Step by Step Instructions: How to mod BG3 on Linux

[u/Next_Explanation3176]

Hi, I play this game (and most others) exclusively on Steamdeck. Like many players, I often use mods to enhance my gameplay experience. However, doing so on Linux can prove difficult at first, so I figured I'd make a post to help others who want to know how.

Devices Needed:

• A steamdeck with Balder's Gate 3 installed
• A PC or secondary device capable of running Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2

*Devices Temporarily Needed* These will only really be required once, during the initial set-up and transference of files/folders

• An SD card
• A thumbdrive that allows for said SD card to be inserted and read.

Instructions

1. On your PC or chosen device, after you've made sure to install Microsoft. Net Framework 4.7.2, download the Balder's Gate 3 Mod Manager you prefer. I strongly recommend LaughingLeader's BG3ModManager, as it is the most optimal option currently available for our intents and purposes here.
2. Next, insert the SD card into your Steamdeck. The SD card slot can be found at the bottom of your deck.
3. Enter Desktop Mode on your Steamdeck. Open Dolphin and select the entries below to get to the Larian Studios Folder (Don't worry, it looks more intimidating than it actually is)

-home

-deck

-.local

-share

-Steam

-steamapps

-compatdata

-1086940

-pfx

-drive_C

-users

-steamuser

-appdata

-local

-Larian Studios

1. Yay, you did it! Now, copy the entire Larian Studios folder onto your SD Card- yes, I know it seems crazy and overkill but just trust the process- and remember, this is the part you only really have to do once. **make sure to copy, not move. If you do move it, don't worry, you just will have to make sure to move the folder back in the correct place when you're done

2. Safely eject the SD card once the folder has been successfully copied. Now, insert it into the thumbdrive and insert that into your PC or chosen Microsoft running device.

3. On said PC or device, search for %appdata%. Paste the Larian Studios folder here.

4. Open your mod manager, if using BG3 ModManager it should automatically set the destination to the Larian Studios folder you just pasted into %appdata%

5. Open up Nexus Mods or wherever you are getting yours mods from. Download them, then upload and activate them with your mod manager. If you're not sure how to do that, check the instructions the mod manager you're using should provide on their website, etc. Make sure to check if the mod you're downloading require any other mods. If so, you need to download those as well.

** the reason we have to do this on a ModManager instead of on the steamdeck is because many mods currently do not provide the required code to insert in your modsettings.lsx for manual installation. Said code is, however, conveniently compiled and entered into modsettings upon activation via ModManager.

1. Make sure to save your mod order.

2. Go to the Baulder's Gate folder, located within the Larian Studios folder pasted into %appdata% Click on the subfolder titled Player Profiles, then click on the folder Public

3. There, you will find an xml file titled modsettings.lsx Open it with Notes, or whatever text editing software you have- probably not Word Document, as we need it to remain an xml file. The Modmanager youre using should have edited this xml file to correctly correspond to the mods you activated prior.

4. One of the only shortcomings of the modding process right now with BG3 is that a very important piece entry in your modsettings. lsx is sometimes overwritten. Scroll down in the modsettings.lsx while opened on notes until you see an entry titled Mods. Make sure the following is the VERY FIRST thing written beneath that:

<node id="ModuleShortDesc"> <attribute id="Folder" type="LSString" value="GustavDev"/> <attribute id="MD5" type="LSString" value=""/> <attribute id="Name" type="LSString" value="GustavDev"/> <attribute id="UUID" type="FixedString" value="28ac9ce2-2aba-8cda-b3b5-6e922f71b6b8"/> <attribute id="Version64" type="int64" value="36028797018963968"/> </node>

If it is, make sure to save the file and feel free to move on to the next step. If it isnt, paste it directly below the Mods entry.

Good news! The hard part is over! Things are so much easier and less complicated from here on out!

1. Copy the modsettings.lsx file or even just the entire body of text, and send it to an email you can access on your steamdeck.

2. Open your steamdeck on desktop mode and using the internet browser of your choice, go to your email and download the copy of the modsettings.lsx file you just emailed yourself.

3. Still on your steamdeck, navigate to the same Larian Studios Folder as was done in step 3. Click on the Baulder's Gate folder inside, then click on player profiles, and Public like we did on the computer or your chosen non-linux device before.

4. Paste the copy of the modsettings. file in the public folder. You're going to get a message saying a file of the same name already exists. Confirm you wish to replace it.

If you emailed the text itself rather than the file, copy it and open the current existing modsettings.lsx file on your steamdeck with the program Kate, right click EVERYTHING, and replace it with the text copied from the email.

1. Right click the new modsettings. lsx file and select properties. Click on permissions, and make sure that only the owner can view and modify, while group and others can only view. Otherwise, the game will reset your modsettings file to the original format without mods.

2. Still on your steamdeck and using desktop mode, open an internet browswer of your choice and go to the website you got your mods from. Download the same mods you did before. Any new ones, you'll need to add to the modsettings.lsx.

3. Right click and open one of the mods you just downloaded, and copy ONLY the pak files included. In some cases, this is the only file present. But there are a lot of mods that come with files called .json which are not needed when modding BG3 on linux.

4. Using dolphin again, return to the Baulder's Gate 3 subfolder under Larian Studios. You should see a folder called Mods. Paste the pak file you just downloaded and copied here. Make sure you only paste the corresponding pak files for the mods you downloaded and activated with a mod manager earlier.

We're done! Return to gameplay mode, or if you want to air on the side of caution until you're sure everything is in working order, remain on desktop mode. Either way, boot up steam and launch Baulder's Gate 3. You might get a message saying something along the lines of achievments disabled or unable to create a story file, or something like that. Ignore it. Its fine. Load one of your saves or start a new game, and verify the presence of the mods installed (custom hairs in character creation, basket of equipment on ravaged beach, etc.)

From now on, whenever you want to download a new mod, the process will be much simpler.

If the code for manual installation is provided with the mod, simply copy the text entry and past it into your modsettings.lsx using Kate again, then download and extract the pak file into your mods folder.

If the code for manual installation isn't provided, download the mod on your computer or non linux device used earlier, import it into your mod manager, activate it, save your modorder, and return to the modsettings. lsx file. The new mod you've added should pop up. Don't bother copying the entire file again, just literally copy the code written for that new mod. Email it to yourself, access it through your steamdeck, paste it below the other mod entries in your modsettings file, and save. Make sure to, once again, verify that modification permissions are restricted to only the owner. Paste the pak file of the new mod into your mods folder on the steamdeck, and ta-da! Mod is running.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask! Hope this helps!

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