8 Best DnD Campaigns to Run If You Like Baldur's Gate 3

The popularity of Baldur's Gate 3 resulted in an all-time high interest in Dungeons and Dragons. For those who came to DnD from Baldur's Gate 3, an amazing world of stories and creativity awaits, but it can be hard to figure out how to get into it, with forty years worth of campaigns to delve through.

There is a massive variety of DnD campaigns, and while they're not all to everyone's tastes, there's still something for everyone. Because BG3 is so closely linked to DnD, playing campaigns that are similar to BG3 make the jump from CRPG to TTRPG easier. Here are some campaigns that do just that.

8 Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus

The Campaign That Sets Up Baldur's Gate 3

Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't give a lot of context for Elturel's history and what exactly happened that made the city fall into Avernus, or what happened once it got there. The context for the tieflings and their situation is also bare on the ground, which is a pity considering their plight has such a big role.

This makes Descent Into Avernus essential for Baldur's Gate 3 players who want more background on what exactly the situation is in the Grove. It's not only essential for lore, but is a great gateway for Baldur's Gate 3 fans to get into Dungeons and Dragons as the world, setting, and history are familiar.

7 Curse of Strahd

Classic DnD Horror

Stepping away from Baldur's Gate 3, Curse of Strahd has become a classic DnD campaign that every player should try. It's a bit more complex than Descent Into Avernus, and deals with darker themes with a Gothic setting. If you're a fan of Astarion and his storyline, though, you'll love Curse of Strahd, and the vampire lore gives a new perspective on the nature of vampires, adding yet another layer to Astarion's decision to ascend or remain a vampire spawn.

Another great thing about Curse of Strahd is that you get to know Strahd, an iconic character in DnD lore, and Barovia in Ravenloft, the classic horror setting of DnD. There's a lot of good stuff here, and it's a worthwhile venture for anyone who enjoys horror.

6 Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Explore an Iconic City

You get to hear about Waterdeep from Gale, who used to be an arch mage resident of the city. He tells you a fair bit about the city, but you never get to see it in Baldur's Gate 3.

Waterdeep: Dragon Heist takes place in Waterdeep proper, and offers a great exploration of the city. It's a wonderful adventure campaign and perfect for newcomers, especially as there's a lot of flexibility in choices of villain. Because Waterdeep is such a lawful setting, there are a lot of restrictions in place that limit murder hobo actions, making it more creative for both the players and DM.

5 Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Go All In On the Horror

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden takes place in another classic DnD setting, but this one is for more experienced players. It helps a lot if the DM in particular is familiar with the setting and is able to effecively guide the players through this winding and complex campaign.

What stands out about Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is its horror. This is a dark and intensive campaign that includes a lot of twists and turns. If you enjoyed Baldur's Gate 3's unpredictability, then this campaign will more than meet your expectations for an immersive adventure with some pretty dark themes.

4 Out of the Abyss

For the Underdark Fans

Out of the Abyss is a great campaign if you're a fan of the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. As a big Drow fan with the Underdark being one of my favorite settings, I feel like the version we get in BG3 is beautiful but also very restrained when compared to its full potential.

Out of the Abyss lets you explore the setting to your heart's content. There's a lot happening here, so it's best to pace yourselves and give your group time to get used to the many NPCs and plot moments. The entire campaign is set in the Underdark and explores several of the groups that call this hostile setting home.

3 Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep

An Introduction to Critical Role

Critical Role is the golden child of the TTRPG community, and Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep is a great campaign to jump into if you're coming from BG3. Interestingly, it's co-written by Matt Mercer, one of the stars of Critical Role and the voice of many beloved video game characters.

Call of the Netherdeep is a fun and relatively straightforward campaign perfect for players of all skill levels. If you're a BG3 player looking to make the jump to DnD, you can't go wrong here. It includes a lot of the character dynamics of BG3, including rivals, and takes place in a setting different enough for those who don't want to retread the Sword Coast again.

2 The Wild Beyond Witchlight

Strategies Beyond Combat

My favorite classes in BG3 are the Charisma-based ones, being Sorcerer, Bard, Warlock, and Paladin. I've never once had to fight any of the Thorms in Leithwin because I instead convince them to solve my problems for me. This tendency follows me with my DnD characters, and my favorite campaigns are those where I can resolve conflicts in creative, nonviolent ways. More often than not, the solution is funny, but it can also lead to some interesting outcomes.

The Wild Beyond Witchlight is a campaign that is specifically designed around this idea of conflict resolution. Combat is absolutely an option, but other strategies are actually considered in the campaign's design. It also takes place in the Feywild, a realm that's hinted at if you play a Fey warlock.

1 Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

A Plot Similar to BG3

If you want to revisit BG3's general plot but in the form of a TTRPG campaign, you can't get closer than Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk. This campaign is about the village of Phandelver and unravelling a cult's plot to infect them with mind flayer tadpoles, a story you'll note is very familiar.

This is also a great campaign for beginners, but there is a bit of a jump when it transitions from a simple adventure to cosmic horror. That said, if you wanted a bit more of the cosmic horror from BG3, this is a great campaign to try out and is perfect for those who want even more freedom than what BG3 offered.