A Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough with Swen Vincke and Lord of The Rings’ Elijah Wood and Sean Austin is the D&D session I didn't know I needed

Dec. 24, 2023

Delightful viewing

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Larian Studios’ CEO Swen Vincke was joined by none other than two Lord of the Rings alums for a hilariousBaldur’s Gate 3playthrough - and it’s the essential Christmas viewing I didn’t know I needed.

Larian shared the brief playthrough on social media, which had the developer’s big boss walk Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins) and Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee) through the D&D RPG’s opening hours. Laughs erupt in no time, as Astin turns to the naked Tiefling waiting on a character creation screen and says “I’m really excited to see what is already… beautiful to look at.” Wood instead creates a halfling with the Dark Urge background, and on second thought, where else has he roleplayed as short fantasy folk tempted by overwhelming darkness?

Other fun Middle-Earth callbacks have Astin defeating the Spider Matriarch, channeling his Shelob-hunting era: “I killed the big spider… again.” And then, there’s the conclusion, which weirdly mimics the iconic trilogy. After unlocking the Necromancy of Thay book, Wood’s character is overcome with evil temptations, forcing him to kick a squirrel, chop off a wizard’s arm, and fling a gnome across the village.

Staying true to Samwise’s spirit, Astin takes his companion to a lava-filled pit. “Throw the book in the fire,” he implores. “I can’t throw the book, Sean. I’m too powerful,” Wood replies, defeated, “the possibilities with this book are myriad and endless. I can’t let it go.” Sensing that his friend is too far gone, Astin decides to kick him, along with the dark book, into the lava pit. A reverse-Gollum, if you will.

That’s an eight-minute video that’s almost impossible not to crack a smile at, especially if you’re a fan of both properties. Should you want Baldur’s Gate 3 and Lord of the Rings to cross over more often, check outthe mod that adds the entire Fellowship of the Ring to the game.

Another player accidentallyrecreated the Lord of the Rings’ most iconic battle in-game.

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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.

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