Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3’s party could be considered one of the main draws of the game. The Origin characters, the party members who are available from Act 1 and optional to select as the player character during character creation, were heavily featured in the marketing ofBaldur’s Gate 3. Parties in RPGs generally need to be built to support each other and account for each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Having too many characters with the same class runs the risk of unbalancing the party and, on a lore level, can make the game feel more repetitive and characters redundant.Baldur’s Gate 4could improve onBaldur’s Gate 3in this regard.
In a world with a dozen classes and many fantasy racial options,Baldur’s Gate 3’s party ended up with multiples of certain races and classes, while others were left out. Withtwo druids and a ranger inBaldur’s Gate 3’s party, there were many nature-based characters, which became compounded if the player character also became a druid. This also highlighted the gaps in the party that theoretically could be filled by the player, but also limited gameplay if the player wanted to play as a druid.
Repetition of Race and Class in Baldur’s Gate 3’s Party
If all companions are recruited, the total party count inBaldur’s Gate 3is ten. Five of the companions are elves, one is a tiefling, three are humans, and one is a githyanki.
This leaves out:
While Minthara is a drow with a very different background and culture to the other elves in the party, some players who play good or neutral characters may bediscouraged from recruiting Minthara because of her alignmentand association with the “evil” playthrough, even after the patch that allows her to be recruitable by knocking her out in the goblin camp. This means the exclusion of both the insights and lore from a drow character and the only default paladin party member.
Whilerespeccing inBaldur’s Gate 3is extremely accessible, several characters' classes are closely tied to their lore and story. Respeccing characters like Wyll, Halsin, Minsc, and Jaheira can break immersion because of how the characters refer to their backgrounds in dialogue, how other characters around them refer to them, or the course of their stories.
Restructuring the Party in Baldur’s Gate 4
One issue, in particular, is the presence of the two druids, potentially bringing the total druid count in the party up to three if the player chooses to roll a druid. Halsin and Jaheira are both closely tied to their class in the story, withHalsin being the First Druid in his Circle, and Jaheira being a famous druid inBaldur’s Gatelore. With so many other classes available in the series, having two characters in the same class feels needlessly repetitive, especially when the party is missing the presence of other classes.
Baldur’s Gate 4has the opportunity to restructure its party with more diverse race and class options, and provide more variety through its party members from the outset. A reshuffle of the party’s classes in particular could expose players to classes they may otherwise have overlooked. Priority could be given specifically to classes that weren’t included inBaldur’s Gate 3’s party, such as Monk, Bard, and Sorcerer.Baldur’s Gate 4could even introduce the Artificeras a completely new class, as it’s popular inDungeons and Dragons5ebut was conspicuously missing inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 4could also bring some of the missing races into the party, especially the more esoteric ones such as Dragonborn that aren’t encountered as often in the world of the story. Having these characters in the party is an opportunity to share the lore of the world, as was the case withMinthara inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
