Publisher Wizards of the Coast is teasing a new Dungeons & Dragons book featuring characters from the Baldur's Gate video game series. For many players, the original Baldur's Gate was their first foray into the world of D&D, which is why the series is so fondly remembered.
Baldur's Gate is set in Dungeons & Dragons' Forgotten Realms campaign setting. The first two games followed the Bhaalspawn Saga, wherein the player created a character who was descended from Bhaal, the God of Murder. Bhaal foresaw his own death during an event called The Time of Troubles, where nearly all deities were turned into mortals. To prevent his death, Bhaal had many children, each of whom contained a sliver of his essence. These children were known as the Bhaalspawn, and as each one died, the others grew stronger, prompting a climactic battle to steal the throne of Bhaal. The upcoming Baldur's Gate 3 follows a new storyline, as the main character has been implanted with a Mind Flayer worm they must attempt to remove, even as it works to alter their personality.
Wizards of the Coast recently held a panel called the "Future of D&D," Sunday's announcement-filled conclusion of D&D Celebration 2021. The show ended with a cover reveal for an upcoming unnamed book, which is set to be released in 2022. The cover depicts a hamster, which was confirmed to be Boo from the Baldur's Gate series. Boo is a miniature giant space hamster, the faithful animal companion of a Ranger named Minsc.
One possible candidate for this future book is a tie-in for the upcoming Baldur's Gate 3. Developer Larian Studios has said that Baldur's Gate 3 is aiming for a 2022 release, which would match the new book's release window. It has been established in the Dungeons & Dragons comic books that Minsc and Boo are still alive and are adventuring across the Forgotten Realms. As such, it was only a matter of time until they made an official return in D&D fifth edition.
There are several original Baldur's Gate characters who could still be alive in the Forgotten Realms. The setting's timeline has progressed by a century since the first Baldur's Gate, but that's nothing to the elves, dwarves, and gnomes in Faerun. A new Baldur's Gate sourcebook bringing Dungeons & Dragons players back up to speed with characters like Jaheira and Viconia could be a fun treat for the fans of the older games, especially if it's released in the run-up to Baldur's Gate 3's full launch.
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