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Githyanki

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Not to be confused with Githyanki (Faction) and Githzerai

Githyanki are a playable race in Baldur's Gate 3.

“
With a ruthlessness borne from mind flayer enslavement, githyanki ride the Astral Sea atop red dragons, bringing their silver swords and psionic might to bear against any trace of the illithid menace.
„
— In-game racial description

About githyanki[edit section | visual editor]

Default Githyanki appearances

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 ancestral Gith for millennia.

Because the effects of time are diminished in their native Astral Plane, githyanki are hatched from eggs across realmspace in outposts called crèches. Crèches serve multiple functions outside the Astral Plane, acting simultaneously as hatcheries, training grounds, and shelters.[1]

Githyanki society is highly militaristic.[2] They are ruled by their lich queen,Vlaakith⁠Vlaakith, and are led in battle by her dragon-riding knights, the kith'raki,[3] who serve as high-ranking commanders and provincial governors of the crèches. Because they are the most powerful warriors in the empire, veteran kith'raki are closely monitored by the Lich-Queen's inquisitors – the Ch’r’ai – and are the most frequent candidates for Vlaakith's revered promise of 'Ascension'.[4]

Racial features[edit section | visual editor]

Creature Speed Icon.png Base racial speed
You can move 9 m (30 ft) per turn
Creature Size Icon.png Size
Medium
Astral Knowledge Astral Knowledge
Gain Proficiency Proficiency in all Skills corresponding to a chosen Ability (Recharge: Long rest Recharge: Long rest)
Githyanki Psionics
You gain access to the following Spells:
Martial ProdigyMartial Prodigy
A lifetime of relentless training gave you Armour proficiency with Light armour Light armour and Medium armour Medium armour, as well as Proficiency with Shortswords Shortswords, Longswords Longswords, and Greatswords Greatswords.

Religion[edit section | visual editor]

In Baldur's Gate 3, Vlaakith can be selected as a deity for githyanki Clerics as part of character creation. Within the broader lore of Dungeons & Dragons, however, githyanki society operates without deities. Their history of enslavement by the illithid empire fostered a deep cultural rejection of servitude, a philosophy they extend to divine worship. Instead of gods, the githyanki are rigidly devoted to their Lich-Queen, Vlaakith CLVII.[5]

It is likely that githyanki clerics represented in-game are lore equivalents to the Ch’r’ai – a caste of inquisitors and zealots who channel arcane power directly from Vlaakith, acting as her enforcers rather than traditional shepherds of a religious flock.[6][7]

The Cult of Vlaakith[edit section | visual editor]

Vlaakith is an undead wizard who demands absolute reverence, though she currently lacks a divine spark. High-ranking githyanki warriors who achieve significant power are summoned to their capital, Tu'narath, for 'Ascension'. While nearly all githyanki view this as a reward and elevation to a higher plane of service, certain in-game choices and cutscenes confirm that Vlaakith actually consumes their souls to fuel her own power and to prevent potential rivals from emerging.[8]

The Pact with Tiamat[edit section | visual editor]

The githyanki maintain a longstanding alliance withTiamat⁠Tiamat, the Queen of Evil Dragons. According to established lore, the original leader, Gith, ventured into the Nine Hells to forge a pact with Tiamat, resulting in the githyanki's use of red dragons as mounts. The exact terms of this pact remain undisclosed within the lore, though there is sustained evidence across multiple sourcebooks and in-game dialogue that Vlaakith I betrayed Gith to Tiamat in order to secure the alliance.[9][10] Githyanki view the resulting use of red dragons more as military assets than as creatures to be revered in their own right.

The Afterlife[edit section | visual editor]

Because githyanki reside in the timeless Astral Plane and reject conventional deities, they do not participate in the standard afterlife cycle, and their souls have no 'reserved seating' in the Outer Planes⁠Outer Planes. Instead, lore reflects that souls not consumed by Vlaakith merge with the Astral Plane itself upon death.[11] [12]

Equipment[edit section | visual editor]

Certain items have unique bonuses when wielded or worn by a Githyanki; their bonuses can be enabled by being disguised disguised as one before equipping them.

Notable Githyanki[edit section | visual editor]

See also[edit section | visual editor]

Notes and references[edit section | visual editor]

  1. ↑ If Lae'zel Lae'zel if freed from her cage near the Ravaged Beach and asked, "And what exactly is a crèche...?", she answers, "It is many things. A hatchery, a training grounds, a shelter."
  2. ↑ Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes (5th Edition, 2018), emphasizes the military hierarchy of Githyanki society. It also references the specialized spellcasters and inquisitors who maintain Vlaakith's rule.
  3. ↑ A gith dictionary
  4. ↑ Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes (5th Edition), Chapter 4, details the githyanki military hierarchy and the roles of the kith'raki and Ch'r'ai.
  5. ↑ A Guide to the Astral Plane (2nd Edition) and Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes (5th Edition) relates the githyanki rejection of deities.
  6. ↑ Dungeon Magazine #100 ("The Lich-Queen’s Beloved") outlines how Vlaakith grants spells to her loyalists despite lacking true divinity.
  7. ↑ Under 5th Edition rules, clerics must technically serve a deity to gain spells. Since Vlaakith is not a deity, a "Cleric of Vlaakith" is a lore contradiction. Baldur's Gate 3 does allow githyanki clerics, which ensures players have the mechanical freedom to play any class/race combination. While the game does not explicitly label this a concession, it does lack unique reactivity for clerics of Vlaakith – even when meeting Vlaakith herself – which strongly suggests the class was implemented as a mechanical option rather than an integrated lore path.
  8. ↑ In-game dialogue with Voss Voss and the events within the Astral Prism confirm the true nature of Vlaakith's Ascension ritual.
  9. ↑ Possible dialogue choices with Voss during an evening cut-scene with Lae'zel, after having entered the Astral Prism in Crèche Y'llek and leaving the Rosymorn Monastery Trail.
  10. ↑ The betrayal of Gith to Tiamat is heavily implied as a closely guarded secret in Dungeon Magazine #100 and later editions of the Monster Manual (Red Dragon entries).
  11. ↑ If Lae'zel Lae'zel is played as origin, she remarks on Losiir's Losiir's death after escaping the Nautiloid, pronouncing, "Losiir is gone. His spirit now swims the Astral Sea."
  12. ↑ A Guide to the Astral Plane details the fate of githyanki souls.

Gallery[edit section | visual editor]

  • Githyanki Concept Art by Konstantin Porubov
    Githyanki Concept Art by Konstantin Porubov
  • Githyanki Concept Art by Konstantin Porubov
    Githyanki Concept Art by Konstantin Porubov

External links[edit section | visual editor]

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