Summary
Larian Studios is reportedly considering DLC forBaldur’s Gate 3,following the game’s massive success. It’s likely that this DLC will pick up afterBaldur’s Gate 3’sconclusion,continuing the party’s adventures following the Absolute’s defeat. However, post-game DLC will have to take into account the many different choices players can make throughout the game.
One particular choice, at the conclusion of a companion’s personal quest, would be difficult to implement in post-game DLC due to its wide-ranging implications. The choice in question is found within Astarion’s personal quest, as there are numerous outcomes that need to be considered.
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The Fate Of Seven Thousand Vampire Spawn
“The Pale Elf,” the personal quest ofvampiric rogue Astarion, concludes with the defeat of his cruel master, Cazador Szarr. The party learns that Cazador created 7,007 vampire spawn over the past 200 years; he plans to sacrifice them in a ritual to become an ultra-powerful Vampire Ascendant. Players can either stop the ritual or let it continue, with Astarion Ascending in place of Cazador. (They can also let Cazador Ascend, but this comes at the cost of Astarion’s life).
Depending on the player’s choices, the following outcomes can occur:
How Potential DLC Could Address This Issue
There are many choices inBaldur’s Gate 3which would have a major impact on Faerun’s future. The druidicEmerald Grovecould continue to exist as a place of peace and refuge or sit empty with its residents slaughtered. The Shadow-Cursed Lands could be purified or left to rot. However, no choice has quite as much lasting change on the world at large as seven thousand blood-hungry, long-imprisoned vampires suddenly released upon the unsuspecting Underdark. Should Larian create post-game DLC forBaldur’s Gate 3,there are several ways in which this major choice could be addressed.
Create A Flexible Underdark Outpost
Helping the vampire spawn settle into the Underdark could make an interesting topic forBaldur’s Gate 3DLC.Players could help them build a settlement, find non-sentient food sources, and re-establish their independence after years of captivity. This outpost could even serve as an alternate “hub area” to the player’s camp. Should players kill the spawn, the Underdark settlement could instead be inhabited by Ironhand or Gondian gnomes or members of the Society of Brilliance.
Relocate The Spawn Somewhere Else
Alternately, the choice could be ignored entirely by having the spawn, should they have been freed, leave the Underdark entirely. They could leave the Sword Coast and relocate to somewhere else within the expansive Forgotten Realms setting. This could even be used as an opportunity to bring back anotherBaldur’s Gate 2character, the vampire thief Hexxat, who could return as a mentor or guide to help the spawn start a new life elsewhere.
Face The Consequences Of The Vampire Spawn Choice
Larian could also take the potential outcomes of this choice in a dark direction. Instead of the spawn adjusting well to life in the Underdark, they could choose to attack Baldur’s Gate, forcing the player to make even more difficult decisions regarding how to handle them. Players who instead chose to sacrifice the spawn could be presented with an alternate plot featuring the plots and manipulations of the now-cruelAscended Astarionand his hunger for power.
Any post-game DLC forBaldur’s Gate 3will most likely have to address how drastically this one choice can change the game’s world, so it remains to be seen what Larian will choose to do.
