Lead Baldur’s Gate 3 writer Adam Smith recalls some of his favourite lines from the RPG, including an unexpected moment you share with Minthara.
This article contains story spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3’s second and third acts.
I’ve managed to rack up over a thousand hours in Baldur’s Gate 3 and I’m still just as obsessed with the game as I was when I first set foot in the Emerald Grove. I devote most of my time within the Forgotten Realms obsessing over my quirky companions and each piece of dialogue they share – with me, and with one another. I have Adam Smith, the RPG’s legendary wordsmith, to thank for all that, from emotional lines to fourth-wall-breaking instances I didn’t even catch myself, Smith has now provided insight into some of his favorite lines in the game’s sprawling narrative.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ at the Digital Dragons Conference in Krakow, Smith reveals that most of his favorite lines are buried within full-blown scenes, especially the “big” ones: “The Karlach scene after Gortash dies, which I get teary-eyed thinking about because I’m a softie; the end of Astarion’s story, once Cazador’s dead – there’s a lot of catharsis in them, which is very meaningful to me.” I’m instantly reminded of Astarion’s eyes and the years of trauma behind them as he looks to you for guidance. It makes sense that this is one of Smith’s stand-out moments; it’s one of mine, too. However, there’s a character and accompanying dialogue that the dev describes as even more “dear to my heart.”
Minthara, the “character that many people just kill,” sticks out for Smith amid the other companions. “We wanted to give her vulnerability, give her an actual character. Somebody who grew up being told what they should be and how they should be, getting taught to be cruel and paranoid.” He explains that this vulnerability that Minthara carries deep within despite her cold, steel exterior is something he’s “very proud of” as it “can get people emotionally because they don’t expect it.” This pride makes sense, especially as the dev has previously admitted that his favourite playthrough is “very evil guy trying to be good.” What better Tav to play as than a good-aligned Dark Urge if you’re hoping to relate to Minthara?
Smith describes one such line that exemplifies Minthara’s true persona as “the closest I got in my own writing in the game to completely breaking the fourth wall.” In it, the Lolth-sworn drow acknowledges the fact that players who don’t recruit her instead kill her. “She has a line where she references that, where she says ‘If I’d never met you, if you’d never given me a chance, I’d just be one more corpse on your crusade.'” Smith states that this moment is “the game saying, ‘Hey, we know what you did, we know what you did last time around,’ and I liked that line a lot.” After hearing the lead writer call my Minthara-slaying out himself, I think I’m going to hop in-game and finally recruit the Oath of Vengeance paladin myself.
Don’t know whether to kill or recruit the ruthless drow? Check out our guide on Minthara.
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