GamesRPGBaldur’s GateBaldur’s Gate 3D&D lore buff discovers Elminster’s likely been leaving magic items strewn around Baldur’s Gate 3 like a fantasy wizard Santa ClausWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGBaldur’s GateBaldur’s Gate 3D&D lore buff discovers Elminster’s likely been leaving magic items strewn around Baldur’s Gate 3 like a fantasy wizard Santa ClausWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Larian)
You ever thought about why you find so many potent, powerful magic items in Baldur’s Gate 3? No, really—while most of the places you delve into are dangerous, they’re also abandoned and lost to the ravages of time. Why in the nine hells is there the arcane equivalent of a fully-functioning Glock in some chest in the deep wilderness?
Turns out there’s actual, honest-to-Mystra D&D lore justifications for this, and they involve a kindly old Wizard. This isn’t substantiated in-game—but it is one hell of a deep-cut that justified why I keep finding enchanted cloaks on corpses.
The passage itself follows Elminster entering into The Crypt of Moondark. Not to pilfer it, but toaddwealth to it. Hilariously, it reads:
“Eaergladden Moondark had died destitute, begging his kin for a few coppers with which to buy a roasting-fowl… but who, save one Elminster, was still alive to remember that? So accomplished a mage as Eaergladden could quite well have had a wand, and of course a spellbook.” He proceeds to then put a wand, a spellbook, and a dagger in the tomb for later adventurers to find.
“This work took up much of his time in the service of Mystra, these days, at her bidding, Elminster travelled Faerûn visiting ruins and the tombs of dead mages, planting ‘old’ scrolls, spellbooks, minor enchanted items, and even the occasional staff for later folk to find… and all such leavings were in truth items she’d just finished Grafting, and made to look old.”
So not only are the magic items most D&D players find complete forgeries from the mother of magic herself—they’re not even antiques. Elminster’s generosity is great for tomb raiders, but must’ve wrecked havoc on any well-meaning historian trying to put together Faerûn’s history.
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
The reason? Mystra just wants magic to be proliferated, rather than in the hands of “a few archwizards lording it over the spell-poor or magically barren, as had happened in the days of lost Netheril.” I shan’t delve into it too much to avoid spoilers, but considering Gale’s condition in Baldur’s Gate 3, the plot thread of Mystra’s opposition to Netheril is kept alive and well nearly 26 years later.
Considering his involvement in the game’s story, it’s extremely possible that—for the lion’s share of items you find not on already-legendary creatures—Elminster Claus put them there. So there you have it: I’ve apparently got a futzy old wizard to thank for the gear that turned myHonour Mode bard into an absolute monster.
More about baldurs gate2024 was still the year of Baldur’s Gate 3: Why we’re all still playing Larian’s once-in-a-decade RPG 16 months laterThe voice of Shadowheart, Jennifer English, would love to return to the role after Baldur’s Gate 3—as long as Hasbro doesn’t mess it up and ‘make her into a cartoon’LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
More about baldurs gate2024 was still the year of Baldur’s Gate 3: Why we’re all still playing Larian’s once-in-a-decade RPG 16 months laterThe voice of Shadowheart, Jennifer English, would love to return to the role after Baldur’s Gate 3—as long as Hasbro doesn’t mess it up and ‘make her into a cartoon’LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
More about baldurs gate2024 was still the year of Baldur’s Gate 3: Why we’re all still playing Larian’s once-in-a-decade RPG 16 months laterThe voice of Shadowheart, Jennifer English, would love to return to the role after Baldur’s Gate 3—as long as Hasbro doesn’t mess it up and ‘make her into a cartoon’
More about baldurs gate
2024 was still the year of Baldur’s Gate 3: Why we’re all still playing Larian’s once-in-a-decade RPG 16 months laterThe voice of Shadowheart, Jennifer English, would love to return to the role after Baldur’s Gate 3—as long as Hasbro doesn’t mess it up and ‘make her into a cartoon’
2024 was still the year of Baldur’s Gate 3: Why we’re all still playing Larian’s once-in-a-decade RPG 16 months later
2024 was still the year of Baldur’s Gate 3: Why we’re all still playing Larian’s once-in-a-decade RPG 16 months later
The voice of Shadowheart, Jennifer English, would love to return to the role after Baldur’s Gate 3—as long as Hasbro doesn’t mess it up and ‘make her into a cartoon’
The voice of Shadowheart, Jennifer English, would love to return to the role after Baldur’s Gate 3—as long as Hasbro doesn’t mess it up and ‘make her into a cartoon’
LatestToday’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11See more latest►
Latest
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, January 11
See more latest►
Most PopularPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
Most PopularPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
Most PopularPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our faultTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KIs the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
Most Popular
Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’
Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene
Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault
Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K
Is the new RTX 5070 really as fast as Nvidia’s previous flagship RTX 4090 GPU? Turns out the answer is yes. Kinda.
Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything
If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off
AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab
I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay
Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts
TikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
1
Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
2
Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
3
Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
4
Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
5
Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
1
Thank Goodness You’re Here! review
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
2
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
3
WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4Ikea Utespelare desk review
4
Ikea Utespelare desk review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
5
Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review
