There was a conversation with Withers where he shares a bunch of back-story about some of the big bads. He’s speaking pretty plainly, but there was still a dialogue option that said “Stop speaking in riddles and speak plainly. Can’t you give me more information?”. I felt like I had already obtained what I needed from him, but clicked that option just to be sure I didn’t miss something. The game zoomed in on his face and he slowly and firmly stated “NO”. I cracked up in real life because it felt like the “speak plainly” option was there entirely to toy with the players, which is pretty funny.
I’ve had more genuine laughs from this game (first playthrough, early act 3) than from any other. Just having Karlach in my party makes me smile every time I switch to her.
Hot Karl has such a fun personality, and her VA just makes her sound so happy to be free, but worried (a little) about what’s next. She’s always in my party.
ACT 2 SPOILER
I didn’t realize until talking with friends that you could win the abduction fight at the Harper camp in Act 2. If you don’t kill the baddies in time, the safe bubble collapses, and everyone in the Harper camp gets shadow cursed, and you have to fight your way through them. It’s genuinely heartbreaking and horrifying.
This happened to me and my friends two sessions ago. We ended up reloading an older save since it seemed as might lose a lot of story threads otherwise.
Indeed, depending on various conditions, quite a few threads can end there on the spot. Other consequences (like losing the necrotic resistance) can be severe, too.
As is, I think the fight is probably too challenging considering the stakes. From what I can tell, her gloves have been bugged since launch, and the fight was likely balanced around them being active and auto-clearing her debuffs. Last time I was there, she got paralyzed early in the first round and they made quick work of her after that (and this was a multiplayer session on Explorer).
Sanctuary does make the fight all but trivial if there’s a cleric in the party.
Is act 2 obvious? Because I’ve just finished the underdark, and a ton of other areas up top and they’re had never been a big sign that says Act 2
There are two places you can go to trigger Act 2, either by going into the elevator in Grymforge or continuing into the Mountain Pass after meeting/fighting the Githyanki.
There’s a popup in each area to be sure you’ve finished what you want to, as moving to either area progresses the story and quests, and some stuff you don’t do is left undone.
There’s a similar popup between Acts 2 and 3, though there’s only one way to go for that and once you do, you can’t fast travel back to anywhere in Acts 1 or 2.
The Mountain Pass is actually still Act 1, but you can get to Act 2 from there.
Ah, I was just tinkering with the elevator but instead went down to the forge. Good to know there is a check, because I feel I have much more still to do topside. I stumbled into the underdark one fateful night and thought I was there too early but I’d have a quick look around and then get back to what I was doing… Fast forward to today and I’ve been on many adventures in the deep, forgetting my life above. Fitting for A Drow I suppose
The forge isn’t the elevator to act 2. The elevator to act 2 is near the waypoint by the boat in Grymforge. There are 2 or 3 duergar out front and one calls another Stick shit. They warn you before you go onto the elevator so you’ll know before you proceed to act 2.
Ah yeah that area, different elevator!
Yes it is, the ujnderdark is act1
I love the conversation he has with the Tiefling kid. Voice line duplication bug and all.
When is that (roughly)?
2nd act, IIRC? It would be available after the Emerald Grove situation is sorted. It’s just a background interaction that happens in your camp between these two.
No is Withers favorite word. He refuses to elaborate, always.
