Dark Urge
A customizable Bhaalspawn Origin character in Baldur's Gate 3.
The Dark Urge is a customizable Origin character in Baldur's Gate 3, a 2023 role-playing game set in the Forgotten Realms. Unlike other Origin characters, players can alter the Dark Urge's appearance, voice, gender, and class. This amnesiac Bhaalspawn is driven by violent compulsions to kill, and is later revealed as the mastermind behind the game's plot before being betrayed by a fellow Bhaalspawn, Orin.
Quick Facts
- First
- Blood in Baldur's Gate (2023)
- First game
- Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)
- Voice
- Neil Roberts; Amelia Tyler (narration)
- Class
- Sorcerer
- Race
- White Dragonborn
- Designer
- Baudelaire Welch
- Creator
- Swen Vincke
Facts from the source article.
Conception and design
Lead developer Swen Vincke had wanted to include a character concept like the Dark Urge for some time, and it was planned at the start of Baldur's Gate 3's development. The team initially wanted a Bhaalspawn character as a reference to the protagonist of previous Baldur's Gate games. Principal writer Jan van Dosselaer went through multiple iterations, starting with the idea of a companion struggling against an urge to commit violent acts. However, lead writer Adam Smith felt that not being able to witness the character's internal struggle diminished the impact, so the character was made an Origin option for players to experience firsthand. The developers added the Dark Urge to give players a choice to be completely evil, though initially with the caveat that by the end of the game they would be alone. Some elements were inspired by interactions with the character Minthara, who players could question about their heinous acts. Vincke acknowledged that few players play evil characters but felt the addition was worthwhile. Originally intended as a Paladin, the developers found this difficult narratively, so they allowed players to customize the character's class. During early access, the character's addition was kept secret, with Vincke only hinting at a big secret. Smith encouraged that the Dark Urge was not intended as 'the evil run,' arguing it had potential to be the most heroic character through resisting urges.
Appearances
The Dark Urge first appeared in Larian's 2023 community-based browser game Blood in Baldur's Gate, where players solved murders in the city of Baldur's Gate. The culprit was revealed to be the Dark Urge, who alongside Sceleritas kills the player's character at the game's end. After completion, the developers revealed the full character and his role in Baldur's Gate 3. The Dark Urge was included as an Origin character in Baldur's Gate 3 upon its August 3, 2023 release. Introduced as an amnesiac with violent compulsions, the Dark Urge is revealed to be a Bhaalspawn crafted directly from Bhaal. Betrayed and infected with a tadpole by Orin, the Dark Urge is encouraged to commit atrocities by butler Sceleritas Fel. Upon defeating Orin, the player can accept Bhaal's favor and take over the Elder Brain to kill all life, or reject Bhaal and be revived free of his influence. If the player fails to kill Orin, Bhaal intervenes and the Dark Urge is locked to a fate of eventually losing their mind and killing those they loved.
Critical reception
The Dark Urge was well received. Jasmine Gould-Wilson of GamesRadar+ praised the depth added to the game's story when playing as the character, arguing that the intrinsic links to the plot made the player feel more like the protagonist and the most 'canon' version. She described playing as a homicidal maniac with a merry band of friends as a unique roleplaying experience, and noted that the expanded dialogue and involvement with villains provided weight to decisions. Cat Bussell of TechRadar praised how the Dark Urge undermined player agency, citing the bard's death as an example where players must deal with the body and companions' discovery. She described it as an upsetting experience on par with horror games, establishing dread about losing control. Bussell praised the ever-present urges through dialogue options and Sceleritas Fel, stating that being only a bad dice roll away from becoming a serial killer offered a distinctive horror suitable for Halloween.
More in Characters & Heroes
Elsewhere in Forgotten Realms
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