Baldur’s Gate 3 has a new fan-made adventure waiting between its second and third acts. Modder SquallyDaBeanz’s Act Two Expansion is now available in beta after nearly two years of development, adding the Chionthar Wilds as a large new region for level 8-10 parties. Its overall scope is roughly comparable to Act 1’s Wilderness.
The area takes place after the Shadow-Cursed Lands and before Baldur’s Gate. Its content is built around combat and exploration through a new part of the Forgotten Realms, with quests, dungeons, NPCs, cutscenes, lore, puzzles, secrets, custom creatures, and new dialogue choices.
What the Chionthar Wilds adds
There is plenty to do once players arrive. The expansion includes more than 70 new items and over 30 combat encounters, giving the later portion of a campaign considerably more room to breathe before Act 3 begins. Experience gains are reduced in the new areas, which helps keep the difficulty of Act 3 from being erased by the extra combat and rewards. A full clear awards roughly 30,000 XP.
The expansion’s new characters do not have voice acting, and the region does not support conversations with animals or the dead. Choices made in the Chionthar Wilds also do not alter Act 3, so the detour adds content to the journey without changing the campaign’s final act.
Existing saves and a QuickStart option are supported
Players do not need to begin a completely new campaign to use the main version. The mod can be installed before leaving Act 2, and the Chionthar Wilds will be added between Acts 2 and 3 for a party around level 8 or higher. A QuickStart version is also available for anyone who wants to begin directly in the new content. It provides gear, party XP, and hirelings to get the group moving without replaying the earlier acts.
Multiplayer is supported as well, provided every player has the same mod files.
What to know before entering the Chionthar Wilds
The current release is a beta, so frequent saves are recommended. Some camp events can cause a softlock near the finale, which means players should complete those events before reaching the final section.
A point of no return also appears before Act 3. Once players pass it, they cannot return to either the Shadow-Cursed Lands or the Chionthar Wilds, so unfinished quests and optional content should be handled beforehand.
SquallyDaBeanz plans to use version 1.0 for better writing, more dialogue and lore, improved combat and bosses, additional Legendary Actions, item balance changes, bug fixes, and extra polish. The beta is available through the Act Two Expansion page on Nexus Mods. The FAQ also says the project is not planned for Workshop or consoles.
The creator also released a launch trailer showing the fan expansion in action.
Would you add the Chionthar Wilds to an ongoing campaign, or wait for the version 1.0 update? Share your choice in the comments and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Baldur's Gate III
Developed by Larian Studios
An ancient evil has returned to Baldur's Gate, intent on devouring it from the inside out. The fate of Faerun lies in your hands. Alone, you may resist. But together, you can overcome.
- Genre Role-playing (RPG), Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS)
- Platforms Google Stadia, Xbox Series X|S, Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac
- Perspective Bird view / Isometric
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative, Split screen
- Release August 3, 2023
- Publisher Larian Studios
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Age Rating
