Baldur’s Gate 3 playable races
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an unmitigated success. The game crushed its Kickstarter goal, won numerous awards, and is considered by many to be the new gold standard for RPGs. With so many options available in the game, and Larian Studios committed to adding even more playable species in future sequels or DLC, we thought it would be fun to look at some of the most prominent fantasy creatures and argue why they should be playable in the game.
While the main Dungeons & Dragons books provide the most iconic fantasy races, there are countless out there in the wide world of tabletop role-playing games, and Larian has already shown a willingness to draw from other sources. Giants, for example, are a common creature in fantasy stories, so why not let players fight them on the tabletop and in the RPG? The same goes for goliaths, a species of mountain-dwelling recluses, or the exotic sub-species of firbolg, known for their magical abilities and half-giant heritage.
Here are the best D&D playable races we think would be great additions to Baldur’s Gate 3.
Sub-species are already included in the game, so why not move on to more exotic playable races? Adding the half-elves and half-orcs from the D&D books would give players even more options when it comes to character creation, and it would fit with the game’s theme of player freedom. We’d love to see the exotic sub-species of firbolg, known for their magical abilities and half-giant heritage, for example. Originally a forest-dwelling people, it would make sense for them to find a home in the wilds of the Sword Coast.
While we’re at it, why not add some flying species? Flying mounts have been confirmed, but why not let players soar through the skies themselves? The Aarakocra would be a good starting point, as they’re fairly well-known in the Forgotten Realms, having appeared in numerous Tor books and even getting their own Sword Coast adventure. Flight mechanics would need to be balanced a bit, but they could be included in Baldur’s Gate 3 in an optional capacity, like underwater exploration.
Elves are an indisputable staple of fantasy, and Dungeons & Dragons has several different sub-species of them. The eladrin, for example, are known for their magic affinity and grace, while the avariel are a winged sub-species of elf who were born from fey elves who refused to leave the Feywild. With the depth that Larian has already brought to character creation in the third game, it would be lovely to see a few new sub-species added to the list.
Finally, what about some monstrous playable races? The iconic minotaur would be a great addition for players who want to embrace an “evil playthrough” in the RPG. Larian has already confirmed that you can play as evil characters in the third game, so why not let players embody a legendary beast? Other monstrous species like the galeb duhr, a race of humanoid badgers, could also be introduced. Their subterranean culture could make for a fun new area in the game.
The Dungeons & Dragons multiverse is full of strange realms that are home to all sorts of interesting creatures. The genasi are a good example; originally born from the chaos of Limbo, these beings have been touched by another plane of existence, giving them unique powers and traits. We’d love to see genasi added to BG3, and their regions and cities fleshed out. Other realms could also be represented; Larian mentioned the aasimar in its Kickstarter, so why not make them a reality? Celestial beings such as the aasimar, champions of Mount Celestia, would provide a divine element to the otherwise worldly Baldur’s Gate series, and offer players a chance to role-play a character with a strong religious background.
Another popular creature from real-life history is the warforged, sentient constructs made by giants. While they’ve been teased to appear in the game, we’d love to see them fleshed out in-game with their own unique culture and playable sub-species. They’d be a great addition to the world of the Sword Coast, and a chance for Larian to show off its creativity once more.
Of course, there are plenty of fantasy races not seen in D&D that Larian could draw from. We already know that the lizardfolk, with their unique ability to shapeshift into other creatures, are in the game, courtesy of the latest Baldur’s Gate 3 beta, so maybe we will see even more non-humanoid races. Certain cultures might even have their own unique playable races; the gnomes, for example, are a race of tinkers, and could have their own unique playable mechanical sub-species.
