When starting a new playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3, many may wish to play as a custom character rather than one of the seven Origins available. However, one of these Origins, the Dark Urge not only allows for full physical and class customization, but has their own, pre-made backstory as well. The Dark Urge offers the best of both worlds for one of the more unique playthroughs possible.
[Warning: Spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3.]
Just as with Baldur’s Gate 3‘s other Origin characters, the Dark Urge finds themselves swept up in a mind flayer plot, but with the twist of having little to no memory of who they were before. This offers a different twist on the usual custom character, offering strange new roleplay options throughout the three acts of the game. With such a huge game, no two Dark Urge playthroughs will be the same, meaning that everyone should give this unusual Origin a try at least once.
When playing as the Dark Urge, the character will have a unique and unchangeable background at character creation. Backgrounds in Baldur’s Gate 3 are sources of Inspiration, points that can be gathered and used to reroll skill checks. For the Dark Urge, this is the Haunted One, first introduced to fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons in The Curse of Strahd. The description for the Haunted One explains that the character is haunted by something or someone wicked in their mind that they carry with them.
This means that the Dark Urge will have completely unique sources of Inspiration that no other Origin or custom character would have throughout all three acts. Best of all, these Inspiration opportunities can be met by both following and resisting the character’s terrible urges. This allows the character to be roleplayed in multiple ways and rewards repeated playthroughs with the same Origin.
Examples of more murderous background goals for the Dark Urge are killing Alfira, tricking Yurgir into killing himself with a loophole in the Gauntlet of Shar, and torturing Minthara. However, there are also some for those hoping to redeem their Bhaalspawn character over the course of the game. These include releasing Withers from his tomb, releasing the gnolls in Moonrise Tower from their psychic leashes, and rejecting Bhaal’s gifts.
As is expected with such a unique Origin, playing as the Dark Urge also means access to some items and abilities that other Origins don’t get. These are present in every playthrough of the Dark Urge, meaning that any class can be chosen at character creation. It also means that once a Dark Urge playthrough has been completed, any further Dark Urges can be built with these items and features in mind.
The first Dark Urge-specific gift comes in the form of the Deathstalker’s Mantle, one of the best cloaks in BG3. This will be given to the Dark Urge during Act 1 after the death of Alfira or Quil and turns the wearer invisible for two turnsafter they kill an enemy. Being able to turn invisible without using any spell slots and regardless of class is fantastic and really leans into the Dark Urge’s murderous past.
Along with special abilities like the Slayer form, the Dark Urge can also interact with other items in the game in unique ways. Nothing is a better example of this than the Roasted Dwarf Belly found in the Goblin Camp in Act 1, which only the Dark Urge can eat. This disgusting treat will heal the Dark Urge 4d4 for each piece of dwarf they eat.
Due to the strange, macabre nature of the Dark Urge, it should come as no surprise that they have some interesting and special dialogue options throughout the game. These can manifest themselves as unique options when interacting with companions or different choices when completing quests. Many of the options will highlight the urges that the Dark Urge feels, often prompting the character to commit violent or cruel acts.
One early example of these options comes when speaking to companions and other characters, such as Halsin or Lae’zel. Here the Dark Urge can mention that they have gaps in their memory and even that they have violent urges. Each companion has their own take on what the Dark Urge is saying, which is interesting and at times amusing.
Other great examples are hinting to Arabella to run during the tense scene in Act 1’s Druid Grove, which will lead to the little girl’s death. In Moonrise Towers, the Dark Urge has lots of unique dialogue with multiple characters, which can unveil a lot about their murky past. Depending on how the character is being roleplayed, these interactions and options can change, making each playthrough distinct.
Like all the Origin characters, the Dark urge has a personal quest that outlines their goals in the game beyond the main plot. However, for the Dark Urge, their personal quest and the main quest are wonderfully intertwined. Each new journal entry will try to compel the Dark Urge into following their urges, changing as decisions are made and whether the murderous desires were fulfilled or not.
In the grand tradition of the Baldur’s Gate series, the Dark Urge is a Bhaalspawn, was once Bhaal’s Chosen, and is one of the masterminds behind the Absolute plot along with Gortash. Over the course of BG3, more and more will be revealed about the character’s past and their link to Bhaal.
This connection to the main plot makes it even easier to become fully immersed in the world of BG3. More so than any of the other Origins, the Dark Urge feels like the true main character of BG3, as the stakes feel far more personal without feeling forced down a particular path. Although, due to the nature of the Dark Urge’s backstory, a certain level of caution is advised for some who may not tolerate violence well.
Going hand-in-hand with special dialogue options and their personal quest, the Dark Urge has a lot of extra cutscenes to experience when playing as the Origin. Many of these will take the form ofthe consequences of following through on any of the urges that the character feels. However, some can be a surprise, as the Dark Urge may interact with an NPC or quest differently than the other Origins or a custom character.
The best examples of cutscenes exclusive to the Dark Urge are the frequent interactions the character will have with their strange butler, Sceleritas Fel. This new character will appear early in Act 1 after the Dark Urge has killed either Alfira or Quil and act as their guide to remember their true self. Sceleritas will reappear in Act 2 with a task to help the Dark Urge get back into the good graces of their “Father,” Bhaal, this time insisting that Isobel must die.
There are plenty of these to be found in camp as well as in Act 2, as the Dark Urge meets NPCs who knew them from before the tadpole. Sceleritas’ cutscenes, along with the brief glimpses into the past of the Dark Urge, really help build the picture of who this character was before the events of BG3. However, the ultimate fate of the character is always left in the hands of the player as the Dark Urge’s backstory unfolds.
One of the most fun aspects of playing an RPG is exploring all the options in multiple playthroughs. While it is great to be the noble hero and make all the good guy choices, there is nothing quite like switching it up and being evil for a playthrough or two. Playing as the Dark Urge offers the chance for the only truly evil playthrough in BG3, as some of the options available to this Origin are really dark.
If the urges are given into, then the Dark Urge can leave a path of destruction behind them unrivaled by any other Origin. From the very beginning in Act 1, the Dark Urge can kill Gale, Alfira, Arabella, and Minthara along with helpless critters, such as the wounded bird in the grove and Timber the squirrel. But this can get even worse in Act 2, since the Dark Urge can doom the entire region by murdering Isobel or even their most beloved companion.