What happens if you don’t play Baldur’s Gate 3 as a hero – but as an average guy with zero skills? YouTuber dumpykong found out.
When most people start a new run in Baldur’s Gate 3, they usually go for a hero in shining armor: a mighty fighter, clever wizard, or cunning rogue. But what if you play as, well, an extremely average, totally normal guy?
Bramble Underleaf: The Most Unspectacular Hero Of All Time
That’s exactly what YouTuber dumpykong set out to explore – throwing himself into what might be the most ordinary adventure Faerûn has ever seen: a full play through as a "Commoner", a plain old farmer with no skills whatsoever.The star of this experiment is Bramble Underleaf. 52 years old, forest gnome, widower, lives alone outside Baldur’s Gate. A man who was never meant to be part of an epic fantasy story – until a flying squid ship plucks him from his field and drops him straight into the main plot. To keep Bramble as average as possible, the YouTuber uses a mod called Commoner Class, which removes all heroic abilities from the game. No crazy powers, no spells – just a tired gnome and, if he's lucky, some basic common sense.
Making Decisions Like A Regular Human Being
What follows isn’t a classic power run – it’s more like a sociological role play: What would a reasonable person do if suddenly dropped into a world full of monsters and magic? They’d avoid fights, steer clear of sketchy strangers, and definitely wouldn’t trust anyone who suggests smearing goblin poop on their face. That’s Bramble’s approach, anyway. He frees Shadowheart simply because she catches his eye, helps Lae'zel because she was the first to lend a hand in battle, and stays away from that weird vampire in the bushes – because, well, obviously.And yet – or maybe because of it – Bramble gradually gathers a totally normal crew: Gale (polite, though mildly explosive), Wyll (former hero, current devil intern), Karlach (hell-warrior with a heart), and of course Lae'zel, his first real ally. Together, they stumble through goblin camps, dangerous woods, and Githyanki fortresses. Bramble makes gut decisions, fails gloriously at dialogue checks, avoids every dungeon that doesn’t explicitly look like a healer's hut – and somehow still feels... sincere. Because he never forgets that he’s not a hero. Just a regular guy. With responsibility (and an alarmingly active brain parasite).
And Then… He Becomes A Hero Anyway
By the time the first real boss fight rolls around, it’s clear: a regular guy really has no business being here. Ketheric, Orin, and Gortash stand in front of him – three walking nightmares with heavy weapons and devastating powers. And Bramble? He’s got nothing but good friends and a wizard with a built-in nuke. So he makes one final, very human decision: he lets Gale sacrifice himself to save the world. No glorious victory, no happy ending. But: a quiet triumph. And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what a normal person in a world full of heroes is meant to do.