Are You Lázaro? Picaresque Childhood in Baldur's Gate 3

This paper investigates the incorporation of elements from Picaresque literature, specifically the archetype of the "rogue child," into the computer role-playing game Baldur's Gate 3. The central objective is to analyze how literary rogue children are represented and articulated within this interactive medium, exploring the influence of the Picaresque tradition on game design choices. The study focuses on a group of tiefling children in Baldur's Gate 3, who are depicted as an oppressed racial minority forming a naive gang, drawing parallels to characters like Huckleberry Finn.

The research aims to determine if the inclusion of these child rogues introduces naive criminal episodes and pranks, creating humorous and emergent interactive narrative experiences for players. It also examines whether their presence offers implicit or explicit social commentary on the game's institutions or real-world issues, utilizing concepts such as the political unconscious in video games. The methodology involves analyzing narrative and mechanical consequences of including rogue children, drawing on established theories of emergent narrative in video games and the relationship between literature and interactive media.

The paper posits that the Picaresque novel, with its focus on young pariahs learning to survive through illicit means, significantly influenced the Bildungsroman and continues to pollinate various cultural mediums, including CRPGs. Examples from other RPGs like Final Fantasy IX, Dragon Age II, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Dragon Quest XI are cited as instances where children are included in casts of rogues, presenting both enjoyable Picaresque episodes and stories of necessity and oppression. This analysis highlights Baldur's Gate 3 as a case study demonstrating the enduring impact of Picaresque literature on contemporary video game narratives.