Many seasoned players ofBaldur’s Gate 3will know that lots of content has been cut from the game since its time in early access. An example of this is how there were originally more options for those playing as clerics to choose from in terms of a deity to worship. Most of these choices made sense, as in the earliest versions of the game, the available gods included the Dead Three and Shar.
Considering how the main plot of the game involves working against the Dead Three, and how a worshiper of Shar would create complications in the story between Shadowheart and the player, Larian made the right choice in removing them as options. However, many have expressed confusion over the removal of other deities. Namely, Silvanus could have been the perfect choice for clerics of the Nature domain, butthere is one deity with lots of content in Baldur’s Gate 3, who appears to be the true missing cleric patron.
Umberlee Isn’t A Worship Option For Clerics In BG3
Umberlee Was Cut, Despite Having A Large In-Game Presence
InBaldur’s Gate 3, when creating a cleric character, players can choose one of 20 deities to worship. Some of these are limited to certain races and backgrounds, and the majority of them have little presence in the game. However,one deity does have a large presence in the game, yet oddly cannot be chosen as an option for clerics to worship: Umberlee, whom the player can be introduced to as early as Act 1, by finding a shanty dedicated to her left on the beach outside the nautiloid.
In Act 3, Umberlee is shown to have more of a tangible presence than the other cleric deities in the Water Queen’s House, which is implied through several secret encounters. There is a hidden way to become blessed by Umberlee by placing an item in an offering chest found in the area, as shown inToyhouze’s YouTube video. Conversely, underneath the temple, players can locate a cave on the south-west side of the cliff - if the player chooses to steal from this area,they can experience a rare angry voice line from Umberlee, who then summons Sahuagin to attack them.
If players choose to steal from the cellar underneath the Water Queen’s House, Umberlee will no longer bless the party.
When compared to other deities who have no personalized areas or items,Umberlee seems like a much better choice for clerics to choose to feel more involved in the story, having a full temple to visit along with a themed armor set, a cloak, and two tridents available to be purchased. There is little content throughout the rest of the game which involves interacting with followers of certain gods besides Bhaal, so not including Umberlee in the cleric deity lineup was a massive missed opportunity. It’s no wonder that many players have voiced disappointment with her lack of presence.
Who Umberlee Is Within Baldur’s Gate 3 Lore
Umberlee Is The Chaotic Evil Goddess Of The Ocean, Currents, & Storms
As the goddess of the seas, Umberlee is known as the Wavemother, or Mother of the Deep. Her presence inDungeons & Dragonscan be traced back to its first edition -she is a chaotic evil deity who is usually worshiped more out of fear than respect. She is known to not particularly care about her followers, so if there were an option for clerics to worship her, then it wouldn’t affect any major questlines which involve her devotees. If her decisions were to negatively impact the player, it could be explained under the guise of her being cruel and dismissive.
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Umberlee is the patron deity of the Kuo-Toa and Sahuagin, who can both be encountered inBaldur’s Gate 3. It is believed that the Sahuagin carry out her will, which implies her presence in theIron Throne questlinewhere aggressive Sahuagin are found in the underwater prison, along with some of Umberlee’s followers who are being held prisoner. Upon searching the submersible, players can find some notes which imply that a priestess of Umberlee trained them to protect the Iron Throne, yet they are still aggressive to the player trying to free the Water Queen’s followers.
In the originalBaldur’s Gate, the Temple of Umberlee is involved in a rather notable side quest. There was also an area of the game called Sahuagin City, which was an underwater city found next to the Underdark. In this game, theSahuagin were portrayed as being fully autonomous and rounded people, much like any other race inDungeons & Dragons. Some of these characters were clerics, which makes it even stranger that Umberlee isn’t available for clerics inBaldur’s Gate 3, as it proves that clerics of Umberlee have been part of the lore ofBaldur’s Gatesince the beginning.
How Umberlee As A Cleric Deity Could Work
Umberlee Is Built For The Tempest Domain Subclass
In 5eDungeons & Dragons,clerics of Umberlee take on the Tempest Domain subclass. This is one of thecleric subclasses already available inBaldur’s Gate 3, and is perfectly suited for the Wavemother. The Destructive Wrath ability which comes with this class fits well with the devastating power of Umberlee as the goddess of the ocean, waves, and sea wind. A Storm sorcerer and Tempest domain cleric of Umberlee multiclass would be an amazing and powerful lore-accurate combination.
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In the final act of Baldur’s Gate 3, the Waveservants of Umberlee want Redhammer the Deviser to face justice for an accidental killing.
There are many instances inBaldur’s Gate 3in which certain subclasses can unlock exclusive dialogue - an example being if a character happens to be a cleric of Tyr multiclassed into paladin, then they can call out the fake paladins early in Act 1. With interactions as niche as that already in the game,a cleric of Umberlee would surely have some unique dialogue in the Water Queen’s Houseand recognize their fellow worshipers. This route could lead the followers underneath the temple to give players a warmer welcome, instead of becoming aggressive if they choose not to leave.
Fortunately for players wishing that they could become Clerics of Umberlee inBaldur’s Gate, many have created mods to allow others to finally choose Umberlee as their patron deity. With the release of theMod Manager in Patch 7having been out for some time, these mods are more compatible with the base game than ever before. However, lots of potential content, such as bonus interactions with other Umberlee worshipers, may not be feasible for quite some time. Players can only hope that a cleric of Umberlee may become playable in the future ofBaldur’s Gate 3.
Source:Toyhouze/YouTube
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
