When Baldur's Gate 3 finally hit Xbox, I spent hours crafting my perfect Tav - a necromancer wizard with meticulous backstory and spell choices. Little did I know Gale would waltz in with his "chosen of Mystra" swagger and turn my dream party into a magical redundancy nightmare. 😩 That moment when I pulled him from the portal? Pure magic. That moment when I realized we both cast Fireball? Pure agony.
The Wizard Wars Begin
As a D&D veteran since 2019, I should've known better than to double-dip arcane casters. But Gale's tragic orb story and velvet voice hypnotized me! Our camp became a wizard convention:
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Tavla (my creation): Carefully curated necromancy spells ✨
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Gale (Larian's masterpiece): Chaotic magic munchkin 🧨
Every battle felt like deja vu: two glass cannons fighting over scrolls while Lae'zel facepalmed in the corner. My lovingly crafted Tav became Diet Gale™️ - same great arcane flavor, half the narrative calories.
The Heartbreak of Benchwarming
Gods, the guilt! Gale's story deserved center stage, but gameplay demanded efficiency. I started inventing reasons to leave him at camp:
"Sorry Gale, today's quest involves... um... anti-magic fields! Yeah! You'd hate it!"
Meanwhile, Tavla became my sunk cost fallacy - too many hours invested to abandon. The cruel irony? I'd considered romancing this magical duplicate! Nothing kills mood like sharing spell components with your emotional doppelganger.
History Repeats (With Druids!)
Just when I thought I'd recovered - BAM! Act 2 drops Jaheira into my party like a tactical nuke. Suddenly Halsin's giving me the sad-eyes from camp. This game's companion abundance should be paradise, but feels like choosing which child to feed during a famine.
People Also Ask 🔍
| Question | My Snarky Answer |
|---|---|
| Can you respec Gale? | Technically yes! But changing his class feels like putting a tutu on a tarrasque - possible but deeply wrong |
| Is Gale romance worth it? | Only if you enjoy dating someone who literally consumes your magic items |
| Who's worse - Gale or Halsin? | Trick question! The real villain is Larian for making me choose |
| Best class to avoid overlap? | Monk! Nobody in Faerûn wants to punch things when magic exists |
My Redemption Arc Plan
After 392 hours of benchwarmer guilt, I've devised solutions:
- Embrace the Bard Life 🎭
Finally giving Alfira competition with a College of Lore Tav - nobody sings about Gale's orb trauma better than me!
- Mod Till I Drop 💻
The BG3 modding community gets it! My next run features:
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Expanded spellbooks (so wizards aren't copycats)
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Camp activities (Gale can run magic workshops instead of moping)
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Shared XP (no more guilt!)
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Become the Problem 😈
My next run? Gale Origin. Finally giving Mystra's ex the spotlight he deserves (and hoarding ALL the magic items).
The Future Is Spell-Free
Looking ahead to 2026, I dream of Larian adding:
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Party size mods on console (6-person squad or bust!)
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Companion synergy bonuses (double wizards = combo spells!)
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Camp banter DLC (let Gale roast my spell selections!)
At this rate, I'll hit 800 hours before finishing my "definitive" run. But when I do? You'll find my Tav and Gale side-by-side - one hurling fireballs, the other... cheerleading from a safe dimension. Some regrets are forever. ✨