The modding community has long been a vibrant part of gaming, but its involvement with Baldur’s Gate 3 has significantly accelerated due to Larian Studios providing an official modding toolkit. This empowerment has led to ambitious projects that aim to expand the game’s already vast universe—ventures that extend beyond cosmetic enhancements and minor quality-of-life upgrades. Among the notable gameplay mods are ones adding popular Dungeons & Dragons subclasses and unique homebrew classes like the bloodhunter. However, none have captured the community’s imagination quite like the adaptation of Curse of Strahd.
One limitation players face is the absence of a Game Master Mode in BG3, a feature that was present in Larian’s previous game, Divinity: Original Sin 2. This absence has prevented many enthusiasts from transferring their campaigns to BG3. Despite this challenge, a dedicated group of fans is ambitiously working on recreating Curse of Strahd within the BG3 environment, constructing an extensive total conversion mod. Curse of Strahd is highly regarded as one of the premier adventure modules for D&D 5e since its launch in 2016, showcasing the darker, gothic aspects of the Forgotten Realms while weaving an engaging vampire-hunting narrative.
Project Strahd: A New Chapter for BG3
Introducing One of D&D’s Most Iconic Villains
The mod, tentatively titled Project Strahd, aims to faithfully bring the stories of Curse of Strahd to autumn Barovia. According to a recent Reddit announcement, the development team intends to remain as faithful as possible to the source material while ensuring a captivating narrative experience. The team will take on the role of Dungeon Masters, leading players through this beloved module, with expectations that the storytelling will reflect BG3’s engaging style, albeit possibly falling short in terms of overall quality.
Set in the eerie realm of Barovia within the Shadowfell, Curse of Strahd invites players to experience a classic gothic horror adventure.
Many fan projects have previously achieved or even exceeded the quality of the games they adapt, such as Fallout: London for Fallout 4 and Enderal for Skyrim. Given the immense popularity of the source material and the extensive team behind Project Strahd, which boasts over 100 volunteers, this project could very well follow in those footsteps—offering a richer gameplay experience than initially anticipated.
As detailed in the Project Strahd Q&A, players can expect new, romanceable companions, each featuring their unique interactions and development arcs akin to the original BG3 cast. While these characters won’t serve as Origin Characters like Gale or Shadowheart, Project Strahd will compensate by offering four protagonist options emulating the Dark Urge mechanic. However, players will need to create new characters to explore the dark lands of Barovia without the familiar BG3 companions or Tav.
The Future of Baldur’s Gate: A Modding Renaissance
Expanding Gameplay with Adventure Modules
With the original Curse of Strahd campaign designed for characters up to level 10, it is reasonable to expect that Project Strahd will provide a shorter experience compared to BG3’s expansive storyline, which caps at level 12. Nevertheless, if successful, this vampiric campaign could last over 60 hours for a single playthrough, encouraging players to explore multiple paths and replay the experience, thus extending BG3’s longevity significantly. This mod could herald a wave of similar projects that adapt adventure modules, potentially adding hundreds of hours to BG3’s gameplay and fulfilling the demand for a genuine sequel.
The primary antagonist of Curse of Strahd, Strahd von Zarovich, claims to be the first vampire, though his 500-year age somewhat contradicts this assertion.
With a thriving modding scene emerging just a few years post-launch, it’s evident that fan-generated content could define the future of the Baldur’s Gate franchise. Larian Studios left behind a formidable gift with the modding toolkit introduced in Patch 7, which has empowered a passionate community to explore their creativity. However, since tools like Project Strahd face limitations on consoles due to Mod.io’s restrictions—prohibiting any new level additions—PC remains the sole platform for such ambitious creations. This focus on PC ensures that projects like these will thrive and contribute significantly to the game’s community and ongoing narrative.
As for the timeline for Project Strahd, while its inception was announced in February of the current year, the developers have noted that it remains in its early stages and may require several more years before completion. By then, players may be prepared to transition from BG3 and seek a new adventure. While not a direct sequel, Project Strahd and similar modding endeavors could serve as perfect alternatives for those who are aware of or curious about Curse of Strahd but haven’t had the opportunity to experience the original module.
Uncertainties Surrounding Baldur’s Gate 4
The Future of the Franchise Remains Unclear
While Project Strahd is in the works, the future of Baldur’s Gate 4 remains uncertain. With Larian Studios shifting its focus to original projects, it remains to be seen who will take the reins of this beloved franchise. Although Wizards of the Coast might consider developing Baldur’s Gate 4 a lucrative opportunity, the franchise’s future is in limbo. Some fans speculate that Obsidian Entertainment, known for their work on CRPGs like Pillars of Eternity, could be suitable for this task. However, recent performance raises doubts about their ability to replicate the unique charm that Larian brought to the table.
Owlcat Games is another contender with experience in ambitious CRPG projects, such as their adaptations of Warhammer 40K and Pathfinder. Nevertheless, the monumental scope of a Baldur’s Gate 4 project may prove overwhelming for them. With Larian leaving an immense legacy, it’s hard to envision another studio adequately filling those shoes. The community has a deep understanding of what Larian contributed, making the prospects of a new game far more daunting.
While uncertainty looms over Baldur’s Gate 4, the clear path forward lies with mods like Project Strahd. The new iterations utilizing Baldur’s Gate 3 provide an opportunity to adapt well-loved content, ensuring continuity within the franchise. For die-hard fans and D&D players alike seeking adventures in the BG3 universe, this project might represent the future they’re looking for.
Sources:
CurseofStrahd/Reddit,
ProjectStrahd Q&A