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Baldur’s Gate 3has been widely praised byDungeons and Dragonsfans for justhow close the RPG feels to playing aD&Dcampaign.BG3is set in the Forgotten Realms, an official part ofD&Dlore, but it brings a lot more than just the lore ofDungeons and Dragonsto life – it also adapts the majority of fifth editionD&Draces, combat mechanics, and classes for the video game medium.
However,Baldur’s Gate 3ismissing a few choicesfrom the official materials forDungeons and Dragons, most notably the Artificer, and several iconic subclasses that completely revolutionize how each of the standard classes are played. There is one other class – the Blood Hunter – that theoretically could be added toBG3from spin-off Critical Role materials, too.
The Artificer
The Artificer is one of the most iconic classes inDungeons and Dragons, but it’s not actually a class that’s included in the base edition of the fifth edition of the TTRPG. Added with Eberron: Rising from the Last War (and alsoincluded in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything), the Artificer is a master of the arcane and of mechanical invention. The class is capable of manipulating objects with magic the same way others may manipulate the elements themselves.
Artificers are often played as engineer or mechanic-type characters, and even have a subclass that lets them create a Steel Defender construct companion. But the class wasn’t included in the base edition ofBaldur’s Gate 3.Larian Studios isn’t known for doing DLC, but with the overwhelming success ofBG3, some players wonder if the developer may revisitBaldur’s Gateand introduce Artificers at the same time.
The Blood Hunter
TheBlood Hunteris not an “official"Dungeons and Dragonsclass. Instead, it’s a class that was introduced exclusively forDungeons and Dragons Beyondas a partnership with the popularD&Dshow Critical Role. The Blood Hunter is a versatile, hybrid caster who uses enemies' own blood against them with profane magic called Hemocraft.
Because it is only available via Wizards of the Coast’s official onlineD&Dservice, and because it’s uniquely tied to Critical Role, it’s unlikely that the Blood Hunter would ever be added toBaldur’s Gate 3.
However, Matthew Mercer – the dungeon master for Critical Role – is also a prominent voice actor, and thevoice of none other than Minsc inBG3. If Mercer is already involved inBG3, there’s the slimmest chance that the Blood Hunter might make it toBG3eventually. Until then, players can only wait for a dedicated modder to bring this unique class to life.
Major Expansions To Existing Classes
The fact thatBaldur’s Gate 3was able to adapt 12 of the 13 officialDungeons and Dragonsclasses – alongside most of their official standard subclasses – is impressive. There’s a lot of variety to the game and how players can take on its expansive world, but it doesn’t feature a complete, one-for-one recreation of officialD&Dclasses and subclasses.
In fact the number of missing subclasses, including those added in additional official materials, rivals the number of subclasses that did make it into the game.D&Dsubclasses that didn’t make it intoBG3include:
It would bea monumental challengeto bring literally everything fromDungeons and DragonsFifth Editionand its official expanded volumes intoBaldur’s Gate 3. Hopefully, in time, Larian Studios may release some expansions to the twelve existingBG3classes. Until then, players can look to modders to fill in the blanks.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available for PC and PlayStation 5. A version for Xbox Series X|S is currently in development.
