Minsc is one of the mascot characters ofDungeons & Dragonsso it’s no surprise that the ranger and his miniature giant space hamster, Boo, made their way intoBaldur’s Gate 3. He acts as a companion in the third act as well as an old friend of the somewhat grouchy druid, Jaheira. With Jaheira and Minsc both being companions fromBaldur’s Gate 1and2,it’s no surprise that the pair know each other butBG3takes place over 100 years after its predecessor, which causes confusion considering that Minsc is a human.
Jaheira and Minsc aren’t the only companion characters that return fromBaldur’s Gate 2, with Viconia DeVir also making a return, but this time as a potential antagonist rather than a companion. Curiously, the years have begun to show with Jaheria and Viconia despite both having incredibly long lifespans,yet Minsc, who is a human with a relatively short lifespan byD&Dstandards, looks almost exactly as he didback in thedays ofBG1and2. The reason for this is both bizarre and something that seems typical of Minsc’s adventures.
Minsc Has A Long Backstory In Baldur’s Gate 3
He Isn’t Coming Out Of Nowhere In Act 3
Minsc has done a lot in his lifeand has seen his fair share of wacky adventures. Almost all ofBaldur’s Gate 1and2are examples of this, as well asMinsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy, a sourcebook forD&D5e that was released in 2021. When players first meet Minsc,he is being controlled and manipulated by the Absolute and a fake Jaheira, with the criminal underworld of Baldur’s Gate knowing the ranger by the name of the Stone Lord. All Tav knows is that Minsc is a good friend and old ally of Jaheira.
Even with a speak with animals buff, Boo can only be understood by Minsc.
Minsc does have a very obvious history with the followers of Bhaal and the Absoulte, being left behind byJaheira inBG3after a battle with the cult. BothMinsc and Jaheira have unique dialogue with Sarevokshould they both be in the party when the Bhaalspawn is encountered, and theBG3narrator even states that, although the history the two parties share is ancient, neither intends to leave the other alive. Strangely enough for Minsc, this history isn’t quite as ancient as it is for everyone else involved.
Petrification Is The Secret To Minsc’s Extended Life
He Was A Statue For Over 100 Years
Jaheira first mentions that Minsc was turned into a statue for over a century, keeping him young while others aged around him. Minsc himself confirms, as seen inPerfectParadox’s video on YouTube. When asked in camp after joining the party, he states that he and Boo returned to Baldur’s Gate after his adventures against the Bhaalspawn, when he was ambushed. He doesn’t know who turned him to stone, stating that it could have been a villain that he angered too much, but either way, he ended up being petrified into a stone statue in the city’s slums.
Lae’zel mentions that giant space hamsters are a staple food for the gith, although she has never heard of a miniature one like Boo.
Although not stated in the game,Minsc found himself freed from his stony imprisonment after a Wild Magic user named Deliana accidentally hit him with a surgebefore the events ofBaldur’s Gate 3. After this, Minsc ends up forming a party of his own, once again becoming a hero of Baldur’s Gate. Truth be told, Minsc continued as if nothing had happened, adventuring as a sellsword from the Sword Coast to Avernus, before reuniting with Jaheira to combat the Absolute and getting a tadpole inserted into his skull.
Minsc Is Luckier Than Other Classic Baldur’s Gate Characters
Most Have Died By The Time Of Baldur’s Gate 3
Because of the time between the games, it is assumed that most characters have died, since they don’t appear or get mentioned inBaldur’s Gate 3. Some that do appear haven’t had the best time, such asViconia founding a Sharran Cult in Waterdeep before killing everyone there on Shar’s orders. Minsc has had a relatively kind time, considering that he has continued to do what he loves before and after his petrification, and even though he lost 100 odd years of his life, he doesn’t seem all too bothered about it.
This Important Baldur’s Gate 3 Deity Strangely Isn’t An Option For Clerics In BG3
Umberlee is strangely missing from Baldur’s Gate 3’s cleric deities – the Tempest Domain Water Queen and patron of the of the Kuo-Toa and Sahuagin.
Minsc is one of the more iconic characters inD&D’s world, and itisn’t much of a surprise that Larian included him inBaldur’s Gate 3. He has had a myriad of adventures already and had a ready-made excuse for surviving the 100-year-time-skip between the second and third games, due to his petrification. Casting one of the faces ofD&D, Matt Mercer, as the voice of Minsc was a clever choice too, helping to expose the ranger and his hamster to a more mainstream audience.
