Despite all the success thatBaldur’s Gate 3has brought Larian, the Belgium-based studio has continued to add and improve its Game of the Year winner with patches that have given the game even more content. This content has been free thus far and is an impressive step, considering that the launch version of the game could already take most players up to one hundred hours to explore fully. These patches have been gifts to fans in particular, since some have included changes that have been requested by players, such as an added ending for Karlach.
Although Patch 7 has added quite a few big things, such as new endings for an evil Dark Urge playthrough andmod support for all platforms, it also adds little interactions to further flesh out characters in dialogue.One in particular has to do with Minthara, the drow True Soul who led the Absolute’s forces against the druids of the Emerald Grove. This gives her a bit more, which helps, considering that she joins the party later than most, but does highlight a necessary plot hole to get her to join if part of a good playthrough.
New BG3 Patch 7 Dialogue Highlights A Minthara Plot Hole
But It Does Bring Up An Excellent Point
In the launch build ofBaldur’s Gate 3,Minthara was only recruitable as an alternative to Halsin, and required that players attack the Emerald Grove for the Absolute. This sours relationships with many other companions and makes some, like Wyll, hostile. It was a steep price to pay to have Minthara in the party halfway through Act 2, and many players decided against it at the time to align with their good playthroughs. There were glitchy ways of adding Minthara, but it required a lot of work to only maybe work.
Later on, Larian heard the outcry of players wanting torecruit Mintharaduring a good playthrough, and the drow had a lot to add to these playthroughs with her unique viewpoint compared to others in the party. This requiresthe party to knock her out on their crusade against the Goblin Camp, while killing practically everyone else. Minthara returns later in Act 2 and is recruitable in the same way as she was in an evil campaign. With Patch 7, she asks Tav about their Act 1 decisions.
Despite Minthara being recruitable during a good campaign, Halsin cannot be recruited if the druids of the Emerald Grove are killed.
Afterthe new update, Minthara will ask the player why they spared her when the other leaders of the Goblin Camp were killed. In order to progress the story, the two other leaders have to be killed, although Minthara can be spared because of her status as a later companion. Tav, or whoever the avatar character is, will have three possible answers to the question,although none are satisfactory and bring attention to the plot holethat is Minthara’s recruitment during a good campaign.
Minthara’s Recruitment Can Require Some Meta Gaming
None Of The Dialogue Choices Are Great
When Minthara asks the player about being spared, there are three answers they can give. One suggests that the player somehow knew that Minthara would make a worthy ally without being controlled by the Absolute, which is odd considering that this didn’t apply to the two other leaders. Another avoids the question, and just asks if Minthara is ungrateful about being alive, whilethe third answer simply states that drow was too tough to kill. None of these three really answer the drow’s question well.
Other than being the most powerful member of the Goblin Camp, there is no in-game reason to believe that Minthara would be a worthy ally of the Absolute, considering that she fulfills the drow stereotype of being violent, cruel, and overly authoritative.She clearly has honor and takes her oaths seriously since she is a paladin, but the player doesn’t know about this trait of hers at the time. Realistically, there isn’t a reason to spare her instead of anyone else unless the player already knows she can be recruited during a good campaign.
If the player decides on recruiting Minthara as a goody two shoes,a reasonable option is to pretend that they tried to kill Minthara, and she simply survived. In game, players will have to play pretend; however, since it is very tricky to accidentally knock a character out. On the other hand, it is very easy to accidentally kill someone with allthe bombastic spellsat a party’s disposal, so players will likely have to go out of their way to spare Minthara and then just roleplay that Tav didn’t.
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Minthara’s Plot Hole Isn’t Actually An Issue
Larian Can’t Be Blamed For Giving Fans What They Want
Ultimately,the plot hole around sparing Minthara isn’t a problemsince the drow will drop the subject quickly and merely state that she is thankful to be alive. There is even dialogue from earlier builds ofBaldur’s Gate 3about how glad Minthara is that she wasn’t killed and forgotten, which is oddly heartfelt for the drow. At the end of the day, Minthara is quite an honorable character and has made an oath to fight by Tav’s side. That’s enough for most.
Despite being a paladin, Minthara isn’t sworn to any god after being freed from Moonrise, although she previously had an oath with Lolth, then controlled by the Absolute.
These plot holes around the drow are likely the reason why Larian decided not to have her recruitable during a good campaignat the game’s launch. Halsin and Minthara were always meant to be separate, but players knew how much the drow had to add to the game, and many either found glitchy ways or made mods to recruit her without massacring the Emerald Grove. Larian took notice of this and added it officially, which the community was thankful for.
The Minthara recruitment plot hole can be seen as a necessary evil by Larian to give the players what they wanted. Although the dialogue added in Patch 7 highlights this plot hole, it also makes Minthara more curious as a character and adds to her, which is never a bad thing.There’s a reason why everyone wanted her for a goodBaldur’s Gate 3campaign, and the slight plot hole around her can be easily forgiven, considering the extra insight Tav and the party receive because of Minthara’s inclusion.
