Baldur’s Gate 3 Is Coming Back With Official New Content For Karlach And Astarion
Nautiloid Crash Site · Tadpole Infected How Well Do You Know Baldur’s Gate 3? “What a rush!” — Astarion, probably
🧘Mind
FlayersCeremorphosis
🔮Arcane
MagicThe Weave
⚛Divine
PowerThe Gods
🔥Infernal
PactsAvernus
🌿Druid
GroveWild Shape
01
At the start of Baldur’s Gate 3, the player character is abducted and infected with a parasitic tadpole. What type of creature implants this parasite?
✓ Natural 20! Mind Flayers (Illithids) implant tadpoles into victims through a process called ceremorphosis. The tadpole devours the host’s brain and transforms them into a new Mind Flayer — unless your party finds a way to stop it.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is Mind Flayer. Also called Illithids, these tentacle-faced aberrations reproduce by inserting tadpoles into humanoid brains. The entire plot of BG3 revolves around the party’s race to remove their tadpoles before ceremorphosis is complete.
02
Astarion is one of BG3’s most popular companions. What is he?
✓ Natural 20! Astarion is a High Elf vampire spawn and rogue who was enslaved by the vampire lord Cazador for 200 years. His sharp wit, dramatic flair, and complex redemption arc made him the breakout character of BG3, with Neil Newbon’s performance winning widespread acclaim.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is a vampire spawn rogue. Astarion was turned by the vampire lord Cazador and spent centuries as his slave. The tadpole unexpectedly freed him from Cazador’s control, and his journey with the party becomes one of the game’s most compelling storylines.
03
Baldur’s Gate 3 is built on the rules of which tabletop RPG system?
✓ Natural 20! BG3 uses the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ruleset, including its class system, spellcasting, ability scores, and the iconic d20 skill check rolls. Larian adapted these tabletop mechanics into a real-time/turn-based hybrid that feels remarkably faithful to playing at an actual table.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is D&D 5th Edition. The original Baldur’s Gate games used 2nd Edition AD&D rules, but BG3 jumped to the current 5e system. Pathfinder is a competing RPG system used by Owlcat Games’ titles, not Larian’s.
04
Baldur’s Gate 3 was developed by which Belgian studio, previously known for the Divinity: Original Sin series?
✓ Natural 20! Larian Studios, based in Ghent, Belgium, developed BG3 after proving themselves with Divinity: Original Sin 1 & 2. Led by Swen Vincke, Larian spent six years crafting BG3 — including three in early access — before its full 2023 release swept every major Game of the Year award.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is Larian Studios. BioWare made the original Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2 in the late ’90s, but Larian took over for BG3. Obsidian made Pillars of Eternity and InXile made Wasteland — both great CRPGs, but BG3 is Larian’s masterpiece.
05
Shadowheart is a half-elf cleric who guards a mysterious artifact throughout Act 1. Which deity does she initially worship?
✓ Natural 20! Shadowheart is a devoted cleric of Shar, the goddess of darkness, loss, and secrets. She’s a Trickery Domain cleric on a mission for her faith, carrying an artifact she can’t fully remember obtaining. Her story involves deep questions about memory, faith, and free will.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is Shar. Shadowheart serves the Lady of Loss, goddess of darkness and secrets. Selûné is Shar’s sister and sworn enemy (goddess of the moon), Mystra governs magic, and Lolth is the spider queen of the drow. Shar’s influence shapes Shadowheart’s entire arc.
06
BG3 famously lets players solve problems in wildly creative ways. What type of die is rolled for most skill checks and attack rolls in the game?
✓ Natural 20! The d20 is the iconic die at the heart of D&D and BG3. Nearly every important check — persuasion, stealth, attacks, saving throws — involves rolling a 20-sided die and adding modifiers. The thrill (and agony) of watching that die spin is one of BG3’s most defining moments.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is the d20. The twenty-sided die is the backbone of D&D 5e and BG3. Rolling a natural 20 is an automatic critical success, while a natural 1 is always a failure. Other dice (d6, d8, d10, d12) are used for damage rolls, but the d20 rules skill checks.
07
The main antagonist of BG3 is an ancient evil seeking to become a god using the power of the Illithid tadpoles. What type of being is the Absolute’s true mastermind?
✓ Natural 20! The true threat is the Netherbrain — an Elder Brain wearing the Crown of Karsus, a Netherese artifact that amplifies its power to potentially dominate the entire Sword Coast. The “Absolute” is a false religion it created to amass an army of thralls.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is an Elder Brain empowered by a Netherese crown. The Netherbrain is a colossal Illithid Elder Brain wearing the Crown of Karsus, granting it power to dominate minds across the Sword Coast. It created the cult of the Absolute as a front for its scheme to achieve godhood.
08
At The Game Awards 2023, Baldur’s Gate 3 took home the top prize. What did it win?
✓ Natural 20! Baldur’s Gate 3 won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023, along with multiple other prizes. It also swept GOTY at the BAFTA Game Awards, DICE Awards, and GDC Awards — one of the most dominant award runs in gaming history.
✗ Critical miss! The answer is Game of the Year. BG3 didn’t just win Best RPG — it won the big one. Swen Vincke’s emotional acceptance speech and the game’s sweep across every major awards ceremony made 2023 a landmark year for CRPGs and proved the genre could dominate the mainstream.
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