Unleashing Baldur's Gate 3's Naaber: A Worthy Rival to Elder Scrolls' Adoring Fan

Highlights

Baldur's Gate 3 players are being plagued by the NPC Naaber, whose attachment to the player goes beyond life itself.

The game takes place a century after Baldur's Gate 2, where the player is abducted by Illithids and infected with a tadpole-like creature that poses a threat of transforming them into a Mind Flayer. In the quest to find a cure, players must also thwart the impending invasion.

Naaber, similar to Oblivion's Adoring Fan, bombards players with incessant dialogue and remains undeterred even in the face of death. Enduring his constant presence may ultimately prove worthwhile.

This month, Baldur's Gate 3 officially launched on PC after almost three years of Early Access. The game's release was incredibly successful, potentially surpassing the Steam record of Hogwarts Legacy. However, players are being troubled by a particular NPC, Naaber, who was introduced just before the launch. Naaber reminds many players of The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion's Adoring Fan, infamous for their unwavering adoration and dedication to the player. In Baldur's Gate 3, Naaber appears to surpass The Elder Scrolls' Adoring Fan, as his attachment to the player seems to transcend even death.

Baldur's Gate 3 adapts the Dungeons and Dragons 5e rules into a video game and is set almost a century after the events of Baldur's Gate 2. The game begins with the player being taken captive while on board a nautiloid, a ship used by the series' main enemies, the Illithids, who are similar to Mind Flayers. Throughout the game's extensive narrative, players are tasked with stopping the Illithids from invading Faerun. However, this is not an easy task, as the players themselves have been infected with a tadpole-like organism that threatens to transform them into a Mind Flayer. Players must stop the Illithids' plans while searching for a cure before the infection progresses too far.

The Adoring Fan and Naaber Are A Unique Brand of NPC

Fans of The Elder Scrolls series are likely familiar with Oblivion's Adoring Fan. Upon becoming Champion of the Imperial City's Arena, players unlocked this eerily cheerful adolescent NPC who would relentlessly accompany and support them. Though the Adoring Fan refused to engage in combat, players discovered various methods to dispatch him. However, the NPC would eventually respawn at his place of death, eventually catching up to the player again.

In Baldur's Gate 3, players will encounter a similar NPC named Naaber, referred to as an "adventurer to be." This NPC was introduced on Baldur's Gate 3's official Twitter page, alongside a behind-the-scenes trailer. The Baldur's Gate series has a tradition of excessively talkative NPCs with similar names, such as Noober and Neeber from Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 respectively. Naaber follows in their footsteps, bombarding players with dialogue and unwaveringly shadowing their every move once engaged in conversation. Even attempts to silence or ditch Naaber are futile, as he persistently pursues the player, ignoring any efforts to dissuade his unwavering commitment.

Naaber's Commitment to the Player Transcends Life Itself

Players are expected to devise increasingly hostile methods to escape Naaber's incessant talking, portrayed by veteran streamer Cohh Carnage. Nevertheless, the Baldur's Gate 3 team amusingly insists that they cannot endorse throwing him into a river due to legal reasons. Despite death being unable to silence Naaber, developers confirm that he will persistently engage with the player. While Naaber may be a nuisance to many players, seasoned fans of the Baldur's Gate series understand that enduring his verbal assault may prove worthwhile in the end.

Similar to the characters Noober and Neeber in Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2, players may potentially be rewarded with experience if they can withstand Naaber's presence for a significant amount of time. However, unlike previous NPCs in the franchise, enduring Naaber's company appears to be much more challenging. Players who prefer to avoid dealing with Naaber can opt not to interact with the NPC. However, there may be hidden depths to Naaber's character that fans may miss out on if they choose to do so.

Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC and launches September 6 on PS5, with an Xbox Series X/S port also being in development.