Patch 8 has been announced forBaldur’s Gate 3as the supposed final major update for the game. This update has some of the most content compared to other patches, and comes with the long awaited features of cross-play and photo mode. The part which players have shown the most excitement towards is the addition of 12 new subclasses.
Though all of these subclasses are great inclusions, and many of which have been asked for by fans for a very long time, there is still something that lots of players feel is missing.One fifth editionDungeons & Dragonsclass was never included inBaldur’s Gate 3since its release, and its introduction has been anticipated by fans for quite some time. But with it being absent in Patch 8, players are beginning to lose hope of it being added to the base game. Now would have been the perfect time to introduce it, and Larian missed a huge opportunity by not considering it.
Players Have Noticed The Absence Of The Artificer Since Release
The Artificer Should Have Been In Patch 8 Of Baldur’s Gate 3
The artificer is often considered the 13th class ofDungeons & Dragons, and first appeared as a full class in 3.5e, though in previous editions it existed as a subclass of wizard. It is a half-caster, similar to paladins and rangers - their abilities revolve around infusing items with magic, and they can use up to fifth-level spells. The class has four official subclasses, these being the Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, and Battle Smith, all focused on different styles of gameplay. Despite being an official class,it was not included inBaldur’s Gate 3alongside the other classes.
Battle Smith
Melee Combat & Summoner
It’s likely that this class wasn’t included in eitherBaldur’s Gate 3, andisn’t in the newPlayer’s Handbookbecause it usually makes its first appearances in books which revolve around the setting of Eberron, a steampunk-inspired world perfect for the theme of the artificer.Larian Studios' goal withBaldur’s Gate 3was to include all the classes within the originalPlayer’s Handbook, which did not include the artificer class. However, the studio also did not shy away from including content from outside thePHB, which makes this reasoning slightly confusing.
The artificer appears as an official 5e class inTasha’s Cauldron of Everything.Patch 8 ofBaldur’s Gate 3includes 12 new subclasses, some of which are from this book, these being the Circle of Stars druid, the Swarmkeeper Ranger, and the Bladesinging wizard. However, Larian also used content from this book in the first release of the game - the Path of Wild Magic barbarian and Circle of Spores druid were also first introduced here. With so many players wishing for an artificer class,including it in an update with the new subclasses would have been perfect.
Characters In Baldur’s Gate 3 Refer To Themselves As Artificers
The Gondians And Ironhand Gnomes Should Be Artificers
At first, it makes sense that artificers as a class may not be available in theBaldur’s Gateseries because it’s made for a setting outside the Sword Coast and the Forgotten Realms - Eberron. That argument completely falls apart when it is considered thatartificers are already found in the game. Though they are not granted the artificer class, characters such as Barcus Wroot, who players meet as early as Act One, as well as the rest of the Ironhand gnomes, describe themselves as artificers.
Will Patch 8 Be Baldur’s Gate 3’s Final Update?
The upcoming update for Baldur’s Gate 3 is set to be huge, but it may be marking the final stretch for Larian continuing to work on the game.
With this in mind, the exclusion of the artificer class is quite odd. If anything, it feels like missing content, and almost implies that the artificer class was planned at some point in early development, but later completelyscrapped fromBaldur’s Gate 3’s content. In fact,Barcus is described as being an alchemist, which is the name of one of the artificer’s subclasses.Barcus would have been perfect for an artificer companion, and even an Origin character, given how players usually first meet him when they’re first meeting their camp companions.
Araj Oblodra is another character described as an alchemist, and is a perfect fit for this subclass. Her abilities line up with the artificer - she infuses the potions she gives to the player with different kinds of magic.
Most of the Ironhand gnomes don’t have in-game classes - the clan contains a single wizard, ranger, and fighter. The two most significant characters from this group - Barcus Wroot and Wulbren Bongle, however, do not have specific classes.There is a strange vacancy for these semi-important characters, which could easily be filled with an artificer class. The addition would make theGondian and Ironhand feud storylinea lot more interesting, and possibly would encourage people to play as a gnome themselves, given howunderrated the shorter races ofBaldur’s Gate 3are.
Why The Artificer Deserves A Place With The Other 12 Classes
Modders Have Added It Themselves, And It Fits Seamlessly Into The Game
For an update focused on bringing more class content to the game, the artificer class should have been added toBaldur’s Gate 3to round off Patch 8.Fans have been asking about its inclusion since before the game was even released, and haven’t stopped since. Many love playing artificers in 5eDungeons & Dragons, and given how that was the baseline forBaldur’s Gate 3, it has left many disappointed that they are unable to create the characters they desire.
Baldur’s Gate 3: This New Patch 8 Monk Subclass Is Going To Be Hilarious (And OP)
Of all the Baldur’s Gate 3 subclasses announced for Patch 8, the Drunken Master for Monk will be the most hilarious - and possibly the most powerful.
Fans have been creating mods for this class since release, and with the addition of the mod manager, it’s easier than ever for players to add this class to their game if they desire. An example is the console mod by Echo0000, which YouTube UserJason Dunnareviewed in a video. Judging by how this was the most requested class mod,it’s obvious that fans ofBaldur’s Gate 3want artificer content.The fact that so many have been able to create seamless mods shows that it would fit the game fantastically. All that’s missing is class-specific dialogue.
Though the artificer class is part of the Eberron content,Dungeons & Dragonsis all about variety and creativity - many players love giving their characters this class outside its original setting. Even ignoring the fact that there are several proclaimed artificers in the game, there is still a point to including the class in theBaldur’s Gateseries for the sake of nourishing player creativity. If Larian ever did decide to add this class toBaldur’s Gate 3, then many fans would be endlessly grateful.
Sources:Larian Studios/X,Jason Dunna/YouTube
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
