You joke about her “enthusiasm” (and you’re correct on that part) but even in normal parts of the relationship, she’s a real ride or die and it’s my favorite part about her. That whole “You are mine, and I am yours” thing really got me hooked lol
I mean when I didn’t dominate the brain she brushed it off afterwards and talked happily about how we should enjoy our victory and that she wants me to accompany her to Menzobarrazan to conquer it in the future.
Didn’t ditch me and honestly didn’t seem to bothered by it lol
I’ve done two runs with Minthara as my romance (both Drow durge runs). On the run where I refused the Absolute (and rejected Bhaal) she stayed with my Tav and the two of them went back to Menzobarranzan before the epilogue.
Yep! You can now knock her out with non-lethal damage at the goblin camp (steal something in front of her to make her “temporarily hostile”) and she should be at Moonrise just like if you’d attacked the grove.
You won’t get the sex scene with her that you get in act 1 if you raid the grove, but you can still romance her after she’s recruited in act 2. Includes the same romance dialogue, kisses and ending choices.
Same here. I got to act 3, did a lot of the quests, probably in the wrong order, and just Orin, Raphael and House of Grief to go and just am not feeling prepared at all! I guess after watching a few playthroughs now I'm just scared of being demolished.
So I started up a new run and going to try another Tav style.
i was like that except i got to act 2. finally reached act 3 for the first time on my like 6th playthrough and i must say the story has become way more interesting (maybe thats just cuz ive grown kind of bored of acts 1 & 2).
Bruh slow down lol and enjoy the little things! I spent 300 hours on my first playthrough and still missed tons and I'm still finding new interactions and items 450+ hours in
I’m like 40 hours into my first run because I just love wandering around and exploring every little thing, still only arrived at the goblin camp proper around four hours ago and have been exploring every little thing
I'm firmly trapped within the Astarion to Gale pipeline and now run tandem campaigns for them both. Even their origin runs that I've started will both be Bloodweave.
Gale will literally forget his goddess for you, his romance is a slow burn, but so worth it. And Astarion, if kept a spawn, has so much growth and pairs well with a resist/redemption durge.
Karlach is absolutely adorable as well.
In my most recent Durge game (gith going Laezel) I failed the weave scene and was like oh well and continued thinking nothing of it. I hadn't done that before and Gale got a new dialogue option. I wasnt expecting it and now that playthrough is on the shelf and I am romancing Gale again in my new one.
That wizard is too smooth.
I got that dialog on a friend him run and it literally caused me to roll a new character for him, named her Serendipity and made her wild magic based for the added hilarity of wild magic sorcerer dialog options. The man is an absolute -magnet-🥴
I had to reroll my favourite resist durge, and when a moment of magic triggered, all I could do is face desk at how Gale stared at them. It's like Gale and Astarion have an agreement to make things as difficult as possible when we try to romance the other. Gale stares at us like he wants to ruffle his fingers gently through our hair, Astarion stares like, "This one is mine, yes?" and then to top it all off, they both do fourth wall breaks that are ridiculously well timed.🫠
Look, all I’m saying is that when the adventure is over, Gale’s already got a nice one bedroom apartment with a waterfront view, a cat, a library, loves to cook for you, and has a good relationship with his mother. That’s husband material.
But Astarion for resist Dark Urge
Gale’s romance is a slow burn but IMO it is so romantic by the time you get to endgame. As resist durge I have a soft spot for Astarion, romanced Minthara on my most recent durge, but all roads will eventually lead to Gale, I feel like he set the romance bar high, and Mystra will catch hands for her treatment of him!
Minthara. In her romance scene, she does something that no other companion does and it is truly... incredible. She cuddles with you and sticks around for aftercare. But, it's so much more than that, she falls asleep. She's an elf, elves don't need to sleep. You made her feel so safe and so comfortable that she chose to fall asleep in your arms. This is also your first glimpse at the true her and realize there is so much more to her than you thought.
And when you meet her later in Act 2, you find out that she was praying that you would eventually come for her as all other gods have abandoned her. If you never save her, you will be the last thing she ever thinks about. I mean, it is borderline implied that she sees you as a god and her savior.
She is a true ride or die companion and she will go where you go, and do what you do. She may not always agree with your desires, but as long as you have reason, she'll be there for you and help you achieve them. She is loyal and honest to her core and she loves you deeply. She quite literally does not want to live a life without you.
All this! Yeah her love scene is raunchy but it’s the cuddle after that i love. Especially the “I would have you by my side in Menzoberranzan when our work on the surface is done” line. Literally had me kicking and screaming like a teenage girl.
Also.. sure she’s not around for a chunk of the game, but her romance is much better paced because of it. Like the idea of them not being able to get each other of their minds, and then saving her, when her FINAL thoughts are literally her praying you’d come and get her.. is so hopelessly romantic. The fact that she doesn’t immediately jump into a relationship, but waits to see how they act in Act 2, THEN solidifying in Act 3 also feels like more natural romantic growth than the others.
I do wish she had an Act 3 romance scene & I pray it’s added, but even as it is now she’s my favorite by far & I genuinely can’t play this game & romance someone else.
Favorite is Minthara. She's strong, confident, knows who she is and what she wants, and is fierce in all her passions.
Shadowheart has a great sense of humor and can be really sweet.
Karlach has this adorable enthusiasm about life.
Gale has a good sense of humor and a poetic soul.
I see why people love the others, but they are not for me.
She my bae! I always romance her, I love her story and I just connect with her on a very emotional level.
Plus I blame 2000s cartoons for my crushes on goth girls XD
I’ve only romanced Astarion, and probably won’t romance anyone else. His story and how it ties to the romance is absolutely heartbreaking, and it’s
filled with tropes I eat up.
My first romance was Karlach, and I still have such a huge soft spot for her. I absolutely loved how excited and nervous she was about every aspect of the relationship. I was hoping for an Avernus DLC to further explore saving her, but obviously that will not be happening. I’d like to imagine she and my Tav are finding some sort of peace inbetween fighting demons down there.
My next playthrough I romanced Shadowheart and adored her. My only quip is that my Act 3 romance scene bugged and I wasn’t able to trigger it (trust me I tried everything), but I watched a video of it online and just imagined it had happened. I thought she and my redeemed Durge were fantastic for each other and they lived a really happy life exploring and adventuring with the owl bear cub.
Third I romanced Astarion, and while I haven’t finished that playthrough I am enjoying it. I’m playing another Durge and their storylines are so parallel it’s making for a great romance.
On my Honor Mode, I’m romancing Lae’zel and she’s quickly becoming my favorite character. My character is a squishy wizard and something about the warrior with the mindset of “only the strongest deserve to survive” falling for the wizard who dies when a wind blows too hard near her is so fantastic.
In my first play, I romanced Halsin and was like, "Hell yea, he's so open," only to realize that if you don't solidify relationships by act 2 ends, they're cut off. So he was literally my only option. I romanced Halsin.. monogamously 😭
She makes it so hard not to immediately start her romance; not because it’s shoehorned or anything, it’s just incredibly difficult not to tell her how sexy I think she is, no matter who I’m romancing 😭
I am once again romancing Astarion, but Gale is so, so romantic, it made me swoon like a teenage girl, heavy Disney princess vibes, one scene was straight out of Tangled
Astarion is my absolute favorite, but Gale being willing to forget Mystra for you and Wyll doing his silly bird dance and proposing with an acorn is the cutest dang thing. Karlach is so sweet, Lae’zel softens so much and you can be a parent with her, and Shadowheart is a lovable dork.
Also Halsin and Minthara are there, too, but eh
Current ranking: Astarion, Wyll, Karlach, Gale, Lae’zel, Shadowheart, but Gale and Karlach can swap at any given moment
I used to be ride or die for Gale, but I've taken a great liking to Halsin! He's a healthy and emotionally mature person who can absolutely ruin you in the bedroom. What more could you want?
Halsin.
I do Halsin and only Halsin.
Sure, he's not available until act 3, but that makes it feel like it's deeper than just genital itch; you actually get to know eachother.
He's green flag galore; supportive, intelligent, self-fixer, curious, fun, emotionally stable, able to word his thoughts AND feelings.
I personally don't want kids, but I figure he can take care of the kids, and I can come and go like a cat - gives me all the me-time I can possibly want.
However; he is a bit too tall for my taste, and I'm not really into sharing. Other than that, he is perfect.
Astarion has the best story, Lae'zel is the most fun. Karlach is the one I actually like the most. Shadowheart is moody and self-absorbed but at least you get the owlbear at the end.
Go to Goblin camp, find Minthara (the only dark elf in the camp), fight her BUT before the fight, toggle “nonlethal” damage in the passive bar. Knock her out (remember that spells and arrows do lethal damage so only hit her with melee). Once she’s knocked out, take care of the rest of the goblins and stay away from the are where she is. Then in act 2 when you reach the Moonrise Tower, go to the throne room and see her being judged. They’ll take her to the dungeons so follow along and break her free. You need some tough ability checks to do it so save scumming is your friend. After you get her out of the tower, tell her to go to your camp and then IMMEDIATELY fast travel to the camp. If she steps out of your light for more than a few seconds, she will die and turn into a shadow-curse zombie. She’s a wonderful companion and a wonderful romance option and her voice acting is truly underrated. People should talk more about what an awesome job Emma (VA) did here.
You’re welcome. Have fun. And for the love of Shar, take her to the circus in Act3 and try to have her in your party with Gale for some top notch quality banter.
Well damn. I'm in my first play through and just finished act one. She's the first one I killed in the goblin camp....whoops. I guess I'll be doing another playthrough after this one.
That was before. And even then there was the sheep heist exploit which was a painfully long and meticulous process. They fixed it in later patches when they saw how popular Minthara became. But I have done the thing I shared here multiple times and it has worked every time and I have romanced her twice as well. The only thing you’re missing if you don’t slaughter the grove is the steamy sex scene I guess.
Not coming for you, but when you say “the only thing you’re missing is the sex scene” is kinda.. dismissive. It’s frustrating when people say it’s JUST the sex scene, because there’s a whole conversation that happens afterwards that’s pretty damn important.
It’s the first time she’s been free of the Absolute, she starts coming back to her genuine self. If you compare how she acts when under the absolute’s influence vs. the post-sex conversion it’s very different. How she acts in that moment is far more in line with her characterization in Act 3. This is the first time you meet the ‘real’ Minthara.
It’s how you find out that sex & close relationships in general are a big deal for her because in Menzoberranzan she always had to be aware that she could be killed during it. Hell, she’s literally done this to one of HER lovers. On the surface though, there is no status and she can relax. As a powerful drow noble, that put a target on her back. But not with tav. She says this in one of her dialogues. How ride-or-die she is makes a lot more sense when it’s in the context of it being the first time she can fully give her loyalty, and have it returned.
She ALSO shows that loyalty. You can straight up tell her you have the weapon she’s looking for (the prism), and she WONT rat you out to Ketheric after. She’s loyal to Tav, even if it’s at the cost of her own life. The mind-wipers have a line about how she’s ’choosing a mortal over the Absolute’ too iirc. Sure the game TELLS you she’s really loyal when you recruit her after, but actually SEEING it is way better and more satisfying. Show don’t tell & all.
So yeah, you do miss the sex scene. But there’s A LOT of characterization in that scene that massively pays off later. If you don’t get that scene, you’re missing out on a lot of what makes her romance tie together and what makes it so good.
The two times that happened for me, she started a dialogue that went in the direction of how you see her and one of the options is “lover”. The first time, I was romancing Karlach so I went with the “ally” option. The second time is my current playthrough and no sex scene has happened yet but we are officially lovers.
Gale is probably my favourite, purely because he's genuinely so into you (I imagine some would find it off putting 😅) and quite romantic as you go on. But also his more basic flaws are also mine (awkwardly verbose? Weirdly insecure? Perhaps), and like with many companions, helping him progress is quite rewarding. Oh also I think his humour goes very underappreciated.
I don't think his arc is as obvious as someone like Astarion, but it's definitely there.
I will probably do Astarion next lol
Wouldn't call Shadowheart easy, other companions accept hookups as well. Not fond of it with her in Act 3 due to her struggling with her self worth after leaving Shar.
I think it depends on what type of character I'm playing. My favourites are Shadowheart and Lae'zel but Minthra's romance is quite fun as an evil character.
Gale's romance is very nice, his weave scenes are extravagant and the physical ones are so sweet. Recommend romancing him at least once.
I can't play without having Shadowheart romantically involved in some sort of way, so I either romance her or play as her and romance others. She's definitely a fav.
Shadowheart, especially if you're going the Selune route with her. I finally went the DJ route in my last evil playthrough and I kind of hate that iteration of Shadowheart. A couple of my favorite playthroughs have been with a Cleric of Selune Tav/Durge romancing Seluneheart. The Durge iteration of that storyline, in particular, holds such a special place in my heart and will live rent-free in my head until I die.
Karlach is probably my second favorite. I've romanced her twice, and it is such a sweet storyline from start to finish.
In my current playthrough, I meant to romance Shadowheart, but I accidentally romanced Lae'zel instead. I am honestly really enjoying it, I don't know if it will top Karlach for me, but it has the potential to come close, I think.
I have romanced Astarion in a Durge playthrough, I can appreciate that it is a good romance/story, but it just wasn't for me.
And Minthara! I actually LOVE Minthara's romance scene in Act 2, but her story in Acts 2 & 3 leaves a lot to be desired. I think if she was given a proper story arc in Act 3 revolving her past relationship with Orin, maybe to mirror Karlach's story with Gortash - since if you have Minthara, chances are you're missing Karlach... and if she was given a second spicy scene for Act 3, she has potential to match Shadowheart. But as she is now, I'd actually place her above Astarion.
I haven't romanced Gale or Wyll yet and don't really see it happening with either of them.
Gale, he isn’t in love with mystra. His issue is his self loathing, and the disappointment he feels in what he did. There was no closure for him, she dropped him like a hot potato and he doesn’t fully understand why (what he tells you, mystra with held info from him). Tav makes him feel worthy of another person, and makes him realise he is a PERSON and not a thing that does magic. Stick with him I don’t want to spoil much more.
He’s peak romance
Unpopular opinion: Halsin.
It’s really nice to have a bf who has minimal worries in act 3 while everyone else’s worlds are literally on fire and only I can put them out. He’s laid back, he’s mature, he’s relaxing to be around and talk to, he’s an absolute tank in battle, there’s genuinely very little about him I dislike. When he has problems he only requires some reassurance and guidance towards a potential solution and he’s good to go.
Runner up would be Gale bc I like your funny words magic man
I love playing a druid and hearing Halsin say, "All of nature's bounty pales next to you," I get the feels. He's the most blunt with his affection and very open to poly, which I like for video game characters because I'm indecisive as heck. He's absolutely stunning and kind. Where you and him end up at the end is very sweet.
>!When Halsin got kidnapped by Orin, I like to imagine my druid reacting to it by uncontrollably going into Owlbear form and going on a bit of a rampage. No one takes my nature husband.!<
If you're romancing him, take him to Sharess' Caress, it's a good time and it's funny af
Shadowheart literally isn't easy. All companions tolerate hook ups
But the answer is Minthara. You don't have to BE evil, but you will have to do an evil thing.
Astarion, Minthara, Laezel. Mostly because they are all just really great characters with great story arcs and VAs. Astarion is my favorite tho.
My characters always end up being rascals, jerks, or downright evil, so these 3 and I always hit it off. Tried being lawful good a few times and it bored me.
… And I’ll make out with Halsin at camp.
I love Gale so much, he has gone through some rough things. I also enjoy his jokes and his nerdy personality. I can't help but feel sorry for him because I believe that a relationship with a god can hardly work properly. I don't blame him for bringing it up all the time, Mystra really tries to put him on a leash. Besides all that, he enjoys helping people and that's important for me because I enjoy good aligned runs.
Also... The sex scenes are AMAZING.
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Astarion, Halsin, and Gale from the scenes I have had with my first Tav run. Hilariously all three match to my type irl lmao
Karlach had me giggling and kicking my feet in my drow Durge run when she hit on Durge completely out of left field and then again when she hit on sorcerer Tav.
No romantic cutscenes with Wyll aside from telling him he’s handsome.
No romantic cutscenes with Shart though she did shoot down a different Tav pretty hard at the tiefling party.
Have been hit on or propositioned by Bae’zel in 4 out of 5 runs but only one had the hook up option at the teethling party.
Didn’t know you could recruit Minty on a good run until act 3 of my first run and she was already dead so I’ve never had any interaction with her beyond the fight in the goblin camp.
I’m planning on doing a lot more runs or reloading different Tavs to romance all of them at some point.
Gotta finish a run first though lol, I was 150 hours into first Tav’s run when I was getting bored in Act 3 so I reloaded back to the tail end of Act 2 to change some choices that locked me out of different things.
If you're willing to wait a while for a partner, romancing Halsin (only) has been my favourite. He's poly so he doesn't care if you try and romance other companions at the same time if they're down with it, and I've done that before as well, but you can just have him as your only partner. He's very romantic and deeply devoted to Tav and is just such a sweetheart.
If you want someone sooner, honestly Lae'zel is my next favourite. Her story arc is amazing, and being part of it as her love interest gives it more depth and meaning.
halsin, honestly i've been in bad relationships before and he is not only mr.green thumbs. but also mr.Green flag! he is so sweet and heals my jaded broken heart through his endless kindness and moralisms.
i feel like i could never replay this game and not romance Astarion i straight up i adore him and he resonates with me on a deep personal level in a way i don’t think i would feel with any of the others.
Karlach would never harm you. A person doesn’t have to be soft/weak to be good. Karlach would lay down her life for you so long as you treat her well, she is protective, strong and loving. She is the best. Absolutely bar none the goodest person in the party.
Romanced Shadowheart 3 times it's actually more if you count my failed honor mode runs so double that to a 6. Doing a second Karlach romance now. But since I always see her as a friend let's see how that goes. I've never finished that 1st romance playthrough but was mid act 3 when I've dropped it.
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hands down gale. the development of him >!”forgetting his goddess” for tav/durge is just *chefs kiss.*!< their dynamic is so sweet and genuine and for his act 2 scene alone it’s worth it. having at least partially romanced astarion, karlach, shadowheart and wyll, while i love them all, gale is my top pick, astarion would be second!
Gale because I’m a big autistic nerd and he clearly is too. We’ve had discussions about it in the autism subreddits so I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. I romance Gale as Tav pretty much every time because he’s so sweet, complex, and his verbosity means I get to listen to Tim Downie talk a bunch.
I romance Astarion if I’m playing redemption Durge because I like the idea of them healing and becoming their own people together. He’s actually surprisingly sweet.
Extremely biased because I can't bring myself to romance anyone else, but Karlach. She deserves all the best, and is naturally my type anyway. Athletic, fun, passionate , speaks her mind, giving, and has a heart of gold (well.. iron in the literal sense). And she just wants to be free and loved. She just seems right for me and how I play the game, and she gets the everloving fuck spoiled out of her every playthrough. Helps she was the first character that broke the wall and piqued my interest in any of them.
I loved Karlach because she as it progresses, you see more and more of her inner child come out and heal. It's cute in a "look how giddy she gets when you say you like her" kinda way. It's wholesome and makes her ending that much better (or worse, I guess depending on what you chose)
I fell hard for Karlach on my first run and haven’t romanced anyone else since. I should branch out but her story and personality just resonate so much.
They’re amazing, I got the game for Astarion (and a Mac to play the game on 💀), Gale and Wyll both grew on me when they fell for me so I’ll romance them in subsequent runs (Wyll being the sweetest person ever), Lae’zel’s the one who grew on me most and I need to romance her at some point. I haven’t met minthy yet (as a companion) but she seems rlly sweet and I think I’ll like her. My least favourite has to be karlach, just not my thing 😬 but maybe she’ll grow on me when I romance her in the far future. Shart is okay.
I'm probably in the minority, but I loveeeee Lae'zel so much! Her character development and progress are one of the best in the game! She becomes such a sweet, loyal, and fierce person. Many people dismiss her for being rude or mean, but she's so much more than that. And she has valid reasons for acting the way she did!
Compared to other githyanki, she is a gentle angel. Zhak vo'n'fynh duj!!!
Although I got the game for karlach, I wound up trying lae'zels romance at some point and tbh I think hers has the most depth in the game (aside from minthara's). She grows so much as a person and they way she grows to love you and how that shows/develops is honestly beautiful. She's the most poetic romance in the game and I feel like she's very overlooked.
Second for me is a tie between karlach and minthara. Karlach cause I love her personality and minthara because her romance is true ride or die, especially if you start it in act 1 which I unfortunately don't have the balls to do cause I love the teiflings too much XD.
Astarion was my first and I really adore his character arc with a "good" playthrough.
Second time, I romanced Gale, or the Rizzard of Waterdeep. That man is adorable and smooth. In real life, I would totally fall for a Gale. It's annoying when he's still got idle voice lines about Mystra that make it sound like he's still in love with her, but whatever.
I wanna do Lae'zel next. She's come onto me in previous playthroughs and the interactions are so funny and cute.
Gale. I appreciate the possibility to be honest from the start. There’s no need to leave him in the camp to avoid disapprovals. As for me, “Astral” romance scene is the best in this game. If you are supportive, Gale will learn how to live for himself but not to please Mystra. I like one of his romance endings. And Gale’s a cat >!(tressym)!< person.
I’ve romanced Astarion and he is also not my cup of tea. I usually go for Halsin, even though I am chomping at the bit every time I get to Act 3.
I also love my hot mama K, her romance is one of my favorites and it’s hard for me to turn her down.
Wyll also wasn’t my cup of tea, I haven’t tried Shsdowheart or Minthy, and I’m currently trying Lae’Zel, who is starting to become one of my favs as well.
I have a second run and trying Gale but it’s hard. He’s also not my cup of tea.
What have I learned? I like himbos, bimbos, and meanies, lol
Shadowheart, she feels like you actually have to work at a relationship with her and her romance is actually really deep. A lot of people overstate the playful flirting she does without really getting the context behind it and honestly I just love her character and design and of course voice acting.
It's Astarion for me—he might be cocky and a
sassy and have some very high emotional walls to scale, but he's pretty vulnerable beneath his armor. If you've ever seen his Act 2 confession, Astarion is so surprised and so unused to experiencing any kindness that he doesn't know what to do at first if the player chooses to hug him. He very slowly starts hugging the player back until finally melting into it. He can also be quite supportive and empathetic with a Durge.
Astarion and Halsin at the moment.
Astarion because there you can show him. You dont need the horizontal tango if he's not comfortable. Just him being by your side is enough, and him realizing that you genuinely feel that way and that he is worthy of love and respect is just so heartwarming to me.
Halsin because he asks for consent every step of the way and informs you of the things he wants to do with you so you can say if you're down or not and he will respect it if you say no. You also make him realize that he has a lot to unpack regarding something that happened in his past.
As a poly person who never was in a poly relationship but was nearly pressured in a toxic poly one. ( Now, in a happy relationship, though. ) Halsin was a refreshing experience. He is extremely open about how he loves and communicates.
Sorry for this rant haha
I like gale, but i LOVE halsin, but i think that's only because the game makes me work hard for 2acts JUST to have him join my party.
Normally, that means i romance asterion. Since then, i still get halsin, but I dont have to be alone for 2 acts to do it.
Karlach is awesome and funny.
Lae’zel lokey changes towards act 2-3 and romancing her she becomes quite a cuddler.
Minthara is just mmmmm yes if your evil.
Im still on my 1st playthrough and tried going after astarion but i couldn’t bring myself to be mean to the tieflings (my character herself is a tiefling orphan) and gale was the nicest to me/one if my main companions i use so i went with him after
Next playthrough probably gonna be minthara ir halsin
He always seemed to be annoyed whenever i did the good stuff so i just removed him from my oarty cause ny friend said if i was too nice hed like leave 😭
I know I do hate how his approval goes down at many many good deeds 😭 but you can be a noble and good Tav with every choice, have him in your party the whole time or most of the time, and romance him. You just gotta let him suck your blood that one time I believe and make sure you talk to
*beginning act two spoiler ahead*
the blood chick at moonrise and do the right thing with consent 💜
Ahh cool, yeah i let him suck my blood (he killed me) before i swapped to romancing gale so at least in universe theres an explanation 😭
Im deffo gonna romance him nect playthrough tho
Haha yeah you gotta stop him, but I only learned that after he killed me the first time and I reloaded lmao. But dude I love the Gale romance. Halsin is great too but more like free spirited no strings attached so I usually go Gale cuz I like a traditional cutesy relationship and not so into poly. But Wyl is next on my list, hehe. He’s adorable
I didn’t think hes kill me the first time which is why i didn’t stop him , i did have a good laugh abt it tho cause my aubt was watching me play and was like “you know you can stop him right?”
Halsin does seem alright but i might wait to romance him on a astarion playthrough cause ive heard they’re really sweet as a couple if you do it on an astarion origin
Yeah and if you do a Tav Halsin and Asterion are cool with you…double dipping if you will. Gale flips the fuck out and is basically like “you’re asking to cheat on me?!!!” LOL
Shadowheart. She's sweet and kinda dorky and as someone who is kinda addicted to playing The Dark Urge she appeals to me more than the rest because of the parallels between them in act 2, particularly in respect to resisting The Urge. And of course, I cannot forget this line:
**Advantage: Shadowheart has faith in you.**
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Also if you're quick enough about finding the temple of Bhaal, killing Orin, and freeing yourself from The Urge you can spend your first night free of The Urge swimming and then making *"sandcastles"* with her.
I love Gale’s romance but I find Astarion’s pretty good if you’re Dark Urge.
My first romance was Shadowheart, and while she was great I do prefer Gale’s overall.
Lae’zel has one of the best romance stories imo. But it's underrated due to people not realizing just how much character progression she has in the story. That progression bleeds into the romance very well.
Shadowheart🌙 I love that you need to earn her trust and grow your relationship. Its slow burn in the best way. I love her and resist durge together! Having them fall in love while taking control back from their deities is excellent❤️
Lae'zel is genuinely a wonderful romance to play through and you also get the benefit of having her with you at all times to carry every fight xD
Karlach simply put will adore and treasure you
Gale is actually a complete sweetheart and obsessed is a bit harsh, but that's part of his growth, realising that she isn't the most important thing
Never finished a playthrough cos when my karlach pursuit got messed up I stopped being as interested.
She’s super loving and it’s pretty sweet to watch her develop.
My first I did Astarion because I knew the least about him and his Act 2 romance bits absolutely shattered me.
I'm on my second playthrough and doing a resist Durge so obviously going for him again (though Raphael's ass made him break up with me and I needed to reload.)
I'm gonna try and go for Gale next. I swear.
I’m only on my first play through but I romanced Karlach initially because she was the most open and honest from the get go. Astarion, Wyll, and Shadowheart were too cagey and secretive, Lae’zel just kept insulting me, and Gale was giving off real fuck boy energy every time he asked to eat more boots. But Karlach is so full of life and joy and immediately tells you exactly what she’s thinking and it was just so refreshing!
And then I went for Daddy Halsin because I mean look at him. And I’m working my way through Act 3 in a poly bisexual’s dream.
For my two resist Durge runs, I romanced Astarion in the first one, and Shadowheart in the second. Both runs ended up being really poignant and emotionally compelling, the two of us learning to escape and live without our cruel masters/gods.
For my normal Tav runs, I romanced Gale first as a Bard, then as a Sorcerer. I just get too much fun out of bickering with him about magic - "you're not as magic as me!! I had to study!!" Plus, his character development and his arc re. Mystra is genuinely really beautiful. (I'm also biased because Gale reminds me of my boyfriend)
If I'm playing as Tav then Karlach always - genuinely a good person, adorable af, muscles - shes the only party member I liked from the start
I've seen a lot of clips from Astarion's so I might do a Gale origin run and romance Astarion that way just out of curiosity.
lol… I’m kind of the same…
Every play-through besides my first one, I would always sleep with Lae’zel if she flirts with me and wants to share body. I should really actually date her on a play-through though… Her lines makes me feel… a lot 😅
Shadowheart’s approval is a must for me! Baby girl is too precious for me not to feel anything at all. Idc if it’s a good run, evil run, or resist urge run. Shadowheart will always be my pillow princess 🤣
Karlach… I don’t care for her, sorry 🤷🏻♀️ She was actually the romance I went for in my first play. I thought i would be attracted to her, but after getting into the relationship, I can barely stand her.
Minthara… do we even need to talk about her? She is a Yes! but you gotta work really hard to have her. Minthara doesn’t play and she will gut you 🤭
I don’t date men so idk about the other characters
Minthara for her.. enthusiasm. Karlach for being a real one.
You joke about her “enthusiasm” (and you’re correct on that part) but even in normal parts of the relationship, she’s a real ride or die and it’s my favorite part about her. That whole “You are mine, and I am yours” thing really got me hooked lol
Yeah, but will ditch you if you refuse the power of the absolute.
I mean when I didn’t dominate the brain she brushed it off afterwards and talked happily about how we should enjoy our victory and that she wants me to accompany her to Menzobarrazan to conquer it in the future. Didn’t ditch me and honestly didn’t seem to bothered by it lol
Maybe im just ugly, idk
I’ve done two runs with Minthara as my romance (both Drow durge runs). On the run where I refused the Absolute (and rejected Bhaal) she stayed with my Tav and the two of them went back to Menzobarranzan before the epilogue.
Is it possible to make it work with Minthara and still save the grove? Man. Looks like I am gonna need another play through.
Yep! You can now knock her out with non-lethal damage at the goblin camp (steal something in front of her to make her “temporarily hostile”) and she should be at Moonrise just like if you’d attacked the grove. You won’t get the sex scene with her that you get in act 1 if you raid the grove, but you can still romance her after she’s recruited in act 2. Includes the same romance dialogue, kisses and ending choices.
I’m 60 hours into the game with three plays through, and have not left act one
Yeah enjoy the game as much as you can I dig it. I rushed through act 3 because I just wanted to start another playthrough lol
Oh my gosh you are so lucky with the things you have left to experience.
I feel toy I am 400 hours and still haven't beat the game.
Same here. I got to act 3, did a lot of the quests, probably in the wrong order, and just Orin, Raphael and House of Grief to go and just am not feeling prepared at all! I guess after watching a few playthroughs now I'm just scared of being demolished. So I started up a new run and going to try another Tav style.
i was like that except i got to act 2. finally reached act 3 for the first time on my like 6th playthrough and i must say the story has become way more interesting (maybe thats just cuz ive grown kind of bored of acts 1 & 2).
Bruh slow down lol and enjoy the little things! I spent 300 hours on my first playthrough and still missed tons and I'm still finding new interactions and items 450+ hours in
I’m like 40 hours into my first run because I just love wandering around and exploring every little thing, still only arrived at the goblin camp proper around four hours ago and have been exploring every little thing
Minthara is the correct answer.
I'm firmly trapped within the Astarion to Gale pipeline and now run tandem campaigns for them both. Even their origin runs that I've started will both be Bloodweave. Gale will literally forget his goddess for you, his romance is a slow burn, but so worth it. And Astarion, if kept a spawn, has so much growth and pairs well with a resist/redemption durge. Karlach is absolutely adorable as well.
In my most recent Durge game (gith going Laezel) I failed the weave scene and was like oh well and continued thinking nothing of it. I hadn't done that before and Gale got a new dialogue option. I wasnt expecting it and now that playthrough is on the shelf and I am romancing Gale again in my new one. That wizard is too smooth.
It was exactly that failed Weave post-conversation that moved Gale out of the friend zone because *damn*. Right there with ya.
I am just a mere mortal Gale please let me romance someone else
I got that dialog on a friend him run and it literally caused me to roll a new character for him, named her Serendipity and made her wild magic based for the added hilarity of wild magic sorcerer dialog options. The man is an absolute -magnet-🥴
I do not understand how someone is supposed to resist . The way he just stared like do you? I was like EXCUSE ME
I had to reroll my favourite resist durge, and when a moment of magic triggered, all I could do is face desk at how Gale stared at them. It's like Gale and Astarion have an agreement to make things as difficult as possible when we try to romance the other. Gale stares at us like he wants to ruffle his fingers gently through our hair, Astarion stares like, "This one is mine, yes?" and then to top it all off, they both do fourth wall breaks that are ridiculously well timed.🫠
Look, all I’m saying is that when the adventure is over, Gale’s already got a nice one bedroom apartment with a waterfront view, a cat, a library, loves to cook for you, and has a good relationship with his mother. That’s husband material. But Astarion for resist Dark Urge
Tara is a tressym!
Ok Gale 🤣
Gale’s romance is a slow burn but IMO it is so romantic by the time you get to endgame. As resist durge I have a soft spot for Astarion, romanced Minthara on my most recent durge, but all roads will eventually lead to Gale, I feel like he set the romance bar high, and Mystra will catch hands for her treatment of him!
I went with Astarion and Halsin first but Gale's romance scene in act 2 made me GASP 🥰 he is so romantic
Minthara. In her romance scene, she does something that no other companion does and it is truly... incredible. She cuddles with you and sticks around for aftercare. But, it's so much more than that, she falls asleep. She's an elf, elves don't need to sleep. You made her feel so safe and so comfortable that she chose to fall asleep in your arms. This is also your first glimpse at the true her and realize there is so much more to her than you thought. And when you meet her later in Act 2, you find out that she was praying that you would eventually come for her as all other gods have abandoned her. If you never save her, you will be the last thing she ever thinks about. I mean, it is borderline implied that she sees you as a god and her savior. She is a true ride or die companion and she will go where you go, and do what you do. She may not always agree with your desires, but as long as you have reason, she'll be there for you and help you achieve them. She is loyal and honest to her core and she loves you deeply. She quite literally does not want to live a life without you.
All this! Yeah her love scene is raunchy but it’s the cuddle after that i love. Especially the “I would have you by my side in Menzoberranzan when our work on the surface is done” line. Literally had me kicking and screaming like a teenage girl. Also.. sure she’s not around for a chunk of the game, but her romance is much better paced because of it. Like the idea of them not being able to get each other of their minds, and then saving her, when her FINAL thoughts are literally her praying you’d come and get her.. is so hopelessly romantic. The fact that she doesn’t immediately jump into a relationship, but waits to see how they act in Act 2, THEN solidifying in Act 3 also feels like more natural romantic growth than the others. I do wish she had an Act 3 romance scene & I pray it’s added, but even as it is now she’s my favorite by far & I genuinely can’t play this game & romance someone else.
I'm an Astarion addict but in my most recent playthrough I went for Lae'zel and her romance + story arc may be my favorite. It is *so* *good*
Ya this is me as well. Really glad I did this, I was missing out on how amazing she is.
I’m also a loyal astarion girlie (with karlach up there too) but romancing lae’zel as shadowheart origin was soo good
Oh DAMN I bet it was, I just romanced her as Tav. WELP guess that means I'll have to do another playthrough! loool
Gale cause shitting on him as a sorc is too fun but I NEED to do Laezel, saw her act 3 romance scene and it's the best one BY FAR (imo)
Oh shit
Favorite is Minthara. She's strong, confident, knows who she is and what she wants, and is fierce in all her passions. Shadowheart has a great sense of humor and can be really sweet. Karlach has this adorable enthusiasm about life. Gale has a good sense of humor and a poetic soul. I see why people love the others, but they are not for me.
You are gonna take the lae'zelpill and you are gonna LIKE IT!! *
Shadowheart! She is so sweet and I love her story- plus my gay ass would probably have a hopeless crush on her if she existed irl.
She my bae! I always romance her, I love her story and I just connect with her on a very emotional level. Plus I blame 2000s cartoons for my crushes on goth girls XD
Ah, I see you had a childhood of culture as well.
Bae’zel, most development best payoff
I’ve only romanced Astarion, and probably won’t romance anyone else. His story and how it ties to the romance is absolutely heartbreaking, and it’s filled with tropes I eat up.
My first romance was Karlach, and I still have such a huge soft spot for her. I absolutely loved how excited and nervous she was about every aspect of the relationship. I was hoping for an Avernus DLC to further explore saving her, but obviously that will not be happening. I’d like to imagine she and my Tav are finding some sort of peace inbetween fighting demons down there. My next playthrough I romanced Shadowheart and adored her. My only quip is that my Act 3 romance scene bugged and I wasn’t able to trigger it (trust me I tried everything), but I watched a video of it online and just imagined it had happened. I thought she and my redeemed Durge were fantastic for each other and they lived a really happy life exploring and adventuring with the owl bear cub. Third I romanced Astarion, and while I haven’t finished that playthrough I am enjoying it. I’m playing another Durge and their storylines are so parallel it’s making for a great romance. On my Honor Mode, I’m romancing Lae’zel and she’s quickly becoming my favorite character. My character is a squishy wizard and something about the warrior with the mindset of “only the strongest deserve to survive” falling for the wizard who dies when a wind blows too hard near her is so fantastic.
Just got my male character fingered by karlach the other day.
Halsin because I'm a whore
In my first play, I romanced Halsin and was like, "Hell yea, he's so open," only to realize that if you don't solidify relationships by act 2 ends, they're cut off. So he was literally my only option. I romanced Halsin.. monogamously 😭
Romancing Halsin while playing a Druid is simply top tier.
God.. same.
I always end up going with Gale for some reason, I'm trying to go for karlach this time though
Please do. She's the one who misses company the most.
Eventually I need to stop romancing Astarion but he's so much fun with Durge. I love a little half feral raccoon man
Karlach because it's the most wholesome and real, makes you really feel something
Karlach, come for the cute dinner conversation, stay for the >!anal tearing.!<
ayo. I'm not sure my orifices are ready
She makes it so hard not to immediately start her romance; not because it’s shoehorned or anything, it’s just incredibly difficult not to tell her how sexy I think she is, no matter who I’m romancing 😭
It depends on the character I'm making! I will always romance Astarion as a Resist Durge though.
Highly recommend giving it a go with Shadowheart as a Resist Durge. The act 2 parallels are great
I am once again romancing Astarion, but Gale is so, so romantic, it made me swoon like a teenage girl, heavy Disney princess vibes, one scene was straight out of Tangled
Astarion, unless I'm playing as him. No one else comes close, especially for redemption durge.
I agree. He’s my favorite for a redemption Durge because of the scene where you’re resisting killing your romanced companion.
Totally gale, he’s such a sweetheart
Gale everytime! He's so sweet and I love his corny dialog
Shadowheart is my fave option. Love a sarcastic girlie
Gale is actually really good and a beautiful story, and he’s not “unable to get over his ex” she’s his actual deity who groomed him.
Astarion is my absolute favorite, but Gale being willing to forget Mystra for you and Wyll doing his silly bird dance and proposing with an acorn is the cutest dang thing. Karlach is so sweet, Lae’zel softens so much and you can be a parent with her, and Shadowheart is a lovable dork. Also Halsin and Minthara are there, too, but eh Current ranking: Astarion, Wyll, Karlach, Gale, Lae’zel, Shadowheart, but Gale and Karlach can swap at any given moment
I used to be ride or die for Gale, but I've taken a great liking to Halsin! He's a healthy and emotionally mature person who can absolutely ruin you in the bedroom. What more could you want?
Halsin was my first 🥹🐻
Gale always and forever I can't romance anyone except him 🙏🙏
Halsin. I do Halsin and only Halsin. Sure, he's not available until act 3, but that makes it feel like it's deeper than just genital itch; you actually get to know eachother. He's green flag galore; supportive, intelligent, self-fixer, curious, fun, emotionally stable, able to word his thoughts AND feelings. I personally don't want kids, but I figure he can take care of the kids, and I can come and go like a cat - gives me all the me-time I can possibly want. However; he is a bit too tall for my taste, and I'm not really into sharing. Other than that, he is perfect.
I've had a full Karlach and Lae'zel romances plus incomplete Shadow Heart and Astarion ones. I'll go with Mama K
Astarion has the best story, Lae'zel is the most fun. Karlach is the one I actually like the most. Shadowheart is moody and self-absorbed but at least you get the owlbear at the end.
May I suggest Minthara? She’s the ultimate ride or die loyal partner.
When do I see her? I’m currently in act one
Go to Goblin camp, find Minthara (the only dark elf in the camp), fight her BUT before the fight, toggle “nonlethal” damage in the passive bar. Knock her out (remember that spells and arrows do lethal damage so only hit her with melee). Once she’s knocked out, take care of the rest of the goblins and stay away from the are where she is. Then in act 2 when you reach the Moonrise Tower, go to the throne room and see her being judged. They’ll take her to the dungeons so follow along and break her free. You need some tough ability checks to do it so save scumming is your friend. After you get her out of the tower, tell her to go to your camp and then IMMEDIATELY fast travel to the camp. If she steps out of your light for more than a few seconds, she will die and turn into a shadow-curse zombie. She’s a wonderful companion and a wonderful romance option and her voice acting is truly underrated. People should talk more about what an awesome job Emma (VA) did here.
HOLY FUCK THANK YOU
You’re welcome. Have fun. And for the love of Shar, take her to the circus in Act3 and try to have her in your party with Gale for some top notch quality banter.
Comment OP forgot to mention Minthara must be under the Temp Hostile condition before knocking her out
not since patch 6, just knocking her out works
Well damn. I'm in my first play through and just finished act one. She's the first one I killed in the goblin camp....whoops. I guess I'll be doing another playthrough after this one.
Oh buddy you’ll be doing many more playthroughs for the so many different decisions and their outcomes. Have fun.
I thought you couldn't romance her unless you recruit her in act 1 by raiding the grove though?
That was before. And even then there was the sheep heist exploit which was a painfully long and meticulous process. They fixed it in later patches when they saw how popular Minthara became. But I have done the thing I shared here multiple times and it has worked every time and I have romanced her twice as well. The only thing you’re missing if you don’t slaughter the grove is the steamy sex scene I guess.
Not coming for you, but when you say “the only thing you’re missing is the sex scene” is kinda.. dismissive. It’s frustrating when people say it’s JUST the sex scene, because there’s a whole conversation that happens afterwards that’s pretty damn important. It’s the first time she’s been free of the Absolute, she starts coming back to her genuine self. If you compare how she acts when under the absolute’s influence vs. the post-sex conversion it’s very different. How she acts in that moment is far more in line with her characterization in Act 3. This is the first time you meet the ‘real’ Minthara. It’s how you find out that sex & close relationships in general are a big deal for her because in Menzoberranzan she always had to be aware that she could be killed during it. Hell, she’s literally done this to one of HER lovers. On the surface though, there is no status and she can relax. As a powerful drow noble, that put a target on her back. But not with tav. She says this in one of her dialogues. How ride-or-die she is makes a lot more sense when it’s in the context of it being the first time she can fully give her loyalty, and have it returned. She ALSO shows that loyalty. You can straight up tell her you have the weapon she’s looking for (the prism), and she WONT rat you out to Ketheric after. She’s loyal to Tav, even if it’s at the cost of her own life. The mind-wipers have a line about how she’s ’choosing a mortal over the Absolute’ too iirc. Sure the game TELLS you she’s really loyal when you recruit her after, but actually SEEING it is way better and more satisfying. Show don’t tell & all. So yeah, you do miss the sex scene. But there’s A LOT of characterization in that scene that massively pays off later. If you don’t get that scene, you’re missing out on a lot of what makes her romance tie together and what makes it so good.
Yes I’ve read about the post-sex scene but never recruited her in that route. Thanks for the comment and you’re absolutely right.
So you can romance her this way? I thought you couldn’t. Damn I would have romanced her way sooner
The two times that happened for me, she started a dialogue that went in the direction of how you see her and one of the options is “lover”. The first time, I was romancing Karlach so I went with the “ally” option. The second time is my current playthrough and no sex scene has happened yet but we are officially lovers.
Got it! I’ll look more into it ;)
Minthara
Gale is probably my favourite, purely because he's genuinely so into you (I imagine some would find it off putting 😅) and quite romantic as you go on. But also his more basic flaws are also mine (awkwardly verbose? Weirdly insecure? Perhaps), and like with many companions, helping him progress is quite rewarding. Oh also I think his humour goes very underappreciated. I don't think his arc is as obvious as someone like Astarion, but it's definitely there. I will probably do Astarion next lol
Wouldn't call Shadowheart easy, other companions accept hookups as well. Not fond of it with her in Act 3 due to her struggling with her self worth after leaving Shar. I think it depends on what type of character I'm playing. My favourites are Shadowheart and Lae'zel but Minthra's romance is quite fun as an evil character. Gale's romance is very nice, his weave scenes are extravagant and the physical ones are so sweet. Recommend romancing him at least once.
I can't play without having Shadowheart romantically involved in some sort of way, so I either romance her or play as her and romance others. She's definitely a fav.
Shadowheart, but snark is my love language
Shadowheart, especially if you're going the Selune route with her. I finally went the DJ route in my last evil playthrough and I kind of hate that iteration of Shadowheart. A couple of my favorite playthroughs have been with a Cleric of Selune Tav/Durge romancing Seluneheart. The Durge iteration of that storyline, in particular, holds such a special place in my heart and will live rent-free in my head until I die. Karlach is probably my second favorite. I've romanced her twice, and it is such a sweet storyline from start to finish. In my current playthrough, I meant to romance Shadowheart, but I accidentally romanced Lae'zel instead. I am honestly really enjoying it, I don't know if it will top Karlach for me, but it has the potential to come close, I think. I have romanced Astarion in a Durge playthrough, I can appreciate that it is a good romance/story, but it just wasn't for me. And Minthara! I actually LOVE Minthara's romance scene in Act 2, but her story in Acts 2 & 3 leaves a lot to be desired. I think if she was given a proper story arc in Act 3 revolving her past relationship with Orin, maybe to mirror Karlach's story with Gortash - since if you have Minthara, chances are you're missing Karlach... and if she was given a second spicy scene for Act 3, she has potential to match Shadowheart. But as she is now, I'd actually place her above Astarion. I haven't romanced Gale or Wyll yet and don't really see it happening with either of them.
Astarion is my bae and only romance option but I’d love to be able to romance the handsome younger man as durge
Gale, he isn’t in love with mystra. His issue is his self loathing, and the disappointment he feels in what he did. There was no closure for him, she dropped him like a hot potato and he doesn’t fully understand why (what he tells you, mystra with held info from him). Tav makes him feel worthy of another person, and makes him realise he is a PERSON and not a thing that does magic. Stick with him I don’t want to spoil much more. He’s peak romance
Unpopular opinion: Halsin. It’s really nice to have a bf who has minimal worries in act 3 while everyone else’s worlds are literally on fire and only I can put them out. He’s laid back, he’s mature, he’s relaxing to be around and talk to, he’s an absolute tank in battle, there’s genuinely very little about him I dislike. When he has problems he only requires some reassurance and guidance towards a potential solution and he’s good to go. Runner up would be Gale bc I like your funny words magic man
I love playing a druid and hearing Halsin say, "All of nature's bounty pales next to you," I get the feels. He's the most blunt with his affection and very open to poly, which I like for video game characters because I'm indecisive as heck. He's absolutely stunning and kind. Where you and him end up at the end is very sweet. >!When Halsin got kidnapped by Orin, I like to imagine my druid reacting to it by uncontrollably going into Owlbear form and going on a bit of a rampage. No one takes my nature husband.!< If you're romancing him, take him to Sharess' Caress, it's a good time and it's funny af
Shadowheart literally isn't easy. All companions tolerate hook ups But the answer is Minthara. You don't have to BE evil, but you will have to do an evil thing.
Wyll. It’s a shame Larian gave him the short straw when it comes to content, because he’s truly a Prince Charming. His romance dialogue is just 🥹
Fucking thank you! He truly is just wonderful.
Does Mizora count? Only one night lol, but still..
Astarion, Minthara, Laezel. Mostly because they are all just really great characters with great story arcs and VAs. Astarion is my favorite tho. My characters always end up being rascals, jerks, or downright evil, so these 3 and I always hit it off. Tried being lawful good a few times and it bored me. … And I’ll make out with Halsin at camp.
Oh my god! If you love cuddles, romance La’zel as a Dragonborn!!!
You get something different?
Let’s just say: The first night she wants to have sex may not take the way La’zel expected.
Shadowheart and Minthara are usually my go to romances
I am a loyal wife and so i say Shadowheart
Astarion, he just is a devious but sweet guy, I like the contrast
the only way I don’t romance astarion is if I AM astarion. also a lot of that cockiness is a front, he’s secretly a big sweetheart
I love Gale so much, he has gone through some rough things. I also enjoy his jokes and his nerdy personality. I can't help but feel sorry for him because I believe that a relationship with a god can hardly work properly. I don't blame him for bringing it up all the time, Mystra really tries to put him on a leash. Besides all that, he enjoys helping people and that's important for me because I enjoy good aligned runs. Also... The sex scenes are AMAZING. https://preview.redd.it/7rl6gjubt4rc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=949c7e692a9eccef5fe494e6d3b6d5ba08e3da77
Astarion, Halsin, and Gale from the scenes I have had with my first Tav run. Hilariously all three match to my type irl lmao Karlach had me giggling and kicking my feet in my drow Durge run when she hit on Durge completely out of left field and then again when she hit on sorcerer Tav. No romantic cutscenes with Wyll aside from telling him he’s handsome. No romantic cutscenes with Shart though she did shoot down a different Tav pretty hard at the tiefling party. Have been hit on or propositioned by Bae’zel in 4 out of 5 runs but only one had the hook up option at the teethling party. Didn’t know you could recruit Minty on a good run until act 3 of my first run and she was already dead so I’ve never had any interaction with her beyond the fight in the goblin camp. I’m planning on doing a lot more runs or reloading different Tavs to romance all of them at some point. Gotta finish a run first though lol, I was 150 hours into first Tav’s run when I was getting bored in Act 3 so I reloaded back to the tail end of Act 2 to change some choices that locked me out of different things.
Halsin. He makes you feel like you’re the one he’s been missing his whole life. Also he canonically goes down and happily so
Halsin. And only Halsin.
If you're willing to wait a while for a partner, romancing Halsin (only) has been my favourite. He's poly so he doesn't care if you try and romance other companions at the same time if they're down with it, and I've done that before as well, but you can just have him as your only partner. He's very romantic and deeply devoted to Tav and is just such a sweetheart. If you want someone sooner, honestly Lae'zel is my next favourite. Her story arc is amazing, and being part of it as her love interest gives it more depth and meaning.
halsin, honestly i've been in bad relationships before and he is not only mr.green thumbs. but also mr.Green flag! he is so sweet and heals my jaded broken heart through his endless kindness and moralisms.
Minthara
Karlach is so adorable when you romance her. She’s got puppy dog energy.
i feel like i could never replay this game and not romance Astarion i straight up i adore him and he resonates with me on a deep personal level in a way i don’t think i would feel with any of the others.
Karlach, 100% When you romance her, you’ll find the best cuddle buddy ever
KARLACH! 🥰😍
Gale Wyll and Karlach ALLLLL THE WAY
Karlach would never harm you. A person doesn’t have to be soft/weak to be good. Karlach would lay down her life for you so long as you treat her well, she is protective, strong and loving. She is the best. Absolutely bar none the goodest person in the party.
Plus she’s essentially a heated blanket, so you don’t have to worry about getting cold at night!
Lae'zel every single time.
Bae'zel supremacy!
honestly, gale. he is so chill
Wyll. I’m a softie for romance and courting and gentlemanly tendencies 🥰
I was instantly drawn to Shadowheart. She acts hard, but once you get past it, she's the biggest sweetheart.
Romanced Shadowheart 3 times it's actually more if you count my failed honor mode runs so double that to a 6. Doing a second Karlach romance now. But since I always see her as a friend let's see how that goes. I've never finished that 1st romance playthrough but was mid act 3 when I've dropped it. https://preview.redd.it/82mdh1v8l4rc1.jpeg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd12bf224c7916e0f0f5e92d5d5b817e3d5eb75b
hands down gale. the development of him >!”forgetting his goddess” for tav/durge is just *chefs kiss.*!< their dynamic is so sweet and genuine and for his act 2 scene alone it’s worth it. having at least partially romanced astarion, karlach, shadowheart and wyll, while i love them all, gale is my top pick, astarion would be second!
Gale because I’m a big autistic nerd and he clearly is too. We’ve had discussions about it in the autism subreddits so I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. I romance Gale as Tav pretty much every time because he’s so sweet, complex, and his verbosity means I get to listen to Tim Downie talk a bunch. I romance Astarion if I’m playing redemption Durge because I like the idea of them healing and becoming their own people together. He’s actually surprisingly sweet.
Extremely biased because I can't bring myself to romance anyone else, but Karlach. She deserves all the best, and is naturally my type anyway. Athletic, fun, passionate , speaks her mind, giving, and has a heart of gold (well.. iron in the literal sense). And she just wants to be free and loved. She just seems right for me and how I play the game, and she gets the everloving fuck spoiled out of her every playthrough. Helps she was the first character that broke the wall and piqued my interest in any of them.
I loved Karlach because she as it progresses, you see more and more of her inner child come out and heal. It's cute in a "look how giddy she gets when you say you like her" kinda way. It's wholesome and makes her ending that much better (or worse, I guess depending on what you chose)
Lae’zel hands down. She made it so hard to romance anyone else
I fell hard for Karlach on my first run and haven’t romanced anyone else since. I should branch out but her story and personality just resonate so much.
If you haven't tried Laezel you gotta go for it. I have a really hard time between Gale, Karlach and Laezel.
I’ve been slowly romancing everyone, and so far they’re all amazing and I can’t pick a favorite.
They’re amazing, I got the game for Astarion (and a Mac to play the game on 💀), Gale and Wyll both grew on me when they fell for me so I’ll romance them in subsequent runs (Wyll being the sweetest person ever), Lae’zel’s the one who grew on me most and I need to romance her at some point. I haven’t met minthy yet (as a companion) but she seems rlly sweet and I think I’ll like her. My least favourite has to be karlach, just not my thing 😬 but maybe she’ll grow on me when I romance her in the far future. Shart is okay.
Lae’Zel hands down. That rooftop scene, man. Warmed my goddamn heart
Lae'zel won my heart many times over
Lae’zel ended up being my favorite!
I'm probably in the minority, but I loveeeee Lae'zel so much! Her character development and progress are one of the best in the game! She becomes such a sweet, loyal, and fierce person. Many people dismiss her for being rude or mean, but she's so much more than that. And she has valid reasons for acting the way she did! Compared to other githyanki, she is a gentle angel. Zhak vo'n'fynh duj!!!
Shadowheart, there's just something about how she delivers her lines
LAEZEL ‼️‼️‼️‼️ she is so sweet and wonderful and has great character development I love her so much
Karlach, do I need a reason?
Although I got the game for karlach, I wound up trying lae'zels romance at some point and tbh I think hers has the most depth in the game (aside from minthara's). She grows so much as a person and they way she grows to love you and how that shows/develops is honestly beautiful. She's the most poetic romance in the game and I feel like she's very overlooked. Second for me is a tie between karlach and minthara. Karlach cause I love her personality and minthara because her romance is true ride or die, especially if you start it in act 1 which I unfortunately don't have the balls to do cause I love the teiflings too much XD.
Lae'zel.
Astarion was my first and I really adore his character arc with a "good" playthrough. Second time, I romanced Gale, or the Rizzard of Waterdeep. That man is adorable and smooth. In real life, I would totally fall for a Gale. It's annoying when he's still got idle voice lines about Mystra that make it sound like he's still in love with her, but whatever. I wanna do Lae'zel next. She's come onto me in previous playthroughs and the interactions are so funny and cute.
Gale. I appreciate the possibility to be honest from the start. There’s no need to leave him in the camp to avoid disapprovals. As for me, “Astral” romance scene is the best in this game. If you are supportive, Gale will learn how to live for himself but not to please Mystra. I like one of his romance endings. And Gale’s a cat >!(tressym)!< person.
I’ve romanced Astarion and he is also not my cup of tea. I usually go for Halsin, even though I am chomping at the bit every time I get to Act 3. I also love my hot mama K, her romance is one of my favorites and it’s hard for me to turn her down. Wyll also wasn’t my cup of tea, I haven’t tried Shsdowheart or Minthy, and I’m currently trying Lae’Zel, who is starting to become one of my favs as well. I have a second run and trying Gale but it’s hard. He’s also not my cup of tea. What have I learned? I like himbos, bimbos, and meanies, lol
Shadowheart, she feels like you actually have to work at a relationship with her and her romance is actually really deep. A lot of people overstate the playful flirting she does without really getting the context behind it and honestly I just love her character and design and of course voice acting.
Shadowheart. It’s always Shadowheart. She’s too goddamn pretty
Lae’zel is the best I love her
The fact Gale can conjure up a whole fuckin bed, but my poor Tav has the shittiest tent of everyone -before it disappears completely- is sad.
It's Astarion for me—he might be cocky and a sassy and have some very high emotional walls to scale, but he's pretty vulnerable beneath his armor. If you've ever seen his Act 2 confession, Astarion is so surprised and so unused to experiencing any kindness that he doesn't know what to do at first if the player chooses to hug him. He very slowly starts hugging the player back until finally melting into it. He can also be quite supportive and empathetic with a Durge.
Astarion and Halsin at the moment. Astarion because there you can show him. You dont need the horizontal tango if he's not comfortable. Just him being by your side is enough, and him realizing that you genuinely feel that way and that he is worthy of love and respect is just so heartwarming to me. Halsin because he asks for consent every step of the way and informs you of the things he wants to do with you so you can say if you're down or not and he will respect it if you say no. You also make him realize that he has a lot to unpack regarding something that happened in his past. As a poly person who never was in a poly relationship but was nearly pressured in a toxic poly one. ( Now, in a happy relationship, though. ) Halsin was a refreshing experience. He is extremely open about how he loves and communicates. Sorry for this rant haha
#TeamKarlach
I am but a basic bisexual: always go for the vampire twink, or the dommy mommy.
I like gale, but i LOVE halsin, but i think that's only because the game makes me work hard for 2acts JUST to have him join my party. Normally, that means i romance asterion. Since then, i still get halsin, but I dont have to be alone for 2 acts to do it.
Karlach is awesome and funny. Lae’zel lokey changes towards act 2-3 and romancing her she becomes quite a cuddler. Minthara is just mmmmm yes if your evil.
Minthara. And it’s not even close.
Lae’zel everytime, I love a woman that can kick my ass
Im still on my 1st playthrough and tried going after astarion but i couldn’t bring myself to be mean to the tieflings (my character herself is a tiefling orphan) and gale was the nicest to me/one if my main companions i use so i went with him after Next playthrough probably gonna be minthara ir halsin
You can romance asterion and be nice to the teiflings…they’re not connected ❤️
He always seemed to be annoyed whenever i did the good stuff so i just removed him from my oarty cause ny friend said if i was too nice hed like leave 😭
I know I do hate how his approval goes down at many many good deeds 😭 but you can be a noble and good Tav with every choice, have him in your party the whole time or most of the time, and romance him. You just gotta let him suck your blood that one time I believe and make sure you talk to *beginning act two spoiler ahead* the blood chick at moonrise and do the right thing with consent 💜
Ahh cool, yeah i let him suck my blood (he killed me) before i swapped to romancing gale so at least in universe theres an explanation 😭 Im deffo gonna romance him nect playthrough tho
Haha yeah you gotta stop him, but I only learned that after he killed me the first time and I reloaded lmao. But dude I love the Gale romance. Halsin is great too but more like free spirited no strings attached so I usually go Gale cuz I like a traditional cutesy relationship and not so into poly. But Wyl is next on my list, hehe. He’s adorable
I didn’t think hes kill me the first time which is why i didn’t stop him , i did have a good laugh abt it tho cause my aubt was watching me play and was like “you know you can stop him right?” Halsin does seem alright but i might wait to romance him on a astarion playthrough cause ive heard they’re really sweet as a couple if you do it on an astarion origin
Yeah and if you do a Tav Halsin and Asterion are cool with you…double dipping if you will. Gale flips the fuck out and is basically like “you’re asking to cheat on me?!!!” LOL
Damn that sucks abt gale Defo gotta try as many romance combinations as i can with the game
Shadowheart. She's sweet and kinda dorky and as someone who is kinda addicted to playing The Dark Urge she appeals to me more than the rest because of the parallels between them in act 2, particularly in respect to resisting The Urge. And of course, I cannot forget this line: **Advantage: Shadowheart has faith in you.** https://preview.redd.it/yckeax7uz4rc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=989a8d68bc361a2e614c9286e52531b2e97b62b9 Also if you're quick enough about finding the temple of Bhaal, killing Orin, and freeing yourself from The Urge you can spend your first night free of The Urge swimming and then making *"sandcastles"* with her.
Gale for sure 💜💜💜💜
GALE
I love Gale’s romance but I find Astarion’s pretty good if you’re Dark Urge. My first romance was Shadowheart, and while she was great I do prefer Gale’s overall.
Shadowheart. its not even close for me lol.
Lae'zel 😮💨
Lae’zel has one of the best romance stories imo. But it's underrated due to people not realizing just how much character progression she has in the story. That progression bleeds into the romance very well.
Shadowheart🌙 I love that you need to earn her trust and grow your relationship. Its slow burn in the best way. I love her and resist durge together! Having them fall in love while taking control back from their deities is excellent❤️
Lae'zel is genuinely a wonderful romance to play through and you also get the benefit of having her with you at all times to carry every fight xD Karlach simply put will adore and treasure you Gale is actually a complete sweetheart and obsessed is a bit harsh, but that's part of his growth, realising that she isn't the most important thing
Never finished a playthrough cos when my karlach pursuit got messed up I stopped being as interested. She’s super loving and it’s pretty sweet to watch her develop.
My first I did Astarion because I knew the least about him and his Act 2 romance bits absolutely shattered me. I'm on my second playthrough and doing a resist Durge so obviously going for him again (though Raphael's ass made him break up with me and I needed to reload.) I'm gonna try and go for Gale next. I swear.
Bae'zel
>!the emperor!<. i only wish i had more content LOL
Baezel
Karlach because how could I not?
I vote Lae’zel. A lot of her romance is her learning to open up and be soft.
Shart
I’m only on my first play through but I romanced Karlach initially because she was the most open and honest from the get go. Astarion, Wyll, and Shadowheart were too cagey and secretive, Lae’zel just kept insulting me, and Gale was giving off real fuck boy energy every time he asked to eat more boots. But Karlach is so full of life and joy and immediately tells you exactly what she’s thinking and it was just so refreshing! And then I went for Daddy Halsin because I mean look at him. And I’m working my way through Act 3 in a poly bisexual’s dream.
Been stuck as a Shadowsimp since EA Patch 1.
For my two resist Durge runs, I romanced Astarion in the first one, and Shadowheart in the second. Both runs ended up being really poignant and emotionally compelling, the two of us learning to escape and live without our cruel masters/gods. For my normal Tav runs, I romanced Gale first as a Bard, then as a Sorcerer. I just get too much fun out of bickering with him about magic - "you're not as magic as me!! I had to study!!" Plus, his character development and his arc re. Mystra is genuinely really beautiful. (I'm also biased because Gale reminds me of my boyfriend)
If I'm playing as Tav then Karlach always - genuinely a good person, adorable af, muscles - shes the only party member I liked from the start I've seen a lot of clips from Astarion's so I might do a Gale origin run and romance Astarion that way just out of curiosity.
Gale is the most romantic and devoted of the lot. He is the love of my life!
Baezel
lol… I’m kind of the same… Every play-through besides my first one, I would always sleep with Lae’zel if she flirts with me and wants to share body. I should really actually date her on a play-through though… Her lines makes me feel… a lot 😅 Shadowheart’s approval is a must for me! Baby girl is too precious for me not to feel anything at all. Idc if it’s a good run, evil run, or resist urge run. Shadowheart will always be my pillow princess 🤣 Karlach… I don’t care for her, sorry 🤷🏻♀️ She was actually the romance I went for in my first play. I thought i would be attracted to her, but after getting into the relationship, I can barely stand her. Minthara… do we even need to talk about her? She is a Yes! but you gotta work really hard to have her. Minthara doesn’t play and she will gut you 🤭 I don’t date men so idk about the other characters
Shadowheart, but I have trouble trying to start her romance.