Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3 picks up the tempo. After preventing your method by means of the Shadowlands and delving into the Gauntlet of Shar, the supply of Ketheric Thorm’s immortality is revealed, and it is as much as you to both kill the Nightsong or wield her as a weapon of sunshine. If in case you have Shadowheart in your get together, this story arc has huge implications for her—would you like her to remain a follower of Shar, or flip her to Selune?
You may have to be sure you’ve obtained the Spear of Night time from the Silent Library and all 4 Umbral Crystals within the Gauntlet of Shar earlier than you’ll be able to entry the ultimate a part of this dungeon, the place the battle takes place. The alternatives you make could have huge penalties going ahead, so watch out for spoilers for this part of Act 2. This is every part you have to know.
Balthazar technique (simple)
Should you’ve left Balthazar alive that can assist you uncover the key to Ketheric Thorm’s immortality, he’ll present up right here to take the Nightsong again to Thorm. There may be, nevertheless, a very simple option to beat this struggle: ambush him utilizing stealth earlier than he can get monologuing. As an alternative of beginning a dialogue, merely sneak your get together behind Balthazar (shift + C in your keyboard) whereas he is distracted and assault him.
If in case you have a Paladin in your group, you would possibly have the ability to smite him to dying in the course of the shock spherical, as he solely has a measly 70 HP. In case your harm is not as much as snuff, nevertheless, there’s one other layer of defence: Counterspell.
Should you simply speak to Balthazar, he’ll open with an uninterruptible Animate Lifeless, which summons a complete horde of skeletons that flip the struggle from a butchering into a real boss battle. Should you ambush him, nevertheless, he’ll forged Animate Lifeless in full view of your spellcasters, letting you Counterspell him.
Granted, his Animate Lifeless is a sixth degree spell, which suggests your caster might want to succeed on an issue 16 capability examine to counter it. Quicksave beforehand in case you want a mulligan—it is a cheese technique, I will not choose you. Should you pull this off, Balthazar turns from a fierce adversary into a whole chump.
Balthazar technique (exhausting)
Whereas it is a very D&D method to easily leap the DM’s large dangerous whereas their again is turned, you would possibly wish to tackle the struggle as ‘supposed’. Whether or not you need that juicy story, are roleplaying as an honourable warrior, or identical to a tough boss struggle, letting Balthazar forged Animate Lifeless turns the struggle into a correct brawl.
Having each a Paladin and a Cleric makes this struggle quite a bit simpler. Whereas Balthazar cannot be thwarted with Flip Undead, his minions might be, and Divine Smite‘s bonus d8 in opposition to undead nonetheless applies to him.
Balthazar is the most important menace, so your primary precedence is to run him down and kill him. He has an aura that makes his skeletons immune to bodily harm, an arsenal of spells like Ray of Illness that may scale back your harm, and he is shockingly quick for a wizard. Fortunately, he is very fragile and can go right down to a few turns of focus hearth.
If in case you have a Cleric, hold his skeletons busy with Channel Divinity: Flip Undead. He’ll summon mages, destroyers/defenders, and a bunch of footsoldiers. The mages are the most important menace after Balthazar, as some come outfitted with a Sleep spell that forces you to spend one among your 4 actions per spherical to shake your allies awake. Do not stand close to the ledges, because the destroyers/defenders will attempt to shove you off for a one-hit kill.
As soon as you’ve got put Balthazar down, it is only a matter of mopping up the sphere, then deciding what to do with Shadowheart and the captive Nightsong.
Shadowheart and the Nightsong selections: to Shar or to not Shar
First issues first, for those who let Balthazar take the Nightsong again to Thorm, Shadowheart will abandon your group. The Nightsong must die for Girl Shar, so to let some necromancer run away together with her is an enormous betrayal.
The primary dialog choices listed here are deceptive. If you wish to save Shadowheart from Shar, you would possibly really feel tempted to argue together with her straight away. Nonetheless, none of those choices truly seal the Nightsong’s destiny, and pushing too exhausting will make issues worse.
The persuasion examine possibility “No it isn’t. Your life is what you make it. Do not quit on your self” has an issue of 30—as Gale would possibly put it, it’s to be averted. This examine is not possible to beat with out maxed charisma and persuasion experience, bardic inspiration, or a pure 20. Should you hold pushing after failing this examine, Shadowheart will activate the get together, and you will be pressured to kill her.
As an alternative, take a breather and respect her preliminary determination. The Nightsong will hold her speaking, getting by means of to her and supplying you with a golden alternative to show her again to the sunshine. The persuasion possibility right here has a way more manageable issue of 21. Succeed, and Shadowheart will throw the Night time Spear into the void (don’t be concerned, you get a a lot cooler model later).
As with every persuasion examine, casting Improve Means (Eagle’s Splendour) earlier than coming into dialogue is an effective way to make sure success.
Alternatively, you’ll be able to let Shadowheart kill the Nightsong. This has some gnarly penalties for the folks again on the Final Mild Inn, nevertheless. After driving her weapon dwelling, Shadowheart will develop into the chief of the Sharran church and a Darkish Justiciar, with a killer set of armour to match. Nonetheless, slaying the daughter of Selune causes her magic to falter, dooming everybody on the Final Mild Inn.
When you is perhaps tempted to kill the Nightsong and take away Thorm’s immortality, relaxation assured that there aren’t any detrimental penalties to liberating her in Act 2. Thorm is feeding off her energy, so liberating the Nightsong breaks that connection and earns you a robust ally.