Baldur’s Gate 3 Mod Adapts D&D’s Curse of Strahd Campaign

A new Baldur’s Gate 3 mod brings several iconic locations from Barovia, the setting of the Curse of Strahd Dungeons and Dragons campaign, into the game. While this mod doesn’t include any playable content, it is perfect for fans looking to take some spooky screenshots of their Baldur’s Gate 3 characters in Barovia.

While Dungeons and Dragons has released over two dozen adventures for 5th Edition over the last decade, none can quite compare to Curse of Strahd as far as popularity is concerned. The gothic horror module takes players into Barovia, the dark realm of Count Strahd von Zarovich, as they seek to escape the vampire’s clutches and defeat him once and for all.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Barovia Photo Map Mod

Now, an intrepid fan has recreated parts of Barovia within the engine of Baldur’s Gate 3. “AxiAU – Barovia” is a new mod developed by axianaa and published on Nexus Mods that brings several locations from the iconic Dungeons and Dragons Domain of Dread as explorable zones. Simply install the mod, retrieve the Invitation to Barovia from the tutorial chest, and use the item’s spell ability to open waypoints to one of three new locations:

The Gates

The Crossroads

The Hut

The Gates includes the region most players encounter near the beginning of the adventure path, including a massive door to Barovia and the haunted Svalich Woods. Meanwhile, The Crossroads offers creepy roadside graveyards, tree-strung nooses, and roads leading to the landmarks of Barovia village, Tser Pool, and Vallaki. Lastly, Baba Lysaga’s Hut remakes the eponymous hag’s swampy domicile, including its spider-like legs and iron cages for those who defy her.

It is important to note that these new maps do not include any enemies, items, or other gameplay content. This mod is purely for aesthetic purposes, and while players can explore them and take screenshots of their characters, NPCs, and companions from Baldur’s Gate 3 in Photo Mode, fans cannot actually play through Curse of Strahd with this mod.

This is far from axianaa’s first foray into the Baldur’s Gate 3 modding scene. They have several other mods available for download on Nexus Mods as well, including hundreds of different character poses, a Japan-themed photo map, ReShade presets, and even a character customization option that replicates Mel Medarda’s tattoos from Arcane. No doubt many of their couples poses would look perfect for Tavs who romanced Astarion on these Barovia maps.

Can I Play the Curse of Strahd Campaign in Baldur’s Gate 3?

While “AxiAU – Barovia” is purely a photo mod, there may be hope for Curse of Strahd in Baldur’s Gate 3 yet. “Project Strahd” is an ongoing fan-driven project started in September 2024 that seeks to recreate the entire adventure path within Baldur’s Gate 3 as a free mod. The project is still pretty early in development, so it may be a long time before players will see it, assuming it doesn’t lose steam and fall apart before then. However, the “Project Strahd” team is still active, so fans can expect more updates on its progress later this year, especially since D&D celebrates the 10th anniversary of Curse of Strahd this March.

Larian Studios also recently announced Divinity, a new CRPG that is the spiritual successor to both Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2. Set in the world of the latter, little is known about this title yet, save that it will be even larger than its predecessors – and if the reveal trailer is any indication, it will be even darker and more violent as well. Something sinister is coming to Rivellon, and whatever waits in store for players might even be twisted enough to give Strahd himself pause.