Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Your Characters' History/Backstory

Is it possibile to actually write your bio in game? Like it was possibile in BG1/BG2 (at least in EEs)? I understand, it's pointless from a game perspective, but it would be fun to have it written in the actual game, not just in your head.

I'll repost this here, since the other thread wasn't about backstories, but that is what interests me more than simply class and race. This is the character I'm currently envisioning for my first playthrough. I'm not quite decided about whether it'll be draconic bloodline(bronze) or storm sorcery. Both are lightning-themed and the backstory works for either. It'll depend on how storm sorcery is implemented in the game.

So here is...

Vaenye Andrallat

Not-so-proud member of a minor house in an unspecified drow city, and one of the probably not too rare drow who hate Lolth and her priestesses, but never dare say so because that can adversely affect your health. Too careful to be a rebel, too free-thinking to conform, she kept alive by keeping a low profile and spending,intermittently, half of her life in the cracks of drow society [urchin background]. She also had a knack for magic but that never amounted to much beyond theory because of the fixed gender roles in her society. Anyone can be a fighter, but as a rule only men are wizards and sorcerers while high-status women (among which she was not) become priestesses.

Then there is the dragon. As a drow you learn to be self-reliant. After all in the absence of external enemies, the most deadly danger for any drow is another drow, and you never feel safe unless you’re alone. So she made expeditions into the cave systems surrounding the city on her own, and on one such expedition she found an egg. It had a crack. A little dragon with brown-red metallic scales hatched while she watched. She liked it instantly, but of course she couldn’t keep it. It would only end up on a bloody altar. It couldn’t be far to the cave where the mother lived, and she found it. There was a scary encounter with an incensed mother dragon who understandably did not trust her one bit at the start, but eventually came to understand that Vaenye had saved her child. The dragon gave her a gift she conveyed with a touch. An invisible one, she said, and that it might be some time before she could make use of it [Draconic bloodline sorcery or storm sorcery. IMO the dragon could gift either]. It also changed the color of her eyes to an odd shade of violet-tinged grey [not sure if the CC has that...hmm].

Some time later her stealth skill failed her and on another expedition, she was caught by a patrol of illithid thralls, to become yet another subject of the experiment the illithids were running on the surface. But coming to the surface, her magic began to stir. As the nautiloid that held her captive crashed, she fell to the floor, and there was a strange noise outside. A loud crack, followed by a gentle roll. She did not know what it was, but it called to her. Something like blue fire materialized in her open hand. And she was forever lost to her old home.

This is probably inevitable; better than wearing a groove in my office floor while I wait. But there's only so far I can get before running into the same wall as before - lack of information. There's this one theory about Gale which would be so interesting.... argh! Why is it not Friday yet!

Still not sure, but it will probably be something fancy like "This is Gonk and he likes to smash".

You mean like a green Marvel comic hero?

Make him a half-orc with INT 8 (INT 4 would be more fitting but we can't that low...) and definitely don't forget to give him purple/pink pigtails as a hairstyle

Oh, my first character has quite the backstory indeed, helped along by Xanathar's guide to everything. To give you the short version, she's a tiefling who grew up in an unnamed city in a ghetto. Exploring some caves outside the city she came upon an enchanted sword. When she took it, an archfeycame to her and decided to train her. She eventually used that training to bring down a corrupt merchant who was squeezing the poor in her city, tieflings in particular. In doing so she ended up having to leave her home, becoming a wandering adventurer. Before she came to Baldur's Gate she actually had to run from a different town for smuggling in food and medicine for the local poor. She likes Baldur's Gate, she hopes she doesn't have to get run out of town AGAIN.

I am not so deep. ATM I am looking at three:
- half-drow or drow Sword Dancer of Elistraee - too dumb to be a Priestess, but beefy and sturdy enough to kick ass for goodness. 1 or 2 lvl of Fighter, rest - Sword Bard. Fights with Longsword two-handed, to please the Goddess;
- savage half orc Shaman - Nature. At some point attacked by beast in woods, won the fight by clobbering the animal to death with a sausage. Since that time fights with Salami infused with Whaaagh! magic, i.e. Shillelagh
- not so savage half orc Shaman - War. Pokes'em in the eye with a spear - For Gruumsh!
Either of da Boyz might get a level or two in Fighta.

If the Halflings were not such an eyesore, I'd consider a Belkar Bitterleaf expy.

Another possible expy would be Goblin Slayer as portrayed in Goblin Slayer Abridged - deranged running gutter mouth - My name is Goblin Slayer and I slay GAWBLINS!

Malrith is a surface Drow who grew up in Waterdeep and became a member of the Xanathar Guild. Before joining, she worked for them for years in order to buy her brother's freedom for he had been enslaved by a crime lord who made him fight in the illegal gladiatorial tournanents that take place in the pits of Skullport. Despite the rough start, they decided to join the guild officially after realizing that the smugglers life suited them both. Her brother pursued a career as a mercenary and could often be seen at the Yawning Portal, where he'd join adventurers who wished to explore undermountain in exchange for a cut of the treasure. Malrith on the other hand, came in contact with the local Eilistraean shrine and was accosted by the priestess who tried her darnest to rescue her and her brother from a life of crime. Malrith declined the offer for she felt like she wasn't in need of 'saving' but made friends with the woman and ended up absorbing some of Eilistrae's teachings through her. She catched some goodness, in a sense. From that moment on her life became this weird dichotomy between being a spy for a notorios crime guild and someone who actually wanted to prove to herself and others she could be 'more' than what her heritage casted her as. Perhaps she'll have the opportunity now that she has been snagged onto a mindflayer ship...

I find a backstory helps me play a character other than myself and make character consistent decisions. That said, I don't think level 1 needs much backstory, unless they've been diminished in power like Gale.

Guy (placeholder name)
- Human noble raised in Baldur's Gate.
- Squired as Companion Knight in Elturel.
- Talent wasted and ambition dulled by years at Fort Tamal.
- Eventually left posting without accomplishment.
- Returning to Baldur's Gate, heard rumours of Elturel's descent, resolved to return to help.
- Like many others, was abducted by mindflayers.

Personality: Looks the part, always well groomed, however his cocky one-liners are stupid as often as cool.
Ideal: Heroism, wants to be viewed a hero.
Bonds: Nobles of Baldur's Gate, knights of Elturel, commonfolk in general.
Flaw: Ashamed to return home without accomplishments, so easily convinced to undertake 'quests'.

No, but steam has hadded a notepad function in their last update. You can open it while playing and type down all you like. I'm going to use it to keep a journal for my character

In a CRPG, I never do much for my backstory, honestly. It never comes up, anyway. I just make a broad concept with a general disposition, some likes and dislikes. Just some basic background so I can make sense of things.

So, I'll be making a Wood Elf Gloom 5 / Assassin 4 / Battlemaster 3.

The Baldurian Tag:
I envision my ranger is actually from the Cloakwood Druid Grove. Not Shadow Druids, those butts were liberally kicked in good measure a long time ago. My Tav was lost and found there as a child, and had stuck with the grove ever since. Just as the other Rangers that protected the grove, Tav was regularly tasked to trade in towns nearby, such as Baldur's Gate.

I tend to make Males for STR characters and females ones for Dex characters, so Tav is a woman now. She'll be stupid pretty when coming out of the character creator, but she'll have 8 - 10 CHA probably.


So:

Tav is blunt, rude, brutally honest and does *not* stand on ceremony - That will come genuinely easy for me, so that's great.

Tav loves: Silvanus / Animals / Nature
Tav likes: Druids / Survival / Honestly
Tav dislikes: People in Armor / Civilisation / Arcane Magic
Tav hates: Spiders / Necromancy / Dishonesty

Tav will take Rogue levels by the time she'll be infiltrating castles or already in the City, so I can head-canon in that, she needs to learn the-ways-of-the-City-to-survive.

I am not yet sure whether I want to play as Lae'zel or a Tav.

I came up with a little backstory for my Tav character regardless.
The name is a placeholder for now. I like to decide on the name after I finalize the looks.

'N earned enough as a pathfinder, guiding travelling merchant groups through the rugged, unforgiving terrain. Avoiding ever-present thugs and cutthroats, one needs to hire a specialist after all. And they take plenty, especially so, when it comes to dealing with beasts as well.

What better protection from a wild animal, than a bigger one? By that logic it goes, that in his pathfinding years, N was traveling with a loyal bear companion, name of Elm. Any hiring nobleman would notice that man to have a way with animals in general, drawing away any aggression and ferocity with his natural presence. A raven could settle and rest on his shoulder, a squirrel could hide in the folds of his clothing. Some called it magic, others called it a 'gift of nature', but in the end N's animal handling abilities were second to none. And this particular affinity predicated his older years, all the same.

An aged, weary pathfinder is an ineffective one. A former ranger has a hard time earning their living, since age is a weakness in the eyes of incompetent buyers. Your common pathfinder would either drown themselves in a dozen tankards or live the rest of their lives in dull seclusion. But not N. Man's unparalleled skill with beasts and understanding of their nature and need came to fruition hence he founded a menagerie in a bustling city of Baldur's Gate. His furry and feathered friends were on display during the day, performing tricks and acts, while at night the man himself ventured into the streets and performed as a heartfelt storyteller.

Yet the lower city proved to be stingy with its coin. N could barely earn a living at first, struggling to compete with other performers. A retired pathfinder quickly figured, that city folks are drawn to the mystery of magic. A town bear is an interesting sight, but a town elemental is on the whole other level. Through years of training and performing, N slowly mastered the art of conjuring well enough to be used in their craft.

The stage was set, the crowd was cheering, as Elm was ready to face a Water Elemental in an improvised arena set out in the midst of the city. Everything was drowning in the jubilation of the mesmerized common folk and nobody noticed a different, more sinister noise. N was on the verge of going big, yet all he got was an unforeseen slap of a tentacle. The rest, we are about to figure out...'

TLDR: I am planning to play as an old human, a former pathfinder/ranger, re-qualified as a menagerie owner and a conjuration wizard in his winter years. Mechanically a Beast Master(5)/Conjuration Wizard(6)/Wild Magic(1)

I have this backstory for my TAV who is a Dwarf Tempest Cleric and Female Dragonborn GOOlock

My Dwarf is a Tempest Cleric who was lost in his love for violence, he adored instilling fear into others, he revelled in bringing misery and spreading the vile word of his God Umberlee for the power over horrid storms among which he found true joy, among the howling winds and raging thunder shaking the ground beneath him, his devotion to slaughter was unmatched until he met a certain Dragonborn girl, someone who became truly dear to his heart. He found her when she was all alone, she was alone all her life and was losing herself to violent urges that made her become a violent monster, losing herself to urges she was terrified of. Meeting her made the Dwarf wake up from his devotion and start to feel something different. An alien need to help this poor soul with control over her fears, help her control her Dark Urges. As he got closer to her as they traveled together he found storms around him become calmer, a clear sky more beautiful and for all his love for storms he found real happiness in the calm breeze. He found joy he never knew before. A joy not born of fear and violence, but of peace and quiet. He was changing and for the first time felt the weight of his sins. This girl changed him and he had to protect her. Help her. One day even promising to take her away to a land beyond the seas where neither of them will harm anyone anymore. A dream they both found true comfort in. A future they desired more than anything else...

And then he lost her in a battle where she went berserk. A bunch of wild bandits attacked them in their rest and in a midst of a fight a horrid monster appeared. A being of many spikes, elongated limbs and horrid violence. The being slaughtered those who did not yet fell to Dwarf’s hammer and in the end the Dwarf managed to kill it while being terribly wounded, but then he saw… The beast turning into her. The Dragonborn. As her body laid there in the dirt the Dwarf became lost in dark thoughts wanting nothing, but run away, he wanted to forget, but couldn’t. He buried her and started losing himself in the haze of violent thoughts, yearning for brutality, for loud thunder of the storm to keep his mind off of his loss, of his failure... But he still dreams of that she is somewhere out there, beyond the sea, beyond the vast ocean, in the land of peace he promised her and wanting nothing more than to see her again, but he knew he was not worthy, he would never be worthy. But now he has to wake up and face his guilt, he has to move forward. Become something better. Forgive himself for what he did and maybe… he could be forgiven by her as well. It's like she is always there next to him. Looking over his shoulder. Watching him every time he closes his eyes. Not knowing that she already forgave him.

While in the other timeline she got to live. She got to live while the Dwarf died sparing her life as he noticed a familiar fabric of her clothes on the monster’s spikes. In that moment he was not able to kill her even as she tried to kill him. He passed with her claw slashing through his stomach. Finally when she got out of her murderous haze she saw what she did and fell into complete despair as she was now completely alone again, filled with sorrow her violent urges came back even stronger. She ended up isolating herself, she tried to seek help through learning and eventually looked for guidance in forbidden knowledge of great unknown among the stars she loved to watch alongside the Dwarf. In the unreachable depths of space she found hope in eldritch beings that could possibly rid her off this violence and loneliness. She studied the secrets of Great Old Ones but in result she became more insane and a Goblin like thing got to her and made her into a violent monster again, forcing her to murder people against her will, tearing her apart as she was turning back into the monster she was before that took away the Dwarf, destroying her mind even further. Now with the Tadpole in her brain she has the chance to rid herself from this. Somehow. She will find a way. And atone for all of her sins.

It is a backstory for me playing both characters at the same time. I also hope Umberlee is available in this game for this backstory, if not then I guess next best option is Talos, but Umberlee would be ideal given how important she is in Baldur's Gate. Names are a only thing I didn't figure out yet and I wonder if playing this Dwarf as Duergar would make sense.

They might not want the game to acknowledge it, but they clearly want us to acknowledge it. Else why post it? But sure, if fanfic is their gig, they should have fun with it.