So I've done/am doing:
Balanced Mode Tav (complete)
Tactician Mode The Dark Urge (complete)
Honor Mode Tav "Honor" (failed at creche ending)
Honor Mode Tav "Tav" (complete)
Custom/Honor Mode Tav "Gold" ('failed' at Withers' Temple)
Co-op Balanced Mode Tav "Coop" (in progress)
Honor Mode The Dark Urge "Gold II" (finished)
Honor Mode Origin Run #1 "Wyll" (in progress)
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I better write something down before I forget.
I swore I would not play BG3 again until after my exams. I was so miserable in general and honestly studied-out (I did a good job this semester with notes) that I treated myself to a quick hour of BG3 on the 19th of April as I waited for Wrestlemania to start on Netflix.
I had a sorcerer named Gold who only existed to see if I had my Honor Mode Golden Dice who I created back in January and briefly played. I figured out how to switch over to the Honor Mode Golden dice I had won and immediately abandoned Gold and her Honor Mode in the Nautiloid in late January 2026.
So I played as Gold for an hour - cleared the Nautiloid and recruited Shadowheart, Lazel, Astarion and Gale. I made the mistake of sending Astarion to camp and keeping Gale. I am more familiar with Rogues and Rangers (my first playthrough I had Astarion as a Gloomstalker/Assasin) but less familiar with Gale’s wizardry (I usually keep Gale but re-spec him as other stuff). So naturally when I tried to take on the bandits in Withers’ Dungeon I died.
So Gold was dead and her Honor Mode was compromised. My 2nd failed Honor Mode run, the other being my Swords Bard called Honour who was defeated in the creche. I had one successful run as my smug Vengeance Paladin called Tav back in January 2026.
I was itching to play Bg3 again but wanted to try new stuff and was planning to play a Custom run, with all the sliders set to super hard. I think that was my plan with Gold actually? Whatever, I booted up Honor Mode again - treating myself in mid-April 2026.
The party
I am going to be the Dark Urge again like my Half-Orc Dark Urge Fighter/Battlemaster (named ‘The Dark Urge’) who cleared the game on Tactician in December/January 2025/2026. However this time, I am a Dragonborn Swords Bard. I did enjoy my playthrough as a Swords Bard despite failing the first time. Dual hand crossbows were fun, extra short rest, nice selection of bonuses/skills and excellent roleplay. But yeah, a Gold Dragonborn lady called Gold II.
I wanted to try a bunch of new stuff on my second completed (hopefully) Honor Mode run, so am running a Druid, Sorcerer and Monk, having never properly ran them before, plus a Wizard and Warlock who I cycle in here and there.
Shadowheart - Druid (Circle of the Moon): she’s not terrible but I feel like I am constantly in animal shape, mostly Bear but sometimes Deep Rothé, and it’s underperforming. Not as tanky as I would like. Also, all the amazing spells she has can’t be used. HOWEVER I have just hit level 5 and suddenly have two attacks plus re-spec to take Tavern Brawler I think it works.
Lae’zel - Monk Open Hand. I’m kind of getting into this - way less tanky than my usual Barbarian or Fighter builds for her, but she is doing her job. Tavern Brawler and the gloves that give electric damage are helping a bit. Monk abilities that topple and push etc are just like what Fighter and Barbarian gave me before so it’s just the same stuff in a different way. Plus some nice unique monk options.
Karlach - Sorcerer - I was trying to do the whole make enemies Wet then use Lightning and Cold damage but idk, it’s too much setup. I wasn’t enjoying it. She just got access to Lightning Bolt so will see what happens.
Gale - Wizard - backup for when Karlach runs out of Sorcery Points and Spells slots (often). He’s just Evocation so it’s more blasting. Trying to avoid the excellent Fire spells so am taking Cold and Lightning stuff.
Wyll - Warlock - first time using Wyll since he abandoned me after I killed the Grove by accident that one time. I have him as a pure Warlock for once and he’s doing great, extra backup for when Gale and Karlach are spent.
Astarion - I briefly had him as a Ranger/Rogue but he’s on camp watch duty.
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Verdict half-way through Act 1: not enjoying Sorcerer or Druid much, but loving Swords Bard and Monk.
Verdict half-way through Act 3: Monk is amazing, Swords Bard is amazing; Sorcerer and Druid are very strong but aren't as fun.
Act 1: Pretty much my standard Act 1 nonsense at this point. Almost lost the run around level 4 ish when I tried to take on Flind and the Gnolls and was forced to flee. I was worried they would chase me forever but managed to get Karlach away.
Otherwise was great by the time I hit level 5 or 6 I was well able to handle anything.
Act 2: pretty much did everything as usual; everything was going swell - I talked the surgeon to death as usual, but the barkeep and toll collector I had to fight. I ground down the barkeep after he caught me pretending to drink. The gold lady/toll collector attacked me because I left all my gold at camp on purpose. I immediately knocked her out the window for 600+ damage with Mobile Flourish or whatever its called. Unreal.
I also botched the Last Light Inn - I tried to protect Isobel but she got paralysed and Ko'd for taken for the first time. Damn! So had to fight all the Harpers. Jaheira was killed, Dammon was turned... Massacre. Meanwhile Halsin was waiting for me nearby at his gate thing. I hadn't done that since my very first Balanced run, so was scared of doing it on Honor Mode for the first time but completely dominated the fight. Darkness Arrow at the portal, then just spammed Ice Storm. All the shadow folk just kept falling prone.
My Dark Urge - Fel was mad at me earlier for not immediately killing Isobel, but then was happy because Isobel was dead/captured and everyone died anyway later. So I got th Slayer form! It's been a weird Dark Urge run - somewhere between resisting and embracing the Urge. Saw some scenes I ad not seen before.
Anyway I systematically cleared Moonrise, and every other encounter in the Shadowlands; beat the Shar Trials 2/3 by using Knock on the final door (fuck the Leap) and Shadowheart made the right choice as usual. So we marched back to Ketheric, beat him, long rested, cleared the colony and beat Myrkul easily taking almost no damage.
Usual save the Emperor spot afterward and off to Act 3!
Act 3: I cleared Rivington almost completely, just didn't bother with the Harpers in that warehouse and eventually watched the coronation. I did the Dragon Trials as far as Ansur's door and turned around to get to level 11. I still don't want to fight Ansur on HM.
Off to the Lower City and just walked around for experience; accidentally murdered the Guild in the sewers again. Was tempted to do the Gondian/Throne quest but will leave it this time. So what's actually new on this run?
I will attempt to assassinate Gortash maybe in the tower, and I will try to find Ethel. OH I will also actually fight Raphael for the first time, and on Honor Mode no less. Future runs as Origin characters (Wyll, Astarion etc) can deal with Ansur, Gondians, saving the Duke and fighting Cazador. Otherwise it's time to wrap up, am tiring of the run as usual.
Updated: I beat House of Hope for the first time on Honor Mode. They say don't try anything new on HM and they are generally right. I explored as far as the succubus' room using the outer ledge which I found myself (haven't used a proper guide since the first ever run) and it was just Gold II on her own and I pressed '5' to take a screenshot while talking to the succubus and started a fight. Oops! All the imps with eldritch blast almost killed Gold II but she escaped and healed and joined the party. We went back and killed them, used the long rest bath then went and stole the Orphic Hammer and other items. Lockdown started and I went downstairs to free Hope - again almost died to the double Beholders as Laezel was knocked off the ledge but managed to revive her afterward and beat the combat. Freed Hope and got back to the exit. Raphael emerged and I managed to convince Yurgir to switch sides. So it was a decent fight, Monk Lae broke the pillars and everyone just did what they could.
That was enough new stuff. I assassinated Gortash in the tower by doing my usual strategy of flying up the side of the castle, then we ganked him when he eventually climbed the ladder. Used a ton of area effect nonsense to slow and hurt his people.
Prior to that I fought Orin in a duel and lost immediately, revived myself and my party defeated the Bhaal crew. I then went to fight Gortash. I didn't want to risk the Gondian stuff (never did it before) plus I don't know where it is anyway. I think. Some other time!
It was time for the Elder Brain. I made Gold II the Mind Flayer. I skipped the courtyard fight and climbed the brain stem; Orpheus was with me for this run for the first time so the Emperor was against me with the Red Dragon and 4 Dream Guardians which was a cool new thing I saw. ALMOST lost here but managed to rally. Very nearly got wiped at the final hurdle. Managed to clear this fight and got to the inner part of brain, was a tough slog. Easy enough to beat brain as usual.
Before I get into endings: I noticed after credits rolled that my save file was still on Honor Mode and at the brain stem? So bizarrely I did the fight again. And again. And again! I did it like 3 or 4 times to see different endings. And of course, the fights were way easier the subsequent times. I had a really strong party really (Swords Bard, Moon druid, Open Hand Monk, Wet>Ice/Lightning Sorcerer) so was well able.
The reason I went for multiple endings again and again was because I had become the Mind Flayer. In my first ever run on Balanced, my Tav became the flayer but killed themselves heroically in order to hopefully join their lover Lae in the afterlife (Lae turned on party before brain fight, was mad I hadn't freed Orpheus). But now I was a former Bhaalist-turned flayer who tried to live on. Big mistake. 1 ending I was a disguting murderer stalking the party. Another I gave into Bhaal at last minute. Another I imprisoned myself and escaped anyway. Finally I killed myself but was in a special box and Withers visited me. It was all fascinating.
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Future runs: I watched a random YT video which suggested Wyll was a good origin character to play as and I couldn’t help but agree; I’m thinking of doing a few Origins runs after all my Tav/Dark Urge stuff so Wyll would be a great way to start that. This current ‘try new stuff’ run may end at any time so will probably play if ‘safer’ next time around and go back to my favourites, namely mixing in Paladin, Fighter, Barbarian, Rogue etc. I love Warlock dips so maybe having my future Wyll run as a Paladin/Warlock would work well (I know it will, having done it multiple times). Also I liked the way Counsellor Florick reacted to Wyll (I made him talk to her while I saved the other guy from the fire) so there’s something there.
And then maybe try Fighter Lae’zel and Barbarian Karlach but NOT Battlemaster or Berserker, try the other subclasses. Eldritch Knight Gish for Lae would be cool and maybe Giant Barbarian for Karlach. I love OP throwing builds but am trying to avoid that still. Have the 4th person be some sort of blaster.
But yeah have had my fill of Tav/Durge so it's time to try the Origin characters!
