Act 1 flows better if you *don't* rescue Shadowheart(Big Spoilers).

[Rain]

Spoilers, spoilers.

So, I kept hearing that there is a unique little campfire scene where she shows up and tries to murder you to quiet the voices that she is hearing compelling her to find you.

Well, in my haste to attempt to find this scene I ended up experiencing a completely different manner of Shadowheart character introduction and you can experience this is you do the following.

1. Completely ignore Shadowheart on the Nautiloid. Don't stop, not even to say hello.

2. Once on the beach -- ignore her banging on the crypt door. Don't trigger this conversation. I typically get Lae'Zel and Gale, Astarion and then do a complete rest. Afterwards, I do the crypt that Shadowheart was trying to break into. Once you leave the crypt she can then be found sitting on a rock in the Grove.

3. Now you can do this one of two ways and it changes a bit of dialogue, but talking with her with Lae'Zel in your party and then leaving cause she doesn't want to join with you feels like it flows better. Very snarky. So...talk with her here, but don't bother to attempt to really get her into your party. No persuasion checks, nothing.

4. Head straight to the Goblin camp. On the way before the bridge you can stop to speak to the three on the right where you find the dwarf on the ground. Speaking to the dead corpse gives you in-character knowledge of the Absolute hunting for a weapon. Once you hit the Goblin camp...Shadowheart shows up and it goes from there.

I think her character, voice acting and the flow of the scene is way, way better than rescuing her from the Nautiloid and you haven't tried this then I think you should give it a go at least once.

I kept rescuing her from the Nautiloid and since doing it this way -- it has now become my favorite way to introduce her character. I do all of this first before doing any other quests. It is utterly astounding the amount of variation in Act 1.

Hope you all enjoy.

[Carynara]

Ha! Fun. What happens with the artifact though?

I wonder what transpires in Act 2 if you're skipping all the Shar quests (or just do them on your own with her in the party).

[Rain]

Originally posted by Carynara:

Ha! Fun. What happens with the artifact though?

I wonder what transpires in Act 2 if you're skipping all the Shar quests (or just do them on your own with her in the party).

The artifact is central to the story. It has plot armor of never being lost. You get it no matter what afaik.

[KasparL]

what?! didn't know you could do that

and you could still recruit her after all these?

[Izlude]

Doesnt sound like that flows better at all.
I think it flows better when you just do the beach convo after saving her on the ship then doing a longrest for a unique interaction with her. Then stumbling upon Lae'zel who since she didnt want to rescue Shadowheart on the ship gets left in the cage. Its karma.

[Rain]

Originally posted by KasparL:

what?! didn't know you could do that

and you could still recruit her after all these?

Yep. She offers to join up with you right then and there.

[solaris32]

In number 2 you can still talk to her when she's trying to get into the crypt, deny her joining, and she still shows up at the grove. She then deus ex Shadowheart's her way in when you try to cross the bridge to the goblin camp, and you can still refuse to have her join the party. Don't know what happens after that as I quit playing that build.

[Carynara]

Originally posted by Philogosten:

Then stumbling upon Lae'zel who since she didnt want to rescue Shadowheart on the ship gets left in the cage. Its karma.

Oooh... that's evil but also fair :D

I once forgot her in the cage though and when I went back she was gone. Looks like she can break herself out if you leave her there long enough.

[Etragorn]

What happens if you don't go to the Goblin camp and try to go through Waukeen's Rest to the Mountain Pass to Act 2? Does she show up, or is it some kind of Game Over phenomenon?

[JennyTheGhoul]

Originally posted by KasparL:

what?! didn't know you could do that

and you could still recruit her after all these?

She's supposedly very important to the story so the game gives you a LOT of opportunities to recruit her.

[Rain]

For all intents and purposes Shadowheart will show up no matter what and you get to decide what happens. Doesn't seem to be a companion that you can "miss".