With Baldur’s Gate 3 being developed by Larian instead of BioWare, fans expect changes to the gameplay and presentation of the long-belated sequel, but the new game deserves the return of the best gag from the BioWare-produced Baldur’s Gate titles. In the first two Baldur’s Gate games many important NPCs could be killed by the player, unlike modern games that tend to forbid that sort of action. To avoid this impacting the flow of the story, a hilarious NPC named Biff the Understudy would step in to deliver those slain characters’ dialogue. Baldur’s Gate 2 integrated the joke character into the game’s story, as it featured a sequence where Biff replaces the usual actor in a play, and bungles most of his lines. Some would argue that early access ruins games before their official releases, but early access also gives Baldur’s Gate 3 time to bring back Biff the Understudy.
Beyond the humor of seeing Biff the Understudy’s return, it opens the door up for more player choice in how they approach the game. Wantonly killing NPCs may be a silly way for players to amuse themselves in a game with an epic story, but it does add to the sense of freedom an RPG can offer. As with failing a pickpocket check, killing a Baldur’s Gate citizen openly would often invite the wrath of the Flaming Fist mercenary company. Elder Scrolls games generally allow for this, with a bounty placed on the player’s head in response. Even the modern games that do allow for this sort of rampant character-slaying typically imbue characters who are central to the plot with invincibility. If a character is required to voice dialogue in a future cinematic scene, they typically cannot die earlier in the game.
Most video games mirror Choose Your Own Adventure books in their format, where there may be predetermined branching paths, but not truly unlimited freedom. The desire for freedom in gameplay sometimes clashes with the ability to tell a coherent story, something that is central to the RPG experience for most genre fans. Biff the Understudy allowed for an excellent compromise between these two drives in game design. Players could target, and kill, most Baldur’s Gate NPCs, and if they were needed for a later bit of exposition, Biff could show up to deliver their dialogue. Not every NPC could be slain, however, so unfortunately, Baldur’s Gate’s final boss Sarevok would never be replaced by Biff wearing a menacing horned helmet.
Some Gags Have Aged Poorly, But Baldur's Gate's Biff The Understudy Is Timeless
Whether this added to immersion is debatable. NPCs who cannot be targeted by players could harm verisimilitude, but so could the sequences where Biff shows up simply to deliver a dead person’s line. It was, without question, a uniquely memorable joke for the franchise. D&D is missing a Baldur’s Gate 3 opportunity by not promoting its tabletop RPG roots more, but Baldur’s Gate 3 itself is missing out on one of the series’ most iconic gags, by omitting Biff. Some game humor is a product of its time, as many jokes from other games of the same era can now only be enjoyed ironically. The idea of a subpar actor, who is an understudy to reality itself, showing up to deliver key lines from people the player thoughtlessly killed, remains as funny as ever.
Enterprising players were able to manipulate scenarios where multiple NPCs conversing in a scene were slain, creating Biff the Understudy doppelgangers speaking to one another. Others took it a step further, finding ways to recruit Biff into the party. This was a terrible idea, tactically, as Biff the Understudy had a pitiable 9 in every stat, but the fact that it was possible at all showed the breadth of freedom (and whimsy) in BioWare’s classic game design.
When Baldur’s Gate 3 announced the Bard class it was reason to celebrate, as Bards are among the most powerful classes in 5e D&D, the ruleset Baldur’s Gate 3 has adopted. There is still one very important bard missing, however, and for some veteran players, the show cannot go on without Biff the Understudy waiting behind the curtain. Even if he just has a token appearance as an Easter egg, Biff the Understudy deserves a return to the stage in Baldur’s Gate 3.