Goal Score

The Goal Score is a special mechanic exclusive to  Gale

Overview

The Goal Score is comprised of two linked integer values:

• Death Score – Gale's resolve to sacrifice himself at the end of Act Two or Act Three using his  Netherese Orb Blast
• Crown Score – Gale's desire to recover the  Crown of Karsus and reforge it to become the God of Ambition

This mechanic is not outcome determinative^[verify]. It is entirely possible for Gale to survive to the end of the game, and either leave the Crown of Karsus in the River Chionthar, where it falls after defeating the  Netherbrain, or return it to  Mystra. It simply sets him on a path which the player can divert him from, and governs how hard it will be to do so.

Mechanics

Upon recruitment, Gale's Death and Crown scores initialize at 0 and 3 respectively. Each score sets flags at values of 1, 3, and 6:

• Death
  • 1 – ORI_Gale_State_WillingToDie 
  • 3 – ORI_Gale_State_ReadyToDie 
  • 6 – ORI_Gale_State_EagerToDie 
• Crown
  • 1 – ORI_Gale_State_WillingForCrown 
  • 3 – ORI_Gale_State_SwayedTowardsCrown 
  • 6 – ORI_Gale_State_EagerForCrown 

Dialogue choices throughout the game can sway Gale towards or away from either goal:

• Pushing Away: Selecting a dialogue option that discourages a specific goal decrements that goal's score by 1
• Pushing Toward: Selecting an option that encourages a specific goal increments that goal's score by 1 and decrements the opposing score by 1

Because an increase in one variable forces a decrease in the other, it is impossible to set a higher flag than willing in both scores simultaneously. Flags are set when the associated score reaches their threshold value, and cleared if the score drops below it. Flags are cumulative: i.e., a check for Ready to die is satisfied by Eager to die

External Links

• ⁠Gale's Hidden Point System Explained by SlimX