Gale/Romance

Overview

Approval

Banter

Romance

Gale can be romanced.

Storyline

Gale is a companion that grants his approval and benevolence rather easy, if the player doesn't demonstrate unnecessary cruelty and commit dishonest deeds. Besides, he highly esteems in others eloquence and sense of humour. However, due to his rather modest experience in actual intercourse with other people, he is ready to develop relationship only to a certan degree. Sticking to these behaviour guides would help the player raise Gale's approval up at least to Good level rather fast.

Act One

• At the very first long rest the player will find Gale watching the campfire flames, with an exclamation sign marking his prompt to have a chat. When approached, he will tell the player to bugger off to the Hells. Humorous reaction to this insult will bring some approval from Gale and cast him into philosophical mood. The wizard will metaphysicize on what has happened to the party so far.
• When the party comes to the Emerald Grove, several situations there might lead Gale to develop trust towards the player character: breaking up Aradin and Zevlor when they're about to start a fight, saving Sazza from Arka's crossbow, and saving at least one of tiefling kids (Mirkon, Meli or Arabella) from trouble they've landed themselves into. Resolving most of these situations peacefully will prompt Gale to share with the player some stories from his youth (one about his familiar, and another about his adventures as an apprentice in his native city of Waterdeep) as a result of growing fond of them.

• Once the player gets Medium approval, another nighttime scene with Gale might trigger. The player finds Gale feasting his eyes on the magically conjured image of an unknown woman. If asked about her, the wizard first will try to put on a good face, but after a successful DC 5 Insight check tell them that it was a portrait of Mystra - the goddess of magic itself. Gale will explain that not only she posesses and rules each and every manifestation of magic, but embodies the essence of it generally called the Weave throughout all the planes of creation.

If the player isn't dismissive of Gale's obvious adoration of his own metier, the wizard will suggest to help the player experience the Weave with him. Acting as a not-so-strict teacher, he will show them subsequently how to put into effect all three components necessary for a person to invite the Weave inside and channel it through: the physical, the verbal and the spirital.

In game terms, these are carried out as three skill checks (again, all are DC 5 Ability check):

• Sleight of Hand / Arcana / Performance - to imitate the gestures
• Intelligence / Arcana / Performance - to repeat the words
• History / Nature / Insight / Performance - to picture the concept of harmony in your mind

Failing any of checks will yield into a mild reproach from Gale and a chance for another try.

Note that magic-using characters such as Sorcerers and Clerics, let alone Wizards, will have class-specific options to discuss the principles of doing magic throughout the cutscene, as well as additional or unique options to bypass the checks.

If the player successfully passes all three checks and chooses to hold onto the moment, they will be given several options imagine a picture, which Gale will see, too. Fantasising a scene of kissing him or of a walk hand-in-hand will allow the player to proceed into the Flirting stage of romancing the wizard. However, Gale will be rather embarassed by either of these player's choices - on the one hand, because of his need to keep his feelings in tight check (the reason for which will be revealed a bit later), while on the other hand, due to his overall lack of experience in maintaining close-but-non-family relations with someone else.

Act Two

The player will run into the wizard Elminster either immediately prior to Act 2 on the path to the Shadow-Cursed Lands via the Mountain Pass, or immediately after entering Act 2 via the Underdark/Grymforge route. He reveals an important update involving Gale's relationship with Mystra, who has one last favor to ask of him. This will impact much of the player character's interactions with Gale moving forward.

Sometime in Act 2, after combat with Gale in your party and with high enough approval, Gale will appear with a quest indicator over his head. He will tell you about a book he read that explains how dangerous situations can have an effect on one's desire for other forms of stimulation. He will ask if you've ever read anything on the subject. The player can choose to change the subject, or answer with any of the other options. If the latter, Gale will approve and confess that he wants you, but say now is not the time or place for such feelings.

After reaching Moonrise Towers (specifically the waypoint), Gale's romance can be progressed from the flirting stage to the partnered stage with high enough approval and if the player is not currently in the partnered stage with another companion. At camp, prior to a long rest, Gale will conjure a projection of himself that the player will need to interact with at his tent. This projection will invite the player to have a private conversation with Gale. During this conversation, Gale will confess he's in love with the player. Reciprocating his feelings, or simply kissing him, will lead to Gale discussing how he would like to make love to the player. At this point, the player can either express interest in his fantasies ("Show me."), or tell him you just want to be with Gale as a regular man (selecting this option will cut directly to the first bullet point scene described below, without the additional Waterdeep scene and dialogue). Selecting "Show me" will lead to him taking you to a vision of his home in Waterdeep and more dialogue, where eventually again he will give the player the choice of "making love the way Gods do" or just being with Gale, the player's responses to which can instigate one of two possible love scenes depending on your responses during this interaction:

• If you express interest in the "real Gale" as a regular man, Gale will conjure a bed "for your comfort" and the screen fades to black after you both climb in.
• If you indulge Gale's desire to make love "the way that gods do," your astral bodies will intertwine among the stars in the Weave in an extended love scene.

Regardless of which option is selected, the following morning the player can speak to Gale again and ask him if he still has feelings for Mystra as well as other questions depending on which options were selected the night before. Following this interaction, Gale will now consider you in a relationship with him (partnered stage) until you break up with him (or he breaks up with you).

Act Three

Gale's quest events during Act 3 in the Wizard of Waterdeep questline, and the choices the player makes during, have major implications for his romance conclusion at the end of the game, particularly in regards to if the player encourages Gale to seek and use the Crown of Karsus or not. Failing to finish Gale's questline before defeating the Netherbrain will also affect the ending.

As part of the Wizard of Waterdeep questline, once the player gets the book the Annals of Karsus and lets Gale read it, he thinks he can use the power of the Crown for himself. He wants to talk to you privately about it. After the next long rest, Gale will have an exclamation point above his head, signaling that he wants to talk. During this conversation, he'll create an illusion of the realm of the gods, with both of you in a rowboat. In this scene, he tells you that he plans to remake the Crown so you both can become gods and help humanity instead of just watching and denying them power. At this point, the player can either encourage Gale to use the Crown, or tell him it should be handed over to Mystra.

If you choose "This doesn't have to be the end for us. Just forget the Crown," he'll agree and say that he can live without becoming a god but not without you. He promises to give the Crown to Mystra. The scene ends with a kiss between you two. After completing Gale's Companion Quest, he talks to Mystra, finds out the truth about the magic orb in his chest, and promises to give her the Crown for redemption and to cure his condition.

Spoiler warning! This section reveals a possible ending of the game when romancing Gale.

To get the "good" romantic ending, the player will need to steer Gale toward giving up his dreams of becoming a god and encourage him to give the Crown to Mystra. If the player encourages him to become a god, he'll choose the Crown and godhood over the relationship and leave you at end of the game, despite what he says repeatedly over the course of Act 3 about the both of you becoming gods together.

Epilogue

If the Netherbrain is defeated while the player is partnered with Gale, the player may get one of the following romance prologue scenes depending on their choices and previous interactions with Gale:

1. If the player completed the Wizard of Waterdeep questline AND discouraged Gale away from using the Crown of Karsus: Gale will ask you to move in with him and marry him. Accept and you two will live happily-ever-after as Tressym parents to Tara at his 'tower' (more of a townhouse, really) in Waterdeep. Did he mention it has a library? Players can also choose to marry him but not move to Waterdeep, and if doing so they will head off on adventures together.
2. If the player did not complete the Wizard of Waterdeep questline AND/OR encouraged Gale to use the Crown of Karsus and follow his dreams at any point: Gale decides to actively pursue his aspirations to become a god to spurn his ex-girlfriend Mystra. He will tell the player he is going to be pretty busy with his side gig of diving for rocks, but that perhaps one day he might make you his chosen if you play your cards right. Six months later, during the gathering, Gale will appear arguing with Tara already as God of Ambition. Tara will show disappointment towards Gale and the player for letting him pursue this path. After the gathering ends, the player has a chance to refuse or ascend with Gale.
3. If the player decides to become the Absolute instead of destroying the tadpoles, there will not be a romance-specific end scene.
4. If the player decides that Gale should sacrifice himself to destroy the Netherbrain, Gale will teleport the player and your other party members far away and make the ultimate sacrifice. Gale will die and be remembered as a hero, but there will not be a romance-specific end scene or unique dialogue with other party members regarding your romance.

Romance Mechanics

This section contains information regarding the unique in-game mechanics and interactions for Gale's romance.

Relationship Stages

Like the other major romance options in the game, Gale's relationship progression can be divided into specific stages: friendly, flirting, partnered, and ex-partnered:

1. Friendly: The friendly stage begins at medium approval, and is the default stage for non-romanced companions.
2. Flirting: Once the player begins selecting romantic dialogue options toward Gale during Act 1, you will enter the flirting stage. Turning him down at any point during the flirting stage prior to the partnered stage will return the player to the friendly stage permanently.
3. Partnered: In Act 2 with high enough approval, and if the player is not in the partnered stage with any other companion, you will be able to partner with Gale when his major romance progression scene is triggered.
4. Ex-Partnered: The ex-partnered stage can be attained by breaking up with Gale at any point while in the partnered stage (or if he breaks up with you). This stage is almost identical to the friendly stage, except Gale's greetings when initiating dialogue are colder.

Unique Dialogue

Greetings

Players who romance Gale will hear unique greetings dependent on the stage of the romance and game progression:

• Flirting:
  • "Always a delight to speak with you. What can I do?"
  • "I do enjoy our conversations. What do you need?"
  • "Tell me - What can I do for you?"
• Partnered (following Act 2 romance progression scene):
  • "My time is yours. What do you need?"
  • "Whatever you need, you have only to ask."
  • "Anything I can do for you - consider it most enthusiastically done."
• Partnered (following Act 3 romance progression scene):
  • "Is something on your mind? You can always unburden yourself with me."
  • "Are you alright? If you have need of me, just say the word."
  • "Yes, my love?"
• Ex-Partnered/Broken Up:
  • "Yes. What is it?"
  • "You need something of me?"
  • "What do you need?"

Party/Camp Interactions

While in the partnered stage (following his love scene in Act 2), Gale will have the following unique dialogue options that are always available when interacting with him both in camp and while he's in the player's party, which can be instigated by selecting "I wanted to speak about us for a moment.":

• The player can ask for a kiss, and Gale will happily oblige. ("I want you to kiss me")
• The player can ask Gale how he's feeling about everything. His response will vary depending on recent events. ("How are you feeling?")
• The player can break up with Gale. ("I'm sorry. We have to end this.")

If the player breaks up with Gale, or if Gale breaks up with the player, these options will no longer be accessible.

Romancing Other Characters

This section contains information regarding how the player's relationship with Gale impacts other romance options/scenes and vice versa.

The player can be in the flirting stage with other companions while in the flirting stage with Gale (typically encompasses all Act 1 romance scenes and minor flirting scenes during Act 2 prior to the companion's major romance progression partnering scene). Gale considers the player to be in a relationship (partnered) with him after his love scene in Act 2 (even if the player tells him that it was just a one-time thing). If you are in the flirting stage with other companions when you trigger Gale's love scene, they will ask you about it afterward and make you choose between them and Gale (even non-monogamous characters, since Gale is monogamous). Likewise, if you partner with another companion while in the flirting stage with Gale, he will make you choose. Whichever companion is not chosen during this interaction will return to the friendly stage (or ex-partnered stage if the companion not chosen was partnered with the player).

While in the partnered stage, Gale will usually demand monogamy from the player, with a few exceptions:

• Romancing Halsin - In Act 3, with high enough approval, Halsin may approach the player and express interest, offering to share you with Gale but only if Gale approves. You will have the option to decline his advances, approach Gale with this proposition, or simply break things off with Gale for Halsin instead. If the player asks Gale to bring Halsin into the relationship, Gale will passionately decline and demand the player must choose either him or Halsin. Choosing Halsin will end the relationship with Gale, allowing the player to report back to Halsin. Choosing Gale will continue the relationship as normal (there are no relationship consequences from this action in the future).
• Romancing Sorn Orlith/Nym Orlith - When approached in Sharess' Caress in Act 3 while the player is in a relationship with Gale, the twins Sorn and Nym will offer the player the option to be with both of them at once, but only if both the player and Gale participate. Gale will express hesitation and discomfort at this proposition, but can be persuaded to agree it. If all agree, the scene that follows is a fade-to-black ("lights off") scene with dialogue. In the dark, the narrator announces that Gale has vanished and left behind a projection spell of himself (similar to the one he used prior to Act 2's love scene) to act in his place. This does not have any impact on your relationship with Gale in the future.
• Romancing Mizora - When triggered in Act 3, Mizora will acknowledge your relationship with Gale but will still instigate sex with the player. If you accept her advances, the love scene will trigger as normal; however, the following morning, Gale will walk in and express anger and disappointment at your actions and break up with you. This will end your relationship with Gale permanently.
• Romancing the Emperor - Your relationship with Gale does not affect this option triggering, nor does going through with it have any implications on your romance with Gale afterward. He will not mention it ever, even if he is one of the three party members who walk in the next morning.
• Romancing Haarlep - Your relationship with Gale does not affect this option triggering, nor does going through with it have any implications on your romance with Gale afterward. If Gale is in the party and within earshot during the interaction, he will disapprove of you taking your clothes off when asked by Haarlep and vowing your body to him, but it will not end the relationship or impact it in any way moving forward.