Let me start off by saying I’m having a blast playing this game. I’ve Played BG 1 & 2 for like 20 years regularly, and was always intrigued by the Forgotten Realms.
So about four years ago, I’ve bought a bundle off the first 30 books about Drizzt Do’Urden, a Drow Ranger, by R. A. Salvatore. If you did not know about these books, I’d like to recommend them wholeheartedly to you, if you love the world of BG3. The books are true to the material, and offer deep insights into Faerûn.
They have their ups and downs, but I’ve read 14 books so far, and I’ve been deeply involved so far.
This series was amazing… until it wasn’t.
Right around the time D&D shifted to 4th Edition, the writing quality of these books dropped so drastically that, combined with how everyone I talked to felt about 4E, it honestly felt like Salvatore was trying to get himself fired so he wouldn’t have to write for 4th Edition anymore. (If you have never had the misfortune of trying it, 4E is basically D&D for people who would rather be playing WoW.)
Considering how much 5e sucks, I can’t imagine writing for it is any more pleasant.
That said, everything up until the beginning of the Spellplague was fucking incredible, and The Sellswords spin-off series, too. (I still can’t decide if I like Drizzt or Artemis Entreri better, but it doesn’t matter because Jarlaxle is the best.)
There’s a Drizzt reference in Act 3.
I’m surprised he isn’t in the game himself. They put everyone else in; from BG1 and 2, to actual legends like Elminster.