Real Lich Hours 38: Gauntlet of Shar (Part 3)
Added 2024-09-01 20:22:12 +0000 UTCWould you believe us if we told you that the Shadowfell is a place that sucks? Having just completed all of Shar’s exams, we plunge into her realm to confront Balthazar and figure out what to do with the Nightsong, aka Dame Aylin the Aasimar.
Other Segments:
Complete Priest’s Handbook: Rate our favorite Cleric spells.
Legends and Lore: Explain the Shadowfell
Alternate Realities: What happens if you side with Balthazar?
Comments
When I played an evil Druid, this was before recent patches, you get put in that tube in the colony, but the sheer act of turning into an owl bear broke the glass and freed me. It was one of the most ‘oh shit’ moments of this whole game.
Mateus Silva
2024-10-09 22:38:48 +0000 UTCFor my first Dark Urge playthrough, I wanted Jaheira to survive so didn't kill Isobel, but I did let Shadowheart kill Aylin. When that happened, the Moonmaiden's power lapsed with her grief, Isobel's protection spell stopped working, and Last Light was consumed anyway. I got the Slayer form. For my second Dark Urge playthrough, I didn't kill Isobel or Aylin. Sceleritas came to my camp and said I'd better kill somebody quick! Killing my companion Laezel would make up for it. I tried to sleep, there was a series of checks to control myself, but I successfully woke up Laezel without strangling her. My Dark Urge ended up hogtied by the fire the whole night with Laezel keeping watch after I kept failing checks to *not* say awful things about blood and spines and doing her like I did Alfira. Laezel actually approved when I spared Aylin. I've stopped seeing her as a Klingon. Not only does she reveal a softer side in companion dialogue, but she's an excellent companion for a good Dark Urge because she values allies and despises "the depravity of Shar's spirit," as she says. She feels well-written to support a character who needs help channeling violent urges. Don't be sloppy; control yourself and focus your wrath on your enemies.
Joseph
2024-09-04 18:51:33 +0000 UTCA Masterwork Weapon made with Sussur Tree Bark is a *Silence You In Particular* weapon that totally breaks Balthazar. That, Potions of Speed, Dimension Doors to high ground, repeated AOE from Call Lightning, strategic castings of Sanctuary while characters get into position, and the +5 CHA/WIS/INT bonuses for casters from the Sharran Sanctuary are how I won that fight on Honor Mode. I also forgot to loot the big lunk after the battle, but you can just travel back to the pool and go back to the Shadowfell to do so if you want. It doesn't make sense narratively but is a fine gameplay concession.
Joseph
2024-09-04 18:26:02 +0000 UTCWhen I first got to the night song in the shadow fell, I basically killed Balthazar, and then pretty much just told Aylin, “ hey, let’s get out of here.” Needless to say, Shadowheart was not a fan and left my party permanently. so I ended up going the rest of my play through without my cleric. Because of this I researched the scenario and realized the easiest way to sway her to not kill the night song is to just say nothing and let her talk with the nightsong on her own.
Justin Schmidt
2024-09-04 15:07:43 +0000 UTCI gave it a couple tries just for giggles, and then summoned an adult to do the fight for me. This is the way
Clever Clogs
2024-09-03 23:17:40 +0000 UTCFun thing During my dark run. Obviously 🙄 I was evil and killed anyone who got in my way. So there is option where it says Trust Shadowheart and stay silent So I do that every time and she chooses to throw the spear I thought because this was my evil run she would kill her Butttttt no she saved her I basically had to say. Just kill her and be done with it.
Orins meat puppet
2024-09-03 19:23:54 +0000 UTCUgg my first run I just played basic lol so I have fought him in the shadow fell twice First time I died 5 times or more Second time everyone had mirror image and was able to finish him.
Orins meat puppet
2024-09-03 19:18:08 +0000 UTCSo I started an Honor Mode, redemption dark urge. I did my (let evil fight evil) if you cast knock or you pick lock his door Cast sanctuary on the entire party And sit back and watch. That’s how I found out about the beefy justicer. Balthazar does a smaller version of the healing spell.
Orins meat puppet
2024-09-03 19:14:55 +0000 UTCAfter hours of trying to finish phase 2 of that fight I used the mimic veil cheese 🧀🤷♂️.
Michael Grosh
2024-09-03 18:23:05 +0000 UTCWe didn’t even know about this fight… my wife and I on our first run, we killed Balthasar in his lab/bedroom when we first encountered him! Don’t think we had a fight at the Nightsong them. She was playing as Shararan Shadowheart too.
Justin Zode
2024-09-03 04:53:32 +0000 UTCAs well designed as this game is, and as well as difficulty is managed most of the time… the Balthazar fight runs counter to that, and is a prime example of difficulty via poor design…. IE being “cheap”. And yes this is the one major fight in this game that I’d outright call cheap/unfair. For me right up there with the Bezerker trio fight in God of War Ragnarok in terms of cheap boss fights You mentioned a few things about this fight (massively outnumbered/bad AOEs to deal with/not being able to position your party well) but one infuriating thing I kept running into is that since the arena is in a low gravity space that strength didn’t matter if an enemy used shove, and since I couldn’t position my party they’d all be near a ledge at the start of combat, and sure enough at least one of the mobs would use shove at the end of a turn and send a party member of mine falling into the abyss. This kept happening and kept happening, so many resets. One other issue is that for some reason the enemy AI would target Shadowheart more than any other and she’d keep dying… and since I need her alive narratively that would also result in an F8 This fight was so infuriating do do without cheesing.. but ultimately a small blemish on this amazing game
Gary Vasut
2024-09-02 18:34:00 +0000 UTCYeah, I have a segment planned on those youtubes (obviously giving credit) about Hidden Meters. There's one for Gale too. -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2024-09-02 17:44:41 +0000 UTCAlso in regards to Shadowheart, I actually found an interesting YouTube video that goes into depth on how her allegiance to Shar, and your opportunity to save her from Shar is determined by several invisible scores in the game’s code independent of her approval meter. In that video they also make note of how if you open the Selunite chest in the Owlbear Cave and read the paper on Selunite Initiation Ritual customs you can skip the necessary religion check you need to determine that Shadowheart is wearing a Selunite accessory in her flashback. That was such a cool thing to discover I think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdNEya-Np5U&t=164s&pp=ygURU2hhZG93aGVhcnQgc2NvcmU%3D
Christopher Grunert Pedersen
2024-09-02 09:01:05 +0000 UTCI also did the unfortunate thing of killing thr Nightsong in my Honour Mode playthrough because I’m playing Shadowheart there and wanted to see the Shar path. It made the fight later at the end of Act 2 particularly tough. But fun though! It does, however, also mean you’ll miss out on two companions whom I always bring for the Shadowheart encounter later in Baldur’s Gate.
Christopher Grunert Pedersen
2024-09-02 06:39:50 +0000 UTCIf you play as Shadowheart you get a lot of neat dialogue with Shar in this section you wouldn’t otherwise hear. I also like how Shadowheart enters the Shadowfell very gently, whereas anyone who isn’t Shadowheart gets dragged and basically drowned in the pool.
Christopher Grunert Pedersen
2024-09-02 06:33:12 +0000 UTCYup! I forgot to mention it, but it's neat, along with Nere appearing in the Gauntlet. -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2024-09-02 00:02:31 +0000 UTCFun fact! Y’all mentioned what happens if you side with Balthazar, but did you know that if you kill Minthara and Dror Ragzlin earlier in the game they will both appear as zombies in his lair? The circumstances required to see this are a bit weird, given that it requires you to be “good” in the beginning but go “bad” by act 2, but still very cool nonetheless!
Corva Cobb
2024-09-01 23:59:27 +0000 UTCMy first current episode, baby! Started playing bg3 when I gave up on the final boss of the Elden Ring dlc.
Richard Cochnar
2024-09-01 20:52:20 +0000 UTCWell...hope y'all had a Goat of a time! Hauh hauh ha....y-you'll get it laters....
Joe Binson
2024-09-01 20:43:00 +0000 UTC
