Baldur’s Gate 3 has an incredibly rich and deep story full of nuance, though you may be wondering how that connects to Dungeons and Dragons. Here’s whether Baldur’s Gate 3 is canon to DnD.
Does Baldur’s Gate 3 Take Place in DnD Lore?
Baldur’s Gate 3, like Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2 before it, does take place in established DnD lore. Baldur’s Gate is a city in the Forgotten Realms setting and lore, and thus is subject to the status of its universe. That’s why specific events are written the way they are, thanks to the oversight from those at Wizards of the Coast. This also means that there’s one “canon” ending, but which ending that is isn’t entirely clear.
A good way to know what is set in stone as part of the lore is to check the official Forgotten Realms wiki. For example, if I look up the character Lae’zel from Baldur’s Gate 3, I get a full page of her background, personality, abilities, and all that. You can also get that for many other characters in the game, further establishing the events and characters of BG3 as canon.
And as I mentioned, Larian Studios is collaborating with Wizards of the Coast to provide guidance and oversight for the narrative and lore aspects.
As an added note, the events of Baldur’s Gate 3 run roughly in parallel with the book Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus. While there isn’t a whole lot connecting the two besides having to do with Baldur’s Gate itself, it’s interesting to think the story is happening around the same time.
Will Baldur’s Gate’s Story Affect My DnD Campaign?
This is a strange question because the answer depends on you and your story. Whether you want the events of any of the Baldur’s Gate games to be relevant is entirely up to you. You’re the one creating the story, and unless you deeply care about specific parts of the established lore, you can always ignore it and write your tale. That’s the beauty of TTRPGs.
So, is BG3 canon to DnD? Yes it is!
If you’re looking for some help while playing the game, check out our guide on all achievements in Baldur’s Gate 3.
