Summary

  • Honour Mode boss fights lack Legendary Actions for potential companions-turned-enemies, missing an opportunity for more challenging battles.
  • The Stone Lord Minsc fight in Honour Mode could have brought back his unique ability "Berserk" from the original game, adding an interesting and powerful Legendary Action.
  • Other potential Legendary Actions for party members in Honour Mode include abilities like Karlach's overheated state, Wyll's boons from Mizora, Halsin's enhanced Wild Shape form, and Minthara's spider poison.

Baldur's Gate 3's ultra-difficult Honour Mode added Legendary Actions to almost every boss fight in the game. Auntie Ethel can summon a surge of weird magic, Enver Gortash brands his foe with force damage, and the mother Owlbear can call her partner to fight alongside her. However, Baldur's Gate 3 missed out on one major opportunity in Honour Mode: granting Legendary Actions to potential companions who can also be faced as foes in combat.

A image of five Tavs with different builds in Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3: 14 Starting Character Builds For Beginners

Having a plan for how to level up party members is important in Baldur's Gate 3. Here are some great starting builds for players to consider.

By 

Many Baldur's Gate 3 Companions Can Be Fought

Minthara scowling in Baldur's Gate 3

Most of the game's companions, with a few exceptions such as the generally combat-averse Gale, can wind up facing the player in battle. This will generally occur if the player's decisions put them in opposition to the character in question. The exception is Minsc, who must be battled in his brainwashed "Stone Lord" form in order to be recruited. Times when party members can be fought include:

  • Karlach, should the player believe Mizora's lie that she is a devil who needs taken down.
  • Minthara, if the player kills her while invading the Goblin Camp.
  • Wyll, who will turn against the party if the Emerald Grove is invaded.
  • Halsin, who can attack the player in camp to get revenge on the Grove.
  • Jaheira and Minsc, should a player attempt to sacrifice them to Sarevok at Bhaal's Murder Tribunal.
  • Lae'zel, should she remain faithful to Vlaakith while the player sides with Orpheus.

These Battles Would Be Perfect Opportunities For Legendary Actions

Baldurs-Gate-3-How-To-Get-Minsc-03

Despite these many battles against potential party members, none of them have Legendary Actions when fought in Honour Mode. This is disappointing, especially in the case of Minthara, who is a fairly tricky boss fight, and Halsin, who will attack the player in a rage while desperately seeking revenge. With even minor and optional antagonists like the Owlbear Mother and the Thorm family members gaining Legendary Actions, the lack of giving them to party members is a disappointment.

The Stone Lord Fight Could Bring Back Minsc's Rage

Returning character Minsc is fought as "the Stone Lord," a powerful figure in Baldur's Gate's underground who has been brainwashed by the Absolute. It is a tricky fight, in which players must make careful use of non-lethal damage to knock Minsc out, as he cannot be recruited if he is killed in battle. The Honour Mode version of this fight would have been the perfect opportunity to bring back "Berserk," Minsc's unique ability from the original Baldur's Gate games.

Although Minsc was a Ranger, he possessed the ability "Berserk," which mimicked a Barbarian's rage. Upon use, Minsc became enraged for two turns. His Strength and Dexterity would increase, as would his HP, and he would become immune to almost any status. When the rage ended, however, Minsc would lose the temporary HP immediately. This "Berserk" state would make a fascinating Legendary Action for Stone Lord Minsc, allowing him to deal punishing amounts of damage against even highly leveled parties.

Possible Legendary Actions For Party Members

Karlach in BG3

While Minsc's Legendary Action is the most obvious, all members of the party could benefit from powerful abilities and skills added to their Honour Mode incarnations. Some possibilities include:

  • Karlach could go into an overheated state similar to the one triggered when she consumes Soul Coins.
  • Wyll could call on his patron Mizora to grant him boons in battle.
  • Halsin could unlock a unique, more powerful version of his bear Wild Shape form.
  • Minthara could use her spiders to poison the party.

Honour Mode in Baldur's Gate 3 is already a challenge, and these additions would only make it more difficult for players looking to claim the golden dice. But it would also give the game's companions a chance to shine as opponents in battle, which might just be a worthwhile trade.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Baldur's Gate 3 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Baldur's Gate 3
Display card tags widget
RPG
Display card system widget
Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
Display card main info widget
Released
August 3, 2023
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Larian Studios
Publisher(s)
Larian Studios
Engine
Divinity 4.0
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Full cross-platform play.
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Franchise
Baldur's Gate
Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical Only
Genre(s)
RPG
How Long To Beat
100+ Hours
Metascore
96
PS Plus Availability
N/A
Local Co-Op Support
1-2 Players