Baldur’s Gate 3has recently been updated to allow players the chance to fulfill their crueler fantasies and explore being the villain, featuringnew evil ending cutscenes, modding adaptability, and more in-depth gameplay improvements. Patch 7 offers options for sadistic playthroughs and following dark urges to open a selection of new dialogue lines that flesh out the personalities androles of characters that players recruit.Larian Studios has claimed that this is a big update for the game and, while the developer has continued hopes for more developments, this update presents an outlet for players to release their darker sides.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3.]
BG3’s romantic optionsand playthrough styles have been distinctly altered with the latest patch to include more thoroughly defined characters that respond to some of the main player’s actions. From recognitions of cheating, responses to killing others, and tweaks of the playable character’s reactions to events,this newBaldur’s Gate 3patch has become an update that shows more humanized aspects of the story.Dialogue lines are increasingly important in how players experience the story thatBaldur’s Gate 3rightfully boasts.
10"I Thought I Could Trust You, Which Was No Small Thing."
Astarion Has Trust Issues Now
Astarion is one of the most popular love interestsand Larian Studios has listened to fan requests for more interactions with him. Astarion’s dialogue improvements have been a highlight for many players, with him now having a response to the player’s extracurricular affair with Mizora. Astarion enters a heartfelt conversation with Tav about his differing views of their relationship.
Astarion’s dialogue line here shows genuine hurt by Tav’s actions, saying “I thought I could trust you, which was no small thing,” showing just how much he’s been affected.The dialogue options from this interaction with Astarion can cause a complete lack of trust in Tav. Exploring romance options with Astarion in this update gives players an extra look at the depth of his true love for Tav, as trust is not given freely and often with characters like Astarion.
9"They Should All Be Running."
Dark Urge Utterances
Patch 7 brought new updates to the dialogue of the narrator lines for Dark Urge players, giving morally gray actions and more evil playthroughs a richer background that changes depending on the voice options selected at character creation.“They should all be running,“is a dynamic line that changes based on the voice that’s chosen for Tav, with it being whispered if Voice 4 is selected and shouted if chosen with Voice 8.
This phrase is often missed asit is part of a larger selection of new dialogue that can be sparked in combat.The update added more clarity to some of the voices, making it easier to notice some rather than others. New dynamics in voice choices allow for better storytelling and give Tav some extra personality outside the major cutscenes.
8"We Have Met Before. I Expect We Will Meet Again.”
Breaking An Unholy Paladin’s Oath
The paladin class option holds a special place for the oaths that they’ve taken, even if a player chooses to play as a Dark Urge paladin! Whenspeaking to the Oathbreaker Knight, they explain that the player has broken their oath before the temple, but reassures them saying:“We have met before. I expect we will meet again.”
This particular voice line presents an interesting story mechanic that could be the start of many role-play aspects for characters to explore.
Opening up the paladin class to have more diverse methods of storytelling, especially ones from a more evil background,shows a positive move forward in theDungeons & Dragonsmechanics thatBaldur’s Gate 3has expanded upon.
7"Each Death A Gift To Your Father. But This One, You Will Take From Him.”
A Brutal New Ending
With the additional “bad” endings available,a litany of choices lies open and a series of them leads to an ending that allows the Dark Urge characters to sacrifice themselves to avoid the wrath of Bhaal.Committing the ultimate betrayal against the Lord of Murder in front of Tav’s companions is a satisfying yet sad ending, with the narrator saying, “Each death a gift to your father. But this one, you will take from him.”
This ending, however, is filled with powerful dialogue worth witnessing, both from the narrator and Withers, as the choice to defy Bhaal one last time creates a condition for outstanding storytelling.
The scene plays out with Tav being surrounded by the circle of Bhaal and the narrator expressing the anger that emanates from it. This ending, however, is filled with powerful dialogue worth witnessing, both from the narrator and Withers, as the choice to defy Bhaal one last time creates a condition for outstanding storytelling.
6"If We Stumble Across Their Little Corpses, You’re Very Welcome To Report Back To Your LIttle Friends."
Think Of The Ghost Children!
If Tav chooses to speak to Ulma, the leader of the monster hunters, without Astarion, an intense conversation between the two plays out at the camp that shows just how heavily Astarion’s past continues to weigh on him. In a way that is unfortunately comical,he says “If we stumble across their little corpses, you’re very welcome to report back to your little friends.“A display of excellent writing, Astarion’s passionate argument with Tav gives players an insight into how his views on the children being gone have caused the monster hunters to lose touch with their reality.
Astarion’s emphatic responses to Tav’s solo conversation with Ulma make players wonder about the exact circumstances regarding the contract that he had with Cazador in the past, andjust what role he continues to play in the monster hunters' lives.
5"If We Cannot Have Our Children Back, At Least We Will Have Justice.”
Hand Over Astarion To Save Yourself
With the same confrontation with Ulma, if players return to the Gur camp with Astarion in tow before heading to the Cazador’s palace,there is an option to hand Astarion over to the monster hunters as penance for his kidnapping of the children in the past.After Astarion’s assurance that the children are dead, despite what Ulma has previously told Tav, she admits to knowing that the children are dead by saying, “Ifwe cannot have our children back, at least we will have justice.” Astarion is shocked by this, but it is what Ulma says that is fascinating here.
This ending for Astarion continues with Tav’s party of companions and the entire camp fighting against him and avenging the children of the monster hunters. Although there is not any further dialogue in the scene,it is interesting that Larian Studios made this decision.
4"No One Would Remember Me.”
Minthara Is Forgettable
Reactions to the events surrounding characters have been an important part of the vast dialogue updates for Patch 7. When players kill Orin, the changeling Bhaalspawn sorceress, Minthara remarks that she understood that the forms that Orin took could never be truly replicated because of the madness underneath. This conversation brings up Tav’s connection to Orin and recognizes that Minthara would have ended up dead like Orin if not for Tav sparing her, sadly stating that “no one would remember me.” This creates sympathy for how hard some Bhaalspawn fight against the madness.
Minthara’s reaction to Orin’s death shows how the need for revenge is not always as sweet as it seems. Minthara’s witnessing of herself in Orin’s underlying character makes this scene particularly poignant for players struggling with this turn of events.
3"You have Destroyed One God. It’s Time The Rest Of The Heavens Shared In The Absolute’s Fate."
Gale The New God
One of the new endings involves Gale’s fulfillment of his search for godhood but does not secure his place. As the Netherbrain is subdued, the first dialogue pick that players make includes a line that deserves a place among the top three lines of the new patch, with the narrator saying “You have destroyed one god. It’s time the rest of the heavens shared in the Absolute’s fate.” With his march against the celestial, the overtures and cinematic creativity almost overshadow the narrator’s voice in describing the feelings of Gale’s newfound power.
The cinematic that this line takes place in shows Gale levitating into the sunset with his newfound power while the rest of Baldur’s Gate destroy the statue of Mystra in an unusually nonviolent way.This is one of the least evil out of the new evil endingsadded by Patch 7.
2"You Can Promise Me the Heavens, It Doesn’t Change The Choice You’ve Already Made."
Astarion Deserves Better
Romance dialogue and companion chatter have stepped up in Patch 7, allowing for more earnest interactions with different companions. In the same conversation where Astarion finds out Tav cheated on him with Mizora, specific interactions allow Astarion to stand up for his place in the relationship, saying that he might not have always been the best person, butTav is now everything he’s been trying to avoid, with him stating that “You can promise me the heavens, it doesn’t change the choice you’ve already made.” He is done with Tav, and rightfully so.
This scene is heartbreaking in a way that was previously lacking in Astarion, with the echoes of his love for Tav becoming so powerful he chooses himself over the potential to be treated badly.Although powerful,perhaps this scene should be avoided by lovers of Astarion.
1"This World Is Yours. Now For The Rest."
Ruler Of Worlds And Astarion’s Heart
The Dark Urge endings do more than just set up Tav for sacrifice, they also set the character up to be able to rule the world. When playing with an Ascended Astarion, after rejecting Bhaal,the ending that follows gives players the choice to rule the world side-by-side with Astarion.His joy at this is palpable, with an expressive response to his bride gushing about how he always knew that they could do it together. Sealing the ending with a kiss, the narrator’s line,“This world is yours. Now for the rest,” creates a stunning atmosphere for the ending cutscene.
This is one of the most interesting endings, as it is one of the select endings where players can make an Ascended Astarion kneel before Tav. If players choose to rule the world with Astarion, the townspeople of Baldur’s Gate become soldiers under the control of Tav and start their conquest to obtain the rest of the world, with the couple falling behind. It is a fitting end to any evilBaldur’s Gate 3playthrough where players want to merge love and power.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
