Baldur’s Gate 3brought many innovations that can be carried over to the tabletop version ofDungeons and Dragons. Most of these are design or gameplay elements, but some of them involve character and storytelling. Creating a homebrew long-form campaign in a story setting likeDungeons and Dragonscan be a difficult task, especially when it comes to keeping players engaged.Baldur’s Gate 3’s pacing and quest setup involves moments that set up the player character as a hero during the course of side quests, which goes on to be recognized by NPCs.
This is a great template forDMs to borrow in their homebrewDungeons and Dragonscampaigns, as it fills the moments between major story beats, gives the players recognition, and makes them feel as if they’ve earned something. If planned and executed well, these small story beats can also be brought back later for an even better payoff in the main storyline of the campaign or for side quests.
Becoming a Hero in Baldur’s Gate 3
Thesemoments can especially be encountered in Act One ofBaldur’s Gate 3. The player can rescue a tiefling child from being drowned and eaten by sirens, which is acknowledged later by Mol. The player can also save the entire druid’s grove from being raided by the goblin horde, which is technically optional content and a side quest, but is also something that many players do on their journey. The player is rewarded for saving the druid’s grove with the gratitude of the tieflings and a party and, while the goblins also have a party in the aftermath of raiding the grove, being the hero at the party is still a great moment.
Other moments inAct One ofBaldur’s Gate 3include saving the people in the burning inn, then finding the surviving man’s wife’s body and her sister’s dowry, or rescuing the Zhentarim traders from the pack of gnolls. Despite the unscrupulous nature of the Zhentarim, the fact that they’re cornered by gnolls who have slaughtered the rest of their caravan makes them more sympathetic, and rescuing the traders also unlocks a new quest that can be fulfilled in Act 3.
Making Players Feel Like Heroes in Dungeons and Dragons
Baldur’s Gate 3could have removed these moments and instead had theplayer move straight ahead to the Underdark or Moonrise Towersas a way to focus on the main storyline, but it would have made the game feel more hollow and lacking and removed the feeling of heroism fromBaldur’s Gate 3. Instead, small monster battles, or even mini-boss fights, scattered throughout a campaign can make parties feel as if they’re an active and necessary part of the world. It also goes a long way to making the world feel bigger and richer than just focusing on the main storyline.
These heroic moments can also be used to set up other story moments later in the campaign, whichBaldur’s Gate 3does across Acts One, Two, and Three. Characters that were rescued by the player later reappear with new quests, as merchants with rare and valuable goods, or as a part of main story quests that now earn a bigger payoff than without them. These are all valuable lessons that DMs can integrate into their own campaigns to keep players engaged and committed to their campaigns.
