Larian Studios' Patch 7 forBaldur’s Gate 3introduced an abundance of new dialogue, building on scenes between characters, such asMinthara recognizing she was knocked out in Act 1and Astarion showing growth when the player spends the night with Mizora. It is the biggest patch yet, butthere is one relationship between two characters which Larian Studios has yet to touch upon, even with players strongly requesting it. There is no confrontation, mention of each other, or even idle dialogue between Halsin and Minthara. The Studios decision to withhold any new dialogue makes sense due to the giant undertaking it would require.
Before the numerous updates and adjustments,players were given the option to either recruit the former Archdruid Halsin or drow paladin Minthara. Their decision was based on whether the player helped protect the Emerald Grove or assisted in th raid in Act 1 and would later lead to one of the characters joining the party in Act 2. Unfortunately for Minthara, her recruitment cost the player not only Halsin as a companion, but also Wyll and Karlach, and players did not enjoy the weighty trade-off. Due to fan requests, Larian Studios made some changes to her recruitment process. There is still quite a plot hole.
Halsin & Minthara Were Never Supposed To Be In The Same Party
Larian Studios Succumbed To The Pressure
Halsin and Minthara are initially on two opposing sides of the game’s conflict. Act 1 heavily leans into giving the player choices and then suffering the consequences of that choice; choosing to help the tieflings and druids or the Absolute and goblins being the major theme of the act. To gain the trust and support of either Halsin or Minthara, the player needs to support one of them in their objective, which ultimately means that the other character will be unable to achieve their desire.It was a solid way of establishing choices and consequencesearly on inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3: How To Recruit Minthara
Thanks to a giant Patch 5, good-aligned Baldur’s Gate 3 players can now recruit Minthara. However, recruiting her involves some very specific steps.
It was only due to the players wanting to experience both Halsin and Minthara in the party simultaneously thatLarian Stuidos folded and updated the gameto make it possible. Before that update,players were finding all sorts of methods to manipulate the game to include Minthara in the group. In the current iteration of the game, players can shift their attacks to passive and knock her out in the Goblin Camp, allowing her to reappear later in Moonrise Towers, being chastised for her failure by Ketheric Thorm. Upon her prison break, she can join the party, and Halsin has little to say about it. That is because there is no finished dialogue in the game between them.
Hidden Dialogue Between Halsin & Minthara Was Datamined
Even If They Both Joined, It Would Not Be For Long
Even if there is no dialogue recorded and developed between the pair in the finished product, a conversation was datamined from the game’s files that showed that an interaction was written. It begins as soon as Minthara arrives in the player’s camp after rescuing her from Moonrise Towers and depicts Halsin posing an ultimatum to the player,demanding the player choose between himself and Minthara. Due to their history in Act 1, Halsin refuses to travel with her and every dialogue choice leads to either one of the two being dismissed from the party. This mined information shows that Larian Studios did consider the possibility of Halsin and Minthara being in the same party, if only briefly.
The written interaction is likely to allow the player to follow the story thread of protecting the Druid Grove and keeping Minthara alive so that they can retainWyll and Karlach in the party. The developers at Larian Studios saw the plot issues of Halsin and Minthara remaining in the party together and how their history and opposing values would be incompatible. It also shows that even when Larian Studios were working with fixes to include Minthara in a good playthrough, they werenot working on the monumental task of building hours of interactionsand dialogue that were either between Halsin and Minthara or even referenced them in the party together.
Halsin And Minthara Is A Plot Hole Best Ignored
It Is More Hassle Than It Is Worth To Fix
It is understandable why Patch 7 did not include any dialogue between Halsin and Minthara, and any future patches will likely not do so either. Including a single cutscene or conversation between the pair of them for the player to join or witness would simply not do them justice. It would only tip a hat to the issue and thenleave the rest of the game with an itching plot hole. To truly make Halsin and Minthara recognize each other’s presence in the game would cost the studio a considerable amount of time and money writing, filming, editing and developing hours of dialogue and scenes.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Companions Might Be The Most Gullible NPCs Ever According To One Iconic Scene
One unforgettable moment from Baldur’s Gate 3 implies the party companions are oblivious to what is going on, and it depends on the player’s skills.
So it is for good reason Larian decided to leave the pair as they were. As the players hoped,they can both be in the party at the same time. They have their own unique interactions with other characters and their own expanding story arcs from Act 2 to Act 3. Their lack of engagement with each other can either be seen as a plot hole or considered as a way of the pair refusing to acknowledge the others' existence, focusing only on their own objects and supporting the player in their mission to destroy the Absolute. Either way, it is a plot hole that will remain for the near future and does not negatively affect the gameplay ofBaldur’s Gate 3.
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Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
