Bards are often viewed as a generally humorous class option for , but just like in tabletop, dismissing them as silly ignores the heavier implications of what bards can do. doesn't shy away from darker themes and violent affairs in general, offering plenty of possibilities to take an amoral path and bloodying the party at just about every turn. It's easy to think of the more devious Origin characters as the ones most likely to embrace underhanded behavior, but a playable bard is capable of outdoing them all in some regards.
Bards have a long history in, appearing as an option that characters would eventually spec into in the first edition before becoming a standard class in the second edition. In, however, none make the cut among the Origin character options, leaving it to the player to embrace or ignore the classic specialization. This can be achieved either through a custom character or by changing the class of a companion after recruiting them to the party, and the game does feature a full array of Bard voice lines for all the companions.
Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation all play big roles in, but no one is as capable of truly disturbing manipulation as a bard is. With Charisma acting as their primary ability score, bards are geared toward interpersonal prowess in general. The game doubles down on this concept by offering a variety of unique possibilities to really drive the knife in with the use of successful Charisma-based rolls, and spending enough time as an overpowered bard might make skewering foes with a sword start to look like a more merciful option.
Any playthrough with enough of an emphasis on diplomacy will probably come across at least one or two of the more extreme options to defeat enemies outside of combat, which can be as gruesome as they are absurd. Notably, it's possible to convince more than one boss to simply dispatch themselves and save the party the trouble, although it usually requires difficult rolls that will quickly send the encounter south if they fail. Building a Charisma-based bard is the best way to ace these rolls with more consistency, although it sometimes requires a lax approach to morality.
For anyone who isn't playing a high Charisma character, keeping a supply of Inspiration on hand can be crucial to dodging combat.
Several memorable examples of taking out enemies through the power of words can be found in Act 2, where Yurgir and Malus Thorm both fit the bill and then some. In both cases, it's possible to take care of not only them but also all of their acolytes through manipulation, saving quite a bit of hassle. Another Thorm, Thisobald, is an interesting case of engaging conversational skills, dodging an encounter in a very different way. Keeping him
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A new collection of apparel is coming courtesy of fashion company BlackMilk, and it's sure to attract attention from fans of the tabletop game and alike. 2024 is a big year for, with a robust lineup of product releases planned to commemorate its official 50th anniversary. Some of these come in the form of new books for tabletop play, but a number of major brand collaborations branch out into different markets.
While many video gamers are enjoying the “renaissance” that we’re going through currently via the high-quality TV shows and movie adaptations of video game properties, there’s still some hesitation when a new one is announced. After all, we’ve all seen just how quickly things can go from “good intentions” to “bad product,” and gamers are tired of seeing that with beloved franchises of the gaming space. To that end, the Fallout TV Series is about to hit Amazon Prime Video, and many can’t wait to see what the team came up with. Given the large scale of the Wasteland and its inhabitants, one might wonder how they tried to get “everything in there” for a single season.
The jump from USB-C 2.0 to USB 3.2 may seem small, but in reality, they are worlds apart for data transferring between Android devices. The difference is easy to overlook—USB-C standard can help you make a more informed purchase, especially when you're stuck between two similar choices.
The Steam Deck is considered by many fans to be the king of PC gaming handhelds. While Valve is miles away from seriously challenging Nintendo’s market position, and their own device can’t run all games on Steam, it still endures as one of the most popular devices in the category. It may very well be the best seller out of all of them, thanks to a combination of its early market lead, its now global distribution network, and the ease of use with SteamOS compared to Windows.
has all kinds of crucial interactions between characters peppered across the story, but there's one essential piece that can easily get passed over in a playthrough. As an expansion and modification of the original story, one of the main things that does with its vastly extended runtime is offer more memorable moments involving Cloud and his party. Although some can be minor or even questionable additions, others flesh out emotional beats and deep relationships in meaningful ways that help make the game a worthy successor.
The news that won't be getting DLC or a sequel from developer Larian Studios came as a big disappointment to many fans, but when looking at all the facts, it isn't that much of a surprise. This update was delivered at a GDC 2024 panel hosted by Larian, where CEO Swen Vincke clarified that the studio is leaving the license behind to turn its work in other directions. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's hard to imagine any other studio following up with something of equal ambition and quality.
Protorelic quests might not seem like critical content to play in , but there's one in particular that's well worth completing. As unique objectives that make up a part of the World Intel checklists found throughout the game, Protorelic quests task Cloud and company with tracking down pieces of ancient armor. Although this can lead to unlocking a powerful summon and gear late in the game, anyone uninterested in committing to the long haul could easily decide to ignore all the quests in favor of focusing on the main story.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with Bill Gates shared how India took the lead in adopting new technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence. During a candid conversation at the prime minister's residence, Bill Gates praised Indians for proactively embracing technology to improve lifestyle.
While the community speculates as to why Larian Studios isn't developing any DLC or major expansions for the game, CEO Swen Vincke clarifies why the team ultimately landed on the decision. Following the game's 1.0 launch in late 2023, players were quick to request some kind of expansion that would wrap up a couple of dangling plot threads and provide even more adventures for Tav and their party. Unfortunately, that won't be the case, and while some future updates will include some much-requested features, a substantial add-on isn't happening.
has its fair share of unusual challenges, but one side quest that has caused a particularly notable amount of frustration doesn't necessarily have to be all that hard. Like many RPGs, focuses on delivering a consistently manageable main story experience while packing more difficult tasks into the optional content. The big difference, however, is that a lot of the hardest trials aren't based around combat at all, instead following in the original 's tradition of relying on unique mechanics that shake up the general course of gameplay through minigames or random challenges.
Larian Studios recently announced that it won't be frolicking in the Dungeons & Dragons world anymore - dashing hopes for Baldur's Gate 3 DLC and a possible Baldur's Gate 4 - but the team's founder says there's no bad blood between the studio and the D&D license holder.