Halsin's advice is confusing..?

[Carynara]

It's not my first walkthrough so I'm familiar with the options to get to Moonrise.

However, the more I have the convo with him after the party, the more I'm conviced he's talking garbage. He's literally saying that overground is super dangerous bc of the Shadow Curse, but there's an option to skip in in the Underdark. It sounds like the Underdark would be a a shortcut directly to Moonrise.

Now, he's either hungover, or I keep missing something in the Underdark. Every time I took that route, including clearing the... uh... whatsitsname underground fortress with the duergar, I ended up finding an exit right into the Shadow-Cursed Lands. It's a lot of extra work underground to get exactly where you would get just by taking a stroll from the githyanki creche...

So what's Halsin palying at? :thinking:

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Carynara:

Halsin's advice is confusing..?
It's not my first walkthrough so I'm familiar with the options to get to Moonrise.

However, the more I have the convo with him after the party, the more I'm conviced he's talking garbage. He's literally saying that overground is super dangerous bc of the Shadow Curse, but there's an option to skip in in the Underdark. It sounds like the Underdark would be a a shortcut directly to Moonrise.

Now, he's either hungover, or I keep missing something in the Underdark. Every time I took that route, including clearing the... uh... whatsitsname underground fortress with the duergar, I ended up finding an exit right into the Shadow-Cursed Lands. It's a lot of extra work underground to get exactly where you would get just by taking a stroll from the githyanki creche...

So what's Halsin palying at? :thinking:

He is doing his part of providing an illusion of choice.

You would not know about that if you are playing as intended on the first time.

[Spiral_Architect]

Halsin believes there is an entrance directly into Moonrise Towers from the Underdark ("offering a more direct route and bypassing the worst of the Shadow Curse") and that you would have to encounter the Shadow Cursed Lands directly traveling along the Risen Road.

Is Halsin correct? More than one way to find out.

[The_Dipl0mat]

I think as far as he's aware, yes. There was a path to get to moonrise towers quickly

However, that path kinda got caved in which he wasn't aware of

[Simbolic]

I think your over thinking it man, there really is no point to using the tunnels route. May trigger a small part of Shadowheart nightsong questline but don't think that really matters. I honestly never really notice him being annoying jabbing on about the mines or tunnels.

[Carynara]

Originally posted by Simbolic:

I think your over thinking it man, there really is no point to using the tunnels route.

Agree, unless you want some items or something. I always go up top, in fact in my 1st walkthrough I didn't even realise I was missing some content, because I was walking around near the creche and happened upon a gate directly to the Shadow Cursed Lands.

Anyhow. The point here is not which path to choose. It's about Halsin's advice. This seems such an important milestone in the game, with the party and all, and then the big next steps revelation the next morning... I would've expected it to be a little bit clearer.

Him being mistaken or not aware of the exact situation in the Underdark makes sense. It's just not clear to the player imo.

E.g. at the broken elevator someone from the party could have a line "Hm, I wonder if this is the shortcut Halsin was talking about" or sth like that, to make it clear that hey, the "safe route" he was suggesting is not gonna work.

[War Maiden]

Quickly.
But how much XP is sacrificed to go the -short route- rather than just brave it as it comes. Curiously I would expect more XP comes to those whom brave the unknown and work hard to see more.

[seeker1]

I can say this:


The shorter route through Mountain Pass is, despite what Halsin says, less dangerous. Just some ghouls. Then you're in.

The longer route - well you're missing out on large chunks of the game if you skip Underdark and Grymforge but look they are, ultimately, skippable ....

The big changeup is who you run into on the other side.
Shorter route: a drider who wants you to have the Spider Lyre and then offers to take you to Moonrise Towers. Don't have it? Well ... see, the person who would normally tell you to go that way would have given it to you, but I digress.

Longer route: some Harpers who after you save them will help show you to the Last Light Inn.

If you want to go to LL first, it might be said the long way around is the better one (besides not skipping XP, loot, experiences, insights, all that jazz).

Honestly, Halsin is giving you the best advice, based on what he knows (which is limited), and how he sees it, and there is a bit of Larian using him to nudge you to take the long way round. I'll also add that he's not necessarily telling you the safest way INTO the Underdark, but it's because he doesn't know about other ways.