Baldur’s Gate 3 already has a tabletop prequel: a journey to hell with serious Diablo 4 energy
Fire and brimstone
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Glorious as they are, the worlds ofDungeons & Dragonscarry with them an intimidating amount of lore and baggage. However,Baldur’s Gate 3does a fantastic job of offering necessary exposition - though that might be just what you’d expect from one of thebest RPGsout there. What’s clear from the outset ofLarian Studios’ blockbuster RPG, however, is that the roots of the game world run far deeper than can possibly be explored, even in 100 hours of play.
Baldur’s Gate 3takes place in the Forgotten Realms, perhaps the most famousDungeons & Dragonssetting; a melting pot of years’ worth of fantasy tropes, intermingling storylines, and supernatural drama. For manyBaldur’s Gate 3will be their first step into this intimidating but rewarding cosmos, but for those looking to delve further into the mysteries and wonders of the Forgotten Realms, there are a wealth of tabletop adventures that are poised to whet your appetite. And this is whereBaldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernuscomes in. This campaign for theDungeons & Dragonstabletop RPG is not only 256 pages of top-tier dark fantasy adventure, but is also an explicit prequel toBaldur’s Gate 3, setting up threads and themes that pay off across Larian’s RPG.
Avernus is a cross between a Hieronymus Bosch painting and Mad Max: Fury Road
Written by Chris Perkins and a team of genre veterans,Descent into Avernushas the players attempt to save the city of Elturel which has fallen into hell as a result of a mysterious pact. Avernus, the titular first level of hell, is a bleak and chaotic cross between a Hieronymus Bosch painting andMad Max: Fury Road- not a great place to relax, but definitely a suitably dramatic backdrop for a grand adventure reminiscent ofDiablo 4’s grimgothic horror.
Descent into Avernusmirrors and compliments theBaldur’s Gate 3experience. Though played with pen and paper rather than processors and graphics cards, the story almost rhymes withBaldur’s Gate 3. Even character creation strongly encourages players to invent troubled pasts for their characters, much like the roster of companions in Larian’s ownDungeons & Dragonsadventure.
Backstory blues
As well as offering a rewarding adventure in its own right,Descent into Avernusshines a light on significant plot threads fromBaldur’s Gate 3, as any good prequel should.
Minor spoilers follow for Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3companions Wyll and Karlach can trace their tragic backstories to the events ofDescent into Avernus. As an urchin on the streets of Baldur’s Gate, Karlach was sold into slavery to fight in the Blood War - an ongoing battle between Demons and Devils that engulfs Avernus in perpetual conflict. Here, she was pressed into service by Zariel, a fallen angel and principal antagonist ofDescent into Avernus. Karlach spent 10 years fighting Zariel’s wars in a conflict stoked by the fall of the city of Elturel.
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Wyll’s backstory is also strongly linked to events inDescent into Avernus. His father, Duke Ulder Ravengard, is a major NPC in the adventure, who found himself trapped in Elturel as the city fell. It was also a servant of Zariel with whom Wyll formed the pact that acts as the source of his Warlock powers. Mizora, Wyll’s patron, is a scheming succubus whose own motivations and agendas are inextricably tethered to goings on in Avernus.
The events of Descent into Avernus also have a larger scale effect on Baldur’s Gate 3’s plot
The events ofDescent into Avernusalso have a larger scale effect onBaldur’s Gate 3’s plot. For instance, the Tiefling refugees the players encounter in the game’s first act are refugees from the fall in Elturel. In fact, some of them even accompanied Zariel during her crusade into hell and bore witness to the angel’s eventual fall. These “Hellriders” soon turned tail and abandoned Zariel. The leader of these refugees, Zevlor, was a former commander of the organization and can open up to the player about his role in the crusade if they play their cards right.
Choices & conundrums
Despite offering valuable insight into some of the events ofBaldur’s Gate 3,Descent into Avernusstands on its own two feet as one of the strongest pre-writtenD&Dcampaigns in the history of the game.
MirroringBaldur’s Gate 3’s own strengths in weaving multiple narratives,Descent into Avernusoffers branching storylines full of difficult player choices and moral conundrums. Much like the threat of the Absolute cult in Larian’s RPG, the threat of the fallen angel Zariel casts a long shadow over the campaign, addinga constant sense of dread and unease.
It’s a classic question: do the ends justify the means?
Descent into Avernus encourages players to consider how willing they might be to treat with the forces of hell, offering comprehensive rules for pacts with devils. Much likeBaldur’s Gate 3’s own Lovecraftian tadpole parasites, players inDescent into Avernushave to consider the extent to which they’re comfortable channeling the evil powers to which they now have access. It’s a classic conundrum: do the ends justify the means?
This question looms large when it comes to Zariel herself. Can the fallen angel be redeemed? Was she right to fall to evil so as to better protect the world from chaotic forces that would see it destroyed? Is it even right to offer her the chance at redemption? Using fantasy as a medium through which players can wrestle with these sorts of quandaries is one of the timeless strengths ofDungeons & Dragons- a quality Larian took great care to emulate withBaldur’s Gate 3.
However, to playDescent into Avernus, you’ll need an experienced Dungeon Master (part referee, part guide, for those uninitiated) and a group of other players. This is quite the undertaking, and nobody would blame you for opting for the simpler alternative of sticking withBaldur’s Gate 3’s more hassle-free storytelling. However, if the stars align and you can find a suitable group,Descent into Avernuswill help you get even more out ofBaldur’s Gate 3while offering a grand adventure all of its own.
Looking to get the most out of Baldur’s Gate 3? Our assessment of the manyBaldur’s Gate 3 classeshas you covered. Alternatively, you can learnhow to change classes in Baldur’s Gate 3altogether with our handy guide.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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