Can I beat the game with no combat?

[SHMIZZLE]

I got pretty far running and talking my way out of every confrontation until meeting Ketheric in his base/lair after he captures you I can't see a way out of this without fighting and I can't run, and with no party members I think I am soft locked. Is there a way a non combat way was actually possible here?

[Sentient_Toaster]

No.

[Rachel Dawn Amber]

no party members ? why don't you fight ? you could sneak ? you could reload ? idk your actual situation

[SHMIZZLE]

Originally posted by Rachel Dawn Amber:

no party members ? why don't you fight ? you could sneak ? you could reload ? idk your actual situation

I went solo, been a ♥♥♥♥ to all the NPCs. I advantage on initiatives and was able to run from all combat. Nothing so far in the game besides the opening suggested I actually had to fight anything, and getting to a point where I am forced to fight and can't run now I am stuck.

[Hawke]

Unfortunately, the game is not possible to complete without combat. After Ketheric Thorm's battle, there's a battle against several lvl 9 opponents that can be cheesed with summons. In Act 3, there's at least one boss who must die (a quest-critical item can be pick-pocketed and a non-hostile NPC killed to get access to another item to get to the boss) and the final boss (unless Gale is in the party).

So, it is a softlock.

[HoneyDrake]

what are you defining as "combat"?

Anything damage related or less strict?

[JF]

Ketheric has to die for you to progress the game. Either you have to kill him yourself or help Aylin do it.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

It's possible there's a way no one's found yet.

[Kittybass]

No, you can only talk Ketheric into surrendering up to a certain point. You still have to fight his Myrkul form. It's the only way he's going to part with that Netherstone.

[✙205🍉🐆→]

I think we could come up with something, because you could blow up Gale

[Quillithe]

Well, if you allow exploits the speedrun does I think?

[The_Dipl0mat]

Maybe? You might have the ability to go pacifist route for your own character (e.g: I don't fight but I don't back down) so you're willing to heal those who do
And have companions do it for you

[Traltwin]

Originally posted by SHMIZZLE:

Originally posted by Rachel Dawn Amber:

no party members ? why don't you fight ? you could sneak ? you could reload ? idk your actual situation

I went solo, been a ♥♥♥♥ to all the NPCs. I advantage on initiatives and was able to run from all combat. Nothing so far in the game besides the opening suggested I actually had to fight anything, and getting to a point where I am forced to fight and can't run now I am stuck.

This is D&D ... so you should probably either learn the game properly (Level a Rogue and 1-shot people in combat or something? I don't know ...) or play something else.

[EricHVela]

I can't consider it a soft-lock when there was no promise of combat being always avoidable and when bad planning will result in a game over (as it does in most games).

Trivia: You can do massive fights solo with a couple of scripted exceptions, but OMG are they insane. (I ended up with only my character and Withers in the epilogue. It was really sad to see an empty campground. Withers' banter acted like there were others there even though he previously mentioned I had no allies on the way to the final boss.)

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

Originally posted by The_Dipl0mat:

Maybe? You might have the ability to go pacifist route for your own character (e.g: I don't fight but I don't back down) so you're willing to heal those who do
And have companions do it for you

As long as you can always drag an ally (not a companion) into it, you might be able to heal your way through combat encounters by letting your ally do the fighting and healing them - as a Life Cleric/Ancients Paladin.

[Shirayuki Mizore]

Originally posted by JF:

Ketheric has to die for you to progress the game. Either you have to kill him yourself or help Aylin do it.

You can actually convince him to abandon his plan. But he will kill himself and you will have to fight Myrkul.