Unleashing Epic Adventures: Discover the Ultimate List of 10 Spectacular Dungeons and Dragons Creatures in Baldur's Gate 3

Highlights

Baldur's Gate 3 features a range of legendary creatures inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Among these are tressyms, shadows, displacer beasts, mummy lords, hollyphants, green hags, owlbears, red dragons, spectators, and mind flayers.

The game remains faithful to the source material, highlighting the distinctive traits and abilities of these creatures, while also introducing fresh elements such as the "Speak With Animals" spell that allows communication with specific creatures.

Players can anticipate thrilling encounters with these creatures throughout the game, where each one presents distinctive challenges and opportunities for creating unforgettable gameplay experiences.

Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 draws inspiration from the tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, incorporating its locations, characters, classes, and races. Additionally, the diverse array of fantasy creatures encountered throughout the adventure further enhances the immersive experience. These creatures, taken directly from the renowned source material, are sure to captivate and excite any dedicated Dungeons and Dragons player. Without further ado, let us delve into a selection of these iconic beings that await exploration within the game.

10 Tressym

The tressyms, which are adorable winged cats, were first introduced in the Dungeons and Dragons book Storm King's Thunder and later appeared in Descent into Avernus. They are mentioned early in the game when Gale talks about his familiar and loyal friend, Tara the tressym. Later on, players can encounter Tara on the rooftops of Baldur's Gate.

One notable improvement made in Baldur's Gate 3 in relation to tressyms is that, although they are still categorized as monstrosities, the "Speak With Animals" spell allows communication with them as if they were ordinary beasts. It is delightful to have the opportunity to hear Tara's thoughts and it also makes persuading her to refrain from consuming important courier pigeons much easier.

9 Shadow

In the realm of Dungeons and Dragons, an abundance of eerie undead creatures exist, and shadows rank highly among them. Baldur's Gate 3 brilliantly incorporates these formidable foes, drawing inspiration from the iconic Strength Drain ability featured in the Monster Manual.

However, the video game extends beyond the conventional depiction, introducing vestiges that remain in the wake of a shadow's demise. These remnants offer players an opportunity to engage with them, delving into the memories of the individuals who transformed into shadows.

8 Displacer Beast

Displacer beasts, also featured in the Monster Manual, are fearsome feline creatures that players of Baldur's Gate 3 can interact with using the ability "Speak With Animals." These beasts, more malicious than tressyms, use their two tentacles to attack and are known for their ability to displace their position.

Within the game, players can encounter a displacer beast in the company of Yurgir the orthon, whom the beast is romantically involved with. By investigating her food, players can discover that she is under Yurgir's charm. If they can persuade her of this, she will join forces with the players in fighting against Yurgir.

7 Mummy Lord

Mummy lords, powerful undead beings, are featured in the Monster Manual. In the game Baldur's Gate 3, a mummy lord named Mystic Carrion is encountered in a mansion, which is an unconventional location for such a creature. However, it adds excitement for Dungeons and Dragons players who are familiar with the concept of mummy lords. Similar to their origin, mummy lords in Baldur's Gate 3 can revive as long as their heart is preserved in a canopic jar. This unique characteristic of the mummy lords becomes the focus of a quest in the game.

6 Hollyphant

Discovered in Descent into Avernus, hollyphants are extraordinary celestial beings. Resembling small, winged elephants with a golden hue, they serve as messengers and aides of the divine. However, Valeria, the hollyphant featured in Baldur's Gate 3, veers slightly from this conventional path.

Valeria, a detective whose abilities are questionable, possesses a fondness for indulging in drinks at the local pleasure house. Despite this unorthodox behavior, she remains a benevolent and virtuous creature, thereby making her a prime target for the cult of Bhaal. As unique creatures within the realm of Dungeons and Dragons, Valeria in Baldur's Gate 3 adds an additional layer of charm to hollyphants.

5 Green Hag

In Baldur's Gate 3, Auntie Ethel, a green hag, goes above and beyond in showcasing the chilling characteristics commonly associated with these creatures from the Monster Manual. Living in swamps, assuming deceptive forms, imitating voices, delighting in sorrow, and kidnapping children to propagate their kind are all traits vividly exemplified by Ethel.

4 Owlbear

Owlbears, the bizarre creatures that are a hybrid of bears and owls, have become iconic in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Their popularity has soared, leading to the creation of various owlbear-themed merchandise. In Baldur's Gate 3, these creatures are abundantly found, being encountered as early as act one when players stumble upon a cave housing a mother owlbear and her cub.

As players progress, they have the option to save the cub from a goblin camp. This energetic cub then becomes a loyal companion throughout the remainder of the game. Despite their monstrous appearance, players can utilize the "Speak With Animals" ability to communicate with owlbears, and druids even possess the ability to transform into these unique creatures through Wild Shape.

3 Red Dragon

The TTRPG, Dungeons and Dragons, is known for its dungeons and dragons, and Baldur's Gate 3 delivers on both fronts. The game captures the essence and impact of terrifying creatures, such as githyanki riding red dragon mounts, right from the start. In fact, encountering a red dragon, like Kith'rak Voss, invokes fear in the player character and sets the stage for a monumental final battle. It's unfortunate, however, that players don't have the opportunity to engage in friendly conversations with a good-aligned metallic dragon, as dragons can be equally imposing in peaceful discussions as they are in combat.

2 Spectator

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Beholders are an iconic creature in Dungeons and Dragons, and even encountering a lesser version like the spectator can leave a lasting impression. In Baldur's Gate 3, players may come across a spectator as one of their first combat encounters in the Underdark. Spectators can also appear in other challenging fights during Act 3.

There is a mysterious artifact called the Iron Flask that can be found in the Zhentarim chest within the gnoll cave. Opening the flask will summon a spectator. It would have been interesting to have the opportunity to converse with this iconic Dungeons and Dragons creature, especially considering that spectators in the Monster Manual are known to have intriguing quirks due to their long years of isolation.

1 Mind Flayer

Considering their status as iconic Dungeons and Dragons creatures and their prominent role in the plot of Baldur's Gate 3, it would be unforgivable not to feature mind flayers as the top creature.

Baldur's Gate 3 stays faithful to the disturbing nature of mind flayers, exploring their stats and lore, delving into their monstrous characteristics, the controlling influence of the elder brain, their conflicts with the githyanki, and even delving into the personal stories of outcast mind flayers.

Baldur's Gate 3 is available on PC and will be released for PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2023. A version for Xbox Series X/S is currently in development.