Exciting Developments in Baldur’s Gate 3 Modding
Shortly after Larian Studios introduced its official modding toolkit for Baldur’s Gate 3, a modder swiftly discovered a way to activate a developer mode that empowers users to create bespoke levels. Now, before long, sneak peeks at the initial levels crafted by modders are starting to emerge, including a rendition of Avernus.
For those not in the loop, these modding tools were released with Patch 7 for BG3, which not only brought a plethora of features but also addressed many of the requests from players exploring the Durge storyline.
With the capabilities unlocked by modder Siegfre’s ‘BG3 Toolkit Unlocked’, a few other modders have begun showcasing their progress on custom maps. One standout project has been a reimagined version of Avernus by a Reddit user known as katszenBurger. This modder provided glimpses of their in-progress map, along with a video capturing Astarion exploring the newly designed environment, which you can view below.
KatszenBurger shared insights on the map’s development, mentioning, "I also had plans for a lava area, and I might make the lake a bit more explorable, even though this area is quite sparse at the moment." The modder noted that their creation takes inspiration from Elden Ring’s Caelid region, a comparison that many would agree is evident. Describing the toolkit’s editor, they explained, "Skybox, atmosphere, and shadows can be adjusted globally, allowing for customization of scatter and fog effects, among other features. In this instance, the mountains and clouds are considered meshes, while both the mountains and buildings utilize pre-existing meshes from various Avernus scenes."
KatszenBurger isn’t limited to just this map; their first project was a custom castle, and they have also contributed to other maps. Another modder, Lotrich3, has been diligently crafting an area characterized by a charming forest clearing with a boat, which can be seen in this video.
In a comment about the castle project, katszenBurger expressed optimism for custom campaigns, stating, “The unlocked editor seems very promising for creating unique campaigns. I hope this leads to the development of user-made DLC or new campaigns, similar to what is available in the Skyrim modding community.”
Are you amazed by the creativity and skill shown by Baldur’s Gate 3 modders in delivering custom maps so quickly? Is there a specific location or concept you’d like to see explored in future mods? Feel free to share your thoughts below.