Key Takeaway
The Dark Urge is a unique Origin available exclusively for custom characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 that causes your character to feel an insatiable need to kill and maim everyone in their path. These violent compulsions lead to new dialogue options, quests, and opportunities during your playthrough. It’s possible to either resist your bloodthirsty desires or give in to them completely.
Selecting the Dark Urge is recommended for those wanting to commit to an entirely evil playthrough. It’s also a great choice for players jumping back into the game after completing a standard playthrough.
Character customization in this game goes above and beyond, enabling you to decide everything from your character’s background to their starting stats. If you’re feeling bloodthirsty, you can choose the Origin archetype called Dark Urge in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, doing so warps your playthrough in disturbing ways.
Table Of Contents
What Is the Dark Urge?
The Dark Urge is a special Origin available exclusively for custom characters in Baldur’s Gate 3. Selecting this unique archetype grants your character the unique Haunted One background, causing them to remember nothing prior to the Nautiloid crash at the start of the game.
While they lack concrete memories, your character will constantly feel an insatiable need to kill and maim everyone in their path. Controlling this urge can prove difficult, and as you converse with your companions and NPCs, your disturbed character will constantly cope with intrusive violent thoughts.
As you continue on your quest to defeat the Absolute and remove the tadpole from your mind, the Dark Urge adds a new layer to the game’s main campaign. Constantly tempted to cause harm and mayhem, it’s up to you to control yourself—or give in—as you seek the truth of your gory and troubled past.
How the Dark Urge Impacts Gameplay
As mentioned above, selecting the Dark Urge as your Origin archetype automatically assigns the Haunted One background to your character. This mysterious background grants Proficiency in Intimidation and Medicine.
While your background is fixed when choosing to live by the Dark Urge, your character can still be fully customized in all other ways, including race, appearance, and class.
Choosing the Dark Urge adds some new and sinister voice lines for your character, who usually remains rather quiet during a standard playthrough. It also unlocks new and more violent dialogue options when interacting with NPCs or your companions, potentially creating new interactions with some of your favorite characters. Some unique gameplay moments can only happen by selecting the Dark Urge.
If you decide to kill a beloved NPC during Act 2, your character becomes able to shapeshift into a behemoth dubbed the Slayer once per Long Rest. With some hugely powerful attacks and a whopping 98 HP, this form is incredibly useful during late-game boss battles.
The NPC Sceleritas Fel only appears during a Dark Urge playthrough. This demonic butler appears during a Long Rest early in the game. If you please him by committing enough violent acts, he’ll reward you with the Dark Urge-exclusive Deathstalker Mantle, a cloak that grants invisibility for a single turn after killing an enemy in battle.
The Dark Urge opens up an exclusive quest line for your character, and many cutscenes and interactions are only available by selecting this frightening path. Whether you choose to give in to your cruel thoughts or fight against them, the story will change in powerful ways.
Should You Play the Dark Urge?
Choose the Dark Urge if you’re looking to embark on an entirely evil playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3. When compared to creating an evil character without this cruel archetype, you’ll be able to commit more heinous acts during your adventure through the Forgotten Realms.
Even if you’re not seeking to become the embodiment of evil, the Dark Urge is also a fantastic choice for a second playthrough. After completing the game’s campaign in a more balanced mental state, you’ll be able to better appreciate the madness that this Origin brings. Those wanting to remain neutral or good can still do so with the Dark Urge, and resisting the compulsion to harm others provides an inspiring story path only possible with this archetype.
The Dark Urge offers an entirely new spin on Baldur’s Gate 3‘s core story. If you’re looking to jump back in for another trip through one of the best games of the decade, consider selecting this Origin to sprinkle some extra angst into your character’s journey.
