The Final Choice *spoiler*

[Wild Child]

Just completed my second full playthrough and I'm again disappointed with the illithid choice. My first playthrough was a good guy, and it seemed right he'd sacrifice himself and become illithid. I was really disappointed after learning that I was basically forced into it after spending the whole game trying to prevent it. I even went as far as never consuming any parasites up to that point.

I'm at the same spot on this playthrough but this time I made different choices. I chose one character (Gale) to become partial illithid thinking he'd sacrifice himself as he's already the closest to being ready for it and is keen on blowing himself up anyway. But Gale doesn't have a choice. He offers to use the orb. Or, if you talk to Orpheus as anyone other toon other than your tav he tells them it isn't for them to do. I heard that others could choose to do this but my games keep forcing me to do it. Is this what it is for everyone or is this based on something I've missed?

[Kittybass]

Karlach offers to become one but I think you have to agree to that before talking to the Emperor. She will talk to you just before that. If she offers to become illithid and you're ok with it, you have to make the choice then. Otherwise the option disappears when you get to the point of siding with the Emperor or freeing Orpheus.

[Wild Child]

I had Karlach offer after I talked to Orpheus but the dialog changed. But have her talk to Orpheus afyer he mentions a decision for the tav to make let her change anyway. Definitely did not want to sacrifice her either but I uave yet to get a happy ending for my toon and his romance. I was with Lae'zel last playthrough so my illithid didn't get to spend happily ever after with her. This time I want to see what kind of ending I get with Shadowheart. Not as a squidy though.

[Wild Child]

Asterion also showed interest in embracing mindflayer stuff to become stronger but I had my paladin kick him out after learning his secret. Is Asterion another one that can become illithid?

[SilentFall]

Bad writing i guess. In my 1st playthrough Gale screwed all romances and when he offered to blow himself up to save the world i happily agreed with him. Alas, orpheus became an illithid and gale never blew himself up. Why create that dialog if it wont save tav/orpheus???

[SilentFall]

Originally posted by Wild Child:

Asterion also showed interest in embracing mindflayer stuff to become stronger but I had my paladin kick him out after learning his secret. Is Asterion another one that can become illithid?

You can convince every tadpoled companion to consume the astral shrimp

[Wild Child]

Originally posted by GinzoXI:

Originally posted by Wild Child:

Asterion also showed interest in embracing mindflayer stuff to become stronger but I had my paladin kick him out after learning his secret. Is Asterion another one that can become illithid?

You can convince every tadpoled companion to consume the astral shrimp

Karlach seems pleased with the outcome but she will not consume the tadpoles. No idea why.

[Silyon]

Nope, that's basically the ending. For some largely contrived reason an illithid is apparently required to dominate the Elder brain at that point. Your choice is basically who does it.

Option 1.) Trust the Emperor to handle it. Which is shakey ground under the ideal circumstances even if you don't encounter some of the events that really drive home a number of reasons to question his motives.

Option 2.) Become illithid yourself. What's supposed to be a climatic heroic sacrifice instead comes off as forced and trite once you realize just how little option you have in the matter. Moreso since the thrust of the entire game is finding a cure, making the victory that follows from it pyrrhic at best.

Option 3.) Free Orpheus and have him turn. Which is just..weird? He's supposed to be a legendary figure that inherited psionics from his mother that rival the ghaik in the first place, hence the Emperor using him for the entire story. He's already as potent as any illithid, he shouldn't need to turn in order to use the stones. Not to mention it makes Lae'zel's story a tragedy instead of triumph.

Option 4.) If you free Orpheus but refuse to become illithid, AND Karlach's in your party, then she offers to take your place as the party's mind flayer. Since she was dying anyway and really didn't want to return to Avernus to survive. She doesn't expect to live long after turning, but does to everyone's surprise.

Regardless of if you dominate or kill the brain, or if you turn on the mindflayer doing the dominating, those are your only options. And imo, it's awful. Option 4 and letting her kill it is the only one that can almost be called a "good end", because it's the only one that doesn't leave hanging questions/concerns or result in immediate large-scale tragedy.

[victorvnv]

I just gut everyone , make the emperor consume Orpheus then I gut the emperor as well .
There can only be one Absolute and that’s me

[SpaceWombat]

Yeah its weird that the good ending for playing as Gith ( if romancing Lae'Zel ) requires Karlach. It makes no sense.

Unfortunately BG3 has a SEVERE lack of almost all the obvious choices. Like why can't Omeluum do this in the end? It takes a great deal of effort to save him yet the game just ignores that he exists...

[victorvnv]

Originally posted by SpaceWombat:

Yeah its weird that the good ending for playing as Gith ( if romancing Lae'Zel ) requires Karlach. It makes no sense.

Unfortunately BG3 has a SEVERE lack of almost all the obvious choices. Like why can't Omeluum do this in the end? It takes a great deal of effort to save him yet the game just ignores that he exists...

Uhm maybe the fact he isn’t around has something to do with it? The emperor pulls you in the last moment and you have to make a choise , I highly doubt it that there is time to go back and look around the city for omelium who may as well have evacuated far away by that time .

How exactly will he be able to do it? Makes zero sense whatsoever

[SpaceWombat]

Originally posted by victorvnv:

Originally posted by SpaceWombat:

Yeah its weird that the good ending for playing as Gith ( if romancing Lae'Zel ) requires Karlach. It makes no sense.

Unfortunately BG3 has a SEVERE lack of almost all the obvious choices. Like why can't Omeluum do this in the end? It takes a great deal of effort to save him yet the game just ignores that he exists...

Uhm maybe the fact he isn’t around has something to do with it? The emperor pulls you in the last moment and you have to make a choise , I highly doubt it that there is time to go back and look around the city for omelium who may as well have evacuated far away by that time .

How exactly will he be able to do it? Makes zero sense whatsoever

Every single ally you make magically teleports to you at the end of the game! Stop defending bad writing weirdo.

[Mactibiano]

Guys, who can I play Baldur with mods with my friends?

[victorvnv]

Originally posted by SpaceWombat:

Originally posted by victorvnv:

Uhm maybe the fact he isn’t around has something to do with it? The emperor pulls you in the last moment and you have to make a choise , I highly doubt it that there is time to go back and look around the city for omelium who may as well have evacuated far away by that time .

How exactly will he be able to do it? Makes zero sense whatsoever

Every single ally you make magically teleports to you at the end of the game! Stop defending bad writing weirdo.

No one teleports to you, you ask them to help in the battle and they do, omelium never offered to help as he made it clear he likes to be incognito due to his nature.

If he did randomly pop up during illithid invasion he would have been gutted by the other Allies on the spot so no, him randomly popping in that moment would have been the definition of beyond terrible writing

[Cami]

I think the 'regular' step is to let the Emperor do his thing at the end. Unless you really don't trust him, it's pretty convenient so that's what I did and actually felt a little empty at the end, like.. Gale went to salvage the crown's pieces in the river (lol?). Wyll became archduke, Astarion went back to darkness.. and what about me? So instead of just watch Karlach die, in last minute I decided to go to Avernus with her. Plus I must say I kinda expected a plot twist by trusting the Emperor so much, but turned out just ok.

I tried several endings there just to see - and my 'official' was the one with Karlach (which I didn't romance btw) very nice, just like good friends smoking and tearing apart devils (i was a druid but allright xD)
other one I really like was Gale making the sacrifice and exploding the orb, it was beautiful for him and all - but still empty for me

My husband made the Gith ending, free Orpheus, choose to become and ilithid himself and then flew away riding a dragon with his girlfriend Lae'zel - i thought it was pretty bad ass!! so i guess those are my favourite endings so far.

more options would be really nice speacially taking into account your romantic interest (the game seems so eager to lead you to romance and sex but at the end it doesnt matter at all??)

[Wild Child]

Originally posted by Cami:

I think the 'regular' step is to let the Emperor do his thing at the end. Unless you really don't trust him, it's pretty convenient so that's what I did and actually felt a little empty at the end, like.. Gale went to salvage the crown's pieces in the river (lol?). Wyll became archduke, Astarion went back to darkness.. and what about me? So instead of just watch Karlach die, in last minute I decided to go to Avernus with her. Plus I must say I kinda expected a plot twist by trusting the Emperor so much, but turned out just ok.

I tried several endings there just to see - and my 'official' was the one with Karlach (which I didn't romance btw) very nice, just like good friends smoking and tearing apart devils (i was a druid but allright xD)
other one I really like was Gale making the sacrifice and exploding the orb, it was beautiful for him and all - but still empty for me

My husband made the Gith ending, free Orpheus, choose to become and ilithid himself and then flew away riding a dragon with his girlfriend Lae'zel - i thought it was pretty bad ass!! so i guess those are my favourite endings so far.

more options would be really nice speacially taking into account your romantic interest (the game seems so eager to lead you to romance and sex but at the end it doesnt matter at all??)

When I romances Lae'zel I didn't get to fly off on a dragon with her. Guessing because I chose the illithid route for my toon. I ended up going to Avernus with Karlach on that ending.