There's a running joke among RPG players that this game everyone spends the most time on. Modern video games have made this even more of a distraction with the option to customize almost every feature of a character, and Baldur's Gate 3 has followed suit in the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons-based games.
Someone new to the process might feel overwhelmed by the choices, and even experienced players might not be sure where to start. The character creation process in the game is also meant to be customizable depending on how the player wants to proceed, but some guidance initially is helpful to even the most hardened of gamers.
Updated on August 8th, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: The time of Early Access has ended, and the full, complete version of Baldur's Gate 3 has launched. Most of the changes are subtle, but the character UI has a completely different look. The good news is most of the content is the same, and there's even more of it to enjoy, so it's helpful to have a guide no matter what the level of experience. This guide was written when the game was still in Early Access, so it has been updated to reflect the current state of the game following its full release.
Character Creation
Choosing the option to start a new game in Baldur's Gate 3 will bring the player to the character creation screen. It's organized differently than previous games and starts differently than most players are used to or will expect.
Most of the following headings are found to the left of the character in the creation screen, which gives the impression that players have to follow them in order from top to bottom. However, every player seems to have their own starting point, and each section can be completed in any order.
Origin
The game starts with the player here. It's the first choice on the top left. The player can build a custom character from the ground up or choose from the pre-rolled characters that make up the list of possible companions. They have their own stories that are independent of the protagonist. Only one, The Dark Urge, is unique and otherwise doesn't appear in the game.
The Dark Urge is the only pre-rolled character with the Haunted background , which isn't available to other characters. The default class is a Sorcerer but other than certain details, it's fully customizable. The other characters here, such as Shadowheart and Galen, have these factors already determined.
Race
First, choose a race, and the possible subraces will appear below. Currently, there are only a few choices for each race, but older games and the TTRPG offer much more. Only the Gnome and Half-elf have as many as three.
Race | Subraces | Bonuses |
Elf | High-elf | Cantrips, Intelligence bonus |
Wood | Bonuses to Dexterity, Wisdom, and movement speed | |
Dragonborn | Black, Copper | Acid cantrips and acid resistance |
Blue, Bronze | Lightning cantrips and acid resistance | |
Brass, Gold, Red | Fire cantrips, fire, and heat resistance | |
Green | Poison cantrips and poison resistance | |
Silver, White | Frost cantrips, frost, and cold resistance | |
Dwarf | Gold | Bonuses to Constitution and Wisdom |
Shield | Bonuses to Constitution and Strength | |
Drow | Lolth-sworn | Cantrip, bonuses to Dexterity and Charisma, melee weapon proficiency |
Seldarine | Cantrip, bonuses to Dexterity and Charisma, more of a ranged fighter | |
Githyanki | na | Cantrips, bonuses to Strength, and Intelligence |
Gnome | Forest | Intelligence and Dexterity bonus; knows Speak With Animals. |
Deep | Intelligence and Dexterity bonus. | |
Rock | Intelligence and Strength bonus. | |
Halfling | Lightfoot | Bonus to Dexterity and Charisma |
Strongheart | Bonus to Dexterity and Constitution | |
Human | na | +1 to all stats and increased movement speed. |
Half-elf | High | Cantrip, and increases to Dexterity, Wisdom, and Intelligence |
Wood | Bonuses to Dexterity and Charisma | |
Drow | Darkvision, dexterity, and Charisma bonuses | |
Half-orc | na | Darkvision, Relentless Endurance, and Savage Attacks |
Tiefling | Asmodeus | Thaumaturgy Cantrip, Charisma, and Intelligence bonus |
Mephistopheles | Mage Hand cantrip, Charisma, and Intelligence bonus |
Appearance
Not just how the character looks, which includes details like hair color, eye color, and face, but also how they sound. Players can find the Edit Appearance option at the bottom of the screen, separate from the other character creation options.
This is also where players can choose their character's voice, which is used during combat or travel but not during cut scenes. The right side of the screen includes a choice of body type, a list of spells or abilities they have, including their stats, along with the current class and race choice.
Players won't be able to determine the color or style of clothing at this point. Clothing is initially determined by class, with Wizards in robes and Paladins in chain mail, for example. Gear and weapons change as the character progresses. Once the character learns some Alchemy, they can make dyes to alter their clothing.
Class
Another popular starting point, plenty of gamers start RPGs with the class in mind first, then build up from there. There are twelve classes to choose from, and they're the same ones offered in a standard D&D game, minus any homebrews or multi-classes.
Every time the player chooses a class, the stats on the right side of the screen shift to the ideal spread. Other choices will appear on the right side of the screen, depending on this choice. Players can alter this in the Abilities section. The choice of Race and Background will also have some effect on these skills.
Gamers that are building a casting class will see their Cantrips and level-one spells listed in the Class section. For those that want a custom build or have other preferences for spells, they can be changed under their own spell tabs, which appear on the left. Choose between Available spells the character has already learned and Selected spells for those they have memorized for daily use.
Class | Subclasses | Bonuses |
Barbarian | N/A | Special class features and bonus actions. |
Bard | N/A | Cantrips, spells, and a starting instrument. |
Cleric | Choice of a Deity and 1 of 3 Domains | Cantrips and special class features depend on Domain. |
Druid | N/A | Cantrips and special class features. |
Fighter | Fighting Style | Special class features, like armor and weapon proficiency. |
Monk | Choice of 3 subclasses | Flurry of Blows and the power of Ki. |
Paladin | Choice of 2 Subclasses | Healing, defensive, and offensive spells. |
Ranger | Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer | Arcana proficiency, so a couple of handy cantrips. |
Rogue | N/A | Abilities like Sneak Attack and the use of Thieves' Tools. |
Sorcerer | Wild Magic or Draconic Bloodline | Strong library of spells from level 1, including cantrips and elemental resistance. |
Warlock | The Fiend or The Great Old One | Cantrips and some spells, some variety depending on the subclass. |
Wizard | N/A | Has the most spells available than any other casting class at level one. |
Background
The Background is often chosen to complement an existing race and class build depending on the proficiencies it offers.
Background | Description |
Acolyte | A monastic upbringing, ideal for Paladins, Clerics, or scholars. |
Charlatan | Ideal for Rogues and Bards but makes sense for any character with high Charisma. |
Criminal | Typical for a Rogue, but more creative players can build reformed characters, like Paladins. |
Entertainer | Bards will naturally gravitate toward this, but any trickster class can use it. |
Folk Hero | Fighters, Rangers, or Druids from small towns or wild places often become folk heroes. |
Guild Artisan | A character that studied art or a trade, and their work might even be famous. |
Noble | Characters from wealthy or royal backgrounds, so Wizards, Paladins, or Clerics. |
Outlander | Rangers, Druids, and Barbarians who spend a lot of time in the wild. |
Sage | Bards, Wizards, and bookish Clerics are often Sages. |
Soldier | Often Fighters, but often Rangers and Paladins as well. Any melee fighting class. |
Urchin | Characters who grew up in the streets, they make good Rogues for the Stealth proficiencies. |
Abilities
There are six stats used in D&D to build characters, and some are more important to specific character builds than others. For example, a race with bonuses to Strength would make a good Fighter, while a Background that gives a character Arcana would make an ideal Wizard.
The game will create an ideal build, but the player can customize it at this point if they want something different. Any abilities gained by racial bonuses or Background will also be listed here.
Once the character creation process is complete, the Proceed button at the character's feet will light up, and the player can enter the game. If this button doesn't light up, that means that a step in the character creation process is still lacking. Check to make sure that all the stat points have been spent, the spell slots are full, and the character has a subclass and a subrace.
The Guardian
Before going straight to the adventure, there's one more thing the player has to complete. The game prompts them with a phrase, "Choose your guardian," and the second character creation process begins.
Race and appearance are the focus here, and since this is the figure that visits the protagonist in their dreams, no choices for class or abilities are required. Their ultimate goal, or whether they even exist, remains a mystery. After this is complete, the player can hit the Venture Forth button and proceed to the story.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC. A PS5 version is set to release on September 6th, 2023.