Despite initial delays, Patch 7 for Baldur’s Gate 3is right around the corner, and for players that enjoy veering on the dark side and working alongside the Absolute, Larian has provided a number of brand-new evil endings.
Larian Studios recently posted on their X (formerly Twitter) account for Baldur’s Gate 3 a sneak peak at one of the new evil endings that will be available once Patch 7 finally drops.
The New Ending Tricks Baldurian Citizens Into Living In Total Bliss
If you decided happily ever after wasn’t for you, there’s an assortment of evil ending cinematics new to Baldur’s Gate 3, arriving with Patch 7.
While details are still sparse regarding how these evil endings will be triggered by players, the clip Larian chose to tease chose what looks like a crowd of Baldurian citizens being controlled by the same aberrant mind powers that Mind Flayers & the tadpoles possess to fill their heads with lofty daydreams about their day-to-day.
While the closed beta for Patch 7 was initially delayed due to some internal coding issues, it looks like the release of the massive patch is back on track for an early Fall 2024 release date.
Creating a Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most intimidating things for beginners that aren’t familiar with Dungeons & Dragons because there are so many Domains and Deities to choose from. While Domains are more important – since they act as your subclass – your chosen Deity is still essential for roleplaying purposes and interactions with other companions and NPCs throughout the game.
All Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Domains, Explained
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There are 7 Domains to choose from in Baldur’s Gate 3. Each comes with its own list of spells and abilities that will be awarded as you level up. For starters, the BG3 Tempest Cleric Domain is a fan favorite.
While some Domains are commonly associated with certain Deities (the Life Domain is usually associated with good Deities, for example) you can mix and match as you please.
Best Cleric Domain in Baldur’s Gate 3
If you ask me, the best Domain to choose for your Cleric is either the Life Domain or the War Domain. The former is the stereotypical choice for a Cleric, but with good reason, since it allows players to heal and buff allies on the field. Conversely, the latter is excellent for Clerics who don’t want to be shoehorned into a support role. The Tempest Domain also works for this purpose if you prefer lightning magic instead of traditional swordplay.
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Life Domain
The Life Domain is associated with many good Deities. It focuses on protective and restorative spells, making it perfect for a support-oriented Cleric. In addition to Heavy Armor Proficiency, this Domain starts with Disciple of Life, which permanently buffs all healing spells by 2 HP.
Here’s what you’ll learn as you level up if you choose this Domain.
Level 1 – Domain Spells (Bless, Cure Wounds)
Level 1 – Disciple of Life (Subclass Feature)
Level 1 – Heavy Armour Proficiency (Subclass Feature)
Level 2 – Preserve Life (Action)
Level 3 – Domain Spells (Lesser Restoration, Aid)
Level 5 – Domain Spells (Revivify, Beacon of Hope)
Level 6 – Blessed Healer (Subclass Feature)
Level 7 – Domain Spells (Death Ward, Guardian of Faith)
According to the official in-game description, the Light Domain is centered around Deities of justice, majesty, and primordial flame. This Domain utilizes spells that can dispel darkness and are effective against undead creatures, which makes sense given the name. Warding Flare, this Domain’s unique spell, lets you force a Disadvantage on attackers.
Here’s what progression looks like for a Light Domain Cleric.
The Trickery Domain is home to mischievous and chaotic Deities, perfect for Clerics who really wish they could play a Rogue or Bard. Their unique action is Blessing of the Trickster, which gives an Advantage on Stealth checks. Plus, they start out with Disguise Self and Charm Person too.
Here’s what you’ll learn as you level up as a Trickery Domain Cleric.
The Knowledge Domain is the nerdiest of them all, designed for Clerics who wish to be proficient in language and academic skills. Blessings of Knowledge is its unique feature, letting you learn two additional languages at the start of the game. Plus, you can choose to be proficient in two of the following: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus will be doubled to +4 for any skill checks that use your chosen two!
Here’s what progression looks like for the Knowledge Domain.
Level 1 – Domain Spells (Command, Sleep)
Level 2 – Knowledge of the Ages (Action)
Level 3 – Domain Spells (Calm Emotions, Hold Person)
The Nature Domain is self-explanatory, letting you channel your inner Druid to focus on the great outdoors. Nature Domain Clerics are proficient with Heavy Armor, just like Life Domain Clerics, and their unique feature — Acolyte of Nature — lets them learn any Druid cantrip of their choosing and gain proficiency in Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival.
Here’s what the progression path looks like for a Nature Domain Cleric.
Level 1 – Domain Spells (Speak with Animals, Animal Friendship)
The BG3 Tempest Cleric Domain is centered around lightning, thunder, and storms. It’s mainly an offensive Domain that provides proficiency with Martial Weapons and Heavy Armor, so it’s perfect for Clerics who want to be on the front lines and deal massive damage. Its unique feature is Wrath of the Storm, a spell that strikes a foe and deals 2-16 Lightning damage (or half of that on a failed Saving Throw). I found the Wrath of the Storm feature to help me the most in the game’s brutal battles, so I highly recommend it.
Here are all the spells that a Tempest Domain Cleric learns as they level up.
Level 1 – Domain Spells (Thunderwave, Fog Cloud)
Level 1 – Heavy Armour Proficiency (Subclass Feature)
Last but certainly not least, the War Domain is designed for Clerics who want to smite evildoers with holy powers. Choosing this Domain will make you proficient with Heavy Armor and Martial Weapons and grant you the War Priest ability, which grants you War Priest charges that can be spent to make additional attacks during your turn.
Here’s what progression looks like for the War Domain.
Level 1 – Domain Spells (Divine Favour, Shield of Faith)
Level 1 – Heavy Armour Proficiency (Subclass Feature)
Level 7 – Domain Spells (Stoneskin, Freedom of Movement)
Level 8 – Divine Strike: Warmaster (Action)
Level 9 – Domain Spells (Flame Strike, Hold Monster)
What Does a Cleric Deity Do in Baldur’s Gate 3?
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There are a whopping 21 Deities to choose from when creating a Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3. This choice doesn’t affect anything related to gameplay or combat but will affect your relationship with certain NPCs and your available dialogue options in specific scenarios. This is purely a roleplaying decision, so try to choose the one that sounds the coolest to you. My personal favorite is the BG3 Tempus Cleric Deity.
Here’s a list of all 21 Baldur’s Gate 3 Deities with a brief summary of each.
Selune: Goddess of the Moon, Stars, and Navigation
Bahamut: Dragon God of Justice
Tempus: Lord of Battles
Tyr: Blind God of Law and Justice
Helm: The Watcher, Eternal Sentry Among the Gods
Ilmater: Crying God of the Oppressed and Persecuted
Mystra: Mother of All Magic
Oghma: God of Inspiration and Invention
Kelemvor: Guides the Undead to the Afterlife
Moradin: Dwarven God of Smiths, Artisans, and Miners
Corellon Larethian: Creator of Elves and Overseer of Elven Pantheon, God of Art, Magic, and Nature
Garl Glittergold: King of the Gnomish Gods, Deity of Humor, Gem-Cutting, Protection, and Trickery
Yondalla: Mother of the Halfling Pantheon, Goddess of Home, Hearth, and Nature
Lolth: Matriarch of the Drow Pantheon, Goddess of Spiders and the Underdark, seeks to corrupt all Drow and turn them into cultists.
Gruumsh: Patron Deity of Orcs, God of War, Conquest, and Victory
Tiamat: Dragon God of Greed
Eilistraee: Goddess of Good Drow, Beauty, Song, and Freedom
Lathander: God of Dawn and Spring, Birth and New Beginnings
Talos: Uncaring and Destructive Force of Nature
Tymora: Goddess of Fortune and Gambling
Mielikki: Goddess of Forests
While most of these Deities can be chosen without affecting your character that much, be wary of selecting Deities like Lolth, who are reviled throughout Faerun. Lolth, for example, wishes to turn every Drow into a mindless servant. In addition, Tiamat is described as a “roiling mass of avarice and hate that is currently trapped within the Nine Hells.”
Openly worshiping some of these Deities might make some NPCs think less of you. However, nobody’s really going to care if you serve Garl Glittergold on the other hand. If you want to deepen your relationship with everyone’s favorite Wizard, Gale, you should choose Mystra to unlock some unique dialogue options with him at camp. Meanwhile, if you want NPCs to associate you with war and battles, select the BG3 Tempus Cleric Deity.
As mentioned, choosing a Cleric Deity isn’t the most crucial decision in Baldur’s Gate 3, as they only change dialogue options. That said, it is recommended to pick one that can deepen a relationship with a party member or one that aligns well with the Clerics role.
For example, as stated in the last section, choosing Mystra, described as “Mother of all Magic,” will deepen your relationship with the Wizard Gale. Another great pick is Bahamut, described as the “Dragon God of Justice,” who is well regarded and looked at for their healing capabilities, which aligns well with the Cleric class.
Do Deities Matter in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Deities only matter if you care about the story of Baldur’s Gate 3. In other words, it depends on what you are trying to get out of the game. For example, deities don’t change how combat turns out or the game’s overall difficulty, but they do change the roleplaying nature of the game. You will get different dialogue options depending on the Deity you choose, so it’s smart to choose wisely if dialogue options are an important factor to you.
Considering Baldur’s Gate 3 is at its absolute best when role-playing and discovering the lore the game includes, I recommend you pick the Deity that sounds the coolest to you. You will find that BG3 can get incredibly in-depth regarding relationships with other characters, and each Deity can significantly impact how things pan out.
If you are unsure which one to choose, you can save before selecting the Deity and then load the game later if you get bored of your current pick. For example, I first selected the Bahamut Deity and didn’t like it, so I reloaded the save game and went with BG3 Tempest Deity instead, which was more my speed.
Which is the Best Race for a Cleric in Baldur’s Gate 3?
The best race to choose for the Cleric class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Duegar. The Duegar is the best for a couple of reasons: they get a boost in proficiency with bludgeoning weapons and gain an advantage against being paralyzed or charmed. These two status effects can turn the tide in combat, so having a Duegar cleric can help counter this.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a lot of merchants for players to stumble across on their quest, and it’s easy to miss talking to many of them before finishing the game, which can cause players to miss out on some truly incredible gear for their builds.
Where to Find All Merchants in Baldur’s Gate 3
Act 1
Image: Larian Studios
Although there are many merchants in Act 1, most of them are relatively easy to come across. The most important merchants you’ll want to talk to, of course, in the first map are Dammon, who is directly tied to Karlach’s questline, and the Zhentarim merhcants you can help save from the Gnolls near the Risen Road which can offer players with some of the better early magic weapons, and an optional encounter with a spectator.
Merchant
Location
Arron
Emerald Grove
Auntie Ethel
Emerald Grove (will later be located at Riverside Teahouse)
Dammon
Emerald Grove
Mattis
Emerald Grove
Mol
Emerald Grove
Glomp
Goblin Camp
Grat
Goblin Camp
Roah Moonglow
Goblin Camp
Brem
The Risen Road
Cyrel
The Risen Road Tollhouse
A’jak’nir Jeera
Crèche Y’llek (Rosymorn Monastery)
Esther
Rosymorn Monastery Trail (Rosymorn Monastery)
Blurg
Ebonlake Grotto (Underdark)
Derryth Bonecloak
Ebonlake Grotto (Underdark)
Omeluum
Ebonlake Grotto (Underdark)
Kith
Grymforge (Underdark)
Greymon
Grymforge (Underdark)
Act 2
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When you reach the Shadow-Cursed Lands and take on Ketheric Thorm and the Sharran Gauntlet, there are plenty of NPCs to interact with that offer powerful new items to aid in your impending face-off with Myrkul’s chosen.
Merchant
Location
Barcus
Last Light Inn
Dammon
Last Light Inn
Mattis
Last Light Inn
Talli
Last Light Inn
Sister Lidwin
House of Healing
Hoarding Merregon
Gauntlet of Shar
Araj Oblodra
Moonrise Towers
Lann Tarv
Moonrise Towers
Roah Moonglow
Moonrise Towers
Act 3
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Act 3 has even more merchants than Act 1. There are way too many places to visit, and way too many things to buy. Boney sells scrolls, which are always useful for those playing a Wizard, and Danthelon’s Dancing Axe has good weapons and it’s fairly easy to find.
Carmen and Figaro have many clothing and dye options for players, Vicar Humbletoes and Nansi Gretta have scrolls, and Dammon will be back with weapons and armor. Make sure to visit Lorroakan’s Projection at Sorcerous Sundries since he has rare scrolls and good magic items.
Gale is a smooth-talking, good-hearted companion in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you’re not playing him as an Origin character and want to romance him, learning his likes and dislikes is a good way to win the Waterdeep wizarding prodigy’s heart.
Before being abducted by the Nautiloid, Gale held close relations with Mystra, the goddess of magic – and even shared a romantic relationship with her.
How To Increase Gale’s Approval in Baldur’s Gate 3
Image: Larian Studios
Gale can be a bit hard to figure out. He’s a heroic and kind-hearted individual, but is also extremely driven by ambition and logic. Gale appreciates when you save lives and make decisions that benefit others, such as choosing to save the tiefling camp in Act 1. Additionally, showing an interest in magic and allowing him to rant about his interests will also build up your relationship.
Gale’s Likes
Demonstrating intelligence
Protecting allies and other NPCs
Showing magical knowledge
Using nonviolent solutions to problems
Displaying kindness to others
Petting Scratch & the Owlbear cub at camp
Respecting other people’s privacy and boundaries – especially his early on
Giving him Magic Items to consume in Act 1
Gale’s Dislikes
Unnecessary violence
Recklessness
Ignorance to the world around you
Lack of curiosity
Distrusting him
How To Romance Gale
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To romance Gale, you need to make your decisions with his approval in mind. It’s the same process you go through when looking for approval of any character in the game. There are numerous instances and encounters at the campsite with Gale that could shape his perception of you.
Act 1 Romance Choices
There are way too many ways to make Gale like you during Act 1. The Wizard of Waterdeep will notice and approve of your behavior every time you save NPCs from danger, demonstrate heroism, show empathy, avoid unnecessary violence, and engage in intelligent conversations. Just make sure to entertain his curiosity, act like a hero, and take his concerns seriously.
Act 2 Romance Choices
One of the most effective ways to romance Gale is by completing his companion quest, “Wizard of Waterdeep”. However, there are other things that you can only do in Act 2 to make Gale like you more:
Shuffle the board in the game between Mol and Raphael
Do not drink Jaheira’s wine when you first meet her
Tell Arabella you found her parents dead.
Ask Elminster why you’re facing the Absolute alone if even the gods know about its threat.
Let Gale teach you magic.
Act 3 Romance Choices
In Act 3, several dialogue choices can influence Gale’s approval. For example, inside the House of Hope, refuse to remove your clothes and pledge your body to Raphael’s personal incubus, Haarlep. You can also persuade Gale to join you in bed with the Drow twins. When he expresses his doubts, tell him: “Your body looks great“ to earn his approval.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has plenty of companions for players to romance, and some of these romanceable companions are even open to inviting another party into their relationship, if the you play your cards right.
Romancing multiple companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t much different from building a monogamous relationship. Of course, you’ll need to ensure that you’ve gained enough favorability with all your potential partners that they’re open to entering a relationship with you. This can be done by choosing the correct dialogue options during your one-on-one interactions with them, and making roleplaying decisions during the main story that they approve of.
Something that’s important to note, however, when exploring poly in Baldur’s Gate 3 is that some characters aren’t interested in sharing you with your companions – in fact, there are only a handful of characters that are truly open and willing to “open up the relationship”.
All Polyamorous and Monogamous Companions in Baldur’s Gate 3
Image: Larian Studios
The two companions that will be vehemently against having a polyamorous relationship are Wyll Ravengard and Gale Dekarios. If you attempt to romance other companions while committed to them, they’ll confront you and force you to choose between them.
Additionally, while the rest of the companions are more open to being in a polyamorous relationship, they aren’t willing to be in one with some of the other companions, even if you try to convince them. Alternatively, there are some companions who are “open to sharing” in Act 1 and early into Act 2, but as your relationship develops, they’ll want exclusivity.
Here are a handful of examples of potential outcomes for players trying to experience a poly romance in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Shadowheart is open to being in a polyamorous relationship with you and someone else in Act 1 as long as it’s not Lae’zel. However, as your relationship with her deepens in Act 2, she’ll want to become exclusive.
Astarion is open to a relationship with you, Halsin, and Minthara. He is also available, albeit somewhat reluctantly, to be in a relationship with you and Shadowheart until she decides she wants a monogamous relationship in Act 2.
Karlach is open to being in a polyamorous relationship with you and someone else in Act 1 since she’s unable to be physical, but once her Infernal Engine is repaired by Dammon and the relationship deepens, she’ll request to be exclusive.
Halsin and Minthara are both open to being in a polyamorous relationship with you if they get along with the other partner.
How To End a Relationship In Baldur’s Gate 3
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If you went down the Polygamy route and have maybe changed your mind on the whole ordeal — there is a way to end one, or both, of the relationships. Players can end a relationship with another character by selecting the correct dialogue options during regular conversations, or in the middle of romance cutscenes.
For the former, when you are speaking with the character(s) you are romancing, an option will appear that says something along the lines of, “Let’s talk about us.” Once you select this, you will have the option to end it for good.
It’s important to note that players have reported that this dialogue option doesn’t always appear, meaning it may only become available if you’ have been in the relationship for a certain amount of time’ve achieved certain milestones in the relationship. Keep an eye out for these dialogue choices during romance cutscenes and when speaking with your romance partner.
Good morning, and happy Monday, everyone! As we begin the new week, we have a hge slate of new releases to get excited for. Whether you want to explore the galaxy in Starfield or get lost in Chants of Sennaar, there’s a new game for you. So, without further adieu, here are all the new games coming out this week!
Chants of Sennaar (Sept. 5)
Starting things off this week, we have Chants of Sennaar. Developed by Rundisc and published by Focus Entertainment, this adventure game pulls deep from historical roots. The game is based on the myth of Babel, in which a great tower was built in attempt to reach the gods.
In the game, you take on the role of a newcomer to the tower. As you progress, you must learn the ways of these now divided people to decipher their languages and bring them back together. You can venture into Chants of Sennaar tomorrow on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Rune Factory 3 Special (Sept. 5)
Journeying into your home next is Rune Factory 3 Special. Developed and published by Marvelous Games and XSEED Games, this JRPG puts you in the shoes of a young adventurer with a monstrous secret. The special edition of Rune Factory 3 also includes the Newlywed Mode and a “Hell” difficulty.
In addition, the remake features improved graphics and redesigned 3D character models. As you journey across two worlds, you’ll search for a way for humans and monsters to coexist. You can venture into Rune Factory 3 Special when it launches for Nintendo Switch and PC tomorrow.
Baldur’s Gate 3 (Sept. 6)
Then, Baldur’s Gate 3 makes its console debut. Developed and published by Larian Studios, this RPG sees you return to the Forgotten Realms in a tale of fellowship, betrayal, sacrifice and survival. After mysterious abilities awaken inside you, it’s up to you whether you resist and overcome the darkness or embrace the corruption to become the ultimate evil.
Throughout the game, you’ll get to choose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes and choose up to three other companions to accompany your adventure. As you journey on, you’ll adventure, loot, battle and romance across the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Though it already launched last month on PC, PlayStation 5 players can play Baldur’s Gate 3 this Wednesday.
Starfield (Sept. 6)
Starfieldis an intergaalctic RPG where you’ll embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery. Developed and published by Bethesda, the game puts you in the year 2330, when humanity ventured beyond our solar system. Players join the Constellation, the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy.
The game’s most important story is the one you tell with your fully customized character. It’s up to you whether you want to be an experienced explorer, charming diplomat or stealthy cyber runner. You can start your adventure in Starfield when it launches for Xbox Series X/S and PC this Wednesday.
Rugby 24 (Sept. 7)
Rugby 24 is a sports simulator that takes you into the world of Rugby. Developed by Eko Software and published by Nacon, this game sees you play with the best clubs and top nations. Throughout the game, you’ll experience dynamic gameplay that stays faithful to the sport and experience the intensity of big matches.
You’ll also enter the most prestigious competitions in both single-player and multiplayer modes. In Career Mode, you can also create and manage your own team. You can make your way onto the field in Rugby 24 when it comes to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC this Thursday.
Fae Farm (Sept. 8)
Fae Farm is an action simulator that blends farming with spellcasting. Developed and published by Phoenix Labs, the game takes place in the magical realm of Azoria. Throughout the game, you’ll need to till the land to grow crops, gather resources and decorate your homesteads to restore the land to its former glory.
The game also features online multiplayer, where your friends can join you to help cultivate a beautiful farm. In addition, you’ll also explore various colorful environments, where you’ll find new resources to bring to your homestead. You can play Fae Farm when it launches on Friday for Nintendo Switch and PC.
NBA 2K24 (Sept. 8)
Closing out this week is NBA 2K24. Developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K, the next chapter in the NBA 2K series pays tribute to the legendary Kobe Bryant through two special editions that feature him as the cover athlete. In addition, the game will introduce innovative technological advancements such as bringing in cross-play multiplayer.
Throughout the game, you can also relive history with the Mamba Moments mode, which allows you to recreate some of Kobe’s most captivating performances in his career. The new game also introduces ProPLAY, which directly translates real NBA footage into gameplay. You can hit the court in NBA 2K24 when it comes to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC this Friday.
What upcoming games will you be playing this week?
Overall, this is a really exciting week for gamers. From Starfield to Chants of Sennaar, this week offers a lot of excitement. But what new game are you most excited to play? As always, let us know what you think in the comments!
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In spite of the legacy of the Baldur’s Gate IP and the track record of Larian Studios as a developer, few could have accurately predicted the level of success that Baldur’s Gate 3 went on to enjoy upon its launch last year. Widely regarded by one and all as one of the greatest games of its kind, the fantasy RPG has been showered with endless praise from all corners since the day it exited early access last year- and Larian has still just kept going.
As a single-player RPG, no one really would have expected Baldur’s Gate 3 to be as well supported following launch as it has been, but Larian Studios has maintained an impressive cadence of updates for the game. Over the course of the last year, since its full release on PC, Baldur’s Gate 3 has seen a bevy of hotfixes and six major patches, with a seventh yet to come, all of it arriving for free and adding a host of new features and improvements to what was already an unabashed masterpiece.
Here, then, we’re going to take a look at some of the biggest ways Baldur’s Gate 3 has grown, improved, and evolved in its post-launch period, and we’re going to do that by going over each of its major patches one by one. Without further ado, let’s get started.
PATCH 1
Coming within less than a month of Baldur’s Gate 3’s 1.0 release, its first patch was one that wasn’t focused on adding anything as much as it was on polishing. No major new features or bits and bobs were added to the game with Patch 1, but Larian Studios did introduce a whole host of fixes to the experience nonetheless. In total, the first full patch that was released for the megaton RPG has more than a thousand fixes, with several bugs, glitches, inconsistencies, and what have you being addressed. In areas ranging from the UI, character-specific scenes, and balancing, to the visuals, loot, and more, Baldur’s Gate 3’s first patch smoothed over wrinkles of varying sizes all throughout the experience.
PATCH 2
Less than a week after Patch 1, Larian Studios put out Patch 2 for Baldur’s Gate 3, and though the developer still hadn’t quite got into the swing of adding major new features to the game by this point, Patch 2 did lean more in that direction than the first one did. For starters, significant performance improvements were made across the board, which was much needed. Even with all the universal praise that it enjoyed right out the gate, Baldur’s Gate 3 was still a game with more than a few technical issues in those early days (especially once you got to Act 3), and Patch 2’s performance optimizations brought tangible improvements on that front.
Patch 2 also brought with it what Larian dubbed Withers’ Wardrobe of Wayward Friends, which added the ability to remove co-op party members from your campaign, something that couldn’t be done until that point. Beyond that, the patch added several scenes tied specifically to Karlach (including a new epilogue scene), in addition to continuing to make bug fixes, polishing optimizations, and the like.
PATCH 3
Roughly a month later, in the latter half of September, Patch 3 arrived, which went hand in hand with Baldur’s Gate 3 releasing for Mac. Granted, that’s not exactly a platform with a huge gaming audience, but it did open up the game to yet more people, which is always a good thing, especially when the game in question is as good as this is.
Far more noteworthy, of course, was the fact that Patch 3 brought with it the addition of what Baldur’s Gate 3 dubbed the Magic Mirror, an item that players could interact with in their camp in order to change their cosmetic appearance and other aspects of your character to their heart’s content. That entailed changing your hair, facial features, pronouns, voice, and the like, which players had been requesting to see in the game ever since its launch. That in and of itself made Patch 3 quite a well received step forward for the game- and yes, it, too, brought plenty of additional polish and bug fixes.
PATCH 4
After adding new and heavily requested features to Baldur’s Gate 3 with its second and third post-launch updates, with Patch 4, Larian Studios decided to focus once again on optimizing and polish rather than adding anything. Coming more than a month after the third patch, Patch 4 arrived with over a thousand fixes, similar to the very first post-launch update that the game received. From combat to story scenes, from character and class specific balancing to visual bugs, from crashes to UI issues, there was plenty that Patch 4 addressed. On top of all of those fixes, it also added new accessibility options, such as a colour blind mode with multiple settings, as well as support for AMD FSR 2.2.
PATCH 5
Arriving at the end of November, Patch 5 was by far the most packed patch to be released for Baldur’s Gate 3 up to that point. In addition to continued layers of polish, with its fifth major post-launch patch, the RPG added a host of new features, some of which were quite significant. Chief among the additions was an entirely new playable epilogue. Set several months after the main story, the epilogue brought with it well over 3,000 new lines of dialogue, new cinematics, and more, all of it meant to serve as a final goodbye to all of the characters.
Then there was the new Honor Mode, a higher difficulty setting that brought with it more difficult boss fights, the introduction of Legendary Actions, save scumming and several known exploits being removed (only from the new mode), permadeath, new rewards, and more. On the flipside, there was also the new Custom Mode, which as its name implied, allowed players to customize a variety of different aspects of the gameplay experience to suit your particular tastes.
Add to that some noticeable UI improvements, support for dynamic resolution scaling on PS5, more performance improvements in Act 3, and much more, and Patch 5 was easily the biggest update to be released for Baldur’s Gate 3 at the time that it came out- and still is, in fact. Speaking of which…
PATCH 6
Arriving in February earlier this year, more than two months after Patch 5, Patch 6 was clearly coming at a point where Larian Studios was gearing up to move on from Baldur’s Gate 3. Though the studio was, of course, continuing to further polish the experience with hotfixes as and when they were needed, with the majority of major features that Larian wanted to add in the game already being in the game, the pace with which patches were being released slowed down significantly. Not that anyone was complaining- Baldur’s Gate 3 is a ridiculously massive full featured game as is.
Even so, Patch 6 wasn’t completely without highlights of its own. It added new cinematics and scenes to the game to further strengthen the bonds and relationships between the core characters, as well as new idle animations for party members when they were in camp. By this point, with Baldur’s Gate 3 available on all the platforms that could possibly run it, the game’s post-launch support was clearly close to wrapping up by this point.
PATCH 7
Patch 7 is Baldur’s Gate 3’s next big patch, and is currently in beta, which means it won’t be too long before Larian Studios releases it in full- and once again, it’s going to be a big one, with plenty of major features set to be added. One in particular that many have been waiting for is official mod support, following which following which players will be able to create, share, and download community mods, all through an internally integrated Mod Manager.
Also on the way are new, evil endings, which are described as appropriately darker conclusions to the story for players who have made choices to reflect the same throughout their playthrough. That will, of course, involve new cinematics, new story content, new music, and more. Then there’s dynamic split-screen support (which will merge screens when players are close to each other), improved multiplayer banter, new Honor Mode mechanics, the addition of existing Honor Mode mechanics in Custom Mode as options, and much more.
Patch 7 is set to launch for all players at some point in September.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Larian Studios has done a phenomenal job with Baldur’s Gate 3. From its lengthy early access period to its full release to the excellent way it has been support post-launch, right from the off, it has been a labour of love for Larian, and the studio has left no stone unturned in ensuring that the acclaimed fantasy RPG can be the best possible version of itself. And incredibly enough, in spite of the fact that Larian has already gone above and beyond in consistently adding to and supporting a game that was already humongous with more than a year’s worth of free post-launch support- in spite of that, there’s still more to come.
Hotfixes will, of course, continue to arrive, which means more optimization tweaks, performance improvements, bug fixes, quality of life upgrades and what have you are certainly on the way. Beyond that, however, Larian says a couple more significant features are still set to be added to the game as well, including a photo mode and cross-platform multiplayer.
Presumably, Larian Studios is approaching the end of the road with Baldur’s Gate 3, and once it is done, the studio will be deserving of all the plaudits in the world not only for the game itself, but also how well it has been supported following its release. Hell, even many mainly multiplayer, so-called live service games can learn a thing or two from Larian.
The award-winning Baldur’s Gate 3 has become an instant classic, and made it to the top of many players’ best of 2023 list – including myself. When the game launched, I found myself instantly enthralled by the “Dark Urge” character origin, and in my first playthrough, dived into learning as much as I could about my – as Astarion would put it – “precious little Bhaal Babe.”
While Act 1 was relatively tame in giving away information about the Dark Urge’s backstory, Act 2 hits like a truck – and as I continued playing noticed something undeniable: the Dark Urge and Enver Gortash absolutely had “something” going on before the events of the main game.
Image: Attack of the Fanboy
I’m not the only person picking up on the tension between the Dead Three’s chosen either, but Larian Studios is determined to try and run away from the possibility of “Durgetash” being made canon.
Larian Studio’s Continuous Denial Of Durgetash Is Funny, But Continues To Stoke the Flames
Image: Attack of the Fanboy
Plenty of fans are excited for the release of Patch 7. Larian recently dropped the patch notes on their social platforms, and it introduces a number of incredible changes, bug fixes, and the official modding toolkit. Also featured on Community Update #28, though, is this excerpt:
Image: Larian Studios
Clearly, Larian Studios has heard pleas from the desperate Durgetash community for any crumbs of content or making the doomed ship canon, but the studio has decided to instead choose violence. This isn’t the first time the studio has made jabs at fans of the ship either, as they regularly engage with fans of the villainous Lord Enver Gortash on Twitter/X.
These aren’t the only examples, of course, but Larian does seem to love the banter. The bigger question on this issue, though, is why they’re so dedicated to shooting down the hopes of Durgetash fans when there are clearly nods to the pair having some kind of “more-than-enemies-less-than-friends” dynamic before the Dark Urge got tadpoled.
Analyzing the Relationship Between Gortash & the Dark Urge: Partners In World Domination, Or Something More?
Analyzing what once was between Enver Gortash and Dark Urge is tricky at best, partially due to the fact that many of the references to the pair’s relationship can only be found in books, letters, and journals scattered throughout the game that are incredibly easy to miss for a player barreling through the main story. Regardless, observant Durgetash fans have done their research and have scoured every corner of the Sword Coast to find evidence that these two used to be involved with one another.
Posted by u/AgitatedMango9695 on Reddit, the following letter can be found in game – including a note added by Balthazar at the end making a jab at Dark Urge – of Bhaal’s chosen lamenting about being unable to ignore Gortash’s inherent genius.
Screenshots Taken By u/AgitatedMango9695
Called a “Prayer of Forgiveness” in-game, this is the first concrete piece of evidence that the two had a much deeper relationship other than uniting the chosen of the Dead Three to take over Faerûn. Once the player makes it to Act 3, there are even more hints scattered throughout alluding to something going on – including a unique piece of Gortash dialogue when he’s speaking to Orin in an early cutscene, giving a shocked, “They live?” after hearing that the Dark Urge is making their way to the city.
When the Dark Urge finally makes it to Wyrm’s Crossing and goes to speak to Gortash during the coronation ceremony, he seems genuinely elated to see them – something that he does not do for a regular Tav. His body language in the cutscenes that follow are notably different, darting his eyes away and even smiling. If you have Karlach in your party, he even says this, “To think you and Karlach travelled together all this time, and she hadn’t the faintest you were one of my nearest and dearest.” and with specific dialogue choices will later add, “You and I always knew we could only stand against the world united.”
Then, when Orin begins invading the player’s camp, she makes a pointed statement directed at the player that they have always been easily influenced by the “Lordling”.
Image: Larian Studios
This isn’t what ultimately sold me on the two having involvement, believe it or not. What really sealed the deal for me as a player was learning about the heist on Mephistopheles vault, and what Gortash says to the player as they enter the The Iron Throne to rescue Ulder Ravengard, and their final conversation in a “good” aligned run if the player chooses to betray him. Surprisingly, much of this evidence was introduced in Patch 6 – one of the very few breadcrumbs that Larian has tossed to players to fuel speculation.
If the player chooses to betray Gortash and rescue Duke Ravengard from The Iron Throne, upon entering Gortash’s chambers in Wyrm’s Crossing, he will reprimand the Dark Urge for going against him, saying that the two of them could have been partners in crime had they chosen differently. To this, the player is presented with a series of dialogue options with one of them standing out, stating, “For what it’s worth, I think I always liked you, too. But this is how it must be.” Selecting this option, the player is hit with this narrative piece of pining: “There is hesitation in his eye for one moment. A passing thought of all times spent together you’ll never remember.” Gortash quickly interjects with, “Is that what you–” before being dramatically cut off by the rumbling of the Elder Brain.
While this is an overt bit of fanservice being thrown at Durgetash fans, this isn’t the only special dialogue shippers have decided to run with. When the player begins their descent into The Irone Throne, Gortash will send a clear message for them to stop what they’re doing or threaten to kill everyone imprisoned inside. While not the most concrete, the Dark Urge does get an interesting unique response to this, saying that Gortash is theirs to take from. Any fan of doomed or toxic ships can read between the lines with this one, even if it may seem like a stretch at a glance.
One of the most interesting pieces of evidence that players can find about the pair’s past is the plot to raid Mephistopheles Vault. While this can, of course, be read as nothing more than two evil individuals plotting to unite for a common goal, it also opens the gates for a great deal of analysis and implication regarding just how much Gortash and the Dark Urge have relied on one another in the past. It also confirms that the two were well acquainted before the “Absolute” plot, and that despite their patron Gods being fierce rivals, moving past that in order to truly care for each other.
References to the raid can be found by speaking with Helsik in the Devil’s Fee while playing Dark Urge before traveling to the House of Hope in Act 3. Helsik will recognize the Dark Urge right away, but, as per usual, the Dark Urge has amnesia and can’t remember anything about interacting with Helsik in the past. She’s willing to enlighten you on a bit of your history, telling the player that she had opened a portal for the Dark Urge and Lord Gortash to enter the Hells. She doesn’t provide much else aside from this, but players can also find a note written by a spy hired by Orin, and one written by Gortash corroborating this information.
While a reach, the pair must have had a great deal of respect and trust for one another in order to band together to attempt to rob Mephistopheles – the most powerful Archdevil next to Asmodeus. Gortash and his favorite assassin have undeniable history, and while many players could understandably read these interactions as being the result of a deep-rooted trust, it’s impossible to look at this evidence without also seeing clear nods to doomed, romantic pining.
Image: Larian Studios
Our read on these interactions is that it’s almost undeniable that the feelings Gortash and the Dark Urge have for one another are anything but platonic. Even if it’s toxic, Archduke Enver Gortash is pining for the Dark Urge, and it’s time for Larian to stop avoiding the writing on the wall. Even if we can never ultimately save Gortash if we decide to side with him in Act 3, we should at least have one last chance for an angst-filled goodbye between the two – and maybe that kiss that Larian keeps insisting he’s too busy for.
Of Baldur’s Gate 3‘s many irresistibly romanceable companions, Karlach is one of the best. She’s full of energy, loving, and ready to throw herself in a rage to protect those she cares about. While many have found themselves charmed by the Tiefling and, in turn, have charmed her – others aren’t so lucky.
Theo Solomon, who plays Wyll Ravengard and Bernard in the smash-hit RPG, recently found himself on the receiving end of being not-so-subtly rejected by the fiery Barbarian during his playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3 on Twitch.
Theo May Have Been Rejected, But He Shook It Off
In the hilarious Youtube Short, Theo decides to shoot his shot to spend some one-on-one time with Karlach during the Tiefling party at the end of Act 1. In a tragic twist, Karlach shoots him down with her classic “let’s not ruin a good thing” voiceline. Theo plays it off, though, putting on a pair of sunglasses and moving on with the party.
Not to fear – as Theo did manage to score a romantic night with Shadowheart instead. For fans of Baldur’s Gate 3and Theo Solomon, the actor streams on Twitch at theosolomon1 and posts clips from his streams on Youtube @TheoSolomon1.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game filled with intriguing quests and mysteries that span across multiple Acts. One such mystery is an item that has puzzled many players is the ‘Fake Portrait of a Noble Before His Death.’ This item can be obtained from Oskar Fevras in the sewers, but is it actually used for anything in-game?
How to Use the Fake Portrait of a Noble Before His Death in BG3
Image: Attack of the Fanboy
Although the ‘Fake Portrait of a Noble Before His Death’ seems to be a key item in a quest line involving Oskar Fevras, it’s just a miscellaneous item. It appears Oskar may be selling counterfeit versions of costly paintings in Act 3 to earn some money. If you want, you can buy this and other paintings from him and drop them in your camp to decorate it; while simultaneously implying that his life could have taken a different turn if someone had rescued him from the Zhentarim hideout in Act 1.
The ‘Free the Artist’ Quest Line
Image: Attack of the Fanboy
The portrait is related to Lady Jannath’s estate, located south of the House of Grief and north of the Steel Watch Foundry. If you explore the estate, you’ll discover that Lady Jannath and Oskar share a romantic relationship, and she has been searching for him. Calling back to Act 1, if you exhaust Oskar’s voicelines in the Zhent’s hideout after deciding you do want to help him, you’ll learn he was set to marry before needing to ‘think things through’ and getting captured by the Zhents.
To properly finish complete his questline, you will need to help him out during Act 1. Here’s how to reunite Oskar and Lady Jannath:
Free Oskar from the Zhentarim hideout in Act 1 by persuading Brem, the trader in the hideout to set him free or by buying his freedom.
Look for Oskar in Baldur’s Gate during Act 3 at Lady Jannath’s Estate to the west of the Lower City, north of the Steel Watch Foundry. There is a Dragonborn standing guard at the front door that will give advise the player not to enter, but ultimately won’t do anything if you do.
Toggle ‘Non-Lethal Attacks’ to being active on the ‘Passives tab’.
Knock out Oskar, who is threatening Lady Jannath in her room.
Loot Oskar and get the key from him after he’s knocked out and talk with Lady Jannath to find out about all the strange paranormal activity effecting their home.
Reach the Atelier at the top of the manor. Note: You may need to find creative methods of getting to the top without constantly being knocked down by the cursed skulls throughout the house.
Take the Painting of a Smiling Maiden in the Atelier and place on the Painting Stand.
Go behind the secret door that opened and read the letter.
Read the letter inside the locked chest.
Get the Torch of Revocation from Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion, located south of Sorcerous Sundries and Felogyr’s Fireworks in the abandoned house.
Use the Torch of Revocation to destroy the Painting of a Smiling Maiden in the Atelier.
Return to Oskar and Lady Jannath’s bedroom and speak with them to trigger the quest’s finale.
Moving forward, the optimal way to conclude this quest is by attempting to persuade Kerri that her behavior is out of character. Go for persuasion checks whenever you can. That said, this is a moment for you to roleplay how your character would respond to the following conversation moreso than just deciding what the “right” choice would be.
If you let Oskar stick around in the land of the living after the fact, he will offer to take you back into the Atelier to paint a portrait of the hero that saved him and his troubled marriage.
Larian began a continuation of its work on the beloved Baldur's Gate 3 last year as it was "the obvious thing" to do - before ultimately deciding to change course.
Speaking to PC Gamer on the anniversary of Baldur's Gate 3's full release, Larian boss Swen Vincke said the initial decision to continue working on the Dungeons & Dragons-based franchise saw his team focus on an obvious follow-up - an idea that sounds like it was initially pitched as an expansion, before being considered as the basis for a potential Baldur's Gate 4.
"It's something that you all would have liked, I think," Vincke said. "I'm sure, actually. And we actually went pretty fast, because the production machine was still warm. You could already play stuff."
Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing over the past few days. This week we push through to get to better times in a game, which we hope are coming; we change our perception of a game after talking to the people who made it; and we find the familiar in a game that also manages to feel completely new.
Flippin’ heck, what a journey it’s been for Baldur's Gate 3, eh? It seems just yesterday I was getting very jealous at Matthew Castle (RPS in peace) for getting to preview the sequel to my beloved Shadows Of Amn. Fast forward several turns, Larian’s RPG banger is officially one year old since release, and there’s now a much higher chance that strangers at pubs will understand why my failed romance with Jaheira as a youth was such a deeply heartbreaking experience. Baldur’s Gate 3 itself looks to be done and dusted following the upcoming patch, but Larian now seem to be gearing up for their next charm offensive with a new “community focused” YouTube channel, as well as further teasing their two games currently in development.
Flippin’ heck, what a journey it’s been for Baldur's Gate 3, eh? It seems just yesterday I was getting very jealous at Matthew Castle (RPS in peace) for getting to preview the sequel to my beloved Shadows Of Amn. Fast forward several turns, Larian’s RPG banger is officially one year old since release, and there’s now a much higher chance that strangers at pubs will understand why my failed romance with Jaheira as a youth was such a deeply heartbreaking experience. Baldur’s Gate 3 itself looks to be done and dusted following the upcoming patch, but Larian now seem to be gearing up for their next charm offensive with a new “community focused” YouTube channel, as well as further teasing their two games currently in development.
Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've been playing over the past few days. This week we push through to get to better times in a game, which we hope are coming; we change our perception of a game after talking to the people who made it; and we find the familiar in a game that also manages to feel completely new.
Baldur's Gate 3’s latest patch was due to launch in closed beta yesterday, but Larian have decided to give it a bit more time in the oven due to bugs. Namely, a bug that caused passive rolls - like those that detect traps - to stop working.
Happily, if you hadn’t already registered to take part in the beta, you now have more time to sign up. Scroll down a bit on the RPG’s Steam page and click the ‘Request Access’ button.
Baldur's Gate 3’s latest patch was due to launch in closed beta yesterday, but Larian have decided to give it a bit more time in the oven due to bugs. Namely, a bug that caused passive rolls - like those that detect traps - to stop working.
Happily, if you hadn’t already registered to take part in the beta, you now have more time to sign up. Scroll down a bit on the RPG’s Steam page and click the ‘Request Access’ button.
That game where all you do is click a banana is now one of Steam's most popular releases ever. In fact, it is so popular, it has today bopped both Hogwarts Legacy and Baldur's Gate 3 down a place on Steam's most played games chart.
Banana - as the game is aptly called - is now sitting proudly in ninth place on Steam's most played games charts in terms of all-time player peak.
At the time of writing, that peak is 884,469 banana clickers, according to SteamDB.
Speaking at BAFTA's An Evening with Baldur's Gate 3 after the game received multiple wins at this year's awards, Vincke discussed development of the game and Larian's long term support.
"One of the big things for us, and the one that we're really working towards now, is the ability for players to mod [Baldur's Gate 3] themselves, because then they will be able to make their own things," said Vincke. "And I think that will be the point where we're going to say 'ok, now it's yours fully'."
The three goblin leaders in Baldur's Gate 3are tough to handle, especially Dror Ragzlin. He deals a ton of damage to anyone he hits. However, with the right preparations, you can make it through. Here's how to take out Dror Ragzlin in Baldur's Gate 3.
How to take out the Baldur's Gate 3 Dror Ragzlin boss
The easiest way to defeat Dror Ragzlin in BG3 is to push all his goblin soldiers down the pit while your tankiest characters deal with him. Make sure you always have someone ready to heal whoever is taking blows from his Faithbreaker warhammer. Additionally, keep his goblin allies away from him to prevent his Aura of Leadership from boosting their damage. If you want his magic warhammer, the Faithbreaker, you must not push the red hobgolin down the pit.
If you've already fought another one of the goblin leaders in Baldur's Gate 3, make sure to rest up before the Dror Ragzlin fight begins. Either a Short or a Long Rest at the camp will do. Taking the latter, however, will let you recover your more powerful spells and abilities. This red-skinned hobgoblin, Dror Ragzlin, is much more powerful than the other two goblin bosses. He has 52 HP and is Level 5. He can dish out upwards of 21 damage in one strike, as well, so be careful.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Before taking on the Dror Ragzlin fight in BG3, find the war drum on the right-hand side. It's next to the stairway in that area. If you fail to destroy it straight away with an arrow or a spell, you'll be facing nine enemies in total after taking out Dror Ragzlin. It could be too much to handle, but honestly, it can also be tough to take out on your first turn. You might want to have someone like Astarion nearby to eliminate it ASAP.
Try to take out Dror Ragzlin as quickly as possible during the fight. In order to do this, try to use a spell that stuns him for a move or two. I used Tasha's Hideous Laughter on him. It's not a guaranteed move, but if it lands, it will leave Dror Ragzlin prone with crazed laughter. He'll be phased, leaving you a chance to get a lot of damage in before he could even say hello. You can get in an extra attack with Lae'zel's Action Surge and then try to take his hammer off his hands with a powerful Disarming Strike. Using several strikes in a row can really rack up the damage on him. Shadowheart's Inflict Wounds can also effectively lower a foe's health. His 52 HP will dwindle down to zero in no time.
Dror Ragzlin may also take a lot of health from your party, so try to get a healer into the squad to remedy a potentially bad situation. Just be careful while doing this during Dror Ragzlin's Honour Mode fight, as buffing your allies can make things complicated with his passive. Outside of that, you'll want to remove his minions from the picture. They'll be fairly easy to dispatch, but just in case, you can quicksave after eliminating Ragzlin if you're in one of the regular difficulty modes. On the left-hand side, near the stairway, there's a ladder that can help archers get a better aim at their victims down below. It also helps if you can make it past the guards to avoid spending resources before fighting Dror Ragzlin in BG3.
How to make it past the guards
Once you enter the goblin's prison, you're stopped at the front gate by security. Warrior Trinzas asks what your intentions are. There are multiple ways to go about this. As a magical class, I was able to peer through her mind. There's an Intelligence check, but it's fairly easy to beat, especially if you manually save just before the encounter. If you lose the roll, they will all attack you. When you succeed, she'll tell you about the True Souls that have gathered in their base.
Screenshot by Destructoid
Tell Trinzas that you're here for the True Souls, and they'll let you through. You can also use some Deception to pass through the guards. This is difficult, however, as you'll need roll over 15 on your D20 dice. The first option is likely better if you're not specialized in Deception.
Dror Ragzlin Stats in BG3
Here's everything you need to know about the red hobgoblin, from his Armor Class to special attacks.
Abilities
Ability
Score
Strength
18 (+4)
Dexterity
12 (+1)
Constitution
16 (+3)
Intelligence
12 (+1)
Wisdom
10 (+0)
Charisma
15 (+2)
Secondary stats
Attribute
Details
Race
Hobgoblin (Humanoid)
Health
50 HP
Armor Class
11 AC
Speed
9 meters
Proficiency Bonus
+2
Initiative
+1
Size
Medium
Skills
Feature
Description
Aura of Leadership
Allies of Dor Razglin who are near him deal additional 1d4 Force. This effect doesn't work if Dror is incapacitated.
Martial Advantage
Dror can deal an extra 2d6 damage to a creature he hits with the Faithbreaker warhammer as long as he has an ally adjacent to the target. He can use this ability once per turn.
Darkvision
Dror can see in the dark
The Faithbreaker warhammer
Name
Faithbreaker
Rarity
Uncommon
Damage
one-handed: 2~9 (1d8+1) two-handed: 2~11 (1d10+1)
Weapon Actions
Backbreaker, Concussive Smash, Weakening Strike
Special Weapon Action
Absoltute Power: Deal additional 1d6 force damage. Additionally, you might push the target 17ft (5m)
Mods are to Baldur's Gate 3 what butter is to bread, that unreadable squiggle-font is to death metal bands or wheels are to the bottom of trainers when you’re a kid: not necessarily essential, per se, but so harmonious and well-suited that they feel essential. In the case of the D&D CRPG, it’s a natural extension of playing dungeon master around the table, crafting the world and its characters as you see fit - typically by making everyone in Faerûn even hornier somehow.
Larian Studios' Swen Vincke has opened up about crunch culture at the studio, acknowledging that the team did, at times, "have to do a bit of crunch" when "things happened that [the studio] didn't foresee".
In the Q&A Vincke hosted after his address at the Digital Dragons conference in Poland, Vincke was asked if the team ever had to crunch – that is, the term given to the extreme overtime studios compel staff to do to get a game ready for its release date – and whilst Vincke said the team wasn't "overly" required to crunch, and it was "certainly less on BG3 than we did in the past", "It would be a lie to say that we didn't" crunch at all.
"We didn't overly crunch," Vincke said (thanks, GR+). "but we did have to do a bit of crunch. And I think, to be honest, you will always have a little bit when you're trying to finish something, especially when there's so much complexity that needs to be brought together."
In a statement posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, last night, the team said it was "so hoping not to have to update [...] with any further news of delay", but it had "run into more production issues", further delaying the shipping of physical copies of the North American PS5 version until later this year.
"Due to production changes outside of our control, we have had to follow certain processes specifically set by production companies when manufacturing the PS5 discs, and unfortunately, the approval for particular regions has taken much longer than expected," Larian explained in the statement.
Welcome back! Let's Get Evil is a monthly series for Eurogamer Supporters in which Bertie rampages through games being as evil as he can. It sounds easy, but is it? And how much freedom to be horrible does each game afford? There's only one way to find out.
Note, spoilers will naturally occur as Bertie gets further and further through Baldur's Gate 3. Currently, he's dealing with events in Act 3, especially those revolving around the Dark Urge. If you're joining us for the free trial this month, make sure you catch up on the earlier instalments - then you'll know the true power of the Dark Side.
This month, I have mostly been helping others reach their horrid potential. Think of me as an enabler, if you like - a demonic enabler bent on bringing out the very worst in people. Today's enable-ee: Astarion. But first a quick catch-up. I left you last time after the seismic reveal that Bhaal, the god of murder, was my father. Not only that, I discovered I had instigated this whole sorry Elder Brain plot to take over the world to begin with. Gortash, Ketheric Thorm and I started it, and then Orin came along and turfed me out. I remember now, more or less. Gortash is up for rekindling our old alliance and conquering the world together, which I'm all for. Now all I have to do is kill Orin. It will be my pleasure.
Five of the Best is a weekly series for supporters of Eurogamer. It's a series that highlights some of the features in games that are often overlooked. It's also about having your say, so don't be shy, use the comments below and join in!
We're well aware of our human capabilities, so games often deliver fantasies about going beyond them. We play characters with extraordinary acrobatic abilities, or with incredible strength or martial prowess, and sometimes, we play as characters who have powers we could never have. Mixed within this is the fantasy of becoming something completely different and changing entirely from a human into something else, and that's what I want to get at here. Ever since Altered Beast, and probably for far longer, we've had games that allowed us to change shapes and access new abilities as we play. We've even had games take us to inorganic places, with mech suits and more. Shape changes can be the ultimate power-up. The question is, which are the best?
It's just occurred to me that Baldur's Gate 3 is shy of being a year old, and I'm struggling to come to terms with that because it feels like the game just came out. I know in my rational mind it didn't, but where did those months go? Why didn't I feel them in the way I normally would? I think I have an inkling why.
I felt it while watching an orchestral performance of Baldur's Gate 3 at the weekend. It was part of the Game Music Festival and featured a special concert arrangement of the game's score, and it was sublimely done. There was a large choir and full orchestra and it gave oomph to the dramatic music from the game. Even the vocalists were there to reprise their iconic "down, down, down by the river" motif. Not that any of this is unique; we've had orchestral video game concerts before - Ed was just at one for Elden Ring - and earlier in the day at the Southbank Centre, there was a recital for The Last of Us. I saw people milling around in The Last of Us T-shirts when I arrived. So I expected much of this. What I didn't expect, however, or what I wasn't prepared for, was the Baldur's Gate 3 effect.
Remember what the event itself was: an orchestral performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra. It's not where you would expect to see cosplay, as you would a games convention, but as the afternoon unfolded, that's what it resembled. Shadowhearts and Astarions gathered, as did copies of other characters from the game, and a palpable feeling of excitement crackled around. This quietened for the start of the performance, as people sat sensibly and clapped in the correct places, but the further it went on, the less it could be contained.
"Role-playing games are only 50 years old. We're still inventing them every day. That's what's really exciting about it. We haven't found the boundaries of it yet, if there are any. We're still pushing out. That's what keeps me doing this stuff, years after most of my peers have retired or passed on."
Do you believe in fate, that there's an invisible force steering us through our lives and that we end up in certain places for certain reasons? Perhaps after hearing Lawrence Schick's story, you will.
It's not a name I expect you'll recognise, but you'll know some of the things he's responsible for. Take the term XP, for example. It's ubiquitous in gaming and possibly beyond it, and Lawrence Schick created it. It's primarily the reason I set out to track him down, to hear how that came to be, because it fascinates me to think of a gaming landscape where there's no established term for experience points, and possibly no such thing as experience points at all. I find it really hard to even conceive of that, given where we are now.
It's just occurred to me that Baldur's Gate 3 is shy of being a year old, and I'm struggling to come to terms with that because it feels like the game just came out. I know in my rational mind it didn't, but where did those months go? Why didn't I feel them in the way I normally would? I think I have an inkling why.
I felt it while watching an orchestral performance of Baldur's Gate 3 at the weekend. It was part of the Game Music Festival and featured a special concert arrangement of the game's score, and it was sublimely done. There was a large choir and full orchestra and it gave oomph to the dramatic music from the game. Even the vocalists were there to reprise their iconic "down, down, down by the river" motif. Not that any of this is unique; we've had orchestral video game concerts before - Ed was just at one for Elden Ring - and earlier in the day at the Southbank Centre, there was a recital for The Last of Us. I saw people milling around in The Last of Us T-shirts when I arrived. So I expected much of this. What I didn't expect, however, or what I wasn't prepared for, was the Baldur's Gate 3 effect.
Remember what the event itself was: an orchestral performance by the Philharmonia Orchestra. It's not where you would expect to see cosplay, as you would a games convention, but as the afternoon unfolded, that's what it resembled. Shadowhearts and Astarions gathered, as did copies of other characters from the game, and a palpable feeling of excitement crackled around. This quietened for the start of the performance, as people sat sensibly and clapped in the correct places, but the further it went on, the less it could be contained.
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