Inspiration can come from the most surprising, or most mundane, of places. It can come from something special, like nature or classic paintings, but it can also come from something as basic as looking at a shelf of games. So is the story of Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate, a mash-up board game combining Betrayal at House on the Hill and Dungeons & Dragons.
“Mike Mearls, the head of D&D R&D, tells us the idea came to him when he saw a copy of Betrayal at House on the Hill and an old adventure we had done for D&D encounters, Murder in Baldur’s Gate, on a shelf side by side,” Shelly Mazzanoble, brand manager for Avalon Hill told Player.One. “He looks at both and goes ‘hmm. Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate. That makes sense.’”
After bringing the idea to Avalon Hill, the team realized it was a perfect fit. “We realized these games do actually go together really well,” said Mazzanoble. “ D&D is a story-driven game with players working together cooperatively in a party. You’re discovering treasure, you’re exploring new locations, and of course, there’s combat. That’s kind of the same with Betrayal at House on the Hill, except you’re called Explorers in House on the Hill and Adventurers in Baldur’s Gate.”
For those who have played Betrayal at House on the Hill before, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate is so similar Mazzanoble says you can start playing as soon as you open the box. There are a few major changes; each character has a special ability that can be used during the game, only two levels to explore instead of three and an update to haunt roll checks that ensures the haunt can’t be triggered too early.
Mazzanoble likes the update to haunt rolls so much, she said she now uses those rules when playing House on the Hill.
While having knowledge of D&D does help you enjoy Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate, Mazzanoble says it’s not needed. “One of the things [Baldur’s Gate] does really well is that it serves as a great introduction to D&D. If there’s that unwitting person or someone who actively wanting to learn about D&D, but maybe they’re too overwhelmed to create a character or don’t have a local store to drop in, this is a great introduction to the world,” she said.
“You’re playing one of 12 iconic D&D classes and races. You have that adventurer power, so you have a sense of what that class or race does without having to put together a character sheet,” said Mazzanoble.
If you are a D&D fan, there will be plenty of special nods for you too. Mazzanoble says recognizable items like the Deck of Many Things and monsters such as Minotaurs and Gelatinous Cubes all make appearances. “For those of you who know there’s a stuffed Beholder behind the bar at the Elfsong Tavern, you will not be disappointed,” she added.
When asked if Avalon Hill or Wizards of the Coast has plans for making D&D versions of other board games, Mazzanoble didn’t have much to share. “There’s always a plan, but there’s nothing official yet,” she said. “This game has been received really well so far, but we’re going to let it sit and see how it does first.”
Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate is now available both online and at your friendly local game store.
So what do you think? Are you interested in knowing what it’s like to explore Baldur’s Gate with dice that can only go from zero to two? What other games do you think would work in a D&D setting? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
