What happens if I side with the Absolute in Baldur's Gate 3 for companion relationships?
Siding with the Absolute in Baldur's Gate 3 is a major story decision that significantly impacts your relationships with your companions. The Absolute is a powerful and malevolent force in the game, and aligning with it can lead to dramatic shifts in how your companions perceive and interact with you. HereÔÇÖs a detailed breakdown of what happens to companion relationships if you choose to side with the Absolute, along with strategies, tips, and considerations.
When you side with the Absolute, you are essentially choosing to embrace the dark forces that are central to the gameÔÇÖs main conflict. This decision will alienate many of your companions, as most of them have personal reasons to oppose the Absolute. For example, Shadowheart is deeply connected to her goddess Shar, who has her own agenda that may or may not align with the Absolute. Astarion, while morally ambiguous, has his own goals of freedom and power that may conflict with serving a higher, controlling force. Gale, on the other hand, is driven by his need to resolve his magical condition, and siding with the Absolute may not align with his personal quest for redemption or survival.
The mechanics of companion relationships in Baldur's Gate 3 are heavily influenced by approval ratings. Each companion has an approval meter that increases or decreases based on your dialogue choices, actions, and decisions throughout the game. Siding with the Absolute will cause a significant drop in approval for most companions, as they generally oppose the AbsoluteÔÇÖs influence. This can lead to companions leaving your party or even turning hostile if their approval drops too low. For example, if you side with the Absolute, LaeÔÇÖzel, who is fiercely loyal to her Githyanki heritage, may see this as a betrayal of her peopleÔÇÖs goals and could leave your party. Similarly, Wyll, who is driven by a sense of justice and heroism, may find your alignment with the Absolute to be morally reprehensible and could abandon you.
To manage these relationships effectively, you need to carefully consider the consequences of your actions. If you are determined to side with the Absolute, you should focus on building strong relationships with companions who are more likely to tolerate or support this decision. For instance, Astarion, who is more self-serving and less concerned with moral alignments, might be more willing to stay with you if you can convince him that siding with the Absolute benefits his personal goals. Similarly, Shadowheart, depending on her personal questline and how youÔÇÖve influenced her, might be more open to the idea if it aligns with her devotion to Shar.
One strategy to mitigate the negative impact on companion relationships is to delay siding with the Absolute until you have completed their personal quests and maximized their approval. For example, if you complete ShadowheartÔÇÖs personal quest and help her resolve her internal conflicts, she may be more loyal to you and less likely to leave, even if you make decisions she disagrees with. Similarly, if you help Astarion achieve his goals of power and freedom, he may be more willing to overlook your alignment with the Absolute.
ItÔÇÖs also important to consider the role of dialogue and persuasion in maintaining companion relationships. Even if you side with the Absolute, you can use persuasion checks to convince your companions to stay with you. This requires a high Charisma score and proficiency in Persuasion, so building your character with these attributes in mind can be beneficial. For example, if you have a high Charisma score and succeed in a persuasion check, you might be able to convince Wyll that siding with the Absolute is a necessary evil for the greater good, thereby keeping him in your party.
However, there are some companions who will almost certainly leave or turn hostile if you side with the Absolute, regardless of your efforts to persuade them. For example, Karlach, who has a strong moral compass and a personal vendetta against the forces of evil, is unlikely to tolerate your alignment with the Absolute. Similarly, Halsin, who is deeply connected to nature and the balance of the world, will likely see your decision as a betrayal of everything he stands for.
In terms of advanced techniques, you can use the gameÔÇÖs mechanics to your advantage by manipulating companion approval before making the decision to side with the Absolute. For example, you can complete quests and make choices that increase a companionÔÇÖs approval before making the pivotal decision. This can create a buffer that allows you to maintain their loyalty even if their approval drops afterward. Additionally, you can use the gameÔÇÖs party management system to temporarily remove companions who are likely to oppose your decision from your active party, reducing the immediate impact on your relationships.
From a D&D 5E rules perspective, the approval system in Baldur's Gate 3 is a simplified version of the relationship mechanics found in tabletop Dungeons & Dragons. In tabletop D&D, relationships with NPCs are often managed through role-playing and the Dungeon MasterÔÇÖs discretion, but Baldur's Gate 3 uses a more structured system with numerical approval ratings. This makes it easier to track and manage relationships, but it also means that major decisions like siding with the Absolute have more predictable and immediate consequences.
In conclusion, siding with the Absolute in Baldur's Gate 3 will have a profound impact on your companion relationships. Most companions will disapprove of this decision, and some may leave or turn hostile. To manage these relationships, you should focus on building strong approval with key companions, use persuasion to convince them to stay, and consider delaying the decision until you have completed their personal quests. While some companions may be more tolerant of your alignment with the Absolute, others will almost certainly oppose it, so you need to carefully weigh the consequences of your actions. By understanding the mechanics and using strategic approaches, you can navigate these complex relationships and make the most of your journey in Baldur's Gate 3.
When you side with the Absolute, you are essentially choosing to embrace the dark forces that are central to the gameÔÇÖs main conflict. This decision will alienate many of your companions, as most of them have personal reasons to oppose the Absolute. For example, Shadowheart is deeply connected to her goddess Shar, who has her own agenda that may or may not align with the Absolute. Astarion, while morally ambiguous, has his own goals of freedom and power that may conflict with serving a higher, controlling force. Gale, on the other hand, is driven by his need to resolve his magical condition, and siding with the Absolute may not align with his personal quest for redemption or survival.
The mechanics of companion relationships in Baldur's Gate 3 are heavily influenced by approval ratings. Each companion has an approval meter that increases or decreases based on your dialogue choices, actions, and decisions throughout the game. Siding with the Absolute will cause a significant drop in approval for most companions, as they generally oppose the AbsoluteÔÇÖs influence. This can lead to companions leaving your party or even turning hostile if their approval drops too low. For example, if you side with the Absolute, LaeÔÇÖzel, who is fiercely loyal to her Githyanki heritage, may see this as a betrayal of her peopleÔÇÖs goals and could leave your party. Similarly, Wyll, who is driven by a sense of justice and heroism, may find your alignment with the Absolute to be morally reprehensible and could abandon you.
To manage these relationships effectively, you need to carefully consider the consequences of your actions. If you are determined to side with the Absolute, you should focus on building strong relationships with companions who are more likely to tolerate or support this decision. For instance, Astarion, who is more self-serving and less concerned with moral alignments, might be more willing to stay with you if you can convince him that siding with the Absolute benefits his personal goals. Similarly, Shadowheart, depending on her personal questline and how youÔÇÖve influenced her, might be more open to the idea if it aligns with her devotion to Shar.
One strategy to mitigate the negative impact on companion relationships is to delay siding with the Absolute until you have completed their personal quests and maximized their approval. For example, if you complete ShadowheartÔÇÖs personal quest and help her resolve her internal conflicts, she may be more loyal to you and less likely to leave, even if you make decisions she disagrees with. Similarly, if you help Astarion achieve his goals of power and freedom, he may be more willing to overlook your alignment with the Absolute.
ItÔÇÖs also important to consider the role of dialogue and persuasion in maintaining companion relationships. Even if you side with the Absolute, you can use persuasion checks to convince your companions to stay with you. This requires a high Charisma score and proficiency in Persuasion, so building your character with these attributes in mind can be beneficial. For example, if you have a high Charisma score and succeed in a persuasion check, you might be able to convince Wyll that siding with the Absolute is a necessary evil for the greater good, thereby keeping him in your party.
However, there are some companions who will almost certainly leave or turn hostile if you side with the Absolute, regardless of your efforts to persuade them. For example, Karlach, who has a strong moral compass and a personal vendetta against the forces of evil, is unlikely to tolerate your alignment with the Absolute. Similarly, Halsin, who is deeply connected to nature and the balance of the world, will likely see your decision as a betrayal of everything he stands for.
In terms of advanced techniques, you can use the gameÔÇÖs mechanics to your advantage by manipulating companion approval before making the decision to side with the Absolute. For example, you can complete quests and make choices that increase a companionÔÇÖs approval before making the pivotal decision. This can create a buffer that allows you to maintain their loyalty even if their approval drops afterward. Additionally, you can use the gameÔÇÖs party management system to temporarily remove companions who are likely to oppose your decision from your active party, reducing the immediate impact on your relationships.
From a D&D 5E rules perspective, the approval system in Baldur's Gate 3 is a simplified version of the relationship mechanics found in tabletop Dungeons & Dragons. In tabletop D&D, relationships with NPCs are often managed through role-playing and the Dungeon MasterÔÇÖs discretion, but Baldur's Gate 3 uses a more structured system with numerical approval ratings. This makes it easier to track and manage relationships, but it also means that major decisions like siding with the Absolute have more predictable and immediate consequences.
In conclusion, siding with the Absolute in Baldur's Gate 3 will have a profound impact on your companion relationships. Most companions will disapprove of this decision, and some may leave or turn hostile. To manage these relationships, you should focus on building strong approval with key companions, use persuasion to convince them to stay, and consider delaying the decision until you have completed their personal quests. While some companions may be more tolerant of your alignment with the Absolute, others will almost certainly oppose it, so you need to carefully weigh the consequences of your actions. By understanding the mechanics and using strategic approaches, you can navigate these complex relationships and make the most of your journey in Baldur's Gate 3.