How do I trigger Minthara's romance scene without losing other companions in Baldur's Gate 3?

To trigger Minthara's romance scene in Baldur's Gate 3 without losing other companions, you need to carefully navigate the game's mechanics and story choices. Minthara is a Drow Paladin of the Absolute, and her romance is tied to siding with the goblins and the Absolute in Act 1. However, this path often leads to conflict with other companions, particularly those who oppose the Absolute, such as Wyll, Karlach, and Halsin. HereÔÇÖs a detailed guide on how to achieve this while minimizing the loss of other companions.

First, itÔÇÖs important to understand the approval mechanics. Companions in Baldur's Gate 3 have approval ratings that increase or decrease based on your actions and dialogue choices. MintharaÔÇÖs approval is gained by supporting the Absolute and making ruthless decisions, while other companions like Wyll and Karlach disapprove of such actions. To balance this, you need to carefully manage your choices to keep MintharaÔÇÖs approval high while avoiding actions that would cause other companions to leave.

Start by progressing through Act 1 as usual, but avoid making any definitive choices that would lock you into a path. When you reach the Goblin Camp, interact with Minthara and express your willingness to help her. This will start her questline, which involves raiding the Druid Grove. However, do not immediately agree to attack the grove. Instead, continue exploring and completing other quests to build up your approval with other companions.

One strategy is to delay the raid on the Druid Grove until you have secured the loyalty of other companions. For example, complete WyllÔÇÖs personal quest to rescue Mizora and KarlachÔÇÖs quest to deal with the Paladins of Tyr. These quests can increase their approval and make them more forgiving of your later actions. Additionally, avoid making choices that directly harm innocent people, as this will cause significant disapproval from Wyll and Karlach.

When you are ready to proceed with MintharaÔÇÖs quest, you can use a clever trick to avoid losing other companions. Before initiating the raid on the Druid Grove, send Wyll, Karlach, and any other companions who might disapprove back to camp. This way, they will not witness the raid and will not leave your party. After the raid, you can bring them back into your party and continue as normal.

During the raid, make sure to support Minthara and participate fully in the attack. This will increase her approval and trigger her romance scene later in the game. After the raid, Minthara will invite you to celebrate at the Goblin Camp. Accept her invitation and follow through with the romance scene. This will solidify your relationship with her.

ItÔÇÖs important to note that this approach requires careful timing and planning. One common mistake is initiating the raid too early, before securing the loyalty of other companions. This can lead to them leaving your party permanently. Another mistake is failing to send disapproving companions back to camp before the raid, which can also result in them leaving.

Advanced techniques involve using dialogue options and actions that subtly support Minthara without overtly antagonizing other companions. For example, you can express skepticism about the Absolute in front of other companions while privately supporting Minthara. This can help maintain a balance in approval ratings.

In terms of D&D 5E rules, the approval mechanics in Baldur's Gate 3 are inspired by the alignment system and the concept of character bonds and ideals. MintharaÔÇÖs alignment as a Lawful Evil character means she values order and power, while other companions like Wyll and Karlach lean towards Good alignments. Understanding these alignments can help you predict how companions will react to your choices.

In summary, triggering MintharaÔÇÖs romance scene without losing other companions requires careful management of approval ratings, strategic timing of quests, and clever use of party mechanics. By delaying the raid on the Druid Grove, securing the loyalty of other companions, and sending disapproving companions back to camp, you can achieve this goal. Pay attention to dialogue choices and actions that support Minthara without alienating others, and use advanced techniques to maintain a balance in approval ratings. With careful planning, you can enjoy MintharaÔÇÖs romance while keeping your party intact.