List of references to previous Baldur's Gate games

Bhaal's Symbol was the logo of the franchise

A variety of characters, items, locations and more from previous Baldur's Gate games make appearances in Baldur's Gate 3.

Previous Games

Previous games in the franchise include:

•  Baldur's Gate (released December 1998, developed by BioWare) – referenced further as Baldur's Gate 1
  •  Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (expansion, released April 1999, developed by Bioware)
  •  Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition (released November 2012, developed by Overhaul Games) – an expanded release of the original game
  •  Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear (expansion, released March 2016, developed by Beamdog) – referenced further as Siege of Dragonspear
•  Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (released September 2000, developed by BioWare) – referenced further as Baldur's Gate 2
  •  Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (expansion, released June 2001, developed by BioWare) – referenced further as Throne of Bhaal
  •  Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition (released November 2013, developed by Overhaul Games) – an expanded release of the original game
•  Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (spinoff, released December 2001, developed by Snowblind Studios) – referenced further as Dark Alliance 1
•  Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II (spinoff, released January 2004, developed by Black Isle Studios) – referenced further as Dark Alliance 2

Characters

Characters from Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 appearing as companions

•  Jaheira – a companion in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, a half-elven Druid / Fighter and Harper
•  Minsc – a companion Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, a human Ranger
  •  Boo – Minsc's miniature giant space hamster familiar

Characters from Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 appearing as NPCs

•  Abazigal – an antagonist in Throne of Bhaal, a Bhaalspawn, one of "the Five". He is also referenced in  Abazigal, the Fourth and  Grimlark Verse 1.
•  Amelyssan – the major antagonist of Throne of Bhaal, former Deathstalker and high priestess who had been instructed to resurrect the god of murder after his death during the  Time of Troubles. Instead, she manipulated the allied Bhaalspawn known as "the Five" in an attempt to claim divinity for herself. She is also referenced in  Amelyssan, the Sixth.
•  Elminster – a legendary wizard, Harper and Chosen of  Mystra. He appears in both Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2.
•  Illasera – an antagonist in Throne of Bhaal, a Bhaalspawn, one of "the Five". She is also referenced in  Illasera, the First and  Grimlark Verse 5.
• Sarevok – the main antagonist in Baldur's Gate 1 and later a companion in Baldur's Gate 2, a Bhaalspawn. His helmet  Sarevok's Horned Helmet and his sword  Sword of Chaos can be looted from his corpse.
•  Sendai – an antagonist in Throne of Bhaal, a Bhaalspawn, one of "the Five". She is also referenced in  Sendai, the Third.
• Viconia – a companion in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, an elven Cleric of  Shar.
•  Volo – a famous writer and traveler whom the party can meet in Baldur's Gate 1 and Throne of Bhaal. Two physical maps (one of the Sword Coast and another of Baldur's Gate) came with special editions of Baldur's Gate I, and much of that game's instruction manual is written from Volo's point-of-view.

Characters from Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 which are referenced

•  Abdel Adrian is the canonical version of "Gorion's Ward"; the player character of Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II. A human Bhaalspawn who rejected his heritage and fought against his kin, he later joined the Flaming Fist and became Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate. As Grand Duke, Abdel Adrian (disguised as an average citizen) formed a friendship with the illithid hunter  Golbraith Stredivas, and gifted him  Abdel's Trusted Shield. Adrian's death in 1482 DR (about ten years before the events of Baldur's Gate III) at the hands of the Bhaalspawn  Viekang signaled the return of  Bhaal and also led to the ascension of  Ulder Ravengard to Grand Duke.
•  Aerie (elven Cleric / Wizard, follower of  Baervan Wildwanderer, companion in Baldur's Gate 2) is referenced with a a pair of carved wooden wings, found in the room where Minsc can be recruited in the Lower City Sewers.
•  Balthazar – an antagonist in Throne of Bhaal, a Bhaalspawn, one of "the Five".  Balthazar, the necromancer, is not the same person, but when asked, he reveals that he has taken some of Balthazar's bones (and presumably his name). He is also mentioned in  Balthazar, the Fifth.
•  Berena Elkan – an ally of Gromnir Il-Khan, who was an antagonist in Throne of Bhaal, a Bhaalspawn half-orc in command of the besieged city of Saradush, is referenced in  Grimlark Verse 3.
•  Bodhi – a vampire and antagonist in Baldur's Gate 2 is mentioned in  The Mortal View: Eyewitness Accounts of the Bhaalspawn Crisis.
•  Branwen (human Cleric of  Tempus, companion in Baldur's Gate 1) is mentioned on a grave at X: 31 Y: 13 in the Lower City, misspelled as Branwem. She was also in the tutorial of Baldur's Gate 2, teaching the player character about clerical abilities.
•  Dynaheir (human Evocation Wizard, companion in Baldur's Gate 1) is referenced with a cracked wooden mask, found in the room where Minsc can be recruited in the Lower City Sewers and in dialogue with Minsc.
•  Edwin Odesseiron (human Conjuration Wizard, companion in Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2) is indirectly referenced in  The One that Got A Thay, as well as mentioned in one of  Gale's selection spam remarks.
•  Faldorn (human Druid, companion in Baldur's Gate 1) has written a book  Faldorn's Canticle: The Shadow Druids' Doctrine, that can be found in Kagha's chest a book.
•  Gorion – the 'stepfather' of Gorion's Ward is mentioned in  Missives of Candlekeep and  The Mortal View: Eyewitness Accounts of the Bhaalspawn Crisis.
•  Gromnir Il-Khan – an antagonist in Throne of Bhaal, a Bhaalspawn half-orc in command of the besieged city of Saradush is referenced in  Grimlark Verse 3.
•  Jan Jansen (gnomish Illusionist / Rogue, companion in Baldur's Gate 2) is referenced through a turnip, found in the room where Minsc can be recruited in the Lower City Sewers.
•  Jon Irenicus – the main antagonist in Baldur's Gate 2 is mentioned in  Enver... Is your blood sweet?,  Regarding the Slayer and  The Mortal View: Eyewitness Accounts of the Bhaalspawn Crisis.
•  Keldorn Firecam (human Paladin of  Torm, companion in Baldur's Gate 2) is referenced with a mailed fist, found in the room where Minsc can be recruited in the Lower City Sewers.
•  Khalid (half-elven Fighter, companion in Baldur's Gate 1), Jaheira's husband, is referenced in  Khalid's Gift and  My Dearest Wife, both found in Jaheira's Basement in Elerrathin's Home. See also: Khalid
•  Liia Jannath – a member of the Council of Four in Baldur's Gate 1, as well as Imoen's magic instructor in Siege of Dragonspear, is mentioned in  Record of the Honoured and  Grimlark Verse 6.
•  Mazzy Fentan (halfling Fighter, follower of  Arvoreen, companion in Baldur's Gate 2), is referenced with a halfling-sized warhammer, found in the room where Minsc can be recruited in the Lower City Sewers.
•  Naaber, a talkative wannabe adventurer found in Carm's Garms, is a reference to the characters of  Noober (from Baldur's Gate 1),  Neeber (from Baldur's Gate 2), and  Nüber (from Siege of Dragonspear), all of whom were also extremely talkative NPCs. If Naaber is spoken to with  Speak with Dead, he reveals that he is related to at least some of these other NPCs. As is the case for his predecessors, going through all his dialogue results in receiving a minor reward.
•  Roveer is a reference to  Reevor from Baldur's Gate 1. His quest Roveer's Storehouse is a reference to  Reevor's Storehouse in which the party is hired to exterminate rats.
•  Shyressa, a vampire member of the Twisted Rune, who can be met in Baldur's Gate 2 in the Bridge District, is represented by a bust in Szarr Palace.
•  Szass Tam, see Szass Tam.
•  Xan (elven Enchantment Wizard, companion in Baldur's Gate 1) and his magical sword Moonblade are mentioned in  One Night in Nashkel. Coincidentally, Xan is also the name of the githyanki child that  Lae'zel raises if she was given the  Githyanki Egg. Xan is apparently the Gith word for freedom.
•  Yaga-Shura – an antagonist in Throne of Bhaal, a Bhaalspawn and one of "the Five", is mentioned in  Yaga-Shura, the Second found in Peartree House. Amelyssan and  "the Five" are also referenced as a group through Orin's "murder art" created by chaining together six corpses, which are located at the bottom of the stairway in the Undercity Ruins, near the Whispering Statue with the unique brazier called Audience of One.
•  Yoshimo (human Rogue, companion in Baldur's Gate 2) is mentioned in  Yoshimo is Willing.

Characters of Dark Alliance 2 which are referenced

• In Szarr Palace at X: -1270 Y: 990 there is a bust of  Mordoc SeLanmere, the vampire lord and main antagonist in Dark Alliance 2, also known as "The Pale Knight". If the player character helps  Astarion complete the Rite of Profane Ascension, the newly-sprung vampire lord will mention Mordoc by this title in the prompted dialogue afterwards.

Items

Returning Items

Items of Baldur's Gate 3 which also existed in Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2.

Armour

• Elven Chain 5e –  Elven Chain Mail
• Helm of Balduran –  Helm of Balduran

Cloaks

• Cloak of Protection 5e – as  Cloak of Protection +1
• Nymph Cloak –  Nymph Cloak

Gloves

• Gloves of Crushing – as  Gauntlets of Crushing
• Gloves of Dexterity – as  Gauntlets of Dexterity
• Legacy of the Masters –  Legacy of the Masters
• Nimblefinger Gloves –  Nimblefinger Gloves
• Wondrous Gloves –  Wondrous Gloves

Boots

• Disintegrating Night Walkers – as  Night Walkers

Rings

• Ring of Free Action 5e – as  Edventar's Gift
• Ring of Protection 5e – as  Ring of Protection +1 or as  Ring of the Princes

Shields

• Shield of Devotion –  Shield of Devotion

Weapons

• Belm –  Belm
• Blightbringer –  Blightbringer
• Bow of the Banshee –  Bow of the Banshee
• Darkfire Shortbow –  Darkfire Bow
• Defender Flail – as  Defender of Easthaven
• Dwarven Thrower –  Dwarven Thrower
• Flail of Ages –  Flail of Ages
• Handmaiden's Mace –  Handmaiden's Mace
• Harmonium Halberd –  Harmonium Halberd
• Harold –  Harold
• Light Crossbow of Speed (inaccessible) – as  The Army Scythe
• Staff of the Ram –  Staff of the Ram
• Sword of Chaos –  Sword of Chaos
• Sword of the Emperor – as  Sword of Balduran (Baldur's Gate)
• The Dead Shot –  The Dead Shot

Referenced Items

Items from Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2 that are not present, but only referenced, in Baldur's Gate 3.

•  Butter Knife of Balduran, a joke item with no applications from Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast, is referenced in one of the comments about  the Emperor's old things spoken at the Knights of the Shield Hideout and serves as a significant clue about his former identity.
•  Lilarcor, the talking sword from Baldur's Gate 2, is indirectly referenced in one of Minsc's banter lines with  Wyll, as well as mentioned in the three-way conversation between Jaheira, Minsc and the  Dark Urge after the latter's Bhaalspawn nature is revealed.
•  Moonblade, a magical sword from Baldur's Gate 1 that can only be used by Xan, is mentioned in  One Night in Nashkel.

New Items

Items in Baldur's Gate 3 mentioning or related to characters or locations of Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2.

Armour

• Abdel's Trusted Shield – Abdel Adrian is the official identity of Gorion's Ward.
• Despair of Athkatla
• Sarevok's Horned Helmet – the helmet of Baldur's Gate 1's main antagonist.
• Shelter of Athkatla

Books

• Enver... Is your blood sweet? –  Araj Oblodra ponders if she could use the blood of  Enver Gortash as Irenicus did in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.
• Missives of Candlekeep – letters to Elminster describing Gorion's last journey and death.
• Regarding the Slayer – Irenicus' notes on the extraction of Imoen's Bhaalspawn powers.
• The Bhaalspawn Saga: Part II – the author tells the story of Baldur's Gate 2 and Sarevok.
• The Mortal View: Eyewitness Accounts of the Bhaalspawn Crisis – eyewitnesses mention Bodhi, Gorion's Ward, Sarevok, Imoen, The Five and Gorion.

Locations

Although the layout of the city of Baldur's Gate is similar to that of previous games, some locations have changed, or are in a different location.

Returning Locations

• ⁠Blushing Mermaid – though a bar by the  same name previously existed in the ⁠Upper City, this version is uncannily similar to the  Low Lantern, which was also a bar within a ship in the Lower City.
• ⁠Counting House ( Merchants' League Counting House)
• ⁠Elfsong Tavern ( Elfsong Tavern)
• ⁠Guildhall ( Thieves' Guild)
• ⁠High Hall ( Ducal Palace)
• ⁠Iron Throne ( Iron Throne Headquarters) – the sunken headquarters of a merchant organization that served as antagonists in Baldur's Gate 1.
• ⁠Lower City Sewers ( Sewers)
• ⁠Ramazith's Tower ( Ramazith's Tower)
• ⁠Sorcerous Sundries ( Sorcerous Sundries)
• ⁠Temple of Bhaal ( Temple of Bhaal)
• ⁠Water Queen's House ( Temple of Umberlee)

Mentioned Locations

•  Athkatla, the capital of  Amn and the primary city of Baldur's Gate 2 is mentioned in  The Bhaalspawn Saga: Part II and referenced in  Despair of Athkatla and  Shelter of Athkatla, indicating that  Lorroakan is from the city.
•  Durlag's Tower, a big dungeon from Tales From the Sword Coast, an expansion to Baldur's Gate 1, is mentioned on a grave at X: 26 Y: 13 in the Lower City.
•  Firewine Bridge, a location that could be visited in Baldur's Gate 1, is mentioned in  Lo! A Most Joyous Sensation!

New Locations

• ⁠Gorion Mausoleum – a new location, likely in reference to Gorion.

Features, story elements, tropes

• The  Slayer Form and  Bhaal derive from the original games, as the main protagonist was a Bhaalspawn; the  Dark Urge origin is a nod to that, allowing players to once again play as a Bhaalspawn.

Dialogue

•  Alaundo, a sage from Candlekeep known for his prophecies – all ending with "...so sayeth the wise Alaundo" – is referenced at multiple points:
  • Before the assault on Moonrise Towers, Jaheira recites one of Alaundo's prophecies, which seems to refer to  Dame Aylin.
  • The Whispering Statues in the Bhaal Temple recite Alaundo's Bhaalspawn prophecy from the previous games: "The Lord of Murder shall perish...but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny... Chaos will be sewn from their passage... So sayeth the wise Alaundo"
• Several of Minsc and Jaheira's combat barks are direct replications of barks from older games, as detailed on Minsc/Banter and Jaheira/Banter.
  • Another of Minsc's lines – "Can we fight now? Boo is not used to this taking of turns" – is likely to a reference to how Baldur's Gate 3 is the first in the series to use a turn-based combat system, while previous games used real-time-with-pause (or full real-time for the Dark Alliance spinoffs).
• Another of Jaheira's lines when you click on her portrait in the old games – "Yes, oh omnipresent authority figure?" – is referenced at several points:
  • If  Minthara does not trust that the Dark Urge is in control of their actions, there is an option to reply "An omnipresent authority figure controls all of my actions".
  • If Lae'zel chooses to go against  Vlaakith, Gale will comment "Glad to see I'm not the only one on the wrong side of an omnipotent authority figure".
• Viconia's battle cry – "L'il Alur! For Shar!" – is taken directly from her battle cry in the previous games.
• When  Sceleritas Fel reveals the Dark Urge's past to them at Wyrm's Crossing, he recites a twisted version of a Friedrich Nietzsche quote: "If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you". The same quote was featured in the opening cinematic of Baldur's Gate 1.
• If attempting to enter the Shadowfell without the full party nearby, the Narrator states "You must gather your party before venturing forth", a statement which previously appeared in Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2 if the player character tried to travel from one game map to another while a party member was too far away from the map border.
• After destroying the Elder Brain, the player character may get the option to declare that they are leaving for Amn. This may be a reference to how Gorion's Ward also started their adventures on the Sword Coast (in Baldur's Gate 1) and then travelled to Amn (in Baldur's Gate 2).

Spell Icons

The icons for these spells were directly adapted from the previous games

•  Aid
•  Barkskin
•  Bless
•  Blindness
•  Blur
•  Burning Hands
•  Charm Person
•  Chromatic Orb
•  Colour Spray
•  Confusion
•  Cure Wounds (from Cure Medium Wounds)
•  Death Ward
•  Dimension Door
•  Dispel Magic (cut content)
•  Enhance Ability (from Champion's Strength)
•  Entangle
•  Find Familiar
•  Flame Blade
•  Friends
•  Glyph of Warding
•  Grease
•  Greater Invisibility
•  Greater Restoration
•  Haste
•  Heal (from Cure Light Wounds)
•  Hold Monster
•  Hold Person
•  Ice Storm
•  Invisibility
•  Knock
•  Lesser Restoration
•  Magic Missile
•  Melf's Acid Arrow
•  Polymorph
•  Ray of Enfeeblement
•  Shocking Grasp
•  Silence
•  Sleep
•  Slow
•  Stinking Cloud
•  Stoneskin
•  Web

Achievements

• There is an achievement for saving  Sazza which is named She Cannot Be Caged!. This could refer to a  quote of Jon Irenicus in Baldur's Gate 2: "I cannot be caged. I cannot be controlled. Understand this as you die, ever pathetic, ever fools!"

Soundtrack

Some of the music took notes from the old games' suites:

• ⁠Old Time Battles Part II
• ⁠Quest For A Cure
• ⁠Gather Your Allies!
• ⁠The Legacy Of Bhaal
• ⁠The Cult Of The Absolute