#cltheartificer

[katastrophyvt]

I asked Gale what else he liked about me. I feel like I didn't get a very satisfactory answer. We have worms in our head. Tell me I’m pretty. That being said, the way this top accentuates the orb mark is very nice.

I didn't get a chance to play any more yesterday because I was busy editing the podcast I recorded with a friend. We discuss patch 8 and general shenanigans around D&D, DMing, and MMOs. It's a queer nerd gaming podcast by some neurodivergent yappers. Once it's up, I'll post a link.

Halsin is me when they tried to make me a manager. No, thank you...

I've also decided that for my own sanity, I'm skipping over a lot of Act 1. I've played it so many times I'm done. So, I'm doing the bare minimum of the Underdark and Grymforge to move to Act 2. However, if there was a time I would destroy the creche, it would be this team. Everyone's in insane mod armor. I'm an artificer, which is a bit OP on top of it. Can't escape me now, gith! I have a gun! Two guns, actually!

[katastrophyvt]

me, posting publically: I get why some people think Gale's annoying... Gale this run: what if I was just the absolute sweetest, hmm?

I know you're hearing that in Tim Downie's voice, too.

So, I deleted the run where he'd been annoying because I thought I would record a run for YouTube, but I changed my mind, so a new artificer run started. I will admit that I am biased, but this latest run's timing has him as the Gale I know and love. Instead of telling me about Tara or the Blackstaff incident after saving the tiefling child from the harpies, it was the conversation where he tells you about the orb for the first time. Then, we meet Kagha, and he talks about his happiness that we saved Arabella.

Additionally, can we talk about this? Everyone, even stone-cold Act 1 Astarion, gets upset over Alfira:

This just surprised me because of the attention to detail. Thanks, Larian.

Oh, and a new experience! Took a long rest in the temple to Jergal and Gale told me to "Go to Hell". No. Really.

It was ultimately an opener to a conversation about how fucked our situation was, but I'd never seen the scene before. He says he'll wake me in the morning. Also, he gave me this look. I'm not well.

As a girl who has a thing for competency and hands? Not well at all.

Meanwhile, Astarion and Shadowheart?

Thanks, assholes. You're lucky I love you two. Gods...

I definitely need to find some good armor for Shadowheart. Hells, I'd take even her dark justiciar armor. Everyone else is all dressed up, and she's in her level 1 noob gear.

[katastrophyvt]

This corny idiot (affectionate)…

This is the first time I've gotten this one through upwards of seven playthroughs of Act 1. He's hustling to make me regret that earlier post.

[katastrophyvt]

I like how Astarion and I seem to have the same thought: "he's literally standing right there! Maybe that's a camp convo, hmm, babe?"

I'm a Galemance girl for life, and I didn't get why people found Gale annoying until I was a wizard (this is an artificer mod that puts your class as wizard) who tried to have more of the one-on-one side conversations. I've tended to skip these little ones, the ones you can manually trigger after something impactful happens, so why not this time, since this is a chiller playthrough?

Holy hells, this dude just wants to talk about the cool shit he's done, how great he is at magic, etc. I always wondered why he had the "I think I left my manners in my tower" conversation at camp, which I can't find a video of, but now I understand. I love Gale but wanted to roll my eyes so often.

Additionally, my initial headcannon was that Gale is autistic. I'm autistic, and those major dialog beats tended to make me think that. He seemed misunderstood, and everyone was immediately annoyed with him. However, I'm coming to realize that wizard culture may just be fucking weird? Like, if you look at the wizards you meet across the game (specifically, I'm thinking of Gale, Elminster, Rolan, and Lorroakan), they're all the same kind of asshole? After being around a diverse group of people, he quickly realizes that he's being kind of a dick and chills out more.

I don't know, just some Gale thoughts as I start this run.

[katastrophyvt]

HELLS YES. We're so back, chat.

[katastrophyvt]

Aaaand another thing...

Artificer-run Astarion just found out about ascension. I go to Gale.

Sir, Astarion can't use mirrors, he's a vampire. What's your excuse for being so fucking daft?!

You can't imagine how he feels? Have you forgotten the sternum to eyeball "terms of your own condemnation carved into your skin"? Just saying it with your whole marked chest? Aight. Especially since this could be a real connecting moment for the two characters who can struggle against each other for many valid reasons.

And I know this is just a product of team-based writing in general, but it itches my neurodivergent brain.

Baby boi was having a bad day, though. He had to run with the big, strong girlies (did Gauntlet with me, Karlach, and Shadowheart), and we could all jump something he couldn't. Had to drop this in the GC I have with my nesting partner and Buck:

So, yeah, I have a history of my PCs bullying their wizards when their INT outpaces their WIS. I know it's not in the AI for him to cast that, but in my own mind, I'm like, "godsdammit Gale, for being smart as fuck, you're dumb as hell..." and it makes me love him more because I'm a glutton for punishment.