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Added Dwarves, corrected info on Drow to Duergar relations
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Original Author: Phantomsplit | |||
Experiience/Credentials: 9 years as a player and GM for D&D 5e, mild experience with PF1E and PF2E | |||
Hobbies: I can fix her | |||
^ The above is to try and get the wiki to rank via Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and I feel corny for including it. | |||
This guide is to introduce players new to D&D 5e, the Forgotten Realms, or Baldur's Gate 3 to the [[Races|races]] available for you to use for your custom character "Tav," [[The Dark Urge|Dark Urge]], or [[Companions#Hirelings|hirelings]] and to understand the races of [[Origins|origin]] characters and [[Companions|companions]]. It will go over how the dialogue tag system may cause a character's race to play a role in conversation options and how the world reacts to your character. And it will cover the mechanical features of the races, and what [[Classes|classes]] or builds may go well with each race. | This guide is to introduce players new to D&D 5e, the Forgotten Realms, or Baldur's Gate 3 to the [[Races|races]] available for you to use for your custom character "Tav," [[The Dark Urge|Dark Urge]], or [[Companions#Hirelings|hirelings]] and to understand the races of [[Origins|origin]] characters and [[Companions|companions]]. It will go over how the dialogue tag system may cause a character's race to play a role in conversation options and how the world reacts to your character. And it will cover the mechanical features of the races, and what [[Classes|classes]] or builds may go well with each race. | ||
== Flexible Ability Scores == | |||
In BG3's Early Access different races have fixed [[Ability Scores|ability score]] increases. For example, [[Githyanki]] have a +2 bonus to [[Strength]] and a +1 bonus to [[Intelligence]]. This leads many to recommend Githyank for character builds that use at least one if not both of these abilities, so they may be recommended for something like an [[Eldritch Knight]] [[Fighter]] or a [[Wizard]]. However at launch this is going to change and all races will have a floating +2 that they can put into any ability score, and a +1 they can put into another ability score. So you may see builds saying that a [[Elf#Wood_Elf|Wood Elf]] is a bad choice for say a [[Paladin]], while [[Dragonborn]] would be a bad choice for [[Monk]]. Those recommendations are going to be out of date however comes around and you will be able to put the ability scores wherever you want. | |||
There are three races that lose out by this change however. [[Human|Humans]] used to get a +1 to all ability scores. [[Half-Elf|Half-elves]] used to get a +2 to [[Charisma]] and then a +1 they could put in any two other ability scores of their choosing. And a [[Dwarf#Shield_Dwarves|Shield Dwarf]] (a.k.a. Mountain Dwarf) would get a +2 to Strength as well as a +2 to Constitution. As of the time of writing we know that Larian intends to buff Humans and Half elves for this change, and this will likely include proficiency in [[spears]], [[pikes]], [[Halberds|halberds]], [[glaives]], and [[shields]] as well as possible additional features. We so far have no indication on what if anything the Mountain | |||
== Racial Spellcasting == | == Racial Spellcasting == | ||
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==== Lore ==== | ==== Lore ==== | ||
The Dragonborn are beyond a doubt the most unique appearing races with a very strange history going back to the origin of the Forgotten Realms world. To understand the lore of Dragonborn in this setting, you need to first understand the lore of the world of Toril itself. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAHM99biirU A 10 minute video by Spell&Shield also summarizes these events.] | The Dragonborn are beyond a doubt the most unique appearing races with a very strange history going back to the origin of the Forgotten Realms world. To understand the lore of Dragonborn in this setting, you need to first understand the lore of the world of Toril itself. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAHM99biirU A 10 minute video by Spell&Shield also summarizes these events.] | ||
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==== Lore ==== | ==== Lore ==== | ||
Drow is pronounced like "cow" | Drow is pronounced like "cow" | ||
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After her exile, Lolth went to the demon inhabited domain of the Abyss in a realm now known as the Demonweb Pits. From there she has plotted against Corellon and her former elven god kin by trying to steal the worship of the dark elves and have them go to war with Corellon's remaining elven worshippers. This primarily took the form of working behind the scenes to cause wars between the dark elves of Illythiir and other elven groups, and then being there to shelter and aid the dark elves when they were in these dire times of war. After enough occurrences of this she became popular among the dark elves. As the dark elves then grew more powerful over time and became more violent under the influence of Lolth and other evil gods, the original elven Seldarine pantheon sought to stop these wars by cursing all dark elves; even those who were not involved in Lolth's wars. They were cursed to become Drow making it difficult for them to tolerate the sun's light on the surface and magically drawing them to the great underground network known as the Underdark. This did stop the conflicts so long as the surface elves stayed away from the underdark, but also drove many neutral or good Drow into the arms of Lolth who was there to care for them. | After her exile, Lolth went to the demon inhabited domain of the Abyss in a realm now known as the Demonweb Pits. From there she has plotted against Corellon and her former elven god kin by trying to steal the worship of the dark elves and have them go to war with Corellon's remaining elven worshippers. This primarily took the form of working behind the scenes to cause wars between the dark elves of Illythiir and other elven groups, and then being there to shelter and aid the dark elves when they were in these dire times of war. After enough occurrences of this she became popular among the dark elves. As the dark elves then grew more powerful over time and became more violent under the influence of Lolth and other evil gods, the original elven Seldarine pantheon sought to stop these wars by cursing all dark elves; even those who were not involved in Lolth's wars. They were cursed to become Drow making it difficult for them to tolerate the sun's light on the surface and magically drawing them to the great underground network known as the Underdark. This did stop the conflicts so long as the surface elves stayed away from the underdark, but also drove many neutral or good Drow into the arms of Lolth who was there to care for them. As the Drow moved underground they conquered many locations including the Dwarven Kingdom of Bhaerynden, displacing the dwarves that remained and sending them into exile. | ||
There do remain some Drow that try to mend relations and coexist with surface races, to separate themselves from Lolth's influence, and to redeem their evil kin. These are referred to in BG3 as [[Drow#Seldarine_Drow|Seldarine Drow]], which is the name of the original elven pantheon of Gods led by Corellon. They will very likely worship Eilistraee for coming down from godhood to live among them and sharing her similar goals of redeeming the fallen Drow taken by her mother Lolth. | Drow occasionally return to the surface as raiding bands to fulfill some desire of Lolth or another, and these Drow leave disaster in their wake. This has been the state of things for over 10,000 years. Over this time Lolth's influence grew further to the point where most underdark dwelling Drow are fanatically [[Drow#Lolth-Sworn_Drow|Lolth-Sworn]]. There do remain some Drow that try to mend relations and coexist with surface races, to separate themselves from Lolth's influence, and to redeem their evil kin. These are referred to in BG3 as [[Drow#Seldarine_Drow|Seldarine Drow]], which is the name of the original elven pantheon of Gods led by Corellon. They will very likely worship Eilistraee for coming down from godhood to live among them and sharing her similar goals of redeeming the fallen Drow taken by her mother Lolth. | ||
==== World Interactions ==== | ==== World Interactions ==== | ||
For a surface dweller, seeing a Drow is perhaps one of the most terrifying things imaginable. There are many stories of their surface raiding parties devastating small villages, taking slaves and treating them despicably, and torturing their victims. If your character is a Lolth-sworn Drow then they may encourage this type of reaction as they try to frighten those who see them, or give folks further stories to tell of the horrible things Drow are capable of. In underdark society Drow are at the top with female Drow calling all the shots. They have a house system led by matriarchs which I am not going to get into or we'll be here for hours, and so far I have not seen much mention of this in BG3. However underdark dwelling races like [[Gnome#Deep_Gnomes|Deep Gnomes]] | For a surface dweller, seeing a Drow is perhaps one of the most terrifying things imaginable. There are many stories of their surface raiding parties devastating small villages, taking slaves and treating them despicably, and torturing their victims. If your character is a Lolth-sworn Drow then they may encourage this type of reaction as they try to frighten those who see them, or give folks further stories to tell of the horrible things Drow are capable of. In underdark society Drow are at the top with female Drow calling all the shots. They have a house system led by matriarchs which I am not going to get into or we'll be here for hours, and so far I have not seen much mention of this in BG3. However underdark dwelling races like [[Gnome#Deep_Gnomes|Deep Gnomes]] will be especially frightful of Drow, as they often make slaves of the Deep Gnomes. [[Dwarf#Duergar|Duergar]] and Drow respect but hate one another, being the two most powerful civilized races in the underdark. At times they are at war, and at times they are allies by circumstances. | ||
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==== Build Synergy ==== | ==== Build Synergy ==== | ||
Normally in tabletop Drow have [[Sunlight Sensitivity]] which is a major, major downside to picking this race. However the tadpole in our brain seems to render our characters immune to these effects. | Normally in tabletop Drow have [[Sunlight Sensitivity]] which is a major, major downside to picking this race. However the tadpole in our brain seems to render our characters immune to these effects. | ||
[[Fey Ancestry]], [[Keen Senses]], and [[Superior Darkvision]] are great to have for any and all characters. The [[Darkness]] Spell can also be great to have on any character. For example say you have some enemy bad guys on a platform firing ranged attacks at your party, and you would have to spend 2 turns just to move and get into range with them. You can cast darkness on the platform they are on therefore blinding them and making them come down. You can use it out of combat to help sneak about. | [[Fey Ancestry]], [[Keen Senses]], and [[Superior Darkvision]] are great to have for any and all characters. The [[Darkness]] Spell can also be great to have on any character. For example say you have some enemy bad guys on a platform firing ranged attacks at your party, and you would have to spend 2 turns just to move and get into range with them. You can cast darkness on the platform they are on therefore blinding them and making them come down. You can use it out of combat to help sneak about. | ||
The remaining abilities are a bit more situational. [[Dancing Lights|Dancing lights]] requires [[Concentration|concentration]], which can be a serious downside for casters because this means they cannot concentrate on other more powerful spells. But on a non-caster class this isn't really an issue. The Faerie Fire spell actually scales really well into mid game for a racial feature you get at level 1, but only if you have the high Charisma to use it effectively as discussed in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Racial_Spellcasting|Racial Spellcasting]] section. The weapon proficiencies don't help many builds. The builds which could make good use of those proficiencies will already get them from their class. If D&D 5e cantrips like Booming Blade or Green-Flame Blade are added to BG3 then these proficiencies could become very helpful for [[Sorcerer|Sorcerers]] and [[Wizard|Wizards]], but that is unlikely to be present in BG3 without mods. | The remaining abilities are a bit more situational. [[Dancing Lights|Dancing lights]] requires [[Concentration|concentration]], which can be a serious downside for casters because this means they cannot concentrate on other more powerful spells. But on a non-caster class this isn't really an issue. The Faerie Fire spell actually scales really well into mid game for a racial feature you get at level 1, but only if you have the high Charisma to use it effectively as discussed in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Racial_Spellcasting|Racial Spellcasting]] section. The weapon proficiencies don't help many builds. The builds which could make good use of those proficiencies will already get them from their class. If D&D 5e cantrips like Booming Blade or Green-Flame Blade are added to BG3 then these proficiencies could become very helpful for [[Sorcerer|Sorcerers]] and [[Wizard|Wizards]], but that is unlikely to be present in BG3 without mods. | ||
Pretty much any class or build will get tremendous benefit from being a Drow. Charisma casting classes like [[Bard]], [[Warlock]], [[Paladin]], and [[Sorcerer]] may get a bit more benefit than others thanks to the [[Faerie Fire]] spell but nothing too substantial. Warlocks with the Devil's Sight [[Eldritch Invocation]] may get further use of the Drow's [[Darkness]] Spell. | Pretty much any class or build will get tremendous benefit from being a Drow. Charisma casting classes like [[Bard]], [[Warlock]], [[Paladin]], and [[Sorcerer]] may get a bit more benefit than others thanks to the [[Faerie Fire]] spell but nothing too substantial. Warlocks with the Devil's Sight [[Eldritch Invocation]] may get further use of the Drow's [[Darkness]] Spell. | ||
== [[Dwarf|Dwarves]] == | |||
====The Lore==== | |||
Dwarves in the Forgotten Realms compare to the typical Dwarves in other conventional fantasy settings. They tend to develop underground kingdoms where they amass treasure and might, and develop clan like societies that respect their elders and gods such as the good aligned god of crafting [[Deities#Moradin|Moradin]]. Dwarven commerce largely revolves around mining and blacksmithing. They have great appreciation for finely crafted weapons, armor, and other objects such as chalices, jewelry, and architecture. They feel a natural draw towards the stone and have an intuitive understanding of it to an extent. The Dwarven disciplined structure causes them to come at odds with the elves who are seen as flippant and emotionally driven. However Dwarves tend to get along with [[human|humans]], [[halfling|halflings]], and especially [[Gnome|gnomes]]. | |||
The most important events in Dwarven lore revolve around the kingdom Bhaerynden. This was the greatest of the dwarven kingdoms on Faerun, located a fair bit South East of the Sword Coast where Baldur's Gate 3 is. Approximately 12,000 years before the events of BG3 one clan of dwarves had splintered off from the ruling dwarves at the time and set off west, founding a new kingdom of Shanatar just south of the Sword Coast (and actually pretty close to where Baldur's Gate II takes place). These dwarves would become known as the [[Dwarf#Shield_Dwarves|Shield Dwarves]]. Many dwarves still remained back in the kingdom of Bhaerynden after the Shield Dwarves splintered off however. But a few hundred years later the dark elves were cursed to become Drow and moved underground, conquering many lands in the process. Among these included the Dwarven kingdom of Bhaerynden. The refugee dwarves from this great empire fled far and wide and became nomadic, with some even going to live on the surface. These Bhaerynden refugees and their descendants became known as the [[Dwarf#Gold_Dwarves|Gold Dwarves]] or the Hill Dwarves. [https://youtu.be/Iw0GN75zZ_E More information on Duergar can be found in this 8 minute video by Spell&Shield]. | |||
Flipping back to the Shield Dwarves now and about 2,000 years after the fall of Bhaerynden, Clan Duergar of the Shield Dwarves would begin causing trouble. Clan Duergar sought to practice the teachings of the evil aligned god of magical crafting Laduguer who was xenophobic and encouraged his followers to exploit slavery to obtain their goals, but the Shield Dwarves would not have it. Clan Duergar would then splintered off from the Shield Dwarves to set up their own society where they could freely practice these evil ideals, but their isolation made them a target for [[Mind Flayer|Illithids (Mind Flayers)]] who would capture and conduct experiments on them, and turn them into their own slaves. These changes would ultimately change the physiology of the Clan Duergar dwarves, mutating them into the [[Dwarf#Duergar|Duergar]] we know today. The Duergar remained slaves to the Illithids for about 5,000 years before they won their freedom by allying themselves with dark powers. They went on to found their own society in the Underdark in the great city Gracklstugh where the Duergar toil towards mastering their craft at an unhealthy level and remain very xenophobic. Especially towards their once Shield Dwarf brethren and anything relating to Illithids. | |||
==== World Interactions ==== | |||
A Dwarf will likely have extra dialogue options when it comes to recognizing and identifying weapons and armor of unique make, unique masonry, or exploring underground areas as a result of their bond to the rock and stone. They may express some animosity or rivalry with [[elf|elves]], though I doubt it will be some quick quips rather than outright animosity in most situations. Perhaps much like Gimli and Legolas from Lord of the Rings. [[Duergar]] will likely have an outright loathing for anything related to [[Mind Flayer|Illithids]]. And [[Gnome#Deep_Gnomes|Deep Gnomes]] will likely react with fear to the sight of a Duergar. | |||
Depending on how deep Larian goes with the lore you may see additional reactions based on the above lore. [[Dwarf#Gold_Dwarves|Gold Dwarves]] (Hill Dwarves) may hold a grudge against the [[Drow]] for their conquering of Bhaerynden. Duergar often blame the Shield Dwarves for their abandonment to the hands of the Mind Flayers, so there could be animosity between Duergar and Shield Dwarves. And Hill Dwarves and Mountain Dwarves also often view [[Gnome|Gnomes]] as their cousins, so they may get along as well. | |||
==== Mechanical Traits ==== | |||
All [[Dwarf|Dwarves]] have: | |||
* A 25 ft movement speed (5 ft less than normal) | |||
* [[Dwarven Resilience]] which gives resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against poison. | |||
* [[Proficiency]] with [[Battleaxes]], [[Handaxes]], [[Light Hammers]], and [[Warhammers]]. | |||
The Dwarven Subraces obtain: | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|+ Caption text | |||
|- | |||
! Duergar* !! Gold Dwarves (Hill Dwarves) !! Shield Dwarves (Mountain Dwarves) | |||
|- | |||
| [[Superior Darkvision]] out to 80 ft** || [[Darkvision]] out to 40 ft || [[Darkvision]] out to 40 ft | |||
|- | |||
| Duergar Magic granting the ability to cast [[Enlarge/Reduce]] on self once per Long Rest starting at 3rd Level, and [[Invisibility]] on self once per long rest || [[Dwarven Toughness]] granting one additional hit point per character level || [[Proficiency]] in Light and Medium Armor | |||
|- | |||
| Duergar resilience granting advantage on [[Saving Throw|saving throws]] against illusions as well as being [[Charmed (Condition)|Charmed]] or [[Paralysed (Condition)|Paralyzed]]. || - || - | |||
|} | |||
* Duergar are not in Early Access, these features are expected on launch. | |||
** The original rules regarding Duergar in tabletop also grants Duergar [[Sunlight Sensitivity]] which is a major drawback for this race. However Larian will likely not implement this feature in BG3, whether that is due to the Illithid tadpole in our brains or following updated tabletop rules. | |||
*** The Shield Dwarves normally get a +2 bonus to their [[Strength]] [[Ability Scores|Ability Score]]. However with the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Flexible_Ability_Score|Flexible Ability Scores]] changes Larian is making to BG3, the Shield Dwarves may or may not get some form of this feature or something to replace it. | |||
==== Build Synergy ==== | |||
Poison damage is very common, so dwarves getting resistance and being able to cut the damage in half is very nice. The Dwarves movement speed reductions slightly hampers their melee combat ability, as you may not be able to close range with bad guys quite as quickly. But it doesn't have as great of an impact on characters able to make attacks from a distance. Additionally melee classes that can mitigate this movement speed penalty such as [[Monk]] and [[Barbarian]] may be able to offset it somewhat. Their additional weapon proficiencies are not going to be too beneficial on their own as most builds which want these proficiencies will get them from their class. But [[Monk]] is once again the standout winner from this feature. There is speculation that monks will be able to use their Martial Arts features like unarmed strikes with any weapon that they are [[proficient]] with but lacks the [[Heavy (weapon property)|heavy]] or [[Weapons#Properties|two-handed]] property. This means a dwarven monk could wield a [[warhammer]] with its d10 damage die when wielded as a [[Weapons#Properties|versatile]] weapon, which is much better than the next best option monks get with the shortsword's d6 damage. | |||
The Gold Dwarves' additional HP per level goes great with classes that get up close in melee. Combine this with the tough [[Feats|feat]] on a [[Barbarian|barbarian]] to make a super tank. The Shield Dwarves additional armor proficiencies go great on characters like squishy casters such as [[wizard|wizards]], [[sorcerer|sorcerers]], lore [[bard|bards]], and [[warlock|warlocks]] as it allows you to leave your [[Dexterity]] at 14 and wear medium armor for an overall [[Armour Class|armor class]] of 16 before accounting for magical bonuses. And lastly the Duergar's Enlarge ability goes great with a melee class that gets multiple attacks such as a monk. Normally in tabletop the bonus damage from [[Enlarge|enlarge]] does not apply to unarmed strikes but in BG3 you are able to apply this additional damage. While the Duergar's [[invisibility]] spell could be very nice for a sneaky type of character including [[rogue]] as well as many other classes if they build themselves this way. | |||
== Remaining Races are Work in Progress == | == Remaining Races are Work in Progress == | ||
[[Category:Guides]] | [[Category:Guides]] | ||