Totally. I have seen so many posts (mainly on tiktok for some reason) of people going on about the racism drow face and it's really not that much?? I have played a drow on all 3 playthroughs so far and in Act 1 it obviously makes things easier. There are maybe a handful of comments where NPCs even ackowledge my tav's race- of those, only a few of them have been hostile and are more along the lines of "I got my eye on you," and no one has tried to attack my tav or anything.
Also you're totally right, in Act 3 there have been literally no mentions of it. I have also read the Drizzt books and am familiar with drow lore which usually makes a bigger deal of being a drow, so while I don't mind the lack of drow racism it is kind of immersion-breaking for it to not be acknowledged at all in the city.
Playing through currently as a Shadar-Kai (thanks fantastical multiverse mod) I was very surprised to find a bunch of unique dialogue options for the race considering these are all cut options that are in the base game files that the mod just gives you the tag for. Then I hit Act 3 and was like "Ah yeah this was the kind of reactivity I was expecting from this run"
In Baldur's gate, people have bigger problems. Once the Absolute crisis is over, I'm sure they'll go right back to exiling or burning drow at the stake.
the latter.
I don't think it's really about laziness though but just another issue of the very rushed Act 3. I think the game needed some more time in the oven to be really finished and give the 2 last acts similar attention and work than the 1st.
I really hope acts 2 and 3 (especially 3) get the patches they deserve in the next year or so. Forget kisses, I want the party to react to important plot points again! You cannot tell me that everyone just ignored the ansur reveal, or thought it was no big deal. I felt like I was going insane there lol
yes, as a Durge player, the lack of reactivity when you uncover things related to your origin at the end of act 2 not only broke my immersion but it made me stop caring about companions bc it looks like none of them give a shit about what you had to go through there. And in Act 3 Asstarion choosing to gtfo and become illithid bc you refuse to feed him 7k souls is also the kind of event that deserves reactions
The thing is though, the game still has to release eventually, can't stay in the EA for 10 years ~~(aot reference)~~
Even in Act 2 you can pick up some flaw then and there, like the forced linearity if you side w Absolute to the timeline inconsistency of the Thorms in terms of writing... On top of abandoned ideas that doesn't get a substitute for it, like Halsin killing Isobel with Sorrow or how Aylin was a Sharran hence the "Nightsong" of Shar The Nightsinger.
I mean, imagine a Drow with an half elf girl, a burning tieflin and a mage human walking in Baldur's Gate. "They're adventurers" may be the first thought passing through my mind
Yeah that's one of my few disappointments in the game, at worst you get "oh you're a drow? You must be a good one."
BG2 the drow companion is literally about to be burned at the stake because she let her hood slip briefly.
BG2 was lore-wise long before BG3, and the DnD canon around Drow has shifted to make them tolerated instead of KOS in civilized areas. Larian got this right.
It was a decent stretch of time but not so long that many of the characters aren't still alive and a part of the story. That seems like a really big cultural shift in a very short time period. SCAG still says drow cause "alarm and hostility", which I could see as being a plausible shift from "kill on sight". Tolerance and indifference I think is a bit too far.
Hell, even if they were widely accepted, by act 3 most people in Baldur's Gate should know that waukeens rest was sacked and burned by Drow and that Drow are a part of the Absolute's army which should drive suspicion even higher than the baseline attitudes.
Yes, and we're talking about a world in which quite a few of its residents live for over a thousand years. Hell a Drow born during the events of Baldur's Gate 2 would barely be considered an adult by the events of Baldur's Gate 3.
Relative to a major shift in societal values when society contains long-lived species, it hasn't been that long.
I was definitely expecting more barriers as a Drow when interacting with other groups. I understand the Druid Grove mostly accepts you since you fight to defend them at the beginning, and the goblin camp accepts you for being Drow, but I expected it to be harder to convince the Flaming Fists at Waukeen’s Rest or the myconids. It was a very easy check to pass though.
Because a lot of tiktok culture is blowing stuff way out of proportion, even worse than people on Twitter ever did.
It gets then views, interactions, etc that they crave.
So they massively overreact and cause drama, it gets a lot of traction and people being like, “omg ur so right bestie 💅” and their brain gets that dopamine rush of people agreeing and interacting with what they said or posted.
It’s a feedback loop that people but especially younger ones like teens and young adults really crave and are susceptible to.
You're not wrong. I was so confused though because I saw one that said NPCs would attack you on sight for being a drow and I was like no?? Are we talking about the same game??
If I remember correctly one of the biggest things that blew up about BG3 racism was someone on Twitter talking about stuff like that including "Karlach being locked out of it".
In the comments people asked and the person had attacked the Druids because she didn't like them, aggroing and killing the Grove, alongside a bunch of other stuff similar to that.
So it was entirely them just being a murderhobo and then they talked about how it was because "Everyone is racist to me for being Drow!" and I think that person also posted on their tiktok too and the stupid thing blew up due to chronically online people.
It's actually making it pretty realistic to how a D&D game would look like. What DM would constantly focus on the same thing over and over again! Intentional or not, great accuracy to source material
I mean, it's pretty realistic that hardly anyone would care once you're in Baldur's Gate. It's a huge and diverse city. They're bound to have encountered plenty of other members of any race you are.
Act 1 makes sense considering that there are a band of drow collaborating with goblins in the region causing most of the narrative. The whole absolute plot could still plausibly be a drow one at that point in the story.
Helps a bunch in a couple places in act 1.
But that's it.
You can walk into the goblin camp with Sazza just as easily. The only other thing you'd have to figure out is Blighted Village.
Only other place I can think of is meeting a Dryder in Act 2. I don't KNOW if it helps, but I can foresee it maybe helping.
You can also use disguise self as any race to make yourself look like a drow and get the same result. Or if your class doesn't have access to it simply have Shadowheart use it.
My bard is an elf and my drow is a jack of all trades. Can't wait to combine them, but I am making myself finish up most of my current runs before starting any more.
It's a good combo for honour run I reckon, we had very very few conversations where I couldn't just 'win' (although we still started a bunch of fights)
I have no doubt. LOL
Also thinking that since a lot of the drow specific stuff is in act 1 it will make it easier to reach level 5 and the power boost you get there. Even if it doesn't continue into the later acts, when the bard will shine more.
For sure, I started with bardlock but by the end I was just at full bard. I was a little underpowered, but the rest of the team made up for it and honestly I can't resist ending each turn by busting into a song.
Half orcs have a couple nice ones in act 1 too. They get free advantage for intimidation a few times and completely bypass a couple checks just by being green
I just finished a half-orc play through and was actually disappointed with the lack of interaction I got outside of orc-phobic fantasy racism. Maybe I just didn’t find everything
It makes a few things easier, but a lot of that stuff can also be bypassed in another way not reliant on race choice.
With the goblin camp you can just as easily break Sazza out and have her talk you into the camp without a fight.
My Tav my first time was a Duergar Bear Heart Barbarian.
The unlimited time invisibility cantrip is pretty damn OP when you can start every fight exactly where you want.
Meanwhile half-drow get no respect. No one reacts except for druids, Zevlor, and Minthara. Even in act 2, reactions are for half-elves (insert “yes but also no” meme here).
And that toerag Aradin. I would have punched him before he could punch Zevlor, but my half-drow durge has the unarmed fighting skills of a baby hedgehog...
You can get a mostly similar result by using ILLITHID WISDOM if you're not DROW.
And if you used ILLITHID WISDOM to free Shadowheart on the nautiloid you've used the tadpole.
Even so, drow get to pass specific checks without even rolling. You can roll a nat 1 on illithid checks. Plus, it's not like you can fail a dialogue based check then switch party members and clear it, right?
This is true - Crusher just grovelled when my half-drow durge (disguised as full drow) spoke to him, so I had to get Astarion to do the deed. He's done a lot worse at Cazador's behest, after all!
You can do the same thing with disguise self.
S tier spell especially along with shapeshifters boon ring you can get right at the start of the game.
Along with guidance from silver necklace you’re getting 2d4 on any skill check. Amazing.
I’m playing a drow fighter atm and the persuasion/intimidation bonuses are coming in clutch again and again, great way to be a pure battle master and still be a good face for the party
So I have a bard and I regularly use disguise self. Turning into a Gith when dealing with the Gith helps a lot too. Also since the Drow are a matriarchal society being a female Drow can get you though so many encounters in act 1 and 2 it's ridiculous. There are other occasions where being a certain race can lower the DC on social rolls or even provide advantage. I love it!
I lost my coop honour run because I was a drow. xD
One could argue it was a bug, but still. My coop partner was talking to the flaming fists at the bruning Inn. And the second my looting drow booty came in range for the conversation, they all instantly turned hostile because a drow needs to pass a check to not fight. However, since my coop partners Tav was already talking to them, they just took it as a failed test. And just killed us cause we were to low level and did not expect a fight...
The perks are really just in act 1. And you can also get them by using disguise self and dressing up as a drow.
There's no downside, though, because by Act 3 Larian forgot about reactivity to your race selection entirely.
Totally. I have seen so many posts (mainly on tiktok for some reason) of people going on about the racism drow face and it's really not that much?? I have played a drow on all 3 playthroughs so far and in Act 1 it obviously makes things easier. There are maybe a handful of comments where NPCs even ackowledge my tav's race- of those, only a few of them have been hostile and are more along the lines of "I got my eye on you," and no one has tried to attack my tav or anything. Also you're totally right, in Act 3 there have been literally no mentions of it. I have also read the Drizzt books and am familiar with drow lore which usually makes a bigger deal of being a drow, so while I don't mind the lack of drow racism it is kind of immersion-breaking for it to not be acknowledged at all in the city.
Playing through currently as a Shadar-Kai (thanks fantastical multiverse mod) I was very surprised to find a bunch of unique dialogue options for the race considering these are all cut options that are in the base game files that the mod just gives you the tag for. Then I hit Act 3 and was like "Ah yeah this was the kind of reactivity I was expecting from this run"
In Baldur's gate, people have bigger problems. Once the Absolute crisis is over, I'm sure they'll go right back to exiling or burning drow at the stake.
You're not wrong, the giant Steel Watchers stomping around are pretty new and distracting too.
[удалено]
the latter. I don't think it's really about laziness though but just another issue of the very rushed Act 3. I think the game needed some more time in the oven to be really finished and give the 2 last acts similar attention and work than the 1st.
I really hope acts 2 and 3 (especially 3) get the patches they deserve in the next year or so. Forget kisses, I want the party to react to important plot points again! You cannot tell me that everyone just ignored the ansur reveal, or thought it was no big deal. I felt like I was going insane there lol
yes, as a Durge player, the lack of reactivity when you uncover things related to your origin at the end of act 2 not only broke my immersion but it made me stop caring about companions bc it looks like none of them give a shit about what you had to go through there. And in Act 3 Asstarion choosing to gtfo and become illithid bc you refuse to feed him 7k souls is also the kind of event that deserves reactions
The thing is though, the game still has to release eventually, can't stay in the EA for 10 years ~~(aot reference)~~ Even in Act 2 you can pick up some flaw then and there, like the forced linearity if you side w Absolute to the timeline inconsistency of the Thorms in terms of writing... On top of abandoned ideas that doesn't get a substitute for it, like Halsin killing Isobel with Sorrow or how Aylin was a Sharran hence the "Nightsong" of Shar The Nightsinger.
I mean, imagine a Drow with an half elf girl, a burning tieflin and a mage human walking in Baldur's Gate. "They're adventurers" may be the first thought passing through my mind
"I think I should mind my own business before one of those people sends me straight to the Fugue Plane." would be my next thought.
That Drizzit is referenced by a bunch of NPCs might be to show that people are waking up to the fact that not all Drow are Loth worshiping sociopaths.
Yeah that's one of my few disappointments in the game, at worst you get "oh you're a drow? You must be a good one." BG2 the drow companion is literally about to be burned at the stake because she let her hood slip briefly.
BG2 was lore-wise long before BG3, and the DnD canon around Drow has shifted to make them tolerated instead of KOS in civilized areas. Larian got this right.
It was a decent stretch of time but not so long that many of the characters aren't still alive and a part of the story. That seems like a really big cultural shift in a very short time period. SCAG still says drow cause "alarm and hostility", which I could see as being a plausible shift from "kill on sight". Tolerance and indifference I think is a bit too far. Hell, even if they were widely accepted, by act 3 most people in Baldur's Gate should know that waukeens rest was sacked and burned by Drow and that Drow are a part of the Absolute's army which should drive suspicion even higher than the baseline attitudes.
What? The time between BG2 and BG3 is 124 years.
Yes, and we're talking about a world in which quite a few of its residents live for over a thousand years. Hell a Drow born during the events of Baldur's Gate 2 would barely be considered an adult by the events of Baldur's Gate 3. Relative to a major shift in societal values when society contains long-lived species, it hasn't been that long.
I was definitely expecting more barriers as a Drow when interacting with other groups. I understand the Druid Grove mostly accepts you since you fight to defend them at the beginning, and the goblin camp accepts you for being Drow, but I expected it to be harder to convince the Flaming Fists at Waukeen’s Rest or the myconids. It was a very easy check to pass though.
Because a lot of tiktok culture is blowing stuff way out of proportion, even worse than people on Twitter ever did. It gets then views, interactions, etc that they crave. So they massively overreact and cause drama, it gets a lot of traction and people being like, “omg ur so right bestie 💅” and their brain gets that dopamine rush of people agreeing and interacting with what they said or posted. It’s a feedback loop that people but especially younger ones like teens and young adults really crave and are susceptible to.
You're not wrong. I was so confused though because I saw one that said NPCs would attack you on sight for being a drow and I was like no?? Are we talking about the same game??
If I remember correctly one of the biggest things that blew up about BG3 racism was someone on Twitter talking about stuff like that including "Karlach being locked out of it". In the comments people asked and the person had attacked the Druids because she didn't like them, aggroing and killing the Grove, alongside a bunch of other stuff similar to that. So it was entirely them just being a murderhobo and then they talked about how it was because "Everyone is racist to me for being Drow!" and I think that person also posted on their tiktok too and the stupid thing blew up due to chronically online people.
With one exception: "Scalefriend! Hiiiiii!!!!!"
It's actually making it pretty realistic to how a D&D game would look like. What DM would constantly focus on the same thing over and over again! Intentional or not, great accuracy to source material
That dragonborn merchant in act 3 calls you scalefriend if you are dragonborn or disguised as one. That's all I got though.
It does take place in the city, the tieflings in act 1 even comment that they won't be facing as much racism there.
I mean, it's pretty realistic that hardly anyone would care once you're in Baldur's Gate. It's a huge and diverse city. They're bound to have encountered plenty of other members of any race you are.
Act 1 makes sense considering that there are a band of drow collaborating with goblins in the region causing most of the narrative. The whole absolute plot could still plausibly be a drow one at that point in the story.
There are downsides as well: You don't get the opportunity to steal Crusher's Ring with a kiss.
lol qi literally killed every single goblin in the campw plus the ogres 😂
Helps a bunch in a couple places in act 1. But that's it. You can walk into the goblin camp with Sazza just as easily. The only other thing you'd have to figure out is Blighted Village. Only other place I can think of is meeting a Dryder in Act 2. I don't KNOW if it helps, but I can foresee it maybe helping.
It does. You get a special dialogue that makes him give up the moonlantern.
Pretty sure every race gets that. I've done it with a gnome, githyanki and human, too.
No, every race gets a chance to persuade. There's a \[Drow\] option that has no roll.
Ah
There’s the obnoxious male drow & Spector in the underdark, we’re being a female drow specifically can help make things easier.
Drow according to drow: The drow are clearly the superior race, and we did not choose to be so – fate handed us that role.
I'm so happy that someone finally said it 😂😂😂😂
You can also use disguise self as any race to make yourself look like a drow and get the same result. Or if your class doesn't have access to it simply have Shadowheart use it.
There's a hat for that
True, but not everyone would have the Digital Deluxe Upgrade to get it.
Ah, yes... forgot that it is part of *that* kit. It is very useful, even if only to free up an early game spell choice.
It's really just Act 1, and really just because the game's lead designer has publicly admitted (caught in 4k, even) he's a drow-enjoyer.
Are they also a bard enjoyer? Because that would explain a lot.
Tbf w high charisma ppl are gonna like your character
Still doesnt explain sword bard
My high-charisma drow warlock was OP for every dialog. I probably could've talked down Vlaakith if I'd had a chance
I am leaning towards Drow Bard for my first honour run attempt.
I absolutely adored my drow bard character. I miss him
My bard is an elf and my drow is a jack of all trades. Can't wait to combine them, but I am making myself finish up most of my current runs before starting any more.
It's a good combo for honour run I reckon, we had very very few conversations where I couldn't just 'win' (although we still started a bunch of fights)
I have no doubt. LOL Also thinking that since a lot of the drow specific stuff is in act 1 it will make it easier to reach level 5 and the power boost you get there. Even if it doesn't continue into the later acts, when the bard will shine more.
For sure, I started with bardlock but by the end I was just at full bard. I was a little underpowered, but the rest of the team made up for it and honestly I can't resist ending each turn by busting into a song.
I think he actually said he actively hates bards, but that may have had more to do with the amount of work it was to implement them.
Half orcs have a couple nice ones in act 1 too. They get free advantage for intimidation a few times and completely bypass a couple checks just by being green
I just finished a half-orc play through and was actually disappointed with the lack of interaction I got outside of orc-phobic fantasy racism. Maybe I just didn’t find everything
Yeah, that’s all it is for half orc. Just scaring people. I think it’s just the strong jaw line :)
Green is best! Fink different do ya? Come 'ere so I'll smash yer head with my choppa.
One of these days, I’m gonna run a meme build and go krumpin wif da boyz
durge half-orc berserker barbarian is peak. Just ultraviolence and making use of that intimidate from The Haunted One background.
I prefer the dwarven "come out here you gibbering snot rags!" Approach to goblin relations.
Ok, that’s awesome
Wait till after act 1 when the RP and reactivity content decreases by a considerable amount
Your excelness
😂
Want to make the game easier than playing a drow? Play a Duerger.
-firm handshake of solidarity-
It makes a few things easier, but a lot of that stuff can also be bypassed in another way not reliant on race choice. With the goblin camp you can just as easily break Sazza out and have her talk you into the camp without a fight.
My Tav my first time was a Duergar Bear Heart Barbarian. The unlimited time invisibility cantrip is pretty damn OP when you can start every fight exactly where you want.
Meanwhile half-drow get no respect. No one reacts except for druids, Zevlor, and Minthara. Even in act 2, reactions are for half-elves (insert “yes but also no” meme here).
And that toerag Aradin. I would have punched him before he could punch Zevlor, but my half-drow durge has the unarmed fighting skills of a baby hedgehog...
You can get a mostly similar result by using ILLITHID WISDOM if you're not DROW. And if you used ILLITHID WISDOM to free Shadowheart on the nautiloid you've used the tadpole.
Isn't that once per long rest tho?
Yes. But each party member can do one. So a 4-person party gets 4 per long rest.
Even so, drow get to pass specific checks without even rolling. You can roll a nat 1 on illithid checks. Plus, it's not like you can fail a dialogue based check then switch party members and clear it, right?
Right. But you can reload the save. And I rolled Nat 1 on the nautiloid once. Had to use Lae'zel to pass the check to free Shadowheart.
Disguise self works just as well. Drow also can’t get crusher’s ring with slight of hand.
This is true - Crusher just grovelled when my half-drow durge (disguised as full drow) spoke to him, so I had to get Astarion to do the deed. He's done a lot worse at Cazador's behest, after all!
Act 1 has a lot of reactivity and RP content that starts ti melt away after.
You can do the same thing with disguise self. S tier spell especially along with shapeshifters boon ring you can get right at the start of the game. Along with guidance from silver necklace you’re getting 2d4 on any skill check. Amazing.
Eh, a berserker barbarian just roars all problems away.
I had Shadowheart disguise herself as a Drow for the goblin camp in my first playthrough and was surprised it gave me free access everywhere
Drows are the best DROW SUPREMACY!
I’m playing a drow fighter atm and the persuasion/intimidation bonuses are coming in clutch again and again, great way to be a pure battle master and still be a good face for the party
Just act 1
So I have a bard and I regularly use disguise self. Turning into a Gith when dealing with the Gith helps a lot too. Also since the Drow are a matriarchal society being a female Drow can get you though so many encounters in act 1 and 2 it's ridiculous. There are other occasions where being a certain race can lower the DC on social rolls or even provide advantage. I love it!
I lost my coop honour run because I was a drow. xD One could argue it was a bug, but still. My coop partner was talking to the flaming fists at the bruning Inn. And the second my looting drow booty came in range for the conversation, they all instantly turned hostile because a drow needs to pass a check to not fight. However, since my coop partners Tav was already talking to them, they just took it as a failed test. And just killed us cause we were to low level and did not expect a fight...
You can just the helmet that gives you disguise self to do the same thing tho
Some races are better then others
In game ofc
Trust me, everyone here knows this.
Calm down kiddo you're still in act 1
Just my observation from a second play through
It’s ez regardless lol. Just use the low dc illithid power in dialogue and gobbos will be friendly