Larian Studios introduced the next major update for their major initial D&D RPG access Baldur’s Gate 3. This one calls the Druid class and its eight animal shapes for you to play with along with other game changes and improvements. Larian just showed a lot of details about the Druids at his second Panel From Hell event.
Update: Larian CEO Swen Vincke stated emphatically at the start of the live broadcast that Patch 4 is “launching today”, although I heard from Larian that “he was wrong”. Patch 4 is coming “soon, when it is ready”.
Druids are the first new class added since the launch of BG3 early access and they certainly came prepared for the trip. Larian says they have access to more than 30 spells and abilities, including Wild Shape, which allows them to transform into animals. You can also talk to other animals in their form, which, I hope, is a source of many hijinx. Divinity: Original Sin 2’s animals were some of the funniest people to talk to.
There are eight animal forms available in Patch 4: cat, crow, atrocious wolf, badger, spider and polar bear, all of which have their own benefits, such as powerful or sneak attacks. There is also the deep rothe, a yak-looking creature that lives in the Underground, and the abberating form that comes from the horrifying tadpole mindflayer that lives in your hero’s head. Druids will have even more forms available to them at launch, says Larian.
In addition, Druids can also be aligned with two different circles, the Earth Circle or the Moon Circle, which affect the way they play. Ground Druids gain additional power based on the type of geography they are connected to, while Moon Druids gain access to the most powerful wild forms, such as polar bears. Suppose I know which circle I’m going to choose. Bears win everything.
I located this cool bear in the RPS Baldur’s Gate 3 preview (now somewhat outdated, of course) last February and haven’t forgotten since. I will definitely plan to become a polar bear so I can talk to this sleepy friend.
In addition to the Druids and their abilities, Patch 4 comes with some other changes and improvements. The “loaded dice” option is intended to smooth the extremes of random dice rolls. Friends in multiplayer will be able to see each other’s spells, inventory and other information. They will also be able to pick up and place items in each other’s pockets. Larian will allow you to block this ability later, but for now, they say, you will just have to trust your friends. Everything will be fine, I’m sure.
Larian warned last week that Patch 4, like Patch 3, will be incompatible with previous saved files for the game. Make sure to follow these instructions to play Patch 3 if you’re not ready to get your group together and venture out yet.
You can take a look at Druids specifically in the trailer above or watch the entire live stream on YouTube.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 4 will arrive “very soon, when it is ready”. As always, you can find it on Steam, GOG and Stadia.