Summary
Remember that feeling of dread two years ago when you opened an otherwise ordinary-looking chest in the first zone ofElden Ring, only to be hurled into a nightmarish hellscape riddled with an even worse version of poison? Caelid is to this daythe most notorious zone in the game, the seat of Starscourge Radahn’s power, but if you thought you could escape it by shifting gears toBaldur’s Gate 3, think again.
Modders have used the unlocked toolkit to design their own take onAvernus, the hells which Karlach returns to at the end of the game, and they used Caelid as inspiration. It is the netherworld of the Lands Between, so it’s a great place to draw from.
The mod is a work-in-progress, but already it feels unsettlingly familiar. We can see Astarion exploring a wasteland littered with dead trees, rancid red rivers, and enormous mushrooms. Luckily, there’s noScarlet Rot, but give it time. I’m sure modders will find a way.
Not All Of This Fan-Made Avernus Will Look Like Caelid, Thankfully
Given how recently the modding tools came out, it’s incredibly impressive that we already have such detailed interpretations of highly-requested areas like Avernus. The mod isn’t available to the public yet, but creator katszenBurger has gone into detail for their plans over onReddit, and don’t worry, it won’tallbe Caelid.
They plan to make a few different biomes, with the Caelid-styled one being the introduction to the hells. Deeper into this world, we’ll find more familiar landscapes like a “lava section”. And instead of Malenia’s aimlessly wandering Cleanrot Knights or the remnants of mortal dragons, we can look forward to devils littering the underworld.
It’s an exciting prospect, but as fans are quick to point out, it shows the sheer potential in the modding tools. While they can be used to expand Baldur’s Gate 3 as we see here, the openess they bring is perfect for custom campaigns and larger fan-made projects. Maybe we’ll even see someone try and bring all of Elden Ring to it one day. If the last ten years ofSkyrimare anything to go by, fans are an ambitious bunch.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor.
