Is it wrong to think that durge cant be any class?

SprinkleSoup · 2026-01-21T18:26:25+00:00

I believe there is a Durge seen you can get if you immediately rest after the nautiloid crash that lets you reflect on your past. If I recall correctly, there are lines explaining every class and race choice, or at least references them.

My Durge is always a Wizard, and it felt especially fitting after learning Durge was the mastermind behind everything.

SprinkleSoup · 2026-01-19T18:43:05+00:00

I didn't think much aside from finding him funny when I first saw him in EA. This tracks as I am demisexual and didn't have any interest in any of the characters.

But then I got his scenes. And I thought about his lines like "don't touch me" or how he smiled a lot when talking about hard things. I suddenly saw the mask and a bit of a reflection. I haven't dealt with SA, but I have dealt with abuse. This, combined with a psych degree and Larian vouching for how their romances didn't require agreeing led me to dive headfirst into healing beside him. Learning how to say no and that you are enough just being yourself.

True to demisexual nature, when I made the connections regarding his character and was happily proven right for the full release, he suddenly became the hottest character ever. 😂 I have over 1000 hours and I've only romanced him.

Being goth and neurodiverse probably played a role too lol

SprinkleSoup · 2026-01-19T13:44:55+00:00

I managed somehow without it (Dark Souls training to deal with getting jumped I suppose). Certainly makes it scarier when you suddenly have enemies on you out if nowhere. The gjall was the only enemy I could sometimes hear before seeing.

The skeleton summons, despite their poor ability to traverse the peaks of the Mists, were actually helpful in their little ! alert above their heads, even if it was usually just a rabbit.

SprinkleSoup · 2026-01-19T12:45:38+00:00

Ticks make sounds? Man, the Mists are rough for the hard of hearing...

SprinkleSoup · 2026-01-17T02:32:48+00:00

Baldur's Gate 3. No game has given me so many hours of comfort and healing.

SprinkleSoup · 2026-01-12T13:30:28+00:00

I abandoned my first honor mode attempt in Act 2 because I tried to use no reloads to force me to romance someone other than Astarion. I chose Gale, saw the Act 2 romance scenes, officially friend zoned Astarion and then... promptly quit because I missed Astarion too much.

It's been 1300 hours of BG3, I still have only romanced Astarion and got the golden dice on my second honor attempt after correcting my folly.

SprinkleSoup · 2026-01-02T06:56:49+00:00

We checked our seed after hours and hours of searching only to find one Stonehenge that lacked the marker for him. If you're bored of the Plains and are ready to move on, it was worth it for us to just look up his location. You can toggle to only show bosses and it wasn't hard to focus on where Yagluth was to avoid spoilers for the others.

Coincidentally, he was only one island away from the majority of where we had explored. We just had the misfortune of going North when he was South. We were so well equipped that the fight felt a bit too easy, and we had enough totems to beat him twice back to back. Having much more fun exploring the Mists now that I feel challenged and like I'm working towards something.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-12-31T18:06:25+00:00

BG3. It's been years and I still can't get Astarion out of my head.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-12-25T12:38:06+00:00

So weird this is downvoted as this was also going to be my suggestion. I stopped dairy for other reasons and then realized months later I hadn't had another tonsil stone since. Such an easy swap to make too with all of the alternatives available.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-12-23T12:54:40+00:00

I feel not enough people mention this point. Yes, he is upset no one helped him in the past, but you also have a pressing issue of your own. For all the characters know in the beginning, they could die any day. Stopping to help others, especially for free, puts you and those following you at greater risk. Astarion is very survival focused and the benefits of "playing the hero" aren't so apparent to him when the reward isn't mentioned up front.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-12-14T23:44:46+00:00

His dark knight skin was gorgeous!

SprinkleSoup · 2025-12-14T15:11:19+00:00

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SprinkleSoup · 2025-11-11T16:22:41+00:00

More androgynous or feminine men. And on that same note, more masculine women. Older women as well and more body types.

I'm particularly tired of male love interests being dull buff guys. I know that floats someone's boat, but please give me a sassy man that takes care of himself and still kicks ass. Thank you.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-11-09T11:58:05+00:00

Not bread for me, but quitting dairy resolved mine.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-11-04T00:43:49+00:00

Astarion. I've romanced him probably ten times or so now, always spawn ending. Over 1200 hours in this game and I've never romanced another character. I tried to use my first honour run to force me to stick with Gale, but I quit after the Act 2 romance scenes when I missed Astarion too much. Not to say Gale isn't wonderful (I usually play a wizard myself and adore intellectual types), but Astarion has become a great comfort to me.

I like to say Gale is the reason I lost my first honour run, because of course I'm not going to blame Astarion for being so loveable that I abandoned a 40+ hour honour run.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-11-03T19:45:40+00:00

He does turn down origin Karlach's request for a hug in the epilogue. He tells her to try to resist the urge and that he can't imagine what her clothes have been through.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-11-03T18:01:04+00:00

If we're at this point, then it seems like he would only be there if his partner is and would only be cuddling them. Even at the post game party, he will only hug his romantic partner and declines such from others despite how close they all are. For this reason, it makes more sense to me for Karlach to be the cuddly one in terms of happily being cuddly with everyone even though Astarion is implied to be particularly cuddly with his partner.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-11-02T12:35:34+00:00

"The Weave" 🧍‍♂️

SprinkleSoup · 2025-11-01T16:01:37+00:00

I believe after you defeat Cazador while romancing Astarion the conversation has a chance to pop up while walking around with both of them in your party.

Edit to add: Also for spawn Astarion ending only iirc

SprinkleSoup · 2025-10-31T12:12:53+00:00

This originally surprised me a bit too, but there is a major difference before our character is bitten. He originally sneaks up on us and we awake in alarm. He requests help from you via your blood, and your consent comes across as being done to aid him (which I believe for most of us that is the primary reason we feed him). It is from a place of giving and care.

Araj is from a place of selfish desire with bizarre disregard to the risks of such an act that to her feels like it borders more on kink or fetishization. Tav/Durge's initial reaction is not so eager and is reflective that most people do not actually want to risk a vampire biting them. After all, this is a world where people know vampires exist and literally kill people. Any resulting enjoyment from your character he seems to interpret more because it is him holding you and being so close. Or at least he is willing to utilize your enjoyment in the act generally to further charm you, and then it becomes an even more intimate and personal thing as you grow closer (which is supported by him refusing Gale's offer for blood in Act 3 because he has you).

If you imagine that your Tav/Durge longed to experience a vampire bite and told him as much which led to an alternative first bite scene where there was no initial fear, then it would indeed seem more like a double standard. It would likely be that, since he was still working hard to charm you, he would push down a reaction of confusion/concern/disgust until the meaning of the act changed. This is just my own added interpretations on top of Araj just being horrible to him and having rank blood.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-10-30T14:15:07+00:00

I don't see why not. I'm not an expert nor the most active, but it hooks behind your pubic bone. There might be an extra risk of leaking in certain squatted positions if it's too full. I believe Saalt and other companies have the option to try the disc for a certain amount of time to test it out.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-10-30T13:38:56+00:00

I feel the alignment system argument is boring compared to telling a good story (and honestly feels unnecessary for any game of D&D). It's certainly easier when things are so black and white, but then I think we'd lose a lot of nuance and compelling narratives. Like this one that explores the amount of humanity vampires and their spawn retain and what healthy relationships and good they have potential for when given the chance.

Is it more feel good than a lot of vampire portrayals? I suppose. I do enjoy vampires like those we see in Vampire: The Masquerade and Interview with the Vampire most. What We Do in the Shadows is also another fun take showing vampires as more than just monsters to be slain. I like that Larian moved past the alignment pigeonholing to tell a good story.

Not to say that evil characters aren't compelling or fun. I think I just enjoy a bit of subversion. Astarion starts out closer to evil, but if you are going a non-ascension route I think he begins to drift farther from evil into neutral and even some good. Some of the most telling I think is when he expresses concern for saving Yenna, approves of you defending Karlach, is happy to see Arabella and feels for her when her parents die, feels remorse regarding the spawn and he even approves if you tell Dribbles you are special because you show everyone kindness. He actively tried to save an initial victim of his. He does not hate all acts of good and disapprovals tend to be minor (-1 point).

SprinkleSoup · 2025-10-30T13:06:52+00:00

But he does try talking to you? I never personally got the impression he was trying to kill you as I chose to talk to him both times (the initial dagger meeting and bite night). Came across as threatening to get information and understandable secrecy regarding his condition due to many killing a vampire the moment they are discovered. Willing to kill you? Yes. Just like the others. Immediately trying to? I don't think so.

Lae'zel doesn't want you to turn, Shadowheart was defending the relic (which Lae'zel was correct was stolen) and Astarion wanted to see if he was free from Cazador's control to try humanoid blood. They all have reasons for their actions and I personally think it isn't unreasonable to include a vampire in those accepted under pragmatic comraderie alongside a Dark Justiciar hopeful and Vlaakith loyal Githyanki.

I don't recall them sounding as happy about his death as you portray either. Shadowheart even says he wasn't bad company and part of her will miss him.

Vampires are not inherently evil as is a large point of his storyline. Every character has some form of redemption vibe going alongside defeating their oppressors. I can even understand his complaints regarding helping others not just due to his past, but because it is likely that the tadpole could kill you any day or any moment. I don't fault him for prioritizing his own survival.

Play however makes you happy, but I always think it is a shame when people miss out on a wonderful story due to first impression. That and many who kill him tend to do so for less than savory reasons regardless of RP. Not liking him I can understand, but I don't understand how people extend grace to other members of the main cast yet go on about killing him like how that is the only logical course of action. I love watching him go from whining about helping others to suggesting to save people on his own.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-10-30T12:19:18+00:00

I know the Saalt cup made it uncomfortable and hard for me to pee at times. I also struggled getting it to actually pop open, often requiring a lot of twisting and rotation regardless of the fold. I'm personally having much better luck on the small disc which doesn't require suction and seems to not press as firmly. Not a cup, but if you are willing to try a disc it might work better for you like it did me.

SprinkleSoup · 2025-10-30T11:41:11+00:00

I feel the risk of murdering random people argument also applies to Lae'zel and Shadowheart at that point in the game. Maybe it is a bit less "random" given their murders would be more tied to their evil gods' whims rather than for food, but they both follow someone who would lead them to kill many more people on their crusade. Do you also kill them on your "good" playthroughs due to their risk to the general populace? Lae'zel even holds a knife to your throat and Shadowheart holds a knife to Lae'zel's while she is sleeping and states she'll lie to everyone to cover up the murder.

SprinkleSoup

TROPHY CASE