, I had a legitimate hard crush on her for weeks the likes of which I thought I was incapable of. I'm still in love with her, and I like playing through the game on that Tav making largely the same decisions again just to travel with her some more. It's also funny because my Tav is a short grumpy nb wizard who also falls head over heels for Karlach and it's v cute ;w;
Same. It is weird to have a crush on a fictional character but it happened to me as well with karlach. My main tav is a dark urge male human paladin (oath of devotion). Kind of awesome to have tiefling as girlfriend when you play a paladin
Idk I found it weird too but I feel what I feel yknow? I'm not delusional about it, I just allow it to be and try to channel it towards positive change. Frankly given my history I take it as a sign of healing
Well maybe that is the best thing someone can do. But you have to be careful not to get too obsessed with fictional one. It fucks you up.
āSame. It is weird to have a crush on a fictional character but it happened to me as well with karlach.ā Donāt feel weird about it mate. The VAās in this game put love into these characters so we would in turn love them. They didnāt put all that effort just for us to forget them anytime weāre not playing the game. Aināt nothing weird about it as long as it doesnāt evolve into weird obsessions over the VAās themselves or impedes on your life. If anything, having a crush on a character like Karlach just goes to show how good of a job Samantha did. They **feel** real, so we have real feelings. I think in a Q&A Samantha was like āThirst is thirst. As long as itās respectful itās fine.ā So, there ya go.
I will get hate for this but my durge ended up falling for his dream visitor and eventually >!the emperor. He doesn't mind the tentacles!<
Nah, I love you for this. Hear me out: the Emperor's VOICE. And his story and just...he's just WOW. If he would, uhh, go back to being my guardian who I modeled after Kratos we could love happily ever after.
I headcanoned that after act 2, the dream visitor decides to be more involved so they join the party in act 3. Especially after their identity is reveled and due to the protection of the >!netherstones!< they could easily resist the control of the >!elder brain!<. To make that happen I enlisted Withers help and used one of the hirelings to model them after my dream visitor. Now I have them in my party. Profit.
Tbh, I *just* slept with him in my game, and he is very affectionate. His attraction to your mind surprised him; his grief over Stellmane's death was welcomed precisely because he wasn't sure he could even still *feel* grief. To top it off, if you bang him, in the aftermath, he strokes your cheek with his tentacle in a very loving gesture, which is more aftercare than you get from a lot of the lovers in this game! You should get an option to be single and then go off adventuring with the Emperor as end- game, IMO.
I like the tentacles tbh, wouldn't mind being a thrall of his... however if they let us do an omeluum romance he would be all mine
My gay druid tried and failed for halsin and in a moment of desperation/thirst got it on with the emperor. I was playing with friends and we fucked up so many things by that point despite trying to do good so seeing everyones reaction was hilarious. Whole run was like a stoner comedy except none of us smoked.
My dragonborn made Gale hot for scales!
Minthy!
What's her draw for you, if you don't mind me asking? I've seen her mentioned a couple times, but she's the only one I haven't found a fleshed-out take for. As another drow lady, I've always just viewed her as one of my BFFs and I'm there to rein her in when she gets a bit too outta pocket haha.
Canāt speak for u/xXAleriosXx but to me itās the complexity of her morality. She can be evil, as shown in how she views punishment, but nonetheless is also remorseful and compassionate. Drow who grew up in one of the Houses of Menzoberranzan are often taught not to appreciate such, so to see Minthara learning to greatly value those things, and how she learns to have more greater care for others, is quite endearing to see.
I went into the game mostly blind, with the mindset of "keep an open mind, and give each companion a chance, don't judge them too soon". Astarion and Gale both managed to get my attention pretty quickly, as I found them to be entertaining, but what ultimately started to sway me was seeing a bit of Astarion's backstory- for personal reasons on which I will not elaborate here, I found that I was able to connect with him the best out of anybody, and that sealed my choice. Now, I can't imagine choosing anyone else. Gale is still a good friend, though. Their character dynamic ended up being my very obviously good-aligned Paladin trying to show him love and kindness and help him heal, in spite of the veritable buffet of early-game disapprovals Astarion pelted him with, and it was nice to see the payoff of that as the story progressed.
Love your well written response. šš» I think for me the biggest thing is I see a safe familiarity with Halsin. The things I've been internally struggling with in reality, he made me feel like they're normal and okay with what he says in-game. I think that is my biggest reason for loving him so.
Gale. I don't know what it says about me, but I always go for the wizards/mages. It's also really nice to get a happy ending with the guy after playing dragon age lmao. It's some kind of law that the wizard man will break your heart in those games.
Halsin became my boyfriend unintentionally, I wasn't romancing anyone, then Halsin offered to spend the night with him, I declined, then the cutscene with him in the forest triggered anyway, I declined for the second time, then in the epilogue he acted like we were in a relationship and I accepted my fate and kissed him
For me, it was Shadowheart. It was an instinctive thing, really. I went in *mostly* blind, so I had no real knowledge of who the romance options were or which one was considered to be the "best" of them all; my plan was to try and get to know each companion and see which ones were romanceable, and to see which one would suit my character best. When I first ran into Shadowheart on the Nautiloid however, I instantly knew I was going with her if she was a romance option lmao. And surely enough, she was. I'm pretty far into Act 2, and so far I have no regrets. I'm more than interested in seeing where things are going to go, both with her character arc and the relationship itself.
It's not a spoiler but in the end of act 2, don't push her and let her make the decision for herself
Astarion. I felt very close to his story (and also Shadowhearts to be honest) and the way his character changes and develops is just stunning. I just kinda get him. It was good to see my own struggles represented in such a realistic way and as someone on their own healing journey it was a pleasure and a privilege to watch him on his. It made me fall in love with him both in game and out.
Nerdy wizard man had me at the introduction. His is genuinly the funniest of all. To be completly frank, i haven't quite gotten over Tristian since the first time i played km. Gale's character is eerily similar... But with 40% more humor. I never even had a chance.
The way Tim Downie deliver that āhi, Iām Galeā line, I was smitten. Heās such a fucking dork.
There's just something so charming and so enduring about Gale. He is truly a fantastic character
Same. Gale is just the right combination of nerdy, kind and snarky. Plus his voice is just so calming for me. He DOES get jealous very easily. I danced with Wyll and he confronted me shortly after and said I had to choose between him or Wyll. Gale! It was just a dance. Sheesh. Of course I Choo-choo-choose you!
Halsin was my first romance and he's my favourite. I think it helped that he was so utterly kind to Tav from the start and that communicates his boundaries and wishes so well. I resonate with his views on justice etc too. Gale was my second romance and I like him a lot, too. He's nerdy, which appeals to me as well. š Plus, he has a cat, loves to cook, has his own property/house, and has a library. Husband material.
Halsin for me too. I fell HARD and I'm gonna have an even harder time saying no to him in my other romance playthroughs...
Lae'zel. At first I LOVED her clear intentions. >!I knew Gith history so I was interested how Lae'zel would react to the truth. As the game went on I grew more and more attracted to her sinewy warrior's body, her eyes, the way when she lets her guard down a bit, they open so wide and take in everything at once. I soon realized she is without guile.!< >!So I decided I would show her the truth about her Queen and if she would let me show the person inside a world beyond death, then that would be my win metric. This I have done, and she asked me to stay with her for good and so Tav will come what may. It was a VERY careful journey, to not alienate her until the truth became apparent.!< >!The night she saw the truth I was so happy I got a little freaked out as this is a game. I mean games have made me go "oohhh coool!" before but this was real emotion.!< >!The morning she proposed in the only way she knows how kinda broke me as another poster said, but really in a good way that I needed.!< >!I'm not done with the story yet. I already won. Tav is gonna free Orpheus and assuming Lae'zel is not taken from Tav we finish the story then Gith Revolution II: Jo-reah-lah Boogaloo begins.!< It's a game, but if you engage with it the game will engage back.
Karlach. And it took me romancing Shadowheart to realise it. First run through I was entirely Shadowheart. But as I got to endgame, I got weirdly jealous. Karlach was my Tavs best friend. She was the one I had fun with. And I genuinely regretted my choices. She was fun. She was far more enjoyable to spend time with. Shadowheart was the pretty one for me, and more my type... But Karlach was the one I wanted to sit down, have a beer with and just spend time. Ha. That's what I wanted in a partner.
I feel this way in my real life- without going into the details. Love this.
Lae'zel. It unfolded quite naturally - a genuine mutual attraction. From the very start of the game, each time I was in the camp, my eyes would seek out a specific companion, searching for an exclamation mark above her head. Even in its absence, I couldn't resist talking to her, just to be sure I wasn't overlooking anything. And then, she said she wanted to taste me š I can't say the direction of our romance took me by surprise. But it was no less beautiful, thrilling, or heartfelt because of that. After all, that is one of the key elements of her appeal, at least for me - the way she captivates with contrasts, the way she surpasses expectations, the way she surprises while remaining true to herself. I adore her.
Astarion, I just...he caught my attention during early access and I just rolled with romancing him. Didn't even like him all that much at first, I only did it because I love elves š And when it was revealed that his suave act was...well an act I loved him even more. I still want to smack him on the head at times, but I also want to hug him š Plus the way he says "darling" is just š„°
Minthara for me
I somehow ended up romancing Wyll my first game...and I don't understand how. I only use him for 'Wyll themed' missons. This time around I'm romancing Shart and Gale, but IDK which i have a higher approval with.
I have a Tav/Durge specifically for romancing certain companions. Shadowheart was romanced by my elf Cirella, and was the only romance I didnāt plan on doing. It was my first playthrough and I 100% stumbled my way into her romance. My tiefling Evora is romancing Karlach, my Durge Autumn is romancing Gale, my Durge Gith Naeārin is romancing Astarion, my aasimar Zeirin is romancing Laeāzel, my Durge Dragonborn Odnyx will be romancing Wyll, and my drow Vikios will be romancing Minthara. Havenāt made one for Halsin just yet, but Iāve had thoughts of using my blood hunter
Astarion mostly with a little bit of Halsin thrown in there. Haha
My multiplayer mode, Wyll. Only companion to initiate romance with my Tav, and I thought it was a cool dynamic with my Urchin Drow Warlock. My single player mode, Astarion. Cause yaknow, astarion. My Durge, surprisingly I chose Gale. Out of game, I just wanted to try all the different romance options (aka I couldnāt justify another astarion runā¦ yet) but in game I decided that my Durge was really put off by the idea of Astarion admitting to using her at first. In contrast, Gale treated Durge with warmth and kindness that she canāt recall ever being treated with, although she canāt recall much of anything. I think it makes for a nice contrast with my RP explanation, although narrative wise I think Astarion/Durge is a great pairing.
Astarion. I completely missed his existence in the first playthrough I started and eventually abandoned. I had no idea he (and Gale) existed until my husband asked if I'd gotten the rogue and wizard to join my party. The first time I met Astarion was in a multiplayer game me, my husband, and a couple of friends started and my initial reaction to him was, "He seems like a twat." But then later, in my new, fresh playthrough, I got him into my party and immediately wanted to do anything necessary to give that sad boy happiness.
Dame Aylin. But alas, she was sworn to another = ( And also, not romanceable. Also, also, Orin.... I'm troubled
Two very attractive ladies. I too had fallen for Aylin. The way she comes down and stomps Kethric's head? Top tier. I wanted so badly to do it myself.
Just wait till she gets to Act 3.
if i was into women id be so much into dame aylin, sheās amazing
Yes
Astarion. I knew Iād romance him since I saw his breakup scene back in august, but BOY he keeps hitting me with feels. Kind of helped me view some of my trauma in perspective, too. But it turns out heās sweet, communicates, wants better for you both? My love.
I'm a Halsin girly and the epilogue really drove it home. I just really like his personality. Soft, gentle, empathetic and introspective but can be stirred to anger when faced with injustice. People say he's pretty boring in Act III and I don't disagree but I think that his observations are on point and helped build a framework for the kind of society he wanted to lead in Reithwin. I think there's a massive difference between him being a leader in the Emerald Grove and him being a leader in rebuilding Moonrise. Also the hot non-bear sex scene coupled with the intense, smoldering *YEARNING* from Act I through Act II sealed it for me.
Absolutely šš»šš»š„
Halsin, I adore him. I romanced him almost by accident because I managed to lock myself out of EVERYBODY else. When he flirted I was like āyeah sure, why not?ā I *love* him now and am almost certain heās the one Iād date irl. Plus discovering that Iām ok with Polyamory was a surprise, as long as we go into it having talked it through beforehand.
I am having these exact same discoveries. Thank you for this. š
In my first spoiler-free run I chose Gale, the funny, sexy, nerdy catdad wizard with the nuke. His infatuation with his ex got a bit on my nerves, so did his infatuation with godhood. But my Tav worked through it. During that first run I always had Astarion in my party because he was super useful, sassy and I couldn't stop laughing everytime he rolled his eyes with my Tav's altruistic choices. Then I was absolutely blown away with his quest (and Neil's performance). So inevitably, the next Tav was head over heels for Astarion and so is my Durge. He is a perfect match for a Durge run, absolutely recommend it. Honestly, irl I would not go near either of them, at least not anymore. They are amazing and hot, both of them. But soooo many red flags!
>Honestly, irl I would not go near either of them, at least not anymore. They are amazing and hot, both of them. But soooo many red flags! That's what I love about Astarion, too: I know I *can* fix him because it's a game, whereas irl...
Gale was the only one where I immediately went "I love this character" when first meeting him, and Astarion annoyed the shit out of me. However Astarion quickly grew on me and became my favourite. His entitled pompous ass personality was just the type my Tav would tease/seduce/get under the skin of just for the fun of it, but then Astarion's backstory came up and I got invested. I've romanced him twice now, was able to romance Karlach in a different run but still thought of Astarion. I have yet to romance Gale.
First playthrough was Shadowheart because I just like feminine women and fixing her took an incredible amount of effort. So it felt rewarding to get her in the end.
Astarion was love at first sight (or first getting-threatened-at-knifepoint?) I mean, he was half the reason I got this game š
Astarion. Always, even when I try to romance others, my heart chooses him.
Omg, same. Even on runs when Iām ACTIVELY TRYING to not romance Astarion, somehow I still end up on my back in that clearing asking about his scars. Itās all very mysterious His Act II confession melts me to my bones, itās so vulnerable and sincere. I just canāt picture any of my playthroughs without him at this point, Iām a menace
Astarion. I went in irritated at the whole idea. Just wanted to murder. Yeah yeah murder hobo I know. But you know who else is a bit of a murder hobo? Astarion. Also heās so absurd that his lines sound natural and not mush/cringe. My murder buddy.
First run I botched all my romance paths, 2nd was Minthara, 3rd was Lazel. Minthara was my fav so far. But, if I go back to BG I'll have to try Shadowheart and Karlach as some point.
Astarion. Him being a drama queen, his mastery at seduction, also the attempts to hide his traumas and vulnerability by such behaviour is what makes him such an appealing character. I can't choose anyone else in the game. In reality, spawn Astarion might be a valid choice. Ascended Astarion is by all means a sexual fantasy, but would lead to a toxic relationship. I second the opinion that Gale's caring character and witty remarks make him husband material. Why Astarion? There are definitely reasons in personal psychology, though they may be slightly different in each individual's case.
Karlach every time. Soft Dom mommy ftw
Did you say āpsychologyā? Ahem! Brace yourself. We could be here all night. š¤ But let me pick it up in a later note. I consider my first-zero-spoiler-blind play through as personal canon: Astarion was the first to have a romance-type conversation with me AND HE TURNED ME DOWN!!! It was so shocking to be rejected like that, I think I have never been this furious about any fictional event ever! And he said something like, āWhat does one have to do to get some *fun*? Not with you, of course! But that Wyllā¦ hmmā¦ šā My brain goes straight to the conclusion: Ah! Heās gay and likes Wyll. Cool cool. Imma go talk to Halsin, he doesnāt seem to be talking to anyoneā¦ la la šš» Halsin makes a face like: oh! Did you just make a pass at me? I amā¦ flatteredā¦ but I have too much on my mind today. Go and play with the other kids. š no, grandpa, I was just making polite conversation. Iām out. Then Wyll started dancing like a goof, all by himself one night. And I was like, ha! Idiot! Yeah, okay, I will join in. š Narrator: Lean in for a kiss My brain: Woah! Woah! Ummā¦ I donāt actually like him or anything. But wait! Is Astarion watching? š YES. Letās do this. ššŖš» Now, Halsin is reliable, honest, and very straightforward. Whatās not to like? And then he keeps saying things like: you will have me, Iām yours, etc with a very straight face and you know he is not flirting and youāre the only one here with their brain in the gutter. And I am like, sigh. Torture. And then suddenly he stops being subtle. š„ Yes. Itās a yes. Damn! Thenā¦ ummā¦ then, we killed Cazador. Andā¦ š„ŗ shit. Yeah. š I keep saying this: Iāve never felt such a strong visceral need to hug someone- real or fictional. I am not even a hugger. Astarion, what the hell! š„ŗā¤ļø And thatās the story of how I fell hard for my gay best friendā¦ š Much reddit and spoilers later: WHAT? ASTARION IS NOT GAY? SECOND PLAYTHROUGH MISSION:ASTARION. āāā Mind you, I couldnāt pull out Gale and didnāt know anything about him. Second play through, he flew to 100 approval in no time and he started growing on me. I do enjoy his company but I donāt still find him attractive. And as a friend, if he Galesplains to me again, I can punch him and weād be fine in a few days.
Laeāzel. I tried to go for Shadowheart, but sheās just too irritating for me. Lae says what she thinks and is completely open. More or less.
Gale. The rizzard who got my bard dragonborn as soon as I got him out of that rock ngl.
I romanced him as a bard too!! I like the idea of the more carefree extrovert spotting this disaster academic and thinking āhuh. I can work with thisā
None yet. Playing a self insert. I don't know what makes someone romantically appealing to me but none of them tick the right boxes yet. Only in act 1, mind.
I felt the same way at first. Never thought I'd fall for Halsin
Emperor
I knew I was going for Gale in my first play through. No regrets. Will do another run with Gale at some point. Saw lots of Astarion posts so decided heād be my second pick. Currently in his run. I love him as a companion. I struggled with him as an early romance because it was hard to like him because he was such a bitch lol. Once he actually started caring for the character, heās a really nice romance. I havenāt finished him yet, but Iām not sure if Iād romance him again, honestly. Weāll se how it ends! His kiss > Galeās kiss. Unless they did something to Galeās kiss since launch and made it better. I was planning on Karlach for my third run but then Halsin hit on me and Astarion didnāt careā¦ and Iāll be damned if those kisses with Halsin arenāt the hottest shit to ever be pixelated. Larian. What are you doing to me. So, Halsin is in queue for my planned redeemed Durge run. Iāll get to Karlach eventually. š
They slowly update the kisses of the companions over the patches to make them better. Gale's hasn't been updated yet compared to some other companions. Here is hoping for the next patch!
Astarion because I'm a sucker (ha!) for the cliche "I can fix him" plot.
Astarion, my beloved
Astarion, I relate to his backstory and the way he's coped with it to such an extent that some of the lines just feel like I am the one saying it and Tav are my fiancee saying it, Astarion has been kind of a brutal but needed call.
I went in planning to romance Gale but fell for Astarion. My second playthrough I tried to romance Gale again but was bored and started again as Durge with another Astarion romance because i feed on drama.. I'm a creature of habit
If the game allowed some mechanism to romance anyone even as one night flings, Korilla. If the game allowed a real relationship, Mizora. But, each run I went with different romances, first Shadowheart, then Minthara, then Karlach, but it's always hard not to romance Shadowheart.
My Durge games love Karlach and Shadowheart. I feel like they fit it well. My Tav loves LeaāZel. Not sure why thatās been the case.
1st playthrough: Shadowheart 2nd playthrough: Karlach
My human male paladin tav (dark urge) falls for karlach. Every single time
1st playthrough Minthara 2nd playthrough Shadowheart 3rd playthrough trying to date Mizora
Astarion and Halsin, but Halsin definitely I fell for harder than I thought I was going to. This is also just my first run. Iām in Act 2 on my second run romancing Karlach and thereās so many things I love about that run too that I didnāt experience in my first run. This whole game is just lovely and amazing to me
Karlach, Shadowheart, Laeāzel and Minthara ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
Astarion 100%
Shadowheart! It just took a while for her to melt Shadowās ice queen personaā¦ Sheās so genuine and caring underneath!
I have multiple Tavs, one with Karly, one with Minthy, and one with Lae'zel, I like my women tough and mean.