From the moment the new Dungeons & Dragons 5e sourcebooks set in the Forgotten Realms were announced, there was one big question on most people’s minds: How much Baldur’s Gate 3 is going to be in these things? After all, Larian’s massively successful RPG is set in the Forgotten Realms, and Wizards of the Coast has already worked a few nods to its popular characters into other material. When the first promo images dropped, Karlach and Minsc were front and center in the Heroes of Faerun artwork. Now that the books are out in the world, I can confirm that there is a ton of Baldur’s Gate 3 goodness packed inside.
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Initially, I was a little nervous about these books leaning a little too much into the Baldur’s Gate 3 of it all. But once I got my hands on Heroes of Faerun and Adventures in Faerun, I reverted to my true form of being a massive D&D and Baldur’s Gate 3 fangirl. My first experience with D&D harkens back to another game set in the urban hub of the Forgotten Realms, and honestly, these books are just perfection if you love this region. But they’re especially fun if you’ve ever thought about turning your next D&D session into IRL Baldur’s Gate 3.
Heroes of Faerun Brings the Baldur’s Gate 3 References Early and Often
If the cover of Heroes of Faerun isn’t enough, opening the book will really double down on the Baldur’s Gate 3 of it all. The introductory paragraph, written in large font, references some of the heroes of Faerun, and of course, Karlach, Astarion, and Shadowhart couldn’t not be mentioned among them. But they come only after a few other notable figures from the Forgotten Realms. This sets the tone of a carefully balanced work of fan service geared at both BG3 fans and those who’ve been traveling to Baldur’s Gate since before Astarion was a glimmer in Larian’s eye.
That said, if you’re wondering whether Heroes of Faerun will be a fun text for Baldur’s Gate 3 fans, the answer is yes. There are a number of nods to the books throughout this Player’s Guide, with references to the game packed in. You’ll see Karlach’s visage more than once in the artwork, along with appearances from Astarion, Shadowheart, and Gortash. These images and occasional text references manage to nicely incorporate these characters into the lore of the Forgotten Realms without letting them take over like I feared they might. In fact, the entire set does a nice job of striking this balance.
Naturally, Baldur’s Gate 3 gets a mention on the list of additional references to help you get a feel for Faerun. But other big D&D touchstones live here as well, including my own favorite, Honor Among Thieves, as well as R.A. Salvatore’s Legend of Drizzt books. The same care is taken throughout, making it clear that, despite the massive success of the game, it is but one of many tales that have taken place in the Forgotten Realms and will take place there going forward.
If you have ever wanted to craft a character inspired by the events or people of Baldur’s Gate 3, this player’s guide will deliver. You can join up with the Emerald Enclave, perhaps hoping to sway them to choose a different path. If you’re a Shadowheart fan, you could become a worshipper of Shar thanks to the generous details about deities on offer. Or you could take another path and align with Selene, instead. But you can also learn about regions not heavily featured in the games, taking a different path entirely. This makes the new Player’s Guide a solid text for Baldur’s Gate 3 fans and for D&D players who may not be interested in the game at all.
Adventures in Faerun Takes a Lighter Touch with BG3, and It Makes a Lot of Sense
While the Companions of Baldur’s Gate 3 are heavily present in the Player’s Guide, direct references to the game are a bit more scarce in the DM guide. That’s to be expected, given how many different adventures and regions the book is designed to cover. In fact, compared to Heroes of Faerun, you’ll be looking a lot harder to spot the BG3 of it all.
But of course it is there, particularly when you reach the section of the book dedicated to Baldur’s Gate itself. Karlach once again features in a few different bits of artwork here (someone at Wizards must really like the Barbarian), and you’ll spot Astarion and Shadowheart as well. By and large, however, the DM’s guide focuses on offering the tools a DM needs to set an adventure in one of many regions in the Forgotten Realms. It’s just the right touch of fun from the game without making it seem like Larian’s masterpiece defined Baldur’s Gate.
Altogether, the references here are handled pretty well. We get homages to many pop culture touch points set in the Forgotten Realms, but all of them are light enough that you don’t need to care about the games or movies to get something from the source books. There’s plenty of lore that you can use to build a campaign or go on a few small adventures, whether you want to give them a bit of Baldur’s Gate 3 flavor or not. And if you really want to lean into it, there’s always the Astarion’s Book of Hungers supplement to satiate that thirst.
Have you picked up either of the Forgotten Realms sourcebooks yet? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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