Summary
A fan of theBaldur’s Gateseries recently unearthed their original game manual from when they bought the second game in the series. This authenticBaldur’s Gaterelic is in excellent condition despite being over 20 years old, and is a nostalgic find for long-term fans of the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3has solidified itself as one of the best RPGs of all time, with the game having a strong chance at winning Game of the Year. However, Larian Studios’ hit game built its success off many other popular titles, includingBaldur’s Gate 1and its sequel,Shadows of Amn.
Redditor andBaldur’s Gatefan PlanbOZ recently shared an image of a discovery they made involving the old CRPG series. In the post, they shared their original 264-page game manual forBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amnthey found. The book is well-worn and clearly used, with old notes and highlighting still visible in the snapshots they took. The pages they shared featured spell descriptions from the game–many of which still exist in some form asspells in5th Edition Dungeons and Dragonstoday.
Back in 2000, whenBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amnfirst came out, game manuals like this were much more common. As the years went by, eventually game guides were sold separately, and are almost nonexistent today. Even so, PlanbOZ’s book is a verbose example of such an item, largely becauseBaldur’s Gate 1and2used the rules from2nd Edition Dungeons and Dragons, leading it toread more like aD&Dsourcebookthan a traditional gaming manual.
PlanbOZ’s fellowBaldur’s Gatefans were hyped by their find. The post received over 200 comments in about a day, most of which includedquotes fromBaldur’s Gate, waxing about how much they loved the game, or congratulations on the find and compliments on the impressive condition of the manual.
Fans ofBaldur’s Gate 3who never got around to playing its predecessors will be in for an experience of a lifetime if they decide to. WhileBaldur’s Gate 3is technically a sequel, it was designed by a different company, uses a differentD&Dsystem, and features different gameplay mechanics. Even so,Baldur’s Gateand its first sequel were the cornerstone of the RPG genre for decades, and are stilldefinitiveDungeons and Dragonsvideo games. If fans decide to take the plunge into the retro games, they would be wise to read a manual of their own before they gather their party and venture forth.
Baldur’s Gate 2is available now for PC.
MORE:Why Baldur’s Gate 3 Fans Should Check Out the Dungeons and Dragons Descent into Avernus Module
