The world ofBaldur’s Gate 3has many gods that indirectly influence its events and happenings. Despite the command that they do not directly interfere in the events that shape the world of mortals, many of them manage to find loopholes to this command. From patron deities to the meddling of the Dead Three, the gods inBaldur’s Gate 3play a large part in shaping the future of Faerun.
Understanding the gods is vital to understanding the story and, when creating an original character to explore Faerun, knowing what gods exist and their role in the lore plays a vital part in understanding the player character’s perspective on it, which is all the more important if they’re acleric inBaldur’s Gate 3. Clerics rely on their patron to grant their magic, and worship of them is crucial to keep the connection open. The choice of god to worship can influence dialogue choices outside of combat, and can provide insight into situations other characters would miss.
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This article contains spoilers forBaldur’s Gate 3.
Patron Deities in Baldur’s Gate 3
Below is a list of the deities that clerics, NPCs, and so forth worship inBaldur’s Gate 3’s setting.
All the above gods provide clerics with access to magic, no matterthe cleric’s subclass or alignment inBaldur’s Gate 3. There are some limitations, such as Lolth-sworn Drow clerics are only able to worship Lolth, while non-githyanki races cannot worship Vlaakith. Clerics will receive special dialogue options depending on the domain of their patron, and NPCs will react to them differently depending on their view of their chosen deity.
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Other Gods in Baldur’s Gate 3
Aside from the above list of gods, there are other notable gods that play a role inBaldur’s Gate 3such as Shar, Sylvanus,the Dead Three, and Jergal. While not available for a cleric to worship, most Druids worship Sylvanus, the Oak Father and God of the natural world.
Shar is first mentioned by Shadowheart, who confesses that she’s a cleric of Shar. Known as the Lady of Loss, she is the twin sister of the moon goddess Selune and is opposed to everything Selune stands for. The worship of Shar is controversial because of her followers' fanatical devotion to loss, which inevitably brings death and ruin wherever Shar worship is found. This is particularly evident in Act 2, where Shar is responsible for the Shadow-Cursed Lands that plague the area aroundMoonrise Towers. Not only is Shar opposed to Selune, but her dark version of magic, the Shadow Weave, opposes the Weave of Mystra, making Shar worship unpopular with wizards and other magic-users.
The Dead Three play a major role inBaldur’s Gate 3and, indeed, the history of the titular city. They are grouped together as they embody the concept of death: Bhaal, the Lord of Murder; Bane, the Lord of Tyranny;and Myrkul, the Lord of Bones. These three are bound by more than death; all three were originally mortal and elevated to godhood. Bhaal in particular has been a recurring antagonist in theBaldur’s Gateseries, appearing inBaldur’s Gate 1andBaldur’s Gate 2,and doesn’t have a good reputation in the city of Baldur’s Gate.
Withers' Role in Baldur’s Gate 3
Jergal is the Lord of the End of Everything and is the predecessor to the Dead Three. It’s said that, when he was challenged for his position, he willingly gave up his role and instead became a seneschal to record the numbers of the dead. In an amusing move, it’shighly likely that Withers is actually Jergal, who chose to oppose the Dead Three inBaldur’s Gate 3thanks to their misuse of their power and their schemes with the Absolute.
This is because the Dank Crypt Withers is found in is likely a Temple of Jergal, indicated by the symbols of Jergal in the tomb. Withers asks the player, “What is the worth of a single mortal’s life?,” a question mentioned in a book about Jergal, andWithers brings companions back to life from the dead at full health. Charging gold for his services would be the loophole that would circumvent the directive that gods don’t interfere in the mortal world.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available now on PC, releases on PS5 on September 6, and will release on Xbox Series X/S by the end of the year.
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