We’ve put together years of D&D storylines to prepare you for Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3, the fast-approaching role-playing game available in early access since October 2020, marks the confluence of a beloved series and one of the most acclaimed RPG studios currently operating. With its extensive character creation system and thousands of different endings, Baldur’s Gate 3 continues the work BioWare began in 1998. However, it has since changed hands: Larian Studios, the team behind the critically acclaimed Divinity: Original Sin series, has taken over the stewardship. Moreover, Baldur’s Gate 3 is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, a vast world with enough lore to keep even the most devoted fans busy exploring for years to come.

That is to say, there is a lot going on Baldur’s Gate 3! But fear not, we’ve done the footwork to bring together all the key plot points in the series so far, so you can get ready for the RPG ahead of its August 3 release date on PC.

How does the Baldur’s Gate series fit into the D&D universe?

The story of the Baldur’s Gate series begins with a cataclysmic event in the Forgotten Realms known as the Time of Troubles. five novels called the Avatar series. This is when the then creator god Ao cast down the once vast pantheon of gods to the mortal realm of Toril (aka Abeir-Toril) as punishment for the theft of the Tablets of Fate, which kept the balance between Chaos and Law . .

During this time, the gods took on mortal forms, making them vulnerable for the first time. Cyric, a mortal man who traveled with the protagonists of the Avatar series, eventually killed Bhaal, the Lord of Murder, out of self-interest to become a god. However, Bhaal had already prepared for the inconvenience of having children for him to pass on his essence and spirit to once he was gone. These children became known as the Bhaalspawn.

The Time of Troubles finally came to an end, and with it the remaining gods, having restored their divinity, returned to their realms after the Tablets were restored. But Bhaal almost planned his eventual reincarnation before his death, and as his children grew, a dark essence grew with them as well. All this leads us to the events of the first Baldur’s Gatein which the consequences of Bhaal’s actions during the Time of Troubles come to a head.

What happened in the first Baldur’s Gate?

Baldur’s Gate takes place several years after the Time of Troubles, with Bhaal’s progeny now scattered all over the world. You create and assume the role of your own character (although it’s important to note that Wizards of the Coast canonized the Bhaalspawn Abdel Adrian via the official novellas and a tabletop RPG module we’ll cover later) which is the biggest part of their lives in Candlekeep – a scientific city that requires an exchange of information to gain entry. Approached unexpectedly by Gorion, a powerful wizard and your character’s foster father, you find yourself locked away at night after several attempts on your life by would-be assassins. While on your leave, Gorion is taken down by Sarevok, a mysterious man in armor who is later revealed to be Also being a Bhaalspawn.

From here you’ll be joined by your half-sister Imoen and, in true D&D fashion, a variety of other characters to recruit along the way. This includes the human Ranger Minsc and the half-elf Druid Jaheira (who are recurring party members in Baldur’s Gate 3). While each character has their own unique backstory and quest lines, the player character is free to choose whom to accompany, as this does not derail the main plot. However, for the purpose of understanding the story of Baldur’s Gate 2it is important to know the actual canon party: Rogue Imoen, Jaheira, the half-elf Fighter Khalid, the sorceress Dynaheir and Minsc.

Traveling along the Sword Coast, you finally learn that you are one of Bhaal’s progeny, shortly before solving the Iron Crisis – a manufactured shortage of iron planned by Sarevok – plaguing the Empire. At this point you discover Sarevok’s intention to kill other Bhaalspawn to make himself more powerful. He formed this plan based on Alaundo’s prophecy (which foretold the arrival of the player character), eventually planning to take Bhaal’s place himself in the realm of the gods.

In addition to his dastardly assassination plot, Sarevok has also sown the seeds of war between the cities of Baldur’s Gate and Amn – the more blood shed on his behalf, the greater his chances of ascending to godhood. After solving the crisis and returning to Candlekeep with a valuable book in hand, you and your party are imprisoned under trumped-up murder charges. However, with the help of one of Candlekeep’s sages (who you knew when you were a kid in the game’s early hours), you’re transported to the catacombs beneath Baldur’s Gate, where you learn that – surprise! – Sarevok is the one who set you up. You call him out on his bullshit and then kill him, preventing the war he tried to provoke.

In the Siege of Dragon Spear extension, which was released with Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition in 2016, you join the titular raid, which takes you to the place where Bhaal was killed by Cyric during the aforementioned Time of Troubles. This campaign focuses on the side events leading up to the opening of Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, but also takes you to the Nine Hells, where demons and devils reside. Based on the appearance of certain creatures in the opening hours of Baldur’s Gate 3could the storyline of the expansion on August 3 prove important. Immediately after the siege ends and this storyline ends, both the player character and the canonized party of Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Dynaheir, and Minsc are captured, leading directly into the events of Baldur’s Gate 2.

What happened in Baldur’s Gate 2?

At the beginning of Baldur’s Gate 2, you wake up in a mysterious dungeon as your half-sister Imoen frees you from a cage. You learn that you were captured by a man named Jon Irenicus, and that he also imprisoned your other party members (the canon characters we mentioned above) and tortured you all. Apparently the worst methods are reserved for you and Imoen, the better to awaken the latent powers that lie within both of you. You escape with Imoen, Jaheira, Minsc and the mysterious Yoshimo to Athkatla, a beautiful, sprawling trading city with several districts. Irenicus, who followed the party after the escape, briefly confronts you before getting into an enchanting battle with Imoen; both are imprisoned on an island outside the city known as Spellhold. (BioWare really enjoyed imprisoning its characters!) However, this doesn’t stop Irenicus for long, and he cuts his ties. He then takes over Spellhold and conducts further experiments on Imoen.

While all this is happening, seek the help of one of two factions to help you save your sister: one of them is led by Aran Linvail, a leader of the Shadow Thieves guild, who works in direct opposition to Irenicus. The other is aided by the vampire Bodhi, who is later revealed to be Jon Irenicus’ sister. Baldur’s Gate 2 has quite a bit of sibling drama!

After choosing your faction, make your way to Spellhold, where things get exponentially worse. No matter who you choose, Bodhi will become your enemy during a confrontation with Irenicus who has already succeeded rip your sister’s soul from her body, does the same with you. With your soul in hand, he then donates your sister’s are sister. Her true loyalties revealed, Bodhi attacks your party, but not before transforming into the Slayer – Bhaal’s avatar, and a monster that kills without reluctance.

With this new power you force Irenicus and Bodhi to retreat to the Underdark. This place is one of the most iconic locations in the Forgotten Realms and serves as home to the Drow (or dark elves) and creatures called the Illithids, who appear in Baldur’s Gate 3. As you fight your way to the surface, you kill Bodhi, restore Imoen’s soul, and obtain a relic that grants you access to the elven city of Suldanessellar, which has been taken over by Irenicus.

Finally, the player character defeats Irenicus, but because he still has your real soul, he will drag you to the Nine Hells. In a final encounter, you and your party Finally defeat Irenicus, recover your soul and return to the realms as heroes.

The conclusion of the Baldur’s Gate storyline (so far) ends in the Baldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal expansion, in which you set out to kill the remaining Bhaalspawn, whose power struggles have caused wars across the realm. Aided by a woman named Melissan, you and your party (including Imoen, a revived Sarevok, Jaheira, and Minsc) defeat your siblings only to discover that Melissan is actually the one behind the conflict. She reveals herself to be Amelyssan the Blackhearted, a priestess in Bhaal’s service. It turns out she wants to kill you and become the next Lord of Murder.

Once you defeat her, you have the option to become the next Lord of Murder in your father’s place. However, there are other options, including forgoing godhood to live as a mortal, or even becoming a benevolent godhead. Canonically, you choose to walk the realm as a mortal. The story of the Bhaalspawn ends in the Murder in Baldur’s Gate TTRPG module, in which Abdel Adrian (the aforementioned canonized protagonist) or the only known remaining Bhaalspawn turns Veikang into the Slayer; the latter is then defeated by the Flaming Fist, who basically serve as the guardians of the great city, and the party you play as in the module.

There you have it! While the lore of Baldur’s Gate, and by extension D&D can get a little complicated at times, it’s important to remember that Baldur’s Gate is a series largely about secret identities, warring siblings, and divine prophecies. Minsc and Jaheira come back Baldur’s Gate 3, among other new companion characters that you can befriend, court, and maybe even romance. The Bhaalspawn may not be returning in Larian’s RPG, but their saga has created quite a few ripples in the series’ storyline, one of which we might witness Baldur’s Gate 3 will be released on PC on August 3.