I have a confession: I have spent an unreasonable amount of time in Baldur's Gate 3 staring at Karlach and thinking, 'You deserve a beach vacation, not a Blood War.' Then a modder named katszenBurger went and built Avernus anyway. Rude. Brilliant. Deeply on-brand for a community that looked at official modding support and said, 'Great, now let me construct Hell.'

As of 2026, the Baldur's Gate 3 toolkit is no longer just a shiny new toy. It is a workshop full of very ambitious people, half of whom are making character presets and the other half are asking, 'What if the Forgotten Realms had more lava?' The in-development Avernus map from katszenBurger is exactly that energy: a custom level built with the BG3 toolkit that takes one of D&D's most iconic hellscapes and makes it look like a place I would absolutely die in. Probably within four minutes. Possibly while complimenting the mushrooms.

A Blood River, Twisted Mushrooms, and a Suspicious Amount of Caelid

Posted by katszenBurger on Reddit, the talented modder showed off an image of their in-development custom map, created with the Baldur's Gate 3 toolkit and based on Avernus. The river of blood and twisted mushrooms truly evoke the idea of the entrance into Hell itself. It looks fantastic in the way that a haunted house looks fantastic: you admire the craftsmanship and then quietly check that the exit is still behind you.

KatszenBurger notes that the idea behind the map is based on official images of Avernus, but they also took plenty of inspiration from Caelid, the scorched area that plays a major role in FromSoftware's massive RPG Elden Ring. If you have played Elden Ring, you know Caelid is the vacation spot where the local tourism board is a giant rot monster. Why does Hell need mushrooms? Because lava alone is not enough, apparently. Is it legal to say a hellscape looks cozy? No, but I am saying it anyway.

Why Everyone Wants a Grand Tour of the Nine Hells

Baldur's Gate 3 opens with the mind flayer nautiloid crashing out of Avernus, so many Dungeons & Dragons fans assumed we would wade back into Hell at some point. We did not. Avernus still features in the story, especially through Karlach. The tiefling barbarian is desperate to escape the hellscape after suffering unimaginable horrors during the Blood War; she sees the nautiloid as her one chance to flee her captor Zariel. Honestly? Same.

Avernus is commonly depicted as the traditional version of Hell. It is the largest of the Forgotten Realms' Nine Hells, a fiery wasteland filled with demons and monstrosities constantly looking to torment anyone foolish enough to enter their domain. It has served as a staging ground for the Blood War, an eons-spanning battle between Devils and Demons. So yes, it is a lovely place for a picnic if your picnic basket is full of fire resistance potions and regrets.

The Toolkit Is the Real Spell Here

KatszenBurger's Avernus map is an early example of what the Baldur's Gate 3 toolkit can achieve. Larian Studios' decision to provide official modding support should enable talented creators to take the game's systems and make genuinely impressive levels and scenarios. In 2026, that promise is not hypothetical anymore. We have seen what happens when a community gets official tools: someone makes a better UI, someone makes a weird hat, and someone else builds a blood-soaked highway to the Nine Hells. That is the ecosystem.

If one modder can make Avernus look this good, what is next? Sigil? The Abyss? A tavern where the chairs are functional? Let's not get crazy. But the bigger point is that Baldur's Gate 3's systems are flexible enough to support new maps and scenarios, not just new hairstyles. That is exciting for players who have already rolled a dozen characters and need a fresh way to suffer.

Would I Play It? Absolutely, With Snacks

Would I play a custom Avernus map? Obviously. I would pack fire resistance, a therapist for Karlach, and maybe a picnic blanket that is immune to blood. The map is not just fan service; it is proof that the BG3 modding scene has room to grow beyond cosmetics and quality-of-life tweaks. It is also a reminder that Avernus is one of those settings that players love to hate. It is awful in the best way. It is hot, hostile, and full of things that want to eat your face. What more could you want from a weekend getaway?

So here is my verdict: katszenBurger's Avernus map is the kind of mod that makes me want to reinstall Baldur's Gate 3, break my current save, and spend an evening walking into a blood river just to see the lighting. Is that healthy? No. Is it the most gamer thing I have said all week? Absolutely. If this is only the first step, I cannot wait to see what the community builds next. Hell, apparently, is just the beginning. 🔥