The voice cast of the Originals from Baldur’s Gate 3 are about to undertake a new adventure: actually playing the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying game live on Twitch.
The mega-hit CRPG from Larian Studios based on the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition rules set in the Forgotten Realms has been making huge waves in the video game industry. Aside from being a critical and commercial success, gamers are seeing it as an example for what AAA games should follow, even if other video game developers and publishers consider it an “anomaly“.
And while BG3 is an impressive technical achievement, the memorable characters and voice acting are also big factors to its success. But did the Baldur’s Gate 3 voice cast actually play tabletop D&D? And if they did, how would they fare in an adventure playing as their characters? Well, those questions are about to be answered.
The announcement for the live D&D TTRPG play with the Baldur’s Gate 3 Originals voices actors came from High Rollers (also known as High Rollers DND), which is a live-play Dungeons & Dragons campaign. It was then promoted and shared on their official social media channels.
This Friday at 7pm BST/2pm PDT join us and the cast of Baldurs Gate 3 for a very special live D&D adventure on Twitch! /highrollersdnd @larianstudios #dnd #baldursgate3 #ad pic.twitter.com/889AYParv7
— High Rollers (@HighRollersDnD) September 18, 2023
The proceedings will have High Rollers writer and Mark Hulmes as the DM (Dungeon Master) with the Baldur’s Gate 3 voice cast: Samantha Béart (Karlach), Tim Downie (Gale), Jennifer English (Shadowheart), Neil Newborn (Astarion), Theo Solomon (Wyll), and Devora Wilde (Lae’zel). Appropriately, they will be playing as their characters from BG3 with the appropriate Dungeons & Dragons stats on their character sheets.
As Baldur’s Gate 3 grew into a massive success, it fueled interest in fans that have previously never played the tabletop roleplaying game, with entire Reddit threads discussing this shared curiosity. And with that curiosity came talks about whether the Baldur’s Gate 3 voice actors actually played the game themselves.
Just months prior, it was revealed that the cast of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves live-action film played sessions of the TTRPG. Although some of the actors like Chris Pine (Edgin) never played D&D before, Sophia Lillis (Doric) and Michelle Rodriguez (Holga) have done so. D&D actual plays have also been around for quite a while, with Critical Role being the most popular and hugely influential in bringing the TTRPG to the modern mainstream audience.
In the past, playing Dungeons & Dragons was a social stigma, marking anyone associated with the game as a “geek” (or even worse during the infamous ‘Satanic Panic’ in the late 1970s to the early 1980s). Nowadays, the game and the D&D community are seen in a more positive light, with the TTRPG being recognized as a hobby that encourages creativity, intelligence, and social interaction. Plus, Dungeons & Dragons can now be used as a teaching tool that promotes STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, and math) with Wizards of the Coast partnering with organizations for this cause.
Curiously, Matt Mercer (who voiced Minsc) and Tracy Wiles (Jaheira) are not included in the Baldur’s Gate 3 live play. But perhaps Mercer, who is the DM and host of Critical Role, may have something in store in the future for the fan-favorite Rashemaar ranger.
Regardless, the cast of Originals from Baldur’s Gate 3 appear to be very excited and ready to take on their new adventure in the Forgotten Realms (for real this time). Neil Newborn and Devora Wilde even shared some BTS photos and videos of the cast on their social media.
https://t.co/v5rcxQjwje Wednesday interview @nuckpang playing 8pm bst
Friday hosting pt I @larianstudios #dnd 1 shot with @HighRollersDnD 7pm bst
Sunday hosting part II – 5pm playing 8pm bst @AmeliaTyler @SamanthaBeart #Theosolomon @TimDownie1 #jenniferenglish @Devora_Wilde pic.twitter.com/Gx5bzD5cJI— Neil Newbon – gathering party for BG3 (@NeilNewbon) September 19, 2023
Nothing to see here, just some origins @NeilNewbon @TimDownie1 @SamanthaBeart @AmeliaTyler #JenniferEnglish #TheoSolomon #BaldursGate3 #bg3 #laezel #shadowheart #astarion #gale #karlach #wyll pic.twitter.com/yYJGSB5n0N
— Devora Wilde is Bae…I mean Lae’zel 🧟♀️🦎 (@Devora_Wilde) September 12, 2023
Will you be watching the actual play of the BG3 cast on High Rollers’ Twitch? What are you looking forward to with the cast’s first time playing the TTRPG? Will Astarion be romancing every NPC he meets for a quick bite?
The Baldur’s Gate 3 one-shot live play will stream on the High Rollers Twitch channel this Friday, September 22, 2023 at 7pm BST/2pm PDT.
About Baldur’s Gate 3:
Gather your party and return to the Forgotten Realms in a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Mysterious abilities are awakening inside you, drawn from a mind flayer parasite planted in your brain. Resist, and turn darkness against itself. Or embrace corruption, and become ultimate evil. From the creators of Divinity: Original Sin 2 comes a next-generation RPG, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is now available for Windows PC, Playstation 5, and macOS through Steam and GOG. The versions for the Microsoft Xbox Series X and Series S will be announced on a later date.
