Baldur's Gate III

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Video game fandom
NameBaldur's Gate III
Abbreviation(s)BG3, bg3
Developer(s)Larian Studios
Release dateAugust 2023
Genre(s)single-player and cooperative multiplayer, RPG
Parent seriesBaldur's Gate
External link(s)Official site
Baldur's Gate logo
Related articles on Fanlore.

Baldur's Gate III is a high fantasy role playing game created by Larian Studios in the Baldur's Gate series and is the sequel to Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. The game takes place a few months after the events of the Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus adventure module for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, and features a new cast with an original player character (a "blank slate" in terms of backstory), or the choice of playing as one of seven pre-made "Origin characters". The game also allows the player to have these Origin characters join their party as companions, along with other companions not available as playable Origins.

The game entered Early Access on Steam on October 6, 2020, and had its full release for PC on August 3, 2023. The PC release was followed by a PlayStation 5 release on September 6th, macOS on September 22nd, and Xbox Series X/S on December 7th. Players don't need to have played the previous games, DLCs, or the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop game in order to enjoy this new story.

Gameplay

Baldur's Gate III features both a single-player and cooperative multiplayer element. In single-player, players can create one or more characters and form a party along with a number of pre-generated companions. On cooperative multiplayer, players are able to take one of their characters and team up online with other players to form a party. The game's story and exploration in both these modes are the same. Like previous games in the series, Baldur's Gate III has turn-based combat, similar to Larian's earlier games. The game's combat is based on the ruleset of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, also known as D&D 5e.

Plot

The player wakes up inside a flying ship after being kidnapped by illithids, also known as mind flayers. Aboard the illithid ship they are implanted with a parasite (nicknamed a "tadpole") which will eventually transform them into an illithid themselves; but just as this happens, the ship is attacked by githyanki warriors. The player frees themselves during the attack and finds other tadpoled survivors, Lae'zel and optionally Shadowheart, with whom they are able to have a telepathic connection due to their parasites. The player and possible companions fight their way through the ship, then the player steers the damaged ship to the continent of Faerûn, crashing it on the Sword Coast. Exploring the debris and the surrounding area, they can find several fellow survivors of the crash who were all implanted with tadpoles.

The player may choose to go about their adventure alone, but they may also travel with the similarly infected companions, all of whom have different personalities and secondary objectives. They may also travel with two non-infected companions, Halsin, who joins them if helped in his personal quest, and Jaheira, a character from previous games. The player and/or the party try to have their tadpoles removed with the help of several NPCs and through several methods, but none of them are successful. As time progresses, the tadpoled survivors fail to transform into illithids due to the help of a mysterious Dream Visitor, who resides inside the artifact one of them carries.

The adventure follows the player through three distinct Acts, where they learn more about the mysterious Cult of the Absolute connected to the tadpoles, eventually meeting the puppetmasters behind the curtain and learning more about each other and the state of the world as they go.

LGBTQIA+ Representation

The launch of BG3, with its cast of pansexual companions and multiple unavoidable queer characters as part of the main plot, led a contingent of fans to express distaste about what they perceived as a distortion of Forgotten Realms canon on the part of Larian Studios. Ed Greenwood, the original creator of the Forgotten Realms D&D setting, has stated the setting has always been queer and that queerness is lore-accurate[1].

On January 13th 2024, Ed Greenwood accidentally retweeted a Comicsgate post not knowing its context. He apologized for it, both in video and in text, across several tweets.

I want to make it very clear that I am sorry for what occurred earlier. I want EVERYONE to feel safe and included, and I did not mean to cause any harm with my haste and negligence when promoting that tweet. Representation is so important and I want to be an ally to that ideal.

It’s come to my attention that I retweeted something earlier today that was harmful and offensive. We all share one planet, and there is NO place for homophobia or anti-inclusivity or even name-calling. I should have read the tweet before reposting it, and that’s on me. For that, and the hurt the tweet has caused, I’m deeply sorry. I reviewed the script of the first issue of a future comic book back when COVID hit, then wrote a foreword for it, for free. I thought it was a good story at the time, and I was pleased to see it was finally coming out, so I quickly retweeted it without paying proper attention. However, I am NOT okay with LGBTQIA+ people being attacked, or for that matter ANYONE who feels left out or othered. Storytelling often explores violence and important moral choices, but safe spaces are important. I have always considered myself supportive of everyone being treated with the same respect, and feeling represented. I am pro inclusivity.

I DON’T want to be associated with ANYONE who can’t get along with people who are different.

So, I’m sorry. EVERYONE is welcome at my gaming table.

Ed Greenwood on Twitter (X)

He received positive comments from LGBTQIA+ users, mostly stating their forgiveness and gratitude for the retraction. Most negative comments, advising him to retract his apology, seemingly came from users who were angry at his supposed "wokeness".[2][3]

Some of the most well-known queer NPCs are Isobel, her lover Dame Aylin, and a trans woman named Nocturne. Her transgender status has become widely known more due to fandom discussion than through the game itself, as the information is locked behind an easy-to-miss event involving consumption of an in-game item by Shadowheart. It is notable that Nocturne is not the first trans character in the series; that distinction goes to Mizhena[4] from Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, a 2016 DLC for the first game in the series.

The fact that some characters are voiced by LGBTQIA+ actors has also made them very popular with fans in said community. One case is Shadowheart's actor Jennifer English, who uses the labels gay, queer and lesbian[5], and whose character has a large following of lesbian fans thanks to her public orientation status. Other notable LGBTQIA+ cast members include Karlach actor Samantha Béart, who is nonbinary and uses she/they pronouns[6].

Treatment of actors/characters of colour

Sources on Twitter stated that during the BG3 cast panel at MCM London Comic Con 2023, Wyll Ravengard's actor, Theo Solomon, wasn't given a chance to tell his story along with the rest of the cast. Fans wrote that, with the excuse of lack of time, the presenter skipped him in order for fans to ask questions to the cast. A fan (Ancuninz on Twitter) asked other fans to leave the actor messages under their post and later showed them to Solomon, as a way to show fan support and just how much he meant to them.

Some fans also felt that the actor had been sidelined during the Shadows of Athkatla live-action actual play oneshot, while others perceived this as a result of shyness and Theo's lack of experience with D&D.

Fans have also pointed out frequent instances where Wyll, the only human POC Origin character, is absent from fanworks and fan merchandise including the wider cast. Controversy over which instances of Wyll's exclusion constitute racism has led to instances of harassment toward fanwork creators, as well as a small contingent of Wyll's fandom becoming separated and insular.

Early in the fandom's life a mod briefly appeared that whitewashed Wyll, but it was quickly removed from the fandom's main modding hub on Nexus Mods by administration.

Characters

Spoiler Warning: This article or section may contain spoilers. If this bothers you, proceed with caution.

Campfire by Poticceli

Tav: The default name of the player character; they are freely renamable and the name is never spoken out loud. They can be one of 11 different races, some with different subraces (for example, a half-elf character might actually be a half-drow, which significantly changes the way some NPCs or companions interact with them). The character can have he/him, she/her or they/them pronouns, and the player may choose from a variety of different genitalia which are not locked to a specific body type, allowing for transgender character creation.

The Dark Urge: Another default name of the player character, or (if playing Tav) a character found in the game. As with Tav, this character is fully customizable, except for their backstory. The Dark Urge is considered an Origin character with a separate and distinct background from Tav, albeit following largely the same path during their adventure. Like the other Origin characters, the Dark Urge has their own personal quest, added story elements, and unique interactions and choices. Constituting what could be considered an "alternate look" at the story of the game, fans often recommend the Dark Urge Origin be saved for a second playthrough.

Potential Companions (in rough order of appearance)

Lae'zel: An Origin character. A curt and direct Githyanki Fighter who enjoys the subjugation of others.

Shadowheart: An Origin character. A private Half-Elf Cleric who has a heart of gold under a tough exterior. The most popular in-game romance according to official statistics.

Astarion: An Origin character. A High Elf Rogue with a cruel sense of humour who values personal loyalty. The most popular fandom Origin character and fandom romance option.

Gale: An Origin character. A compassionate Human Wizard who boasts of his intellectual accomplishments. The most popular in-game Origin to play as according to official statistics.

Wyll: An Origin character. A heroic Human Warlock known as a famous monster hunter.

Karlach: An Origin character. A Zariel Tiefling Barbarian who is both violent and compassionate. Unlike Lae'zel and Astarion, she is against evil acts.

Halsin: A gentle and humble Wood Elf Druid who is a nature lover. Halsin can only join the party after the player completes a particular quest in Act 2.

Minthara: A disdainful Drow noble Paladin who is highly devoted to the Absolute. Minthara can only join the party if a certain series of events are followed in Acts 1 and 2.

Jaheira: A Half-Elf Druid, originally encountered in both Baldur's Gate I and II, who favours a direct approach and likes snarky jokes. Jaheira can only join the party at the end of Act 2.

Minsc: Originally encountered in Baldur's Gate I and II, a standout fan favorite character from those games. A quirky Human Ranger who is immensely loyal to his friends. His Ranger companion is the miniature giant space hamster Boo. Minsc can only join the party during Act 3 as part of Jaheira's personal quest, making him the final permanent player companion available to acquire.

Typically characters in D&D are sorted into various moral alignments, but the game mechanic has become significantly more flexible in D&D 5e. Due to this and in service of creating a more enjoyable story, characters can be influenced more strongly than in previous installments of the series; companions may wildly change their views on the world and people around them depending on how the player interacts with them.

Notable NPCs (in alphabetical order)

Cazador Szarr: A menacing nobleman of Baldur's Gate.

Dame Aylin: An aasimar daughter, and paladin, of Selûne.

Enver Gortash: The Chosen of Bane.

The Emperor: An illithid who joins forces with the player against the Absolute.

Isobel: A cleric of Selûne who has joined forces with the Harpers in Act 2.

Kar'niss: A drider encountered in the Shadow-Cursed Lands who serves the Absolute.

Ketheric Thorm: The Chosen of Myrkul.

Mizora: A devil who makes appearances to torment Wyll, Karlach, and the party.

The Narrator: A "meta-character" who takes the role of DM describing events in the game and the player character's thoughts.

Orin the Red: The Chosen of Bhaal.

Raphael: A devil who offers the party a deal to remove their tadpoles.

Sceleritas Fel: An unsettling servant who appears only to the Dark Urge.

Withers: A mysterious undead who joins the player's camp and provides resurrection, class change, and hireling services.

Canon Romances

The romance options in this game are not locked to race or gender (unlike in Dragon Age: Inquisition, for example) and are canonically bisexual or pansexual as they flirt with and show interest in men and women, though some fans consider them to be playersexual. There are in-game indications of past lovers and current crushes for some characters, possibly shedding a light on their canonical preferences. Whether playing as Tav, The Dark Urge or an Origin character, the player is able to romance all Origin characters, plus Halsin and Minthara, and also have flings or pay prostitutes for their services. As all Origins can choose any romance option depending on the chosen player character, all of these pairings are considered canon.

If not romanced by the player character, some Origin characters will pair up for sex, though they don't seem to develop romantic relationships amongst themselves.

A short list of popular canon romances follows:

Fandom

Shipping

The game's most popular romanceable character on AO3 is Astarion. Since the full game's release, the character's popularity has exploded on AO3, Twitter, Tumblr, Tiktok, and other websites with fannish culture; as of August 23rd 2023, he is part of the most popular AO3 ships of the franchise, which are a variation of the player character and himself (with around 1353 tags in 1836 works). There are many terms used for the player character, which causes some tags to overlap:

  • Original female character
  • Original male character
  • Original nonbinary (or non-binary) character
  • Original character
  • Reader
  • Charname ("character name")
  • Tav (default player name)
  • The Dark Urge (default Dark Urge player name)
  • Durge ("Dark Urge")

On AO3 the second most popular romance is with Gale, who during initial full release was the easiest male companion to romance, partially due to bugs causing the romance to activate erroneously. His romantic behaviour has changed throughout the release of different patches, ranging from his romance scenes firing without any previous romantic interaction, to having no romantic options available even at a full approval score. Because of his frequently-bugged romance triggers he has been compared to Anders of Dragon Age II, who also very easily falls for the player character. Both Gale and Anders have caused the same phenomenon of making some heterosexual male players uncomfortable, due to how easily they seemed to show romantic interest in the player character regardless of player input.

Relationship Names

See also: List of Baldur's Gate 3 Relationship Names

The fandom commonly uses both portmanteaus and more thematic names for ships.

In cases where the whole group of Origins is shipped together (either with or without Tav or The Dark Urge), the name of the ship is Tadpolycule. Sometimes Halsin is part of this ship, even though he isn't canonically tadpoled. It can also be called Partycule, although it is not necessary for all party members to be present in the ship. The ship included in these tags is more commonly polyamory than simply a collection tag of different party members being paired off with each other in inflexible pairings.

In a more general sense, the main party as a group are often referred to as the "tadfools" or "tadpole gang" (once again also including the non-tadpoled characters).

Pairings involving non-playable characters

Relationships with Other Fandoms

The high number of Dragon Age fans making the leap to Baldur's Gate III has caused an interesting development: Since both Fenris and Astarion share a number of tropes in common as do Anders and Gale, some fans have drawn parallels between them, and even joked about the "Fenris to Astarion pipeline" and "Anders to Gale pipeline" that many Dragon Age fans coming to the game seem to have followed. While there are some similarities, the characters have significantly differing goals, personalities and backstories. Bioware's original lead writer for the Dragon Age series, David Gaider, has expressed a similar opinion regarding Fenris[7], but not exactly on Anders[8]. Some fans see stronger parallels between Astarion and Zevran, and some consider Astarion to be Fenris's and Zevran's most prominent traits blended together. In the same vein, there are also opinions that Gale feels like a mix of Anders and Alistair. Some fans have reacted with humor to this phenomenon, joking that Dragon Age fans (even themselves) simply haven't branched into other high fantasy franchises enough to recognise that some tropes are more common than they think[9].

Fanworks

Fanfiction

  • What Drifts on the Air, Tadpolycule “You have to kiss Gale,” Shadowheart tells Halsin, glittering with mischief. “It’s the rules.” Shadowheart and Astarion start a game. It escalates quickly. by Letterblade
  • late nights in the elfsong tavern, Tadpolycule “What exactly is this game,” Lae’zel looks between them, suspicious. “Oh, I think you’ll like this one,” Karlach grins. “We all sit in a circle and spin the bottle; whoever it lands on, you make out with. Or, if we’re playing Seven in Celestia, we shove the pair in a closet for seven minutes to, you know, get a little taste of heaven.” She nods. “I have had competitions on who could bring their partner to climax the swiftest. This seems comparable.” Gale, Wyll, and Shadowheart all choke on their drinks at that; Karlach belts out a laugh. “I think things may be better if we keep things at kissing,” Gale suggests. by shadowfell
  • left hungry with the want, Tadpolycule There are more dangerous mushrooms in the Underdark than simple poisons; Halsin takes the brunt of one, leaving the rest of the party to try and assist in the aftermath. by shadowfell
  • nothing is safe, Wyllstarion "Wyll's the sort of prince-type I would have once dreamed of marrying. When I was about thirteen." by foxflowering
  • Another Path, Wyllstarion Astarion has spent two hundred years waiting for a hero to come. It isn't the foolish sort of idle dreaming that one reads about in adventure tales, no – he doesn't moon about in picturesque arched windows, pressing his hand to his chest and sighing. But he does hope sometimes, furtive and distantly yearning, in the same way he still prays to gods who never listen, every now and again. by Asidian
  • Perceived Impressions, Halstarion When Astarion awakens in the aftermath of the Nautiloid crash, it is not to a friendly face but the press of goblin steel against his cheek. Now a captive of the Absolute, he is left starving and huddled in the corner, waiting for the beast that shares his cell to finally strike. Bears, after all, are not known to be the most gracious killers. by Acinonyx1
  • to give you an expected end, Durgetash 'What would the former Archduke Gortash be doing planting duskwood saplings in a public park?,' the former Archduke Gortash said instead. He had, in fact, just spent the past four hours planting duskwood saplings in a public park. 'Don't be ridiculous. It is merely a passing resemblance, and one I am not too fond of, given the circumstances.' 'Huh,' the man said. 'I suppose that does make sense: you poor fucker! Besides, they wouldn't let a dangerous madman like that back on the streets.' 'Yes, you would think so, wouldn't you,' Gortash said, mostly to himself. by Jack_R
  • The stars began to burn, Bloodweave After two centuries of torment, Astarion has given up hope of escaping Cazador's clutches, until a chance encounter with a stolen book introduces him to the disembodied voice of a wizard named Gale of Waterdeep. With the fate of Baldur's Gate in the balance, they must confront their demons and win their freedom - together. by peregrinefeathers

Fanart

Gallery

Fan Vids

Resources

Fan Communities and Challenges

References

  1. ^ Ed Greenwood on Dragonspear’s “Controversy” https://roleplayersguild.wordpress.com/2016/04/06/ed-greenwood-on-dragonspears-controversy/
  2. ^ Twitter (X) user mentioning the incident, noticing the pattern of replies and comments https://twitter.com/JaneOst_/status/1746120204755591544
  3. ^ Another Twitter (X) user noticing the pattern of replies https://twitter.com/Errr_Ctrl/status/1746130748388622395
  4. ^ Mizhera's Baldur's Gate Fandom page https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Mizhena#cite_note-1
  5. ^ Gayming Mag Interview with Jennifer English about growing up queer and becoming a video game icon https://gaymingmag.com/2023/10/jennifer-english-on-growing-up-queer-and-becoming-a-video-game-icon-in-baldurs-gate-3/
  6. ^ BAFTA profile of Samantha Béart https://www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/breakthrough/samantha-beart-performer
  7. ^ David Gaider regarding Fenris on twitter https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/1693411682385904108 achived on Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20230823070405/https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/1693411682385904108
  8. ^ David Gaider answering fans regarding Anders https://twitter.com/noniazure/status/1693412743322456457 archived on Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20230823092320/https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/1693413979434185208
  9. ^ Example by nonbinaryfenris on Twitter https://twitter.com/nonbinaryfenris/status/1690323908170313729 archived on Wayback https://web.archive.org/web/20230823093228/https://twitter.com/nonbinaryfenris/status/1690323908170313729


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