The Lae'zel + Shadowheart problem

[Chillearth]

Do you think that your party needs both a fighter and a cleric ?

Both classes are standard inclusions for a balanced party, so an awful lot of players want both Lae'zel and Shadowheart as companions. Unfortunately, the way BG3 is written, the two of them do not seem able to co-exist or very long without one trying to kill the other.

The simple solution for this is for you to make your character either a fighter (so you can drop Lae'zel) or you make them a cleric (and drop Shadowheart). However, this limits you to choosing a cleric type (includes druid) or a fighter type (includes Ranger and when it is written in, a Paladin).

So, you still get some choice, but if you don't want to have to deal with Gale and his 'eat artifacts' nonsense, you cannot make your own arcane caster without sacrificing your cleric or your fighter, in the future.

I find anything that conspires to limit my choices in this way, very frustrating. Sure you can run a party without a cleric type (but it makes things harder) or even without a fighter type (and you'll miss the lack of a tank), but if you are pushed away from creating a classic party group, I have to ask "Why" ?

My choice would be to allow you to create a second custom character if you want to (and have that as an easily selectable choice at creation). This means you have less companions with detailed backstories, which I'm sure Larian would hate, given how much time has been spent on backstories.

A better solution is that the two companions at odds with each other CAN co-exist, given the right circumstances. This may be possible now, I don't know. I hope someone HAS found a compromise that allows them to co-exist.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

D&D 5e doesn't really require the traditional 'balanced' party - really, any party will do, if you play them well and capitalize on their advantages.

Shadowheart is far from a traditional Cleric - her healing is subpar (and healing in general, unless you're a Life cleric that leans heavily into it, isn't that great), but her stealth abilities are amazing and really complement any other stealth based character (Rangers and Rogues do really well with her).

There are also more companions coming down the road, so you'll have more choices.

Furthermore, in the final game you will be able to create an entire party of custom characters and will not be required to take any of the origin characters.

[TheBlueFox]

Huh?

I have shadowheart and Laezel in every playthrough i've run.

They're totally fine together.

Sure they bicker a little, but they don't REFUSE to be together.

If you start with Laezel and try to recruit shadowheart, shadowheart has a chance (If you fail) To refuse to join the party. But you can get past this by just... reloading, really...

If you start with Shadowheart, Laezel has NO PROBLEM joining the group.

Once they're together, they've never gotten so upset they choose to leave. But they do threaten to kill eachother every now and then. Its like they're flirting... aggressively

[McSpanky]

You don't really need the "balanced" party I've found. I've done more than fine with just straight up magically obliterating enemies. My sorcerer is a powerhouse to himself, but add Gale and Wyll on top, with Shadowheart for support and we tear through most enemies.

[God Queen 158]

I will concur. You don't need a "balanced" party in this game. There are a million ways to complete combat encounters. After the first run of the game you'll probably have a better sense of the mechanics and how to play the classes - and then you might agree that you don't need a typical party comp.

I run dual fighter, warlock, and wizard and never thought I had to swap any of my party members out. I've played this way solely for the past couple patches now.

[dulany67]

The only way you can't have both in the party is if you absolutely need peace and harmony.

[Gilgamesh]

Just play as either one lmao. Its what im gonna do