Baldur’s Gate 3’s Minsc makes fun of Tav’s name if you do this one trick
Larian StudiosTav is one of the most common names for Baldur’s Gate 3 characters, but that doesn’t mean it’s immune to a little light bullying by Minsc, especially if you follow this one trick.
Baldur’s Gate 3 players can be extremely inventive with their character designs, builds, and choices, but many times, that stops when it comes to naming the design you crafted for hours on end, leaving many to name them the default title, Tav.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to Tav, but you’d better be prepared for a little bit of teasing by everyone’s favorite hamster-loving companion, Minsc.
Essentially, if you choose to accept Raphael’s deal, you’ll be able to speak to Minsc who will quickly berate you for your decision, explaining that Raphael will bind you by your name.
What follows is a hilarious scene where Minsc is convinced you’ve used a fake name, poking fun at Shadowheart, and then eventually mentioning Tav, before saying it was “something foolish” like Tav. As soon as he suggests it, both Boo and Minsc add that it can’t be Tav as “that is a stupid, stupid name.”
Poor Shadowheart is constantly the subject of ridicule regarding her name, despite the fact that it’s not her real name either.
However, it’s Tav that Minsc really goes for, which shows just how willing Larian is to poke fun at both their own name idea and the fact that so many Baldur’s Gate 3 players end up opting for the simplest name ever, despite spending hours on their characters’ aesthetics and build.
Interestingly, Tav is actually quite an inventive name and isn’t actually short for Tavern. Instead, it represents Larian’s CEO, Swen Vinckle’s dog Gustav. Unfortunately, Gustav passed before the game was released, so to honor him, Larian made the default character name Tav.
If Minsc knew about the origins of that name, it’s extremely unlikely the companion would make fun of the character’s choices.