Baldur’s Gate 3 Director Reveals Interesting Mechanic That Didn’t Make It In

Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has revealed that Baldur’s Gate 3 was originally going to feature entirely different death and resurrection mechanics. The cut features would have taken players on an immersive journey through the afterlife and expanded Baldur’s Gate 3‘s rich lore and storytelling.

Despite selling over 10 million copies and winning many Game of the Year awards, Larian Studios recently broke the shocking news that it will be stepping away from the Baldur’s Gate franchise. Following the revelation that Larian will not be developing any DLC for the critically acclaimed fantasy RPG, players eager for more Baldur’s Gate content have been keen to discover hidden features missing from the game’s final release.

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Modders have begun to uncover clues towards canceled content, including evidence of a potentially cut companion character in Baldur’s Gate 3, while players have highlighted the many changes made over the game’s three years in early access. However, on PC Gamer’s RPG Roundtable podcast, Larian’s CEO shared an intriguing mechanic that never made it into the game. Larian originally planned to send dead characters on an adventure to an entirely new realm. “Whenever you died, you were supposed to go to the Fugue Plane,” said Vincke, “but the rest of your party would still be walking around in the material plane.” In Dungeons & Dragons lore, the Fugue Plane is an interim domain connecting the mortal Forgotten Realms with the many various afterlives, where deceased souls gather to be judged and assigned to their respective heavens or hells.

What is the Fugue Plane in Dungeons & Dragons?

• The Fugue Plane is an interim domain connecting the mortal world with the many afterlives.
• Deceased souls gather there to be judged and assigned to their respective afterlife.
• Larian originally envisaged that dead characters would be sent to the Fugue Plane, but the idea was scrapped early in development.

Sending players on a journey through the Fugue Plane would have been the perfect opportunity to explore the nuances of Baldur’s Gate 3’s rich mythology. Spiritual clerics and paladins could have potentially appealed to their chosen deities for reincarnation, while evil-minded characters could be forced to face the consequences of their misdeeds. As the remaining party members would remain in the overworld, players could also potentially embark on high-stakes rescue missions to save their companions, similar to Baldur’s Gate 3’s thrilling descent into Avernus.

Unless players are dauntless enough to face Baldur’s Gate 3’s permadeath Honor Mode, dying in the final release of the game is an easily remedied affair. Players must revert to a previous save after a full party wipe, but a single character’s untimely demise is quickly rectified by the plentiful Revivify scrolls and spells, or via a trip to the camp’s resident undead miracle worker and potential God of Death, Withers. An extended trip into the underworld would flesh out this otherwise simple mechanic. Although fans will never get to experience this immersive feature, Larian has just announced exactly when gamers can expect their long-awaited Deluxe Editions of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a Dungeons and Dragons inspired RPG developed and published by Larian Studios. Featuring both a single player and cooperative element, players create their character by selecting a starting class, take on quests, level up, and engage in turn-based combat using the D&D 5th edition rule set.

Franchise

Baldur’s Gate

Released

August 3, 2023

Number of Players

1-4

Local Co-Op Support

1-2 Players