If you’re a fan of weird and wonderful Baldur’s Gate 3 character builds, let me introduce you to my new favourite: Karl Marx, revivified and brought to free the working class of Faerun of their chains.
TikTok user @clvr.grl posted a video of their new Tav, inspired by the leftist rat in Baldur’s Gate 3. For those that have not encountered it: casting Speak With Animals on the rat commences a conversation about how it believes in the equal distribution of food, regardless of species. Taking their IRL point of inspiration (not to be confused with the Bardic kind), clvr.girl took to the character builder to create Faerunian Karl Marx, complete with a white beard, red doublet, and of course, the most important part of all; a loadout that involves dual wielding a hammer and sickle.
The co-creator of The Communist Manifesto and author of Das Kapital looks right at home in Baldur’s Gate 3 (in a TikTok video aptly accompanied by ‘Bulls on Parade’ by Rage Against the Machine). The video also features the father of communism casting Divine Favour, so it looks like the liberator of the proletariat is most likely a Paladin (honestly fitting, if you sort of ignore the piety but focus on the strict adherence to a list of tenets).
Seeing what is essentially a rather buff-looking old man ready to take on the bourgeoisie and seize the means of production with only a hammer and sickle in Baldur’s Gate 3 is equal parts iconic and cursed. It reminds me of exactly why I – and many others – love this game; all the cooked shit you can do for pure entertainment value, either for yourself or your friends.
If you’d like to take on the task of dismantling capitalism and engaging in class struggle (either the struggle of picking a class for your tav or actual class struggle) in Baldur’s Gate 3, it doesn’t look like this particular build is modded. If you’re keen to spend another four hours in the character creator, you too can become Karl Marx in-game.
There are plenty of other hilarious Baldur’s Gate 3 Tav builds out there on the internet as more players jump into the game for the first or fiftieth time post Xbox launch or while PC and PS5 players have time to binge over the holidays, and they’re just about all certified gold.
My one question is what actual Karl Marx would make of Mindflayers – alas, communism daddy in real life is actually (obviously) well and truly dead by now, so it shall remain a mystery that will haunt me for the remainder of my days.
What’s been your favourite Baldur’s Gate 3 build so far? Share with your comrades below.
Lead Image Credit: Larian Studios / John Jabez Edwin Mayal – International Institute of Social History (Public Domain) / Kotaku Australia
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