Minsc is one of the most boisterous party members inBaldur’s Gate 3. This wild nature seems right at home with the raging barbarian class. Yet, Misnc is instead focused on being a dexterous Hunter ranger. This is due to the nearly 50 years ofDungeons & Dragonshistory and revisions. The ranger class was the original savage fighter, predating the barbarian by seven years. The firstBaldur’s Gateimplemented these rules, making it the best option for Minsc.
While ranger is Minsc’s default class, you canrespec characters inBaldur’s Gate 3by speaking to Withers in camp. Now it becomes the player’s choice between turning him into a barbarian or leaving him as a ranger. If the latter is kept, adjusting his ability scores may also be useful. Maxing out his strength allows him to use his iconicBG1weapon, the Great Sword. Alternatively, Minsc can be made into any class, including arcane casters that don’t fit his personality.
Barbarian Wasn’t A Class In D&D 2e When BG1 Came Out
Groups, Classes, & Kits Hierarchy
Rather than having a simple class system like thelatest editionDungeons & Dragons, the rules of the second edition had a larger hierarchy for player characters.The highest rank was Groups, consisting of warrior, rogue, wizard, and priest. The next tier was Classes, which in the case of warrior included only fighter, ranger, and paladin.Players could then pick a Kit, a sort of early version of subclasses.
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Many animal characters are in Baldur’s Gate 3 - you can even get some like Scratch to join you. However, there should have been more companions.
Barbarian did exist as a Kitdesigned for the fighter class, but there were multiple sources with different rules, including theComplete Fighter’s Guide,Red Steel, andPlayer Options: Skills and Powers. Some were fighters focused on wielding axes, while others forced players to spend all gold during character creation, leaving them poor.Baldur’s Gatedid not include the Kit system at all, omitting barbarians entirely. It was later included inBaldur’s Gate 2andBaldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, though.
Misnc wasn’t originally designed forBaldur’s Gate.He was instead from a pen and paperD&Dcampaignplayed by BioWare employees. Cameron Tofer, lead programmer onMDK2, made Minsc an unstable ranger. He even already carried around Boo and favored fighting Gith, the shared race of Githyanki and Githzerai.
Prior to 2000, the termAdvanced Dungeons & Dragonsappears. In 1977, the rules were split between Basic Set and Advanced. But, Basic Set was eventually discontinued and Advanced was rebranded as simplyDungeons & Dragons.
The campaign’s GM, James Ohlen, loved Minsc and incorporated the character intoBaldur’s Gate. He focused on the use of large swords, the precursor to the Great Sword. His racial enemy was Gnolls and could usecharm animal. Additionally,Minsc was given a unique Berserk ability, which improves his damage and armor class by two, but makes him uncontrollable, and he attacks the nearest creature, even allies.
BG3 Continues This Tradition With Minsc As A Ranger
Larian Maintains The Class
In the third act ofBaldur’s Gate 3,Minsc is found aliveafter 100 years trapped in stone. Once breaking free, he can be recruited and still has his same class of ranger. However, he isn’t the same unwavering power house fromBG1andBG2. He now focuses on dexterity and wisdom, while both strength and constitution are average. This means he is better suited for stealth and archery rather than in a direct fight.
While Minsc plays differently inBaldur’s Gate 3, there is a mechanical reason. By Act 3, Karlach, Lae’zel, and Minthara are all vying for melee spots in a four-person party. Turning him into a skirmisher makes his only competition Astarion, allowing for more party set-ups. From a lore perspective, it is possible being frozen in a statue had a side effect on Minsc’ physical and mental powers. If none of this fits into a player’s preferred gameplay, however, he can simply be respecced into another class.
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.
