Baldur’s Gate 3: What Does Tav Mean in BG3? Answered

Those who can’t think of a name for their character in Baldur’s Gate 3 will be stuck with the name Tav, but why did the developers choose this name over anything else? The name could reference something Larian Studios revealed long before Baldur’s Gate 3 was officially announced, even though the company couldn’t keep the secret for long.

Baldur’s Gate 3 lets you pick from several Origin options for your character, where you can pick one of the party members in the game and make them your protagonist. That is officially the least fun way to play the game, as you can pick the Custom or Dark Urge Origin and build your own character from scratch, with the freedom to go with any class/race combo you want and romance anyone who takes your fancy.

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Tav Could Be Related To Baldur’s Gate 3’s Codename

The default name for the protagonist in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Tav, which is how they’re referred to when mentioned outside of the game. The name Tav has no special relevance within Dungeons & Dragons or the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, where Baldur’s Gate 3 is set, but it could be related to something else.

The Gameumentary YouTube channel released a documentary about the development of Divinity: Original Sin and the history of Larian Studios. At the end of the video, Larian head Sven Vincke talked about the studio’s upcoming project, “Project Gustav,” named after his dog, Gustav. The Tav name may come from Project Gustav or Gustav themself.

The Project Gustav name didn’t remain a secret for long, as outlets eventually caught on that it was referring to a game made in the Baldur’s Gate universe, though it was unconfirmed whether it was a true sequel or another spin-off, like the old Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance games. In 2019, Larian announced Baldur’s Gate 3 during Google Stadia’s reveal event, a service that died before the game came out.

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One of the most heartwarming aspects of the Divinity: Original Sin documentary is Vincke talking about how the team wanted to upstage Divinity: Original Sin II and make something even better. Considering the incredible critical response to Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s safe to say that Larian achieved its goal.