One Baldur’s Gate 3 Class Completely Warps Its Historical Inspiration

has been a smash hit, winning the acclaim of both critics and consumers alike. The RPG took home numerous Game of the Year awards in 2023, raising the bar for future games in its genre. Furthermore, the tremendous success of is a rebuke to publishers who eschew single-player experiences in favor of games laden with predatory microtransactions. Critics have praised the game on nearly every front: gameplay mechanics, art design, and storylines. Also celebrated are 's well-crafted character classes, each with their strengths and weaknesses, that work together like a puzzle.

The druid class is interesting, as it is one of the few classes that is modeled after particular, real cultural figures. Every culture has its own version of a cleric, fighter, or wizard. However, druids are a specific nod to ancient Celtic figures who were of great importance to their communities. In, the druid is a popular class due to its versatility and efficiency when paired with the proper subclass. Despite all the fantastical elements the game assigns to them, druids remain a very real and mysterious subject in the annals of ancient European history.

Little is currently known about the elusive figures known as druids. The Ancient Celts adhered to an oral tradition, often never committing their myths and customs to writing. The Romans, however, wrote extensively about the Ancient Celts. Since the ultimate goal of the Romans was to conquer the Celts, it's assumed that they didn't always have the deepest understanding of their culture, and often wrote with a bias against it. While not always true to the realities of who the druids were, uses the little knowledge that is known and weaves real history into its own interesting interpretation.

Actual druids served many roles in Celtic society. Often they were looked to for guidance as priests, with authority in law, education, and history. It's fitting that Wisdom is the primary attribute of the druid class in, as the ancient priests were