What Gale Is Willing to Do for The Dark Urge (Gale Romance) - Baldur's Gate 3

This video was recorded on Patch #2. I believe there is one or two lines that are triggering out of sequence, which is a symptom of Gale's dialouge triggers STILL being bugged. I also had Gale very angrily ask me why I accepted a deal with Raphael, which I definitely did not do.
Small gripes asides, I do like the way this scene is written. It is perhaps less "sweet" than other versions (namely Astarion's and Wyll's), but I do think Gale is being supportive in the ways that he can be. It's very touching how he says he and Tav will figure out the Urges together, he will protect Tav until they manage to, and he states clearly that what he is willing to do for Tav. Essentially Gale's saying he will be there for them--which is a great bit of characterisation because it evinces just how thoroughly he has set aside the allure of Mystra's promised forgiveness. And, speaking of Mystra, Gale didn't have great boundaries with her. With DU!Tav, however, he has clear boundaris, which I think demonstrates great character growth.
As another small note, this Tav is non-bi/other, so that affects some of Fel's lines when addressing them, just in case anyone is wondering. As far as I can tell most of the accidental misgendering because of incorrect lines firing has been fixed as of this patch.

[@sowainne]

the line "There will be no gorging of any sort until breakfast" when you know that gale's the designated cook LOL he's like "listen ill make you breakfast in the morning so stop trying to murder me"

[@Liz-xq2wi]

When he said that line, I was wondering what sort of amazing breakfast he’d make for the morning after!

[@FirelillyHeals]

Lmao this is too funny

[@blackbaby6977]

how do you know hes the cook? is there a voiceline i missed or smth

[@Liz-xq2wi]

@@blackbaby6977 yes Wyll mentions it at least once, and Gale also talks about making his own sauce, and he offers his LI a home cooked meal

[@z0is0i]

I mean he's a wizard, if anything following instructions and recipes is basically his life

[@leetleshinigami6099]

All the comments saying Gale is really cold in this, I disagree! I mean, some of the dialogue options are Durge describing exactly how it's going to brutalize him, and he basically comes back with "that's cute, now let me talk to my girlfriend." 😂

[@gggtrm8672]

wow sameee, he is nice ahh

[@anska7475]

I love that he activates catdad mode for dealing with the Durge. No spider licking and no gorging until breakfast!

[@beccazach]

People keep comparing Gale to Astarion, but I don't see any problems with Gale's responses here either? He's very understanding and supportive in his own way because he's reasonably thrown off by all this new information that his lover is murdering people (his character is neutral-aligned but he doesn't like unnecessary bloodshed). He's always naturally a pragmatist, but now his concern is heightened due to the orb in his chest. He still makes jokes but he takes the situation seriously, and for his first real relationship after Mystra, he's doing pretty well taking care of someone else who needs his help.

[@andaredvex]

Astarion talks to the player character who has the urge within them. He uses a gentle, caring tone, cause he does relate a lot to this struggle. Vampiric hunger, and the fact that he was also unable to resist Cazador's diabolic commands for decades makes him empathize with the character much more. While Gale separates the Urge from the character. When he uses a harsh tone, he talks directly to the Urge, and then uses his gentle tone with the character afterwards. He may be a tad bit more judgemental, I think he fears the sudden outbursts more than Astarion. They both support you fully in their own ways.

[@novas2905]

​@@andaredvexalso gale is just a lot more pragmatic, looking at it from a more scholarly perspective, very clinical, moreso looking for a solution, aside from trying to keep durge calm. partially very likely because he is terrified and overwhelmed right there and is trying to keep a level head both to not die and to try to pull you back from those urges

[@hinasakukimi]

thing is astarion DID get a lot more content than any of the other companions and the durge storyline specifically was written by an astarion fan, so no wonder people think astarion has some extra special unique bond with durge. it's just frustrating that the other companions got so shafted. you have people legitimately going "astarion is ACKSHUALLY the kindest most empathetic companion" now. sure, i can see gale being pragmatic, but my man literally has a unique past with a god that could potentially end up destroying him and innocent people around him. hell, shadowheart has her own unique trauma in relation to a god. sorry to rant, this shit just sucks :C

[@andaredvex]

@@hinasakukimi Fair points raised. I think they just had too much fun writing Astarion and got carried away. But I think they did try their best to give every companion a compelling and fleshed out arc. And Gale's weave sex scene is like the longest one in the game, so it's not like they didn't care for the others, it must have been so hard to balance though.

[@hinasakukimi]

@@andaredvex oh for sure i'm super happy with gale's romance! please don't take my critique to mean i am totally Done(tm) with the game or the company. but i don't think one really long sex scene with gale - especially if you don't opt for the magic route - cuts it. astarion has nine overall unique scenes, six of which can possibly be romantic. to compare, i believe the rest of the companions only have three potentially romantic scenes. wyll has it the worst tho with only TWO possibly romantic scenes. i am sympathetic to an extent, i know they rewrote wyll a lot and hired a new VA. but to know it was down to internal bias toward a particular character? because he was, for some reason, "more fun" to write than the others?? that......... sucks. be a writer, not a fan. otherwise, there will inevitably be mismanagement issues that influence the final product.

[@aceofjacks7071]

I don't see Gale as cold in this, more I can see the gears turning in his head. he's trying to figure out how to fix this, and trying to convince you that you're separate from the Urge and you still can have control. it's firm. I understand people prefer Astarion's approach and I do think the softer kind is maybe more constructive, but it's in character for Gale. also if my partner suddenly told me they were gonna murder me in my sleep and started convulsing uncontrollably, I'd be a bit freaked out too.

[@saal0]

I actually really like gale here. Very practical and reassuring you you can get through it.

[@Liz-xq2wi]

I do agree with you. I think his response is actually very realistic, and a great combination of self-persevering but also very caring. He's got a nuke in his chest so, as he states, it's a pretty high-stakes romance with the Dark Urge. I can understand why people are disappointed, but there's a lot riding on Gale's ability to ensure his lover doesn't murder him against their own will. All things considered he's supportive in the way that he can be.

[@ParadiseAndGin]

Karlach is great too

[@Ayarte]

To be honest, as i like Gale romance, here, for me, he is pretty plain compared to other interaction with him, i like Dark Urge Astarion romance, he still jokes around but he is supportive and he shows his concerns

[@shimmerine1]

Agree. Man’s got a nuke in his chest. I respect him for even trying to have a relationship at all under the circumstances

[@demosugar]

I find this kind of matter of fact confidence in you very reassuring personally yeah

[@kozhcaelum8495]

Me, watching this and seeing comments mentioning some people not liking Gale's harsh response: "t-this is harsh??" I haven't seen other companions reaction, but honestly what gale did here is very understandable? I mean, who wouldn't freak out when their partner suddenly go rabid? And it's not like he's cursing you or anything. He's firm. That's all. Kind of sweet with how he trust you to come back to him, actually.

[@Liz-xq2wi]

I think unfortunately this is a case of “what about-ism” in action. Just because Gale isn’t as “accepting” as Astarion, and has a very realistic and logical response for someone who is not a very-hard-to-kill vampire spawn, Gale is labelled as harsh and unsupportive. But if you argue Gale isn’t, even if you’re not comparing him to Astarion, Gale’s reaction isn’t seen as “good”. In multiple threads on this video that haven’t mentioned Astarion at all, a fan of his will randomly interject with what is essentially, “well, I think Astarion is x(some way he is better than Gale)”. I don’t meant to generalise this to all Astarion fans-because they all aren’t like this, he just has the largest fandom-but any positive statement for another character is perceived as a slight to Astarion. Which is, uh. Fun? I like Astarion’s character. But I like Gale too, and I want to spread appreciation of his character, especially because of all the icky homophobic backlash he got.

[@nadiar.b.i856]

@@Liz-xq2wi gale got homophobic backlash??

[@ryanmills4222]

I also appreciate him using humor to try and descalate the situation.

[@Marispider]

@@Liz-xq2wi I'm also curious about the homophobic backlash (I just got into the game recently so idk all that went on pre- full release or early patches). What happened? But yeah, fully agree. All of the characters are great, it's annoying when fandom treats appreciation of one character as bashing another

[@cosmicivy8315]

Damn though...Sceleritas Fel with the: "He would forget his god for you. But you won't for him. Of that I know"

[@bubblegumcrab]

Soft, sweet boy. Doing his best. The "id rather you didn't skewer it" was so funny

[@tj3603]

If you think about it, murderous daddy should be thrilled about her choice of partner. If Gale drop his guard once with her, boom - huge carnage for half the continent. I mean, if I was god of death and violence, I would approve 😂😂 😂

[@Kchanforrliife]

From dialogue in the game, it seems like there's a certain "art" to it for Baahl, not just numbers.

[@tj3603]

@@Kchanforrliife Sarevok says it is about numbers, that's why he is not a fan of Orrin and her decorative murders.

[@jimstoesz3878]

You're probably right, @tj3603, but please don't call Bhall "murderous daddy" again 😂

[@tj3603]

@@jimstoesz3878 why not? pretty accurate description of him and his tactics of clutching to godhood with that "sire-mortal-children-and-pit-them-against-each-other-in-my-name" business 🤣

[@sarrach94]

@@tj3603 There's also a book that is highly likely written by the dark urge themselves where they complain that Orin puts too much efforts into her murders and that bhaal wants quantity over quality.

[@CordyBrush]

I had the same scene with Shadowheart, she even said something like "I could defy the dark, and I know you can aswell!" 😢

[@SoulessStranger]

Gale: "You should have confided in me sooner." He had the audacity to tell that to me during my first DU playthrough despite my character going to anyone who was willing to listen and telling them she had murderous urges and begged for help. Sigh if people only took it seriously.

[@lexisnek5476]

I know right you confess everything to your companions and they are just like "oh its no big deal we can point you in a direction and its all good" and you are like "NO you don't understand! I have a constant migraine that only alleviates when i do murder. Help me figure this out!". Then when you kill or this its all *suprise pikachu face*

[@ates423]

Literally only minthara takes your first durge confession seriously. That’s why I love her, she’s ride or die.

[@Vegeta241]

Doesn’t everyone say “You should have told me sooner” in all variants of this scene?

[@johnoctavian8116]

My durge confessed to murdering the bard, admitted to not knowing why and still shadowheart complained about me not bringing this problem to her attention when I told her I'd kill her. Durge seems to have a lot of oversights.

[@Liz-xq2wi]

@@johnoctavian8116 Dark Urge had no early access feedback time and it shows. Even in this clip there is some weird conversation jank with Gale responding twice to one option.

[@saraamaral5694]

Lmao that option to just trow halsin to the wolfs 💀

[@samanthaecotothermia7896]

bro i saw that and thought the same thing lol

[@fuzzyeyes6]

Reading comments beforehand, I was worried Gale's response would seem lackluster, but honestly, I think I prefer how he deals with this. Astarion is far more romantic/empathetic, sure, but in this context I think some pragmatism is valid. Gale doesn't come across as judgemental to me, he's rapidly trying to absorb information and weigh stakes while supporting you. It's valid to feel like your partner should've tried to disclosed this information sooner. And his harsh tones are only directed to the Urge, which isn't you, it's another entity entirely -one Gale has every right to be exasperated by. He's not even particular rude or disgusted by the Urge, he's just scolding it lmao. It doesn't feel like he loves you any less for your situation, if anything the fact that this isn't immediately a dealbreaker just based on him being a literal bomb goes to show how much he's willing to put at risk to stay with you.

[@little-rascal]

Frankly, he sounds like how a husband would speak to his wife.

[@m22d889]

@6:11 "There'll be no gorging of any sort until breakfast". I don't understand why is this line so fucking funny to me 😂😂😂 The fact that he is so annoyed and talking to you like you're an unruly toddler or a pet out of control just sends me. Gale is so adorkably wholesome.

[@kairaaitken938]

My favourite line is Let's not throw the murderous baby out with the bathwater. It's not alright. But it's something I'm willing to do. For you

[@irgendwer3610]

Gale: I could accidentally kill everyone Durge: Me too

[@MochiMochiCakes]

i'm sorry but Gale sosunds like an exasperated father ALL the time and my god, poor gale but it's so funny

[@Ace_Maus]

I love this man so much. Gale is both relatable and so charming to me.

[@eladriellebachental]

Gale is such a sweetheart. He is one of the closest friends of my Ela - given the novel I wrote. I would never trade Gale a for anyone else - and he even found his love now, too

[@LucasAs06]

every one of them say "You should have told me sooner." I did Astarion told me to play with the hand that i've been deld and the rest just didn't take it seriously.

[@soundlessroom]

Gale is everything I need in life, he is such a baby, a shame the other companions get drowned out by our favorite vampire spawn

[@midnightwolf6411]

He's very logical in this, I'd probably say the same thing

[@brubels7905]

Makes me imagine this scene but with lazel. Durge : i need to protect you or ill kill you tonight Lazel: ha like you could "returns to sleep" Next morning Alfina vibes all around again...

[@thejwvariety]

holy cow your durge is downright adorable! i cant even muster the strength to think about what the darker scenes must've looked like

[@talesfromatiredmind4785]

Gale says no gorging before breakfast less you lose appetite 😂

[@melissamoore7003]

High risk romance , that line made me chuckle, hes so funny. I'm totally planning to romance him on my next playthrough 🥰

[@eline8087]

He may not be as supportive as others as he seems to be freaking out more, but in his defense; he's a wizard. He isn't trained to sleep with one eye open or have the mindset to always watch people in case there'll be knifes coming for his back. He isn't great at dodging things and can't take a lot of damage. So yeah... he's trying his best in the situation here, dad jokes included XD

[@ElloItsSmee]

Starting to regret cutting off his hand in act 1

[@blind_aggression]

i don't like how all of them go "you should've told me sooner" in this scene, like from the very beginning you can tell every companion that you have this urge to kill and all of them just brush it off, gale's response was something stupid like "that's okay, everyone's like that sometimes" 🤡 f you mean tell you sooner i literally did

[@duckling543]

Now I do have urge to open a new game with Dark Urge Tav🥵🥵🥵

[@--suke--9477]

"no gorging until breakfast" got me giggling

[@user-zs2io8cg7c]

How are people calling Gale cold in this!?! HE IS SCOLDING YOU LIKE A CAT!!! You remind him of his cat! As a cat dad that is the highest compliment I can give anyone is that they're like my cat and if they start acting like a spicy kitten I'm going to scold them like a spicy kitten! Or well, I would if there was magic like there is in DnD and an actual entity being a problem is real.

[@birdsrneat]

THROW THE MURDEROUS BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER????????

[@killerofgems5923]

Damn, now I really want to do a durge run with Gale

[@364Leinad]

He doesn't gaf 😂

[@jkk6306]

Básicamente te trata como gato rabioso 😭

[@JanaSzIsBasicGlitch]

omg .... Gale is golden ... altho I am acctually baffeld somon would do that for someone... yet again in my younger years I did similiar stuff for person or people that were not even my lovrers nor friends with words dont worry I will take it I am yooung only for not to take it and acctually break... I mean I WOULD take it if that last sliver of hope wasn't taken from me at that time I mean it was load of shit all at once I don't acctually know if I would take it if the circumstances were different by taking ou 1 thing... altho not having hightened shit and complettly flipped personality... propably would because my normal personality is kind of tank for motional damage... with is just bummer that I wasn't used to taking it by my "secon prsonality" don't have schizophrenia or soometthing... alll just fliipped and was ggetting worse and worse and I still tought I can manage it welll what ever

[@eldonlol1623]

Is there a difference in outcome if you pass the 2nd and 3rd saving throws? Or is it all kinda ride or die on the first one (the choice to wake), with just some minor dialogue changes if you pass/fail the later throws?

[@Valorene]

"You're practically rabid!" 🤣

[@DioDinero]

I prefer Gale or Karlach for Durge and Mindflayer

[@SuprememanWS]

I know exactly what hes talking about but I can't say nor confirm.

[@lumiilee6021]

I resisted hardcore in my recent play through.. Theres no way I could kill Isobel and my lover lmfao

[@raydaveed]

He usually calls the female character my lady. How is it not the case for your character? 😆

[@sweetdreampoison]

are you playing a noble background?

[@dumbass863]

That's because the main character is non-binary, so the default designation is "master"

[@Liz-xq2wi]

Like the description says, this Tav’s gender was selected as “non-binary/other” in the character creator. All language referring to Tav is non-gendered where it can be (they/them, saer, etc.), but in English some default expressions are always going to have a male connotation. But other than that I’ve noticed nothing other than a few tweaked lines for gender differences, which is nice.

[@sylkates]

​@@Liz-xq2wiI was wondering if non-binary characters had that reflected in the third person dialogue! That's so cool. I'm nonbinary IRL but chose a woman tav for roleplay reasons so I haven't explored that yet.

[@Liz-xq2wi]

@@sylkatesI’m enby myself, so I wanted to at least give it a try since I was curious. Glad I could answer your question! Larian did a great job patching it, since, at launch, there were quite a few times NPC characters used female gendered language. On my second playthrough though I didn’t notice anyone calling my character “she,” etc.

[@vaguetype]

this really confirms for me that astarion is so good for DU romance lol

[@Shinoyami65]

In what way?

[@Choshako]

@@Shinoyami65 Astarion and Durge actually have alot in common, if you play a good aligned Durge, Astarion says so himself. He's also very supportive (as non-ascended) and actually acts as a pillar of emotional support for Durge when they're distressed by their impulses. It's very sweet.

[@tj3603]

ikr, completely different vibe, much much less judgemental

[@lexisnek5476]

And if you take the evil rout as a pair it comes off as chaos and lawful power couple.

[@cinder4181]

So freaking true! Both my dark and light urge playthroughs I've romanced astarion. Both he is the most understanding of you. The light urge story he even makes little jabs at you for a bit after choosing not to kill him n shit in camp. I kept catching onto them anytime you make certain statements. Astarion and the urge are on the same path in both fronts, and in both fronts you both are fully in support of each other's progress to either power or freedom. Urge honestly the best.

[@FirelillyHeals]

I haven’t done dark urge yet, do they all have a cut scene trying to help you ? Or is it just Gale?

[@alluras.1383]

I believe everyone does (not certain), though Astarion's is arguably the best because the same writer worked on both him and the dark urge. I'm honestly trying to see is Lae'zel has anything because I imagine it would be funny.

[@FirelillyHeals]

@@alluras.1383 oh shoot lol 😂 thanks for replying. Lae’zels would be interesting if she does anything. LOL hopefully she doesn’t try to kill you

[@alluras.1383]

@@FirelillyHeals Yeah, no problem! Sorry I don't have a for sure answer, but I do think it would be weird to have something like this limited to only a few companions.

[@talimancern7724]

​@alluras.1383 Lae'zel says if Durge can't handle their impulses, she will find a goblin for them to carve up lol.

[@FirelillyHeals]

@@talimancern7724 lol 😂 they’re all pretty okay with having a murderous machine in their arsenal. They just wanna set you loose on the target. All the characters pretty much have like “a demon inside” that they have to battle. Which is pretty bizarre they chose to write everyone like that. They all need a story but why do they all have a dark urge inside them

[@Hilda-7h30]

How do I trigger this scene?

[@feesaylon7252]

Play dark urge and don't kill your target in the inn in act 2. Going after your so is meant to be how you make it up to your murder dad

[@MoonsongReverb]

I didn’t play Dark Urge yet, but even i can be imagine it doesn’t really fit, to play every player character romancing always the same NPC Yeah, i can see why Astarion is good for DU romance. He enjoys stuff like this :D

[@Venslor]

That's what I did. He was incredibly sweet and understanding in this scene, even more than Gale. When I tried to bite him, he goes, no no, not without permission! lol as if he can talk.

[@kairaaitken938]

​@@VenslorI prefer Gale's tbh. He sees it as way more of a threat. Which is why his "I will protect you until you prevail" "I'm willing to do this for you" has so much impact BECAUSE he doesn't empathize with your condition which make the fact that he wants to protect you despite not getting it even more meaningful. He doesn't get it but he's still gonna try and be there for you. He has to put in more effort than Astarion because he doesn't get it, and that's what makes it more meaningful

[@MoonsongReverb]

Hehe, each to their own. That's how my character react6ed to Astraion trrying toi bite her. She was like What? first you try to bite me without asking and then you want to have sex with me? Nope, just nope^^ I play as a normal character. No origin, no DU. Gale has to carry enough burden already. So i never had my character abuse or cheat on him or anything. It's a challenge with all the free wheeling NPCs in this game^^ But Gale diserves not to be more burdened but a better ending. :)

[@kairaaitken938]

Unpopular opinion but I hate the disrespect around here I'm sorry I have to say, but if I hated Gale I wouldn't bother commenting criticism on a clearly pro Gale video, out of courtesy for the creator who will end up seeing my comments. Like I don't understand why people need to go out of their way to write criticism knowing that the channel owner is going to see the Gale dislike and the whining about how it's not like Astarion Go and watch Astarion x Durge instead then Sorry if I'm overreacting but honestly I'm basically at the straw on the camel's back situation

[@oOVanillaMelOo]

I’m pretty disappointed by Gale’s response honestly.. I love him in my normal playthrough but I’m definitely not choosing him for a DU one. He seems quite judgemental even if he’s there for you. And although I do understand the stakes, I wouldn’t have hesitated to be there for him when he confessed about his orb… I feel like he’s too practical, it doesn’t feel very loving or accepting.. it’s hard to explain

[@Liz-xq2wi]

I understand what you mean! But I think it makes sense, if you consider that the one foundational relationship in his life was with Mystra, a goddess who literally needed nothing from him: love, support, comfort, etc. I really doubt he’s ever had a partner in the true sense of the word. This is a sentiment he expresses later if he’s persuaded to give up the crown. Essentially he’s never experienced being vulnerable and relying on someone else to help him come up with a solution to an important problem.

[@BearKookieKusu]

agreed. From comparing it to Astarion. he has a better reaction for a durg playthrough in my opinion

[@oOVanillaMelOo]

@@Liz-xq2wi i see what you mean and I think you’re right. He really seems like he wants to be there but doesn’t quite know how to be supportive. And he’s isolated himself for so long in his room, away from other people, that he doesn’t even know how to let other people truly be there for him. There a scene in act 3 (I won’t spoil it) where he has to go somewhere without you for something very important that stresses him out, it is only for a moment. And he asks you if you’ll wait for him there. His look is so telling… he seriously think you might just leave and he will be alone when he comes back 😭 my heart broke a thousand times over…

[@daisyiris]

Asterion is the only one who supports you all the way and even jokes with you calmly. its comforting.

[@keetard]

What do you mean? Gale is supportive throughout the video!

[@IBeMelissa]

I still think Astarion is perfect for the Durge romance...Both facing similar battles and have so much in common. They are both being controlled and battling inherent darkness within themselves. His dialogue when you romance him as Durge seems way more romantic and genuine...I'd say that pairing is canon in my books.

[@XxYldikoxX]

phaa nobody is better than astarion in this

[@cinder4181]

"Looking for a cuddle?" Gets me every damn time.

[@cen3684]

“We can exchange notes if you want” 😭😭😭 so fucking cute durge x astarion is canon

[@smellycatbutts]

Gale really pales in comparison to most other options, doesn't he?

[@razrv3lc]

Maybe for dark urge but that’s probably because he’s one of the few relatively normal characters lmao

[@mothernothingness1358]

I honestly liked his romance, but maybe not for DU

[@cecilialeitet2794]

No he doesn't. His normal route romance is very good in my opinion. I think a lot of people find him boring because he has very "normal" reactions to things, like real people would. Some like me love that about him, some people rather prefer a vampire or an alien as a romance partner. Luckliy this game gives you both options to choose from. :) Would not choose Gale for DU though, it doesn't really fit for me.

[@JuhSparrow]

Gale is a sweetheart. Honestly, the man cooks, is funny, likes animals and is in love with knowledge. In my playthrough I started really thinking about romancing Astarion, but Gale grew on me a lot. He has his issues, sure, but every companion does. At least he's really sincere about his feelings and really cares for you.

[@eldritchseraphim]

I was in the exact same boat@@JuhSparrow, I was set on romancing Astarion because, well, I grew up playing Castlevania. Duh. [Spoilers for early Act 2 ahead] ..but the second that silly magic man opened his mouth, it was *over*. He's just so *good*. He's realistic, witty- an insanely powerful wizard who made quite the 'whoopsie', fell from glory, and is now spending his days repenting and regretting his actions. He's human, he's made mistakes, and seeks to be better from them. I cannot overstate my adoration for him due to this. You help him step back from the edge, and be better. You show him he's worth so much more than just his abilities. That ripped my heart out when he said this(Beginning of Act 2, doesn't require romance), tbh. So, Astarion had to wait until playthrough #2, lol. 💀