The Most Liberated BG3 NPC Can Reveal The Deepest Desires Of Origin Characters

Summary Baldur's Gate 3's characters have rich backgrounds, reflected in unique dialogues and interactions.

Origin characters have personal goals beyond the main quest, adding depth to their stories.

Small details, like unique dialogue options and interactive elements, enhance the overall immersive experience.

Baldur's Gate 3 sneaks in plenty of small details that add extra depth to characters, specifically Origin characters. Each character is designed with such a rich background that a single word in Act 3 is enough to make an impact. With another easy-to-miss moment found by Tav late in the game, one conversation with a specific NPC holds more meaning than expected, especially after going through the companion quests up to that point.

Whether it's a custom Tav, The Dark Urge, or Origin characters they meet during their journey, everyone in Baldur's Gate 3 has their own personal goals and wishes beyond addressing the Mind Flayer threat. As a result, there's no need for extra moments of introspection among the party. However, these additions help them feel like more than just combat companions who were unfortunate enough to end up in the same Nautiloid.

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Defining A Character With A Single Word

Which Word Is Chosen?

Baldur's Gate is home to a lot of unique characters who are doing their best to make a living and survive the threat of the Absolute. Outside the city is Sharess' Caress, where Naoise Nallinto works as a courtesan. In Nymph's Grotto, Tav and the party meet her when she's having a spat with Fist Jara. If the party solves this issue, she gives the Rapture buff if her checks are passed and asks the character speaking with her to tell her which single word they would be. Companions without special dialogue are Minthara, Halsin, Jaheira, and Lae'zel.

Character Unique Dialogue Option Astarion Safe Dark Urge Sane Gale Wise Karlach Alive Minsc Minsc Shadowheart Whole Wyll Free

It's a bit disappointing that some characters don't have a unique option with Naoise. Especially for Lae'zel, since she's also an Origin character who can be picked at the start. But Shadowheart's unique option is particularly interesting because talking to her after saving her parents and completing her romance, she says that she feels whole, echoing the desire she could potentially share with Naoise earlier in the game.

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The Mirror That Reveals Desires In Act 1

When Characters Other Than Tav Talk To It

In the Blighted Village in Act 1, there's an Apothecary's basement that holds BG3's Necromancy of Thay, a book that provides one character with a free spell if the party follows the proper steps to read it. However, this book is well-guarded by both skeletons that come back to life and a magic mirror with a set of questions designed to keep the book out of the wrong hands. Tav's dialogue here is rather standard, but if the mirror asks Origin Characters about their deepest desires, some of them have unique answers, like in the conversation with Naoise.

The Ornate Mirror in the cellar, where the party can later find the Necromancy of Thay book, is a better indication of Origin Characters' desires. Instead of a single word, the character gets to detail the full desire that they'd want to see reflected in the mirror. The opportunity to see these desires also comes a lot earlier in the game. While that means that Tav gets a new glimpse into their companions, it also means that their desires might not be as impactful as they are later in the game, especially after completing more sections of the companion quests.

The Importance Of Small Details In Baldur's Gate 3

Enjoying The Journey

A big part of Baldur's Gate 3 that helps make it such a memorable experience is the attention to detail that the developers put into every act. It's the perfect embodiment of a story being about the journey rather than the end because rushing through the acts and focusing only on the main questline makes Tav and their party miss out on a lot of content and loot. Instead, letting Tav take the time to speak with their companions and the residents of the world of Faerûn frequently, not just when they're prompted to have a conversation with a character, is crucial for building the rich world of BG3.

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The same idea is true when it comes to exploring buildings and the corners of each act's map. By taking the time to interact with the world, the world feels richer and more developed, and Tav can see how each NPC fits into this world with an entire life, story, and goals of their own. It also provides a way for Tav to understand their companions when they're between critical moments of their individual companion's quests, and there aren't additional resources like the Ornate Mirror around to provide a glimpse into their minds.

The Worth Of Playing As An Origin Character

Feeling More Connected To The World

Close

Creating a Custom Origin Tav is a popular choice in BG3, and they're able to interact with the world and be part of the story well enough. However, playing as one of the pre-made Origin Characters provides additional content for those characters, and unique cutscenes that wouldn't otherwise appear during the game. Even from the beginning, each Origin Character has their own cutscene for the first night at camp, and starts setting the tone for that character's unique journey through the game and the content that doesn't otherwise appear in a playthrough.

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There are extra moments that can be seen with Origin Characters even without choosing one as Tav, as long as that character is being directly controlled at specific points, which is also the case with the aforementioned conversation with Naoise. One early example is the broken Selûne statue by the windmill that Barcus Wroot is tied to. Taking control of Shadowheart before going near the statue provides a small glimpse into what she sees when the wound on her hand hurts, and that adds to her story that revolves around her worship of Shar, as well as her uncertainty about her own identity.

One of the elements that does a lot of work to make Baldur's Gate 3 into such an incredible experience is how developed every character is with their own goals and background story. Having little details like conversations with Naoise or the Ornate Mirror's question about what the character wishes to see the most in its reflection helps make them feel real. The end result is a journey that's full of small surprises and conversations that might reveal more than expected about the characters of Baldur's Gate 3.