It just means we're in the lull between games. Molyneux always does this.

• Hype new game
• Game comes out and cannot possibly live up to the hype
• Apologize for overhyping game < You are here
• Start developing new game

Ah, thanks for reminding me to donate to the Wikimedia Foundation.

You're getting the Dancing Lights necklace whether you like it or not, Gale.

Well in the state of Texas, once the idea is conceived, you have to carry it to term.

I tried to play this game the way I play DnD at first, conserving resources and long resting only after multiple fights. I missed a lot of dialogue in Act 1 and had a hard time in combat.

The combat and camp events are balanced around using long rests frequently. There are a few quests that you can fail by resting (such as the inn burning down or the situation in Grymforge), but generally things are much less urgent than the game makes them sound. Don't be afraid to dump all your resources into one or two fights and then rest.

Haha, did you get the Gale speedrun ending?

You have another chance to get her just before entering Act 2 if you head to the Mountain Pass. If you enter Act 2 without her, she is gone forever.

Act 3 is really something. I am loving all the wheeling and dealing happening. I wish it was optimized better, but the story is so exciting. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Also, I've been comparing notes with my husband on his playthrough and I have had important story scenes with characters that have never appeared in his playthrough. He and I also have opposite outcomes for several companions and it's kind of mind blowing how big the differences are.

One of my players is a Summoner who is using picture #3 as his dragon eidolon. Little guy is like if a bulldog was also a portal to the Astral plane obsessed with collecting junk. His breath weapon is splinters.

Now it is just Field.

I agree. Beyond the romance bugs making him seem like a skeezy incel, his backstory is some Mary Sue shit and he has a tendency to jump on morally dubious power grabs at the slightest opportunity. (See: book in apothecary basement, Raphael, personal quest events in Act 3). He made a good first impression but he might stay in the wall on my next playthrough.

Some companions will leave the party permanently if you do not bring them with you for their subplots. It's not metagaming to put them in the party for things that are relevant to them, it's the opposite, it's bringing them along for something incredibly important to their personal journey.

So you have Shadowheart, Wyll, and Astarion, at least. You missed Lae'zel? Did you get Gale?

There's a Barbarian character that you can pick up a bit later than the other companions. Make sure to get her before leaving Act 1, she makes a great front-liner.

There will be more companions to get in Acts 2 and even 3.

If you have Withers at your camp, you can also respec companions or get a hireling.

Any persistent AoE damage spells seem to be extremely good, especially if you can set them up in a choke point and continually shove enemies back into them. Hunger of Hadar, Wall of Fire, Cloud of Daggers, Spike Growth, etc.

Spells that reposition enemies can also take the place of shoves: Thuder Wave, Eldritch Blast with repelling invocation. You miss out on loot if you kill a boss this way, but sometimes the cheese is too delicious.

Spirit Guardians has been good to me. Sometimes I just have Shadowheart cast it and spend her action dashing through all the enemies on screen.

Would definitely recommend giving Astarion the Thief subclass for the broken bonus action economy. It meshes well with his vampire bite ability.

What a cool Easter Egg!

No, it's one and done. So is Turn Undead. So are all of the other Channel Divinity options except Knowledge (until long rest) and Trickery (concentration).

Don't put this out there, I can't let my players see this!

Neil Newbon has like 85% of Astarion's face, it's uncanny to look at him. They pretty clearly used the actors' faces/mocap pretty heavily in the character designs.

There are several hats that look cowboy hat-ish.

I turned down Gale's magic show and he still confessed his love for me later because apparently the only answer to "we're friends, aren't we?" is either "let's fuck," giggling coyly, or "ew, I hate you." I just wanted to be friends. ):