As Baldur’s Gate 3 approaches its second year in early access, it continues to be a major missed opportunity for Dungeons & Dragons as the video game does not push access to the tabletop RPG that spawned it. The original classic Baldur’s Gate PC RPGs were based on the second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rule set. More than 20 years later the third Baldur’s Gate is adapting the current 5e D&D rules. Much of the crossover fandom between tabletop D&D players and Baldur’s Gate video game fans is organic. Still, D&D is missing out on a chance to grow its pen-and-paper game by not including a free PDF copy of the D&D 5e Starter Set rules with every purchase of the Baldur’s Gate 3 early access edition.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is not the first video game using the 5e D&D rule set. Sword Coast Legends was an early example, and Solasta was a nearly perfect 5e D&D adaptation, albeit one produced by a third party under the Open Gaming License. Building off the success of developer Larian’s most recent Divinity series titles, Baldur’s Gate 3 is certainly the most high-profile 5e D&D video game to date. Although D&D has seen record growth as a brand, the tabletop RPG hobby is still relatively small compared to the video game market. The Baldur’s Gate 3 official website has links to Wizards of the Coast’s D&D home page, but there is still an opportunity to do more to convert video game fans into tabletop RPG hobbyists.
There are numerous Starter Set boxed sets that are designed to help introduce new players to D&D, ranging from the standard package to those themed around media like Rick and Morty or Stranger Things. The Netflix series in particular has helped raise interest in D&D, and Stranger Things could lead to more Vecna appearances in future D&D adventures. As as an officially licensed product, Baldur’s Gate 3 should strive to do more for D&D than Stranger Things. Including Starter Set rules is the simplest method. Starter Sets typically include a simplified version of the rules, and they lack some the character creation options of the actual Player’s Handbook (which is helpful to avoid overwhelming new players with too many choices, and to drive sales for the full PHB).
Baldur’s Gate 3 Can Do More To Transition Players To Tabletop D&D
D&D Starter Sets also include sample adventures for new Dungeon Masters. A tabletop adventure set in the city of Baldur’s Gate that deals with some of the same organizations and factions as the BG3 video game is easy enough to imagine. Such an adventure could let players transition their enthusiasm for the video game into a tabletop experience with their friends, or inspire future DMs to tell their own stories in Baldur’s Gate and the Forgotten Realms setting. Recent errata updated the spells in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, but the lore remains intact. While WOTC might not want to include the full Sword Coast supplement with Baldur’s Gate 3, a sample of the book might drive interest in sales, but more importantly, it could bring new people to the tabletop RPG hobby.
To capitalize on both the digital nature of Baldur’s Gate 3 and WOTC’s purchase of D&D Beyond, the company could consider providing codes to access Starter Sets though the D&D Beyond online storefront instead of simply providing the PDFs. The beginner-friendly character creation of D&D Beyond might arguably provide a smoother transition for those who have never played D&D in tabletop form before, and it’s perhaps easier for a DM to bring a laptop instead of a pile of physical books to a gaming session. Whether WOTC opts to include direct download PDFs of D&D content or digital storefront access, any sort of cross-promotion would be better than none. Baldur’s Gate 3’s full release may be soon, and the current nods to the tabletop game, like seeing the D&D logo on the title screen and a link on the BG3 website, are simply insufficient.
There are other video games based around tabletop RPG licenses like Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Shadowrun Returns, and the myriad Warhammer-based titles. Each of these games should do more to highlight the tabletop RPGs that inspired them. Though D&D is the industry-leader in the tabletop RPG space already, any effort to grow that hobby and bring in new players is welcome. Wizards of the Coast and Larian can collaborate on ways that Baldur’s Gate 3 can bring more players to tabletop Dungeons & Dragons, but a free Starter Set is the simplest answer.