Critical Role: Is Baldur's Gate 3 Hiding Sneaky Vox Machina Easter Eggs?
It's hard to put into words just how popular "Critical Role" is among Dungeons and Dragons fans. A 2021 Twitch leak revealed that this beloved D&D actual play series is the highest-earning channel on the entire platform, pulling in an estimated $14 million over a two-year span. "Critical Role" fans also made headlines in 2019, when they broke the record for the highest-earning film or TV Kickstarter campaign of all time and raised $11 million for "The Legend of Vox Machina."
Given the incredible popularity of "Critical Role," it should come as no surprise that the team behind "Baldur's Gate 3" (a role-playing video based on Dungeons and Dragons and set in the Forgotten Realms) seems to have included a small "Critical Role" easter egg in its game. While playing "Baldur's Gate 3," Reddit user u/lasuskis stumbled upon two NPCs who bear a striking resemblance to the "Critical Role" characters Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham) and Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson).
"Critical Role" fans will remember the gnome cleric Pike and the goliath barbarian Grog as members of the chaotic adventuring party Vox Machina, appearing in Campaign 1 and the "Vox Machina" animated series. These characters look almost identical to their "Critical Role" counterparts, with the gnome rocking Pike's white hair and plate armor, and the barbarian opting for Grog's enormous beard and face tattoos. On top of that, u/Pink-Flying-Pie pointed out that the gnome's name is Dame Guisarme, which is a type of Germanic polearm, or pike.
Pike and Grog are inseparable, and it seems like their Baldur's Gate counterparts are too
This clever nod to two of Vox Machina's most beloved characters is certain to catch the eye of any "Critical Role" fan wandering through "Baldur's Gate 3," and although this Reddit user did not give their exact location, it appears you can find the pair enjoying a beer together at a small table.
This is certainly in line with the Grog Strongjaw and Pike Trickfoot fans have come to know and love from previous "Critical Role" projects, as the two are often portrayed as best friends and drinking buddies. Fans familiar with the characters will know that Pike first found Grog after he had been beaten nearly to death by his goliath tribe and was left in the wilderness. After Pike nursed Grog back to health, they became inseparable — eventually joining Vox Machina together and adventuring across Exandria.
Oddly, this "Baldur's Gate 3" easter egg seems to present a specific moment in Grog and Pike's story, as the game's version of the goliath barbarian is noticeably skinnier and weaker than the Grog Strongjaw of "Critical Role." U/Pink-Flying-Pie explained that this is probably meant to represent the Curse he takes on during the "The Legend of Vox Machina," in which a sentient sword named Craven Edge saps his strength and renders him practically useless. This stick-thin version of Grog is once again healed by his lifelong companion, Pike, and perhaps this easter egg is also depicting a Grog Strongjaw who is healing with the help of his gnome buddy.