Baldur’s Gate 3is set in the Forgotten Realms, so follows the majority of the5e Dungeons & Dragonsrules. Most of the game feels like a direct translation of the tabletop game into videogame form, and similar examples are few and far between. There’s not an awful lot it could have done better, and Larian’s decision to prioritize the quality of the game over the amount of content shines through in the final project.
However, there’s one fact about all theBaldur’s Gate 3companions that would’ve had much more focus in a tabletop setting, but seems to have been partly abandoned in the video game. Although the game is certainly perfect as it is, it’s interesting to think about what it could’ve looked like if some more consideration went into different areas.IfBG3hadn’t left languages as an afterthought, the game would be a lot more in-line with its inspiration.
Your Favorite Baldur’s Gate 3 Companions Speak More Languages Than You Realized
Astarion Can Speak Abyssal And Orcish, And Gale Can Speak Draconic And Giant
On theBaldur’s Gate 3website as well as the DLC character sheets, fans can view various pieces of information about all the companions. Something that is of particular interest is that their known languages are listed - although this is an essential part ofDnD,I wish we got more content relating to this in-game.Gale and Astarion know some especially surprising languages- despite it making perfect sense for Gale to know quite a few languages as awizard with the “sage” background,there aren’t any moments where they are properly relevant or mentioned, which feels like wasted potential.
Wyll
Common, Infernal
The languages that the other characters know generally speak for themselves, but it’s still a shame that there is close to no content acknowledging them.There are a few moments where knowing languages such as Thieves' Cant and Infernal can unlock some unique dialogue, with the most notable example probably being tieflings having the ability to read Astarion’s scars.
However, Wyll doesn’t seem to know enough infernal to decipher the writing on Astarion’s back. This could’ve been a unique way to approach his quest without being a tiefling. It’s just one of the waysBG3could’ve made some improvements here.
It’s common for clerics to know Celestial, yet this is never properly acknowledged by Shadowheart. A lot of people were introduced toDungeons & DragonsthroughBaldur’s Gate 3, so it’s likely that a lot of players will have no idea about this little fun fact.We obviously see Lae’zel speak in the Gith language a lot, but it would have been fascinating to also see her speak some Draconic.I’d especially love to know how Astarion knows Orcish, as it seems quite out of character for him.
With So Many Languages In DnD, It’s A Shame That They Weren’t Utilized More
Perhaps A Future Installment Of The Baldur’s Gate Series Might Explore Them Further
InDungeons & Dragons, players will generally be able to choose which languages they want their characters to know depending on theircharacter’s class and background.Language isn’t really a huge focus inBaldur’s Gate 3, andknowledge of certain languages appears to be locked to the race you pick,though you can sometimes roll to see if you can translate something.It’s not obvious to the player that language could be significant in the setting at all, which is quite a shame, as it can be quite a fun character detail in the tabletop game.
Despite Gale knowing Giant and Astarion knowing Orcish, we don’t meet any giants or orcs in Baldur’s Gate 3. Giants are referenced through several items, and there are, of course, several half-orcs throughout the game, but it would have been interesting to see one of them have a conversation with one of these creatures.
Althoughthis was an understandable adjustment given the sheer size of the gameand theamount of content that had to be cut,there were lots of fun opportunities that were missed by not utilizing the different languages of the Forgotten Realms. For example, playing as a Dragonborn can be a little unrewarding, as they’re quite rare throughout the game and don’t have the same reactivity as other races such as the drow and githyanki. Having some unique, helpful interactions locked behind knowing the Draconic language could make the race feel a bit more special.
Having Languages Be More Flexible In BG3 Would Improve Customization
Though Not A Desperately Necessary Change, Players Could Create More Interesting Backstories For Characters That Know Multiple Languages
On the other hand,allowing players to choose their languages in the traditional way could encourage more diversity of charactersamong players. If a player wants to be able to read Astarion’s scars, this would mean they wouldn’t necessarily have to play a tiefling in order to do so.Baldur’s Gate 3already removed set racial bonuses to allow players to fully mold their characters to their liking, so unlocking certain languages would take customization to the next level.
If the player chooses to play a character that doesn’t outwardly appear to be someone who would know a certain language, it could also open up some opportunities for some humorous scenes if they end up surprising an NPC with their knowledge. Admittedly, this would probably make respeccing a nightmare, so perhaps extra languages could be tied exclusively to backgrounds, as this isn’t something that can be changed later in the game. Either way, it does feel a little odd that the party’s known languages are barely brought up inBaldur’s Gate 3, as manyRedditusers would agree.
