Three women want to sleep with me because I’m a heartless psychopath

Life doesn’t write the best stories. Baldur’s Gate 3 writes the best stories, at least according to MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus. He’s playing as a totally insane killer right now… and somehow everyone’s into him.

I’ve been thinking about this title for a long time with my boss Leya, but we just can’t put it any other way: because I murder everything and everyone as cold-heartedly and brutally as possible, I was offered 3 hot nights. One was even forced on me.

Like some people on the editorial board, I am currently playing as Dark Desire, a “hero” that is not at all suitable for beginners. The character is repeatedly tricked into killing people. Not even cute animals are spared.

Really, if you can’t deal with completely senseless violence, stay away from this character. The Dark Desires can be so evil that even the meanest of companions eventually flee.

At the same time, that character’s behavior—or at least my drow—is the pinnacle of desire for most of the female companions in the game. At the moment I don’t know what exactly to make of it and I’m … a little disturbed.

Spoiler alert: This text is about companions, their behavior, and their future in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you want to explore for yourself, read no further. As a buffer, here is a video with helpful tips for the game:

Slaughtering defenseless children for a sweetheart’s lesson

It all started because I really wanted to recruit Minthara. You only get the companion a good bit after the start and you have to work really hard for her to swear allegiance to you:

The main point for Minthara is an attack on the Emerald Grove, aiming to slaughter everything and everyone in it: druids, tieflings, and even the children who have set up a small “thieves’ guild” there. Everything should swim in blood.

Minthara himself celebrates the slaughter festival in ecstasy while the last corpses are just bleeding out. I struggled for a long time and even after that I was tempted to load an old save and decide against it.

In the end, however, Minthara promises to come to the camp in the evening. There is a binge with the few companions who are still there. And finally, Minthara says she’s taking me tonight. No ifs and buts, I belong to her whether I want to or not.

Then there’s the first sex scene that I played in Baldur’s Gate 3 myself. Then Minthara promised to do it again…before she decides to kill me in my sleep.

Minthara’s prime concern is to please the Absolute. To do this, she sacrifices and kills everything – and stands on it if you help her with this carnage. Shockingly, she’s not the only one.

In case you don’t already know, the Absolute is an alleged goddess that you can presumably either side with or fight. Everything in the game revolves around them and their religion. Because of the parasite in your head, you are something like their chosen ones.

Shadowheart and Lae’zel like this

Only a short time later, in a quiet minute, I was finally able to talk to Shadowheart, Astarion, and Lae’zel about what had happened. Of all the companions in Baldur’s Gate 3, these 3 are the only ones that want to stay with me at the moment.

As a side note, pretty much all of the guys in the game are absolute wimps. Every male companion is super righteous, kind and has a warm heart. The women, on the other hand, are almost all evil. I don’t know how that came about either.

Shadowheart looks sad – but not because of the murder. More because of everything around it. She even confesses to me that she thinks I’m pretty sexy as hard and self-confident as I seem right now. In response to a request, she wants to take me somewhere for “some time together” – just not directly, sometime during the night. A clear offer.

Less than 2 nights later, Lae’zel comes up to me and tells me quite bluntly that she likes to be around me, inhales my sweat and trembles when she sees me fight. Honestly, the fighter gets aroused when I stab people, especially weaker ones. That’s up to her taste, only the strong are allowed to survive.

Lae’zel also explains to me that she wants to visit me at night, is even glad that I ask her about it – otherwise she would have had to take it. Until then, she wants to stay close to me and continue to inhale my scent.

The relationship with companions is strengthened especially during a long rest. We explain what that is here:

Larian, this is terrifying… but terrific

As I write this, I’m staring out the window, trying to figure out how to finish this text.

But damn it, Larian, what you’re doing is next level. Where other games would clearly put a stop to – I mean: dead children! – the studio goes one step further and says: this is legitimate here. There are the thoroughly evil people. If you are one of them, you are not alone.

In no role-playing game, and I’ve played many, have NPCs ever reacted so positively yet rationally to an evil character. At best, those who weren’t completely disgusted were insane killers themselves. But not creatures in their right mind.

While I still have to put my confusion aside and organize my thoughts, I salute Larian and Baldur’s Gate 3. I’ve been gambling since I was 10, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. Thanks for that.

Exactly why the Dark Desire is so interesting for me and others can hardly be described. Our editor Gerd Schuhmann feels the same way:

I started Baldur’s Gate 3 twice and was disappointed: I didn’t like it until I did what many warn against