Baldur’s Gate 3 releases in early access next week, and we already know a bit about what kind of content to expect – Larian has promised a 20-to-25-hour campaign, that will let you engage in 80 combat encounters, meet 596 NPCs, and unleash 146 spells, but what about who you’ll be playing as? How will character creation work, and what fantasy races and classes can you choose from? Thankfully, Larian has provided some new details on the process.
Due to the high level of detail in Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian has opted for pre-made faces based on scans of real people, instead of letting people create their own. At launch there will be 150 heads to choose from with plans for many more to be added to the full game. As for the races, there will be 8 main races (Human, Githyanki, Elf, Half-Elf, Drow, Dwarf, Halfling, and Tiefling) with many having sub-races like High Elves and Wood Elves. Check out the full rundown of all the races, below.
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Human
The most common face to see in Faerûn, humans are known for their tenacity, creativity and endless capacity for growth. They live fully in the present — making them well-suited to the adventuring life — but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy.
Githyanki
Githyanki are peerless warriors from the Astral Plane, known for their legendary silver blades and red dragon mounts. They seek the total destruction of mind flayers, whose ancient empire enslaved the githyanki for millennia.
Elf
- High Elf: Heirs of the mystical Feywild, high elves value magic in all its forms. Even those who do not study spellcraft can manipulate the Weave.
- Wood Elf: Wood elves spend their reclusive lives in Faerûn’s forests. Decades of training in archery and camouflage are enhanced by an otherworldly swiftness.
Drow
- Seldarine Drow: Drow are the result of an ancient schism between the elven deities Corellon Larethian and Lolth. The latter’s treachery drove the drow into the Underdark, where they splintered into warring factions. Seldarine drow can be found seeking allies from all over Faerûn, aiming to settle their conflict with Lolth — and each other — by any means necessary.
- Lolth-Sworn Drow: Raised by Lolth’s cult in the city of Menzoberranzan, these drow extol the virtues of their corrupt and merciless goddess. Lolth marks her followers with bright red eyes so the Underdark will learn to fear drow on sight.
Half-Elf
- High Half-Elf: A touch of the Feywild remains in half-elves with this bloodline. Even those untrained in magic possess a hint of wild power.
- Wood Half-Elf: Like their wood elf parents, these half-elves have a quickened stride and eye for stealth. Yet many break away from isolation in Faerûn’s forests to explore the rest of the Realms.
- Drow Half-Elf: Most half-drow result from liaisons between Seldarine drow and surfacers. While half-drow inherit a few magical gifts, they aren’t usually raised in the Underdark.
Dwarf
- Gold: Gold dwarves are known for their confidence and keen intuition. The culture of their Deep Kingdom values family, ritual and fine craftsmanship.
- Shield: Shield dwarves survived a long fall from grace, surrendering many of their ancient kingdoms in wars with goblins and orcs. These losses have led to a cynical mindset, yet shield dwarves will endure anything to restore their ancestral homelands.
Hafling
- Lightfoot Halfling: Lightfoot halflings are stealthy but social, travelling all over Faeûn to make names for themselves.
- Strongheart Halfling: Legends say dwarven blood gave stronghearts their hardiness. Resistant to poison and wellsprings of endurance, these halflings easily hold their own.
Tiefling
- Asmodeus Tiefling: Bound to Nessus, the deepest layer of the Hells, these tieflings inherit the ability to wield fire and darkness from the archdevil Asmodeus’ infernal bloodline.
- Mephistopheles Tiefling: Descended from the archdevil Mephistopheles, these tieflings are gifted with a particular affinity for arcane magic.
- Zariel Tiefling: Tieflings from Zariel’s bloodline are empowered with martial strength and can channel searing flame to punish their enemies.
As for classes, you can expect the classic D&D lineup of Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, and Wizard, with a number of subclasses also being available.
In other Baldur’s Gate 3 news, many noticed that the game’s PC requirements have been updated and now say you’ll need an eye-watering 150GB of hard drive space. Yikes! Thankfully, Larian’s Michael Dowse has stepped in to say the early access version of Baldur’s Gate 3 will actually only be around 80GB. A little more reasonable, although I shudder to think how big the full game will be!
install size is around 80gb, it doesn’t take up 150. We like you having at least 150gb because that’s just good for u
— Somewhat Late Michael (@Cromwelp) October 2, 2020
Baldur’s Gate 3 launches in early access on PC (via Steam and GOG) and Stadia on October 6.
