Summary
The decision over whether to enter the Planecaster in Baldur’s Gate 3 is more complicated than it seems. The party may be faced with this choice if they progress in the githyanki crèche questline, which eventually puts them face-to-face with the githyanki god-queen Vlaakith. Using Shadowheart’s mysterious Astral Prism, which thus far has seemed to protect the party from Illithid influence, Vlaakith opens a portal to the Astral Plane, and demands that the party step inside and kill her prisoner. Unless the player has been following the lore very closely, it’s difficult to understand just what this decision entails until they’re already on the other side.
Entering the Planecaster seems like a pretty minor decision, but it may have shockingly severe consequences. Meanwhile, attacking the Astral Plane prisoner may seem a risky undertaking, but its own consequences are surprisingly minor. Remember, Tav’s Dream Visitor has given them ample warning about the prospect of stepping through. Either way, though, these are the pros and cons of each option.
What Happens If You Don’t Enter The Planecaster In Baldur’s Gate 3?
If the player decides not to enter the Planecaster at Vlaakith’s urging, Lae’zel will disapprove. As a matter of fact, she dislikes this course of action so much that she’ll immediately turn against the party and side with Vlaakith, her queen. The party will have to kill her to progress. This means the githyanki fighter will become completely unavailable to the party for the rest of the game. It should go without saying that this does more than hurt the chances of romancing Lae’zel in Baldur’s Gate 3; no matter how much progress the player has made with her, this decision cuts off the rest of her story.
However, once Lae’zel, Vlaakith, and the rest of the githyanki are dead, what remains of the party can continue on with the campaign. This stage of the main quest ends immediately, and the party may continue through the Mountain Pass and on into Act Two. The rest of the game continues as normal, only without Lae’zel present.
What Happens If You Enter The Planecaster In Baldur’s Gate 3?
If the player decides to obey Vlaakith’s command and enter the Planecaster, Lae’zel approves. The party pops up on an abandoned slice of the Astral Plane, where they’re faced with a glowing portal. Through it, Tav hears their Dream Visitor, the Guardian they chose during character creation in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Visitor cautions them not to come through, and, more importantly, not to carry out Vlaakith’s orders.
But of course, Tav can step through the portal to see the person and place that’s appeared so often in their dreams. The Dream Visitor addresses them directly now, explaining that they’re disappointed in Tav for not heeding their warnings. However, Tav can ask about the situation and Vlaakith, at which point the Dream Visitor perks up. They reveal that they were responsible for stealing the Astral Prism from Vlaakith. She only wants it back because she believes she can use it to defeat the Illithid Empire, as her gith ancestors did before her.
However, there’s one crucial flaw in her plan. She doesn’t actually know how the Astral Prism works, or how the gith were able to use it. Only the Dream Visitor knows that, and they’re not eager to share their wisdom with Vlaakith. What’s more, the githyanki queen doesn’t plan on letting Tav or Lae’zel stick around long enough to find that out. As soon as the party exits the Planecaster, the Dream Visitor reveals, Vlaakith and her subjects will attack them.
Should You Kill The Dream Visitor Guardian In Baldur’s Gate 3?
At this point, the Dream Visitor takes a knee and bends their head, handing Tav the sword off their back. In other words, they’re saying, “Try me,” and players can choose what happens next. If they choose not to kill the Dream Visitor, the conversation will continue peacefully and respectfully. The Dream Visitor offers up a few more words of warning about Vlaakith’s machinations, and then lets Tav go.
If they do choose to kill the Dream Visitor, Tav thrusts the sword into their chest. The Dream Visitor muses that they thought more highly of Tav, and had greater expectations of them. They teleport away before returning, completely healed. They’re clearly very upset with Tav, and they say so, but they still speak plainly with them in order to protect their own plot. The Dream Visitor warns Tav about Vlaakith again, and lets them walk away – for now.
Now, however this confrontation came to a close, Lae’zel will have questions about what happened when Tav returns. They can attempt to deceive her, but it’s better to try a Difficulty Class 12 Persuasion check to explain the truth. Don’t be scared to save scum at this critical Baldur’s Gate 3 moment, as simply failing this dialogue check can still cause Lae’zel to turn against the party in the battle with Vlaakith. The party returns through the Planecaster, and Vlaakith sets on them as the Dream Visitor promised. Hopefully, though, Tav has Lae’zel on their side after attempting to carry out Vlaakith’s orders, despite coming back with an uncomfortable truth.
You Should Enter The Planecaster And Spare Your Dream Visitor In Baldur’s Gate 3
Players should enter the Planecaster in Baldur’s Gate 3, but once inside, refuse to carry out Vlaakith’s orders. There’s nothing wrong with entering the Planecaster. Doing so doesn’t lock the party into any particular course of action. Plus, agreeing at least to go through the Planecaster is the only way to keep Lae’zel in the party, and, for that matter, alive. No matter what, the party will have to fight Vlaakith after they complete the scenes on the Astral Plane. But entering the Planecaster while it’s available allows them to do so with a greater understanding of who Vlaakith is, what she wants, and why she needs to be stopped.
Sparing the Dream Visitor is also the best choice here, since it keeps the party’s options open for the rest of the game. It’s impossible to kill them, anyway, but approaching the Dream Visitor peacefully signifies Tav’s trustworthiness. The Dream Visitor might be a little mysterious, and their attempts to convince Tav to use Illithid powers in Baldur’s Gate 3 may not win them many friends. But Tav will have a chance to learn more about them later, and while they do have their own motives, it’s safe to assume at least up to this point that they have Tav’s best interests in mind.
Finally, it’s worth noting that both Vlaakith and the Dream Visitor may return later in the game. They’re both seeking an end to the war, and once again, Tav can choose to side with either the githyanki or Illithid in Baldur’s Gate 3. Without going into too much detail (or too many spoilers) about this late-game quest, it’s best to keep the Dream Visitor alive, as this can help avoid a bad ending and unlock a new set of seriously powerful Illithid abilities. Staying in the Dream Visitor’s good graces can ease this later encounter along, so it’s best to spare them in Act One.
In the end, though, the right choice here depends completely on Tav. Githyanki player characters who swear fealty to Vlaakith might wish to follow her orders without question. The Dream Visitor’s implied sympathy for Illithids might also rub them the wrong way. More mistrustful Tavs might choose to avoid the Planecaster entirely, since it’s impossible to know what’s going to happen inside before stepping through. Some players might decide to take the Underdark route to the Shadow-Cursed Lands instead, and miss out on this quest entirely. No matter what, like many other choices in Baldur’s Gate 3, this one eventually comes down to choice.
