Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Shadows of Amn/Throne of Bhaal continuity

Hey there, I've been playing Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 (the Enhanced Editions) since 2013, and I'd like to answer some of your questions.

I've been keeping an ear low to the ground for anything I hear or see about BG3 having some minor or major connections to BG2 SoA/ToB. Shadowheart being a priestess of Shar has nothing to do with Viconia, but that Lolth-sworn drow woman who leads the goblin hordes, Minthara, I just found out she is related to Jarlaxle, they were both born in House Baenre, the First House of Menzoberranzan (Viconia's House, House DeVir was the Fourth House of Menzoberranzan). You learn she is from House Baenre when you use your ability to speak to the dead after you kill her. If you don't know who Jarlaxle is from R.A. Salvatore's Drizzt books, you might remember meeting Jarlaxle in Ust Natha during Shadows of Amn. Harpers helping druids should not be out of the ordinary for you. Sadly, no sign or hint of Jaheira in the game yet. I don't think she is in the game because in Shadows of Amn, there is a possibility that she may quit the Harpers or stay with them, depending on how high or low your reputation is when she was forced to confront the fake Harpers trying to get promoted in Athkatla.

There is this tabletop game Murder in Baldur's Gate taking place a decade before Baldur's Gate 3 that reveals that Bhaal is alive again thanks to the last two Bhaalspawn that still had Bhaal's essence in their bodies who are human and lived for 100 years fighting each other (Gorion's Ward, the custom character hero of BG1 and 2 is not one of them, his/her portion of Bhaal's essence got locked away in Mt. Celestia along with Imoen's portion).

There is a comic book series about Minsc called Legends of Baldur's Gate and it reveals how Minsc and Boo are back 100 years after their lifetime, and Coran the womanizing elf is in the comic book series as a member of Baldur's Gate's Parliament of Peers, a group of noblemen and noblewomen who make laws for the city, and he has a son.

Actually it has been more than 100 years since Throne of Bhaal, Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 are set near the mid-late 14th century of the Forgotten Realms. Currently the 5th Edition's present day setting is very close to the 16th century of the Forgotten Realms. 4th Edition's present day setting was 1479. 3rd Edition was in 1372, the same year as the events of the Neverwinter Nights game happened. Yeah, the Spellplague happened in 1385 DR, approximately 16 or 15 years after Throne of Bhaal, 13 years after Neverwinter Nights, 11 years after Neverwinter Nights 2 and Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 1 and 2. The changes it brought angered a lot of people, including authors like R.A. Salvatore and Ed Greenwood. 4th Edition's 100 year jump made them no happier because most of their characters that have short lifespans were left behind to die from old age without any closure.

Actually they don't exist in their own continuity, trust me. Everything is connected like the Marvel Cinematic Universe in minor or major ways. And sometimes in ways we never expected. For example, I learned that Drizzt Do'Urden's cameo appearances in Baldur's Gate 1 and Shadows of Amn is not fan service after all. A few years ago, I read one of R.A. Salvatore's books, "Sea of Swords", and I learned something very interesting. In the book, Drizzt just recently arrived in Icewind Dale. In the first Baldur's Gate game, when you meet him and don't attack himnafter helping him get rid of the gnolls harassing him, he tells you that he is on a journey to Icewind Dale. Baldur's Gate is set in the year 1368. R.A. Salvatore's novel Sea of Swords starts in the Spring of 1369, the exact same year as Shadows of Amn, just a month before Chapter 1 of Shadows of Amn starts. But Sea of Swords story ends on the Winter of 1370, which means Drizzt and his friends appearing in Chapter 6 of Shadows of Amn cannot really happen unless Gorion's Ward has spent the whole year of 1369 trying to complete Chapter 2, collecting gold for Gaelan Bayle so that Chapter 3 and so on can be from the Winter to Spring of 1370 right after Sea of Swords ends and before the Hunter's Blades Trilogy novels start.

Larian wants to surprise us. I respect their decision, but like you, it kills me not knowing the answers to my questions.

Athkatla is a much bigger city than Baldur's Gate, so I don't blame you. It has a lot more districts than the game shows, to be honest. For example, there is the Scepter District, the Gem District, Wave District. I don't remember the names of the other districts.