Gale is a Gaslighting Narcissist

[👁]

I felt like creating a thread about my least favorite person in BG3, Gale.

The first "romance" encounter with Gale is straight up gaslighting with magic, he tries to manipulate you with seemingly innocent "magic lessons" knowing full well the manipulation he's coaxing you into.

He's basically using enchantments to try to mind control a kiss out of you. It's shadier than Raphael using Fruit metaphors.

He's also arrogant and presumes himself infallible, even as he meddles in forces that could threaten the survival of the weave and carries the scars of past hubris.

When you discover Netheres research material you have a very narrow window to convince Gale that it's a bad idea, he'll say everything right to convince you to just keep an open mind and keep your options. By the time you realize he's fallen down a slippery slope it's too late to pull him back, his colossal ego won't let you.

[Quacksalber]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย talemore:

Wyll was in the ninth hell. Wyll couldn't be in two places at once.

Wasn't he on the ship with everyone else?

[eRe4s3r]

Gale is a typical late-stage megalomeniac - he learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING from Mythras punishment for nearly destroying all magic and that is why she chose this punishment to begin with. The only good Gale in Mythras eyes is a dead Gale. And we as players should take heed of what that means, when a god of ALL magic literally says "You are best serving this world and the weave by not existing mate!"

Gale is a huge red flag just for this alone. Since Mythra is not an evil goddess doing stuff like this randomly.

Wyll on the other hand, is a classic fallen hero. Tried to do the right thing, ended up working for the literal devil. He can be "fixed though. Unlike Gale. Because you can fix motiviations by changing them, via convincing arguments. But you can not fix a character trait that defines someone fundamentally (Gale)

[GloriousZote]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย talemore:

Wyll was in the ninth hell. Wyll couldn't be in two places at once.

Avernus - the hell the Nautiloid flew through, is the first layer of the nine hells, actually.

[ivandrago654]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย eRe4s3r:

Gale is a typical late-stage megalomeniac - he learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING from Mythras punishment for nearly destroying all magic and that is why she chose this punishment to begin with. The only good Gale in Mythras eyes is a dead Gale. And we as players should take heed of what that means, when a god of ALL magic literally says "You are best serving this world and the weave by not existing mate!"

Gale is a huge red flag just for this alone. Since Mythra is not an evil goddess doing stuff like this randomly.

Wyll on the other hand, is a classic fallen hero. Tried to do the right thing, ended up working for the literal devil. He can be "fixed though. Unlike Gale. Because you can fix motiviations by changing them, via convincing arguments. But you can not fix a character trait that defines someone fundamentally (Gale)

Some of Gales endings definitely don't give the impression any of this was intentional. Without spoiling anything, Mystra definitely doesn't want him dead, she is testing him and like any playable character, you can pass or fail that test to varying degrees.

[Hex]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย talemore:

Wyll was in the ninth hell. Wyll couldn't be in two places at once.

He absolutely wasn't in Nessus. He was in Avernus, the "tourist" level of hell.

[Humpenstilzchen]

I find him and his comments pretty funny and entertaining tbh and from the things he approves I suppose he is a good person that just likes to exaggerate a bit. Can´t say much about this sexual predator thing since I rejected his magic trick attempt to get intimate and will do so again if he tries something else.

[eRe4s3r]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย ivandrago654:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย eRe4s3r:

Gale is a typical late-stage megalomeniac - he learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING from Mythras punishment for nearly destroying all magic and that is why she chose this punishment to begin with. The only good Gale in Mythras eyes is a dead Gale. And we as players should take heed of what that means, when a god of ALL magic literally says "You are best serving this world and the weave by not existing mate!"

Gale is a huge red flag just for this alone. Since Mythra is not an evil goddess doing stuff like this randomly.

Wyll on the other hand, is a classic fallen hero. Tried to do the right thing, ended up working for the literal devil. He can be "fixed though. Unlike Gale. Because you can fix motiviations by changing them, via convincing arguments. But you can not fix a character trait that defines someone fundamentally (Gale)

Some of Gales endings definitely don't give the impression any of this was intentional. Without spoiling anything, Mystra definitely doesn't want him dead, she is testing him and like any playable character, you can pass or fail that test to varying degrees.

And yet, the moment he is free from the threat of it auto-exploding and consuming magical items he piddles off into "but the crown is so powerful, let ME have it" and "I am sure Mystra will understand when I do what I was punished for AGAIN" - if you find the Netherease documents in the magical tower the ensuing dialog is wild :)

You can convince him not to do it of course, like with actual rolls involved, but what does this dialog tell you about what he has learned from the experience? Imo not a whole lot

[ivandrago654]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย eRe4s3r:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย ivandrago654:

Some of Gales endings definitely don't give the impression any of this was intentional. Without spoiling anything, Mystra definitely doesn't want him dead, she is testing him and like any playable character, you can pass or fail that test to varying degrees.

And yet, the moment he is free from the threat of it auto-exploding and consuming magical items he piddles off into "but the crown is so powerful, let ME have it" and "I am sure Mystra will understand when I do what I was punished for AGAIN" - if you find the Netherease documents in the magical tower the ensuing dialog is wild :)

You can convince him not to do it of course, like with actual rolls involved, but what does this dialog tell you about what he has learned from the experience? Imo not a whole lot

Ultimately, he has two (or three?) endings where he is not only rewarded for his behaviour, but can even become One of Mystra's Chosen, just like D&D's long-serving Gandalf knock-off Elminster, it's Mystra's highest honour and essentially demigod status. Gale is intended to be arrogant and hubristic, as most self-respecting and powerful mages are, but I don't think his other undesirable qualities were intended by the writers. They just happened.

[stun]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย eRe4s3r:

Gale is a typical late-stage megalomeniac - he learned ABSOLUTELY NOTHING from Mythras punishment

Mystra is an absolute moron who can't be trusted to cook a carrot without burning the house down and spending her college fund on rotten meat. Questioning her judgement is not a character fault. Gale probably knew Midnight, if you want to talk about people who carry on like subhumans and rely on magic they didn't even earn to get respect she's right at the top of the list.

[GloriousZote]

It's worth noting that Mystra is no better than Gale, and lying to him about what the magic Gale has is - at least if the top comment on this video is to be believed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gcduY-fVE

[ivandrago654]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย GloriousZote:

It's worth noting that Mystra is no better than Gale, and lying to him about what the magic Gale has is - at least if the top comment on this video is to be believed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gcduY-fVE

All the Gods of Faerun, even the "good" ones, are unrepentant d*ckheads by human standards. This really has to be the case narratively in any fantasy setting and even in real world religions, though religious people don't tend to see it that way. The Greek pantheon is a great (and politically correct) example, just a bunch of petty, spiteful entities using mortals at best as pawns in a cosmic chess game and at worst for sadistic entertainment as a diversion from their eternal ennui.

[deadsanta]

Gale? Was there a person attached to that hand I slapped away in Act 1 ?!?

[Popsicles]

How will you ever sleep at night? Show me where the bad man in the video game touched you? You'll be alright...

[GrandMajora]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย 👁:

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย Darkaiser:

He speaks like a used car salesman from the first time we meet him. I never fully trusted him.

Right? He isn't exactly forthcoming either, even when he needs your help, and he's so damn manipulative about it.

What Gale Does:

"Give me your magic items to consume!"

"Uhh, why?"

"I can't tell you that, just know that lives hang in the balance!"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go with 'NO' on this one...."

---------------------------

What Gale Should Have Done:

"Give me your magic items to consume!"

"Uhh, why?"

"Because I'm carrying a city sized bomb in my chest, and if I don't feed it magic on a regular basis, it will explode."

"Oh ♥♥♥♥, take them then!"

[Lord Kouranis]

โพสต์ดั้งเดิมโดย jack_of_tears:

These are all shady people who've been sucked into this situation with you, that's part of the story.

Gale pulled that "this may be my last night alive" card on me and I laughed - he thinks himself a lady's man but it's clear he's used to putting in little effort with people enamored with his power and prestige. At one time he was clearly something special, as a Goddess is banging him, but the good life made him kinda weasely.

I find Gale amusing but I'd never date him.

gales "last night alive" has been more than 20 "long rests later"

ive had exes like him; yes, i love the character of gale for the dialogue and banter; but..................................as a work of fiction scarily accurate for narcissim,