if Astarion is spawn and after killing Cazador he is so much more chill. Something like 'its okay if things change, Im okay knowing that' and that he trusts Tav.

I don't think Astarion is faking approval, there's a lot in the game to indicate he is familiar with and comfortable with polyamory in general, but there would definitely be some stuff to navigate there to make sure he feels validated and loved and the dynamic stays healthy. If I were put in that position I would probably try to facilitate communication between Halsin and Astarion - I've found in my own experience that the best way to confront fear of a metamour is to just get to know the metamour. I think Astarion has high potential for a healthy polyamorous dynamic, but would just require some careful navigating in the early stages - most of which is stuff you'd have to navigate in monogamy anyway (fear of intimacy, etc). Anyway, I don't think he's meant to be faking it, it's just spot on for his character to be unfazed by Halsin but a bit insecure about his own performance and value. Ugh it's just so realistic, I have an ex who was exactly like this. (We're still good friends and he is still very polyamorous). I love that this game is so accurate about how complicated it can be to navigate but also how rewarding it can be if everyone is on board and communicating well.

Pre-killing Cazardor, Astarion seems really insecure about it. Post-kill he seems a lot more comfortable with it but it might still be teeny-tiny bit performative. Though personally I love his response to 'getting propositioned out of nowhere' he's just "bitch, you blind?"

Yes, I've always felt this way about the Astarion response. I feel like he truly feels like Karlach inside but he won't say it. So he's faking that he's happy and all for it.

it's p real of them. I would break up on the spot with whoever dared even ask me that lol

If it is a boy we will name him Squall if it is a girl Misty. ;)

STOPPP he’s the BEST

"Not with that Lifestyle" wow Gale very much homophobic my boy

@@baransimsek5943oh yes, current lifestyle is indeed ment homophobic and not because yall are travelling constantly and fighting a war or something..

@@baransimsek5943 huh? How is he homophobic? He meant your lifestyle of adventures and near death, not exactly the safest place for a kid to be.

Yeah - I like how Larian don't shie away from how messy poly can actually be.

@@biggiouschinnus7489Agreed, I'm glad they didn't shy away with it or make it a non-issue to just plow literally everyone. Especially considering how important the themes of loneliness and a desire to belong are to some of their personalities and arcs.

That is why she is forever best girl

i kinda wish they changed shadows responses based on her choice between shar and selune

I figured she agreed with it because she thinks she’s dying at this point

you thought the emo black-haired BDSM god worshipping girl with bangs and mommy issues would be vanilla?

I mean she did come from a strange shadow cult with taboo practices

Have her in your party when you go to the goblin camp, get hit by the loviatar guy, she gets REALLY into it

The most vanilla is the Tiefling whose been stuck in Hell and has hell engine for a heart.

​@@Fearoqand she is the best girl

So will Tav no doubt

@@bernardosantiago9615 💀💀💀

AND SHE WANTED DETAILS AFTER lol I just had this personally and I was like ooohhh girly its on Ill brb and w're about to be at sharesses carress....

Heck yeah Tav'll mount Halsin 😏

Heck yeah Tav'll mount Halsin 😏

I think she knows she is dying at this point, either by her machine or by the absolute. If her lover can find someone and move on, she's fine with that.

His dialogue is very different if Halsin propositions you after killing Cazador - he's a lot more excited for you to be with Halsin. Astarion needs a little verbal reassurance here, but is okay with it. Post- Cazador, he reassures you that himself that he is okay with it (as a spawn I know for sure, idk about ascendent). Quotes: "The druid is unique. He has alot of experience with this type of arrangement. Thus, I'm sure it would be quite a harmless affair." "I trust you to make choices that are not going to hurt what we have."

I also thought that abt astarion but he has a lot of poly approving dialogue when you kiss or interact with halsin. It rlly just feels like reasurrance after being poly with them both for a while now

@@tunasubbackwardsisbusanut he says the same even before Cazador is killed, the sentence about Halsin being unique and it being quite the harmless affair. Just depends on what dialogue option you chose. Idk if he asks you if this is because you two haven't in a while after killing Cazador though, haven't gotten that far yet.

Astarion also says "since it's just a fling" regarding Halsin (depending on your play through). Considering there is no time where you or Halsin refer to that relationship as "just a fling" or a temporary thing-- it makes it seem like he's doing some mental gymnastics in order to feel okay with it. Hurts a bit

"Not with that Lifestyle" wow Gale very much homophobic my boy

@@baransimsek5943ah yes, solely because Gale’s “homophobic” and not the mountain slew of chaos already the party has to deal with

@@baransimsek5943 it’s not homophobia though? He meant your lifestyle of killing bad guys and travelling with basketcase companions

pretty sure he was joking about the homophobia ya’ll… it’s obviously about the chaos of Faerûn

@@softouji was 100% a joke but women don't have humor

Relatable tbh

no one: gale: what if i blew myself up

Literally! I missed this dialogue because I said I didn't want to right away. I love it so much!

"eNjoYinG tHE fREedoM of NAtUreS gIftS"

​@@degenerateangel6891"I'm sure he'd outlaw clothes if he could." So true Astarion he probably would.

Astarion just seems to have an admittedly totally justified concern that he's not satisfying his partners needs, other than that his reaction seems to be more like, “ha! Yeah I'd tap him too!”

Karlach is definitely only saying yes not to lose you, Astarion could be taken either way, Shadowheart definitely wants to fuck Halsin as well. Which is completely fair and I agree with her 100%.

The phrase "Sham-wow the bear" wasn't one that I thought would exist in my head but it Does Now 😂

Both he and Mystra were terrible partners to be fair. Gale's inability to question himself and obsession with becoming some sort of divine entity are troubling.

@@Bladings his original issue stemmed from the major power imbalance that would inherently exist in a relationship between a mortal and an immortal goddess. His entire thing with the Netherese magic was him trying to prove to Mystra that he was good enough for her; it wasn’t a blind play for power. SPOILERS BELOW BUT with that being said, his desire for the Crown of Karsus at the end of Act 2 and through Act 3 is alarming for sure. You can talk him entirely out of chasing after it but, still, the fact that it even crossed his mind to try to use it to control the Karsite Weave is like… did he learn NOTHING? Lol

To be fair, Gale also really wants the crown because he has accepted that all Gods suck, including Mystra who groomed him since he was young and then told him to go kill himself, so he thinks he can take that power and do better. It's a very similar reasoning to Astarion having to be talked down from ascending.

to be fair, I don't think many mortals could resist the chance to wield the Crown of Karsus and whatever power the Karsite Weave could give, even those who've had a run of bad luck. @@razrv3lc

Honestly this is why I can't romance Gale, the man needs therapy, not a partner haha. Just...loads of unchecked toxic monogamous expectations of your partner being single handedly responsible for your self esteem. Don't get me wrong, it's realistic AF, it's painful because I KNOW so many real life Gales, but damn, can't deal with it in my fantasy world lol. Astarion is borderline but at least becomes more self aware if you choose the right options. Gale seems more just...love me or leave me but you're everything, which is just...not...super...healthy. lol

I’m sorry you went through that

Sorry to hear it, truly. Hope you get well ) Here, a healing potion ) (no offense, sorry, if it's silly joke)

play stupid games win stupid prizes

I'm surprised cheating didn't work out for you.

That's what you get for even considering and trying an open relationship lol. Deserved. Next time you want to try an open relationship just cheat or be honest and end the relationship right there.

frr

Ikrrr, I'm always a little scared with him, but I guess it only kinda adds realism to it, since irl you can't know for sure either unless they tell you yk

You don’t need one, even the dumbest Tav doesn’t

You don’t need one, even the dumbest Tav doesn’t

He’s more honest if you confronted Cazador already. He says something like “I trust you wouldn’t do anything to harm what’s between us” if he isn’t ascended

*your character is not a good person, this shouldn't reflect on the player themselves- after all this is a roleplaying game and it seems people often forget that.. odd seeing so many folks shaming others being like ''ur a horrible person if you do the evil run'' like tf this is how larian intended it?

@@Z0Z33KYdamn do I agree with that sentiment. In the same vein, see a lot of hate for characters other people enjoy, bashing their stories etc. I think it's because it's hard for most people to roleplay and they just play "as themselves". Nothing wrong with that unless you attach yourself too much. I still do playthroughs "as myself" in some games and maybe later for BG3. Can't really blame though as rewarding as roleplaying is it can be a lot of effort

@@Z0Z33KYwhen I read those comments, i always assume the shame my character unless they say otherwise

Oh honey. Life is complicated

@@RedLightz_TV nah im pretty sure that isn't what they're implying- and if it is they should work on better wording tbh.

Actually, if you go ahead and finish Astarions quest first (I didn't acend him) he is not worried at all, he just calls it a harmless affair and wants you to have fun. And he says he trusts you to make decisions that doesn't harm what you have with him. I really like that they implemented this as well. Otherwise I would have felt so bad for picking Halsin as well

@@LetsPlayer493 As another user said about Astarion being "okay" with this..no, he really isn't. I'll paste the message so I can explain better: "So many people thinking Astarion is completely fine with it is honestly starting to feel a little frustrating, although I totally understand no one means Astarion any harm here. But someone asking "it's not because we haven't been intimate in a while, is it?" when you ask them for consent to a poly relationship is a very clear sign that they are not okay with it, but instead feel insecure about your feelings toward them. Astarion was completely robbed of his freedom to express his boundaries, and he definitely struggles to act on them. And we can see this come to light in two very specific scenes: One is when you visit the drow twins after finishing his quest. He says he's okay with it and that he'll leave if he doesn't like it, but ends up disassociating and working on instinct. Another is when you tell Astarion "You should enjoy s/x for your own pleasure, and you should enjoy it with me" ends with him feeling very upset and literally saying "I didn't know how to say no." Sometimes you don't need an outright "no" to understand when someone doesn't want something, especially when it's a person who often struggles to express their limits and has mastered the art of hiding their true feelings."

@@AlexNightRain I know what you mean and that is exactly why I commented because I have not seen the outcome I got. He doesn't ask you the "it's not because we haven't been intimate in a while" question if you finish his questline first. He just laughs and says have fun. And that he trusts you that you won't do anything that harms the relationship so enjoy yourself. I think that is quite different from the dialogue you usually see in the videos. Soo I just thought I would comment this because at least in the way it played out for me (finished his quest, didn't acend, had the graveyard scene and then the halsin dialogue) he did not say or show in any way that he was insecure or uncomfortable. I just thought it might be interesting for people to know that at least in that regard in can play out differently

@@LetsPlayer493thank you for adding this

@@LetsPlayer493 Yes it can play out differently, but even if you finish his questline, he's not really okay with that. Take for example the drow foursome. He says that he's okay with that, that if he doesn't like it he will just go away and that he's free now, so he can enjoy things and all..just for him to take over on instinct and disassociate because of the trauma. Astarion doesn't know how to set boundaries, he's just so scared to lose Tav since you're the only person he cares about, that he just plays along with these things. Remember that in 200 years he has mastered the art of hiding his true feelings and he does it almost all the time, except some rare moments

Lmao 😂😂 Her lines are the best And yeah, poor Karlach :( Her reactions to the question make me so sad.

@@user-mu8dm4rk7g my favourite line is still Mintharas “it was a beautiful webbing” 😂 just the monotone way she says it 😂

I tried the mizora thing out of curiosity while romancing karlach and didnt even let her finish her sentence before i reloaded i regretted that decision so fast.

Legit man I was curious about the infamous “bear scene” so I went and asked Karlach and she made me feel so terrible I had to reload the quick save and it’s weird to me how your Tav can’t tell halsin she’s not ok with it seems like the more caring and natural thing to do to me at least is say your partner is not ok with that type of relationship when their answer is like that

​@@sarahburch7682same-ish except I was romancing Wyll and I went through with it. Mizora is the worst and I felt genuinely guilty when Wyll broke up with me. I reloaded and then fully deleted that autosave

I know I romanced her and the opportunity for Halsin arrived and just from "Mount Halsin" I could tell she wanted some of him too.

Frrr you could totally tell she wanted to join

Underrated comment!

I'm surprised there isn't a single character that breaks up with you just for asking, which is what most people with an inch of self--respect would do.

@@slevinchannel7589What? Why would being open about those feelings that you have but haven’t chosen to explore yet via action be a bad thing in a relationship? If your partner isn’t interested, then you respect that and that’s that, but it would be a sign that you care about them enough to check with them first and have open communication about how you’re internally feeling, which is healthier in a relationship than keeping everything bottled up and not talking that openly.

@@MellowMink for a lot of people I think it would straight up signal 2 things. one you aren't as commited to them as they are to you. the fact you even asked says that. the other is that you don't think they are enough. you want more than them. which would be a pretty big gut punch if you come into that conversation with a particular person in mind. It's one thing if you're just trying to figure out the boundries of your relationship. another if you admit to already having feelings for someone else and want to act on them.

@@TGPDrunknHick Yup, you have to have your brain wired differently to be completely okay with that kind of thing and not see a problem with it. Evidently, most people aren't at all.

@@MellowMink "Hey, I really want to cheat on you but some internet people told me if I asked you I could be greedy and have it both ways. Can I cheat?" You're out on your ass, homeless, not a possession to your name after that, cheater. You're unworthy of love and anybody that talks to you should be warned that you'll cheat on them. You're complete garbage if you ever even think about bringing it up.

cheers bro highfive

You ignored Gale and that made him ok with polyamory. That... Sounded more toxic than in my head.

@@manicbeyond They patched it out (I tested it recently lmao) so Gale’s back to wanting monogamy 😂

@@moopshcelroy Probably for the best, unfortunately the fictional characters made up of code make me believe they have feelings and I wouldn't want to do that to anyone. Of course I'm not saying you were in the wrong you did that by complete accident. And so you assumed he was chill with that.

Your right but your missing saying: Consent making polyamory valid and healthy and coola nd ok is... largely an internetmyth.

It depends greatly on the people involved and their individual skill to communicate and navigate delicate topics like these. It can be done, but it is rare and difficult. Romantic relationships are already difficult for most people. It's definitely doable, and worth it if it works for you and your partners, but it's extremely rare to actually work out. In all things love and war, communication is the key.

I'm surprised there isn't a single character that breaks up with you just for asking, which is what most people with an inch of self--respect would do.

@@slevinchannel7589 Well usually, you enter the relationship on the grounds that more people could be involved, much like Halsin. I think it far more self respecting to be accepting of your desires and ability to love than deny it. I think it far more self respecting to know what you want, and be able to communicate what you want in a healthy way. The chains of nonsensical moral authority, the chains of social expectations and the fears of others can only restrict and ensnare you. A person who TRULY respects themselves, will be themselves regardless of the opinions of people like you.

@@slevinchannel7589 You're definitely white to say something that empty-headed.

Wizards probably develop some serious tongue game after all those verbal components for spells.

Yeah I think it depends on if you've done anything before asking too

Just pointing out that both Shadowheart and Halsin share the same writer. Do what you will with that information.

The rules are really weird, it's like you can't do more than one origin character, the one origin has to be ok with it, and then the non origin companion has to be ok with it but I think both Halsin and Minthara are and you can't romance Jaheira or Minsc as far as I know.

Minthara and Halsin are excluding each other. When you have Minthara, you won't get Halsin and vice versa. There are some convoluted ways to get them both (with mod or some quest skipping and order in which you do some quests), but I think this wasn't intended and possibly Minthara won't recognize this scene and won't speak about it.

Poly-Normalization makes me sad.

​@@nenmaster5218It's a game Christian, call down

@@nenmaster5218 ok

@@nenmaster5218 good be sad

"How could you? I thought this was important to you, like it is to me! By the way, Mystra and I are having dinner tonight. Don't wait up."

@@JB-xl2jc nah dude, if you'd play a bit longer, you'd understand that he's not into her and also, he treasures OC more then his own life 😭🤌

@@fenrisares Lol I know, there's definitely a tumultuous relationship between the two. But he sure does talk about her a lot! I'd bet if she really put on the charm she could lure him back. Not that she probably wants to now.

@@JB-xl2jc the thing is, idk if you know that, but she groomed him, like a predator. Like imagine, u're aspiring mage, at 16-17ish yo and the source of ur magic powers actually acknowledges you. So yeah, if generally speaking, it was a powercreep and grooming of a poor boi

​@@fenrisaresin Mystra's defence, and you'll soon see it's a very bad defence. She has to groom a chosen one or several as a result of Karsus folly. That being said, she doesn't have to sleep with them, and definitely not when they are very young. I assume that in her perspective, she is just being extra generous because after all she is a god. Even if Gale wasn't that young when they met (and he was) the power dynamic is insane here. It's like a young promising college student with a Nobel prize winning professor who is also the university's (and universe) Dean.

RIGHT?!? Dammit Larian, I cannot stand how many emotions I feel about a bunch of made up pixels and white hair lol. But his whole story is so dang powerful, and of all the companions, his is just a little too real and relatable to so many SA survivors.

curious, my response with Astarion was quite different. He says something along the lines "as long its something that doesn't hurt what we have. " and "if anything changes, and things does change" but ina general good way? (idk, i give him a fairly good amount of atention, i do love my sad vamp boy. I protec).

@@melaniematos2609 I can't say for sure, but this sounds like you probably did his quest?

@@Sunny-tj1mo indeed! I did his quest a while ago XD. as soon as i saw it I was "OH THAT MF, GOTTA FREE MY BABY". And no, Astie is no vampire lord. It was...quite cute, tbh, the course of the storyline after that.

I'm not that far in the romance with him yet, why has it been a while? Do vampires have periods or something?

Yeaaah, you got somethin gwrong there mate. Your either wired right or wired wrong. Theres no healthy way to do polyaory and you have in-fact nottttz seen it 'work' you justn elieve so

@@loturzelrestaurant I'm monogamous to the root so I can't speak from my experience to say others are wrong, but I've seen it work between people that are polyamory. Not my place to say what people should do with their free time and heart

@@neonbre Yeah but it certaily is my place so feel free to just adapt to my stance. If polyamory was unproblematic, the world wouldnt look like it doess.

@@loturzelrestaurant 😂😂 "your place" to say this stuff, you must be a delight to talk to if you have that kind of confidence to tell randoms that 😂😂

​@@loturzelrestaurant yes, the problem is polyamory, not the religious leaders grooming people for centuries to believe in the social norms they want so they can exercise control over the populace. Get over yourself and your ingrained bias, you can't know what is going on in other peoples' heads. It's not your place and the fact that you even think that people can be "wired right" shows that you aren't lol

In the non-god epilogue, he says that he keeps his students in line by letting them think that he is still has the netherese orb.

this 1000x, i HATE that i can't tell halsin i'll speak to astarion without the game flagging it as me saying yes to halsin. i just want the option to talk to astarion then tell him "but you're all i want, all i'll ever want" ... PLEASE give me THAT option, larian!

Ong I felt my stomach turn with her reaction. She's too precious to trade for anyone

If you've done this with Halsin, and had the night with Shadowheart, the Drow scene becomes a fivesome. She's definitely up for joining with you and Halsin, though the Drow scene is the only one that depicts that element of the polycule you've basically established.

Astarion said no to the Drow twins in my run 😊

​@@Beredaman08 tbh i always see halsin as a concubine as a main girl xD Id share my toy with my night orchid.

I don't think Astarion is 100% okay, I read hoi reaction as "clearly uncomfortable, but too scared to admit 'cause Tav might break up"

Astarion is a difficult topic, he doesn't know how to set boundaries and is truly afraid of losing Tav ... moreover, he knows how to hide his true feelings. so he will say yes to almost everything Tav ask in their intimacy 😕 Shadowheart say this when you ask for a polyamorous thing with Astarion and her, in my memories... Astarion is more like "i don't want it but... i want you to be happy, so... go ahead", like Karlach

I think both of the above people are right. Most of my partners have reacted like Shadowheart when they learn I have someone I'm fancying. "Cool! Give me the deets later!" Most don't ask for affirmation that I still adore them, or consider the fancy a "hunger". And those that do... well, they have had to look inward a lot.

@@katarinakremberg1319 Yeah totally agree with this. I know a lot of players take it as him 'checking in', but I've watched all the versions of this conversation with Halsin and it never looks like enthusiastic consent to me. It looks far more like "I'm scared you'll take me as weak if I say no, so if it's what YOU want... OK....". Even this version - which is the closest he gets to looking happy about it - the laughter seems forced, the insecurity is real, and it's decidedly subdued at the end of the conversation. It feels more like he is curious and *wants* to be ok with it, but just... isn't.

It's breaks Shadowheart's principals and personality. Because before Halsin's offer she refused polygamy with Lazel and Gale but with Halsin suddenly everything is okay. It looks odd and breaks immersion.

Same here - in my playthrough where I romanced him, I had to tell Halsin no straight up because I was too worried he would view it as a failure on his part in some way😭 this game is sooo good at making you really feel for and get into the heads of the characters!

I had to pause the video there I was laughing so hard

"Nothing against polyarmory of course" If a relationship is polyamory, incest or has a thousand yer agegap it can be judged to be unhealthy immedietlyy Let me guess you heard online one shulld be acepting odf polyamory?

@@nenmaster5218 lol no i've literally been in a poly relationship before, and am still friends with the poly couple that i was with, it's just not for me. i have other friends who are also poly, and love them all dearly. i just didn't want anyone to take my comment as me shitting on polyamory, and it seemed someone found a way to do that anyway haha i am well aware that any relationship can be unhealthy or not, romantic or otherwise.

@@hellscarnage Yeah and "Me doing it ust mean its ethical" is a non-argument. Sooooo? Im sorry oyu got tricked into it, probably by that thing Bo Burnham sings about - the internet -but why do oyu make it sound like its still valid? Haha, no its not. Its not rare for a reason. Y shouldnt believe everything the internet tells you. If Poly was unproblematic, te world wouldnt look like it does. I feel silly even pointing the obvious out here but its not hyper-rare for no reason and monogamys pravalnce is hardly a random fluke and anyone seeing that otherwise should checkout the famous song of Welcome to the internet bo burnham. That video is releavnt to all of this, i iplore you to finish it.

@@nenmaster5218 lol you sure do make a lot of assumptions about people based off an internet comment. bo burnham has nothing to do with this at all. my poly relationship was back in like 2015/16, and i wasn't tricked into anything. i willingly went into it with people i trusted. it just turns out i'm monogamous, and that's ok. just like it's ok for others to be poly. literally fuck off with your assumptions. all you're doing is making yourself look like an asshole. I swear people will find any little fucking thing to start an arguement about on the internet. unbelievable lol literally sitting here "being poly is perfectly fine!" and you're STILL finding an issue with that somehow haha

NNobody "is" poly. Dont believe everything the internet tells you.

Being clueless and defending poly as valid is gonna change what? I'm surprised there isn't a single character that breaks up with you just for asking, which is what most people with an inch of self--respect would do.

@@slevinchannel7589 stay mad

@@funa2865 Ah, having to make up that someone is mad. Ah, yes, a show how strong your position/stance is. Ah, yes. Ah. Jokes aside though: Its none of my buisness but in a similar way how doctors dislike healingcrystals, i as a Relationship-Therapist do have Beef with the internet-myth of polyamory’s healthyness. Long story short: polyamory isnt rare af for no reason.

He might have been thinking about adoption.

tbh, maybe it was just jen english's delivery on the mizora scene, but despite her repeatedly saying she isn't mad, she sounds like she's seething under it.

She gives off the "I thought you'd be diffrent vibe"

That being said though, Shadowheart is EXTREMELY eager when it comes to the Drow Siblings in the brothel, even when Halsin is involved, so I think its more of a kink for her.

@@timcampbell2594 Yeah I think it said that the whole night was spent doing things that she "all too readily suggested" haha

Shadowheart is a ho, you find out in the brothel, she's got a thing for gale, halsin, and especially for karlach.

Yeah, really! Or most other games. Cyberpunk was good though.

Yeah. Though I do believe that only applies to wood elves. I could be wrong, but from what I remember of the lore, high elves are pretty monogamous and mostly believe that there’s only one soulmate for everyone. Could be wrong though, haven’t brushed up in a while!

@@panbaguette4400 I could see that but BG3 seems to say all elves as Halsin and Ast are High Elves. I'm more surprised they didn't include more elven lore into the game with so many elf/half elf companions.

@@CrimsonCutie666 I thought halsin was a wood elf and ast was a high elf? I might not have been paying attention

Then there's people like Halsin who understand that love isn't a zero-sum game.

@@Leddderz2TheEdditerz Sure. But the people who TRULY believe that are significantly less than 1%. They do exist though, I agree on that.

@@cecilialeitet2794 For sure!

Then there's Giggleheart

​@@Leddderz2TheEdditerz it's no really about understanding thou. It's about what you want and what you are comfortable with it. Don't make this a simple matter about what is goodbor bad