Guide:Races Guide by Phantomsplit: Difference between revisions

== 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 Githyanki 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 a different ability score. So you may see old build guides out there 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]] based off the ability score increases for these races vs. the ability scores that the respective classes focus in. However those recommendations will be out of date when launch comes around and you will be able to put the ability scores wherever you want.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 how the Mountain Dwarf will be implemented with these changes.

== Racial Spellcasting ==

The [[Races|races]] that this section applies to all have racial features that allow them to cast spells which may require either an [[Attack Roll|attack roll]] or [[Saving Throw|saving throw]]. An [[Attack Roll|attack roll]] means that you will have to roll a 20 sided die (often referred to as a d20) '''and apply applicable bonuses and penalties to the result''' to see if the attack hits the target. A target rolling a [[Saving Throw|save]] means that the target will roll a d20 and apply relevant modifiers to try and avoid the effect of something like a spell, and '''how difficult this will be for your target to avoid for your target will depend on your character's relevant modifiers'''. For more information see the [[Die Rolls]] page.

So your character's relevant spellcasting modifier will have an effect on how useful these racial spells that require attack rolls and saving throws are. If say you are a [[Drow]] but have a low Charisma then enemies will be able to more easily avoid your racial [[Faerie Fire]] spell, or if you make a High Elf with a low Intelligence and select [[Fire Bolt]] as your racial cantrip, then you will miss more of your attacks. Spells which are affected by this mechanic and their relevant spellcasting ability modifier are:

  [[Mage Hand]] should use your spellcasting ability modifiers for things such as trying to [[Shove|shove]] creatures, but I have not tested this to verify

Lately in the tabletop realm of D&D 5e the rules have begun shifting towards letting a player choose what the racial spellcasting ability modifier is. However there are no signs of these rules lateraling over to Baldur's Gate 3 at the time of writing.

==== Lore ====

The {{FRWiki|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 game Baldur's Gate 3 takes place in the region known as the {{FRWiki|Sword Coast}} on the continent of {{FRWiki|Faerûn}} on a world known as {{FRWiki|Toril}}. But Toril used to be known as {{FRWiki|Abeir-Toril}}, until drastic events caused this world to be split in two. The problem at the time was that chaotic and powerful creatures known as {{FRWiki|Primordials}} existed on Abeir-Toril at first. They went to war with the group of gods that had come to try and foster civilized life on the world, resulting in a conflict known as the {{FRWiki|Dawn War}}. As the war was drawing to an end and it seemed the Primordials were going to lose the war they began to grow desperate. In frustration Io the greatest of the Primordials decided that if he could not have Abeir-Toril then he would instead destroy it, which he attempted to do by dropping a moon on the world. As this event was in the process of destroying the world, Io's counterpart named Ao and the greatest of the gods quickly intervened. He split the world Abeir-Toril into two different worlds named Abeir and Toril which are similar but distinctly unique. This event is known as {{FRWiki|Tearfall}}, and occurred about 33,000 years before BG3 takes place.

While the above history occurred an unknown thousands of years before BG3, it is noteworthy because Dragonborn are originally from {{FRWiki|Abeir}} while the game is set in {{FRWiki|Toril}}. In the aftermath of Tearfall many dragons were brought to Abeir with the Primordials. But Abeir did not have access to the {{FRWiki|Weave}} making it impossible for Abeir's inhabitants to cast magic, and as a result they were unable to resist the dragons who came to conquer the planet Abeir. {{FRWiki|Dragonborn}} were created at some point after this, believed to be hatched from dragon eggs as a unique race (source 5e PHB). Regardless, they were slaves to the dragons for thousands of years, with the biggest exception being a group of Dargonborn in {{FRWiki|Tymanther}} who won their freedom against the dragons about 200 years before the events of BG3.  

However things radically changed due to an event known as the {{FRWiki|Spellplague}} about 100 years before BG3. The evil goddess {{FRWiki|Shar}} sought control over magic in the year 1385 DR, and as a result she successfully plotted to have the goddess of magic {{FRWiki|Mystra_(Midnight)|Mystra}} killed. Mystra did die (though not permanently) and with this the Weave that constrains and controls magic fell apart in an event known as the Spellplague. This had many effects, but for this conversation it also caused parts of Toril to go to Abeir and parts of Abeir to go to Toril. This included the freed dragonborn region of Tymanther being brought to Toril, and that is how Dragonborn were introduced to the setting. The worst effects of the Spellplague lasted for 10 years after which things began to calm down. Approximately 100 years later Mystra was restored and Ao once again started to separate the worlds of Toril and Abeir in a period known as the {{FRWiki|Second Sundering}}. But Tymanther was never brought back to Abeir, so it and its Dragonborn inhabitants remain on Toril. Notably the Spellplague took place after the events of the first two games. Dragonborn did not exist on Faerun during the time of the first two Baldur's Gate games.

==== Build Synergy ====

In D&D 5e tabletop the Dragonborn are normally seen as one of the weakest races overall. They don't have [[Darkvision (Passive Feature)|Darkvision]] which is very significant. The breath weapon damage is very, very low and requires your full action to use. Originally all races had locked in ability score bonuses, and Dragonborn had +2 Strength and +1 Cha. This was their biggest selling point, making them good choices for [[Paladin|Paladin]] characters due to these bonuses at least lining up with ability scores prioritized by Paladins. But with BG3 using the optional flexible Ability score rules, any race is able to select +2 Str and +1 Cha which also removes this advantage. If there is any build that gets particular synergy out of Dragonborn abilities, it would be one like a Circle of the Moon [[Druid]] or [[Barbarian]] which often have a high Constitution to make their breath weapon just a smidge better. I would argue that there are still much better choices out there from a mechanical standpoint. But in terms of appearance, lore, and culture Dragonborn are very interesting and you can certainly play as one regardless of what class you use. There will almost always be another option which is a bit better is all.

Wizards of the Coast (the company that makes the tabletop rules) has buffed Dragonborns in the tabletop rules, but it so far does not appear that Larian intends to use these new rules. There are signs that Larian is changing some features of theirs but we don't have the details and from what is known these changes do not appear substantial.

== [[Drow]] ==

==== Lore ====

Drow is pronounced like "cow"

{{FRWiki|Drow}} have some of the most nuanced and fleshed out lore in the Forgotten Realms, largely due to the famous novels following the adventures of the legendary Drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden. I am only going to give a very, very brief summary and for more details please see this [https://youtu.be/zcUk4kFNobQ 10 minute video by Spell&Shield] (which is still all things considered a brief summary of Drow lore).

In short summary, the elven gods were once all united and referred to as the {{FRWiki|Seldarine}} over 30,000 years before the events of Baldur's Gate 3. They were led by {{FRWiki|Corellon}}. His consort Araushnee craved Corellon's power and plotted against him, trying several times to get Corellon assassinated. Usually her plan consisted of causing an evil god and its forces to go to war with the Seldarine gods, and plotting for Corellon to "accidentally" die as a result of the battle. One notable case of this was when she convinced {{FRWiki|Gruumsh}} the god of Orcs to attack the Seldarine, and this is how Orcs were introduced to {{FRWiki|Toril}}. For the last of these plots Araushnee cursed Corellon's scabbard so that it would draw the arrows fired by their daughter {{FRWiki|Eilistraee}} and frame her for Corellon's death. This plan did somewhat work but it only wounded Corellon. Evenutally Araushnee and her son {{FRWiki|Vhaeraun}} who helped her with these plots would be caught and put on trial. Araushnee and her son were exiled from the Seldarine pantheon, and Araushnee would later turn herself into spider like demonic creature and take the name of {{FRWiki|Lolth}}. Meanwhile Eilistraee (the daughter of now Lolth who was framed for the attempted murder of her father Corellon) willingly exiled herself from the pantheon so that she may be there as a light to guide the dark elves who she feared were in danger from Lolth.

After her exile, Lolth went on to rule the demon inhabited domain of the Abyss in a realm now known as the {{FRWiki|Demonweb_Pits|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 known as the Crown Wars between the dark elves of {{FRWiki|Ilythiir}} and other elven groups. Then Lolth would ''just happen'' to be there willing to 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. The Dark Elves 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 {{FRWiki|Bhaerynden}}, displacing the dwarves that remained and sending them into exile. The greatest drow city now is {{FRWiki|Menzoberranzan}}.

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 ====

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 they meet, 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.

A Seldarine Drow will likely be met with similar reactions to most people, but in most cases BG3 allows the Seldarine to try and calm the person they are talking to and persuade them that they do not behave like their evil brethren.

==== 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.

[[Superior Darkvision]] is great for any character, and [[Perception]] is often seen as one of the most valuable skills in BG3 so having proficiency is great and the elf is already off to a good start. [[Fey Ancestry|Fey ancestry]] is a bit situational but by no means a bad thing to have. 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. Or you can use it out of combat to help sneak about. This spell can get great mileage out of even non-spellcasters.

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 so may be more worth using. 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.

====Lore====

{{FRWiki|Dwarf|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]] (primarily Strongheart Halflings), and especially [[Gnome|Gnomes]].

The most important events in Dwarven lore revolve around the kingdom {{FRWiki|Bhaerynden}}. This was the greatest of the dwarven kingdoms on {{FRWiki|Faerûn}}, 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 {{FRWiki|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. But a few hundred years later the dark elves were cursed to become [[Drow]] and they 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.  

Flipping back to the splintered off Shield Dwarves now and about 2,000 years after the fall of Bhaerynden, {{FRWiki|Clan_Duergar|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 {{FRWiki|Laduguer}} who was xenophobic and encouraged his followers to exploit slavery to obtain their goals. But the rest of the Shield Dwarves would not practice or even tolerate Clan Duergar's ideals. Clan Duergar 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 {{FRWiki|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 {{FRWiki|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. [https://youtu.be/Iw0GN75zZ_E More information on Duergar can be found in this 8 minute video by Spell&Shield].

==== World Interactions ====

A Dwarf will likely have extra dialogue options when it comes to recognizing and identifying weapons and armor of unique make, unique architecture 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]] due to their extreme difference in lifestyle, though I doubt it will be much more than some quick quips rather than outright violence. 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 because the Duergar are known for making Deep Gnomes into slaves. Duergar and [[Drow]] are the two ruling civilized races in the underdark. They are often civil around one another, but are also rivals and have clashed many times before as well as becoming allies by circumstance on occassion.

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 particularly well.

==== Build Synergy ====

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. This combined with dwarven weapon proficiencies makes it feasible (but far from ideal unless you have access to spells likely not to be in BG3 without mods) to make a melee [[Sorcerer|sorcerer]] or [[Wizard|wizard]] character. 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. The duergar race overall synergizes excellently with Shadow Monk.

== [[Elf|Elves]] ==

====Lore====

{{FRWiki|Elf|Elves}} initially came to Toril about 30,000 years ago (relatively shortly after Tearfall as described in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Dragonborn|Dragonborn Lore]] section) from the plane of the {{FRWiki|Feywild}}. This plane is known for harboring often mischievous magical creatures with attachment to nature such as satyrs, brownies, and sylphs. This helps explain the elves emotional and relaxed temperament. They include several subraces we will see in BG3 such as moon and sun elves (which are considered [[Elf#High_Elves|High Elves]]) and [[Elf#Wood_Elves|Wood Elves]] and dark elves which would later become [[Drow]] as described in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Drow|Drow Lore]] section. They also included other subraces which we will likely not see in BG3 such as wild elves and sea elves as the more common options, and a few additional more rare elven subracees. With the exception of Drow, modern day elves still maintain their relaxed lifestyle with a focus on enjoying life and the world, maintaining nature's balance, and are known for their prowess and dance as well as the bow and sword. Elves were the first races to exist on Toril and had the time to build up their society, but as a race they were not inclined to building great cities with few exceptions. Events such as conflicts with the Drow, the rise of [[Human|Humans]], and catastrophes over the centuries have resulted in elven influence in the world diminishing in the world.

Most of the notable Elven history is covered in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Drow|Drow Lore]] section. One detail I'll add here but may not ever get mentioned in BG3 is the {{FRWiki|First_Sundering|First Sundering}}. After Araushnee (now Lolth) and her son Vhaeraun were exiled from the Elven pantheon but before the {{FRWiki|Crown Wars}} fully began, Lolth's and Vhaeraun's influence on the dark elves began spreading causing some minor conflicts. Around year -17,500 DR (about 19,000 years before BG3) many of the elves had enough of this and decided to pull a mass of land from the plane of {{FRWiki|Arborea}} full of enchanting magic and beautiful landscapes, and make it a remote island on this world of Toril. Then these peaceful elves could go live there away from all the war and strife of the dark elves. The good news is that the elves were successful and made their homeland island of {{FRWiki|Evermeet}}. The bad news is that with this came devastation across the continent of Faerun as the world reacted to this catastrophic change in geography and powerful magic. Many elven societies were flooded by the shifting seas and most would consider the event an overall disaster, save for the surviving elves who went off to live on Evermeet in peace. While many don't know this in modern days, the remote isle of Evermeet has since been pulled into the Feywild as a result of the Spellplague.

|}

  * For High Elf's Cantrip feature, see the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Racial_Spellcasting|Racial Spellcasting]] section

==== Build Synergy ====

As mentioned in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Racial_Spellcasting|Racial Spellcasting]] section, you may need to be a little careful about what cantrip you pick if you are going [[Elf#High_Elves|High Elf]]. If your character is not going to have a high [[Intelligence]] then do not pick one of the spells listed in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Racial_Spellcasting|Racial Spellcasting]] table. Of the remaining options some standout choices include [[Light]] (which you can cast on the weapon of an ally who does not have darkvision and make them shed their own light), [[Minor Illusion]] (which you can use to draw creatures to a certain area whether to sneak by them or ambush them) and [[Mage Hand]] (if you do not intend to use the Mage Hand to shove your enemies, or are not playing a race like [[Githyanki]] or a class like [[Arcane Trickster]] [[Rogue]] which automatically gets this spell). The wood elve's movement speed bonus is very helpful for melee characters who may need to close the gap with enemies, while their proficiency in [[stealth]] is great for characters who will be doing your sneaking around.

* [[Fey Ancestry]] making them impossible to put to sleep magically and granting [[advantage]] on saving throws to avoid being [[Charmed (Condition)|charmed]].

* [[Proficiency]] with [[Spears]], [[Pikes]], [[Halberds]], and [[Glaives]], [[Armour#Light_Armour|Light Armor]], and [[Shields]] (These proficiencies are the features which are the most speculatory, the other Half-elf features seem locked in for launch)

Normally in Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition, Half-Elves get "Skill Versatility" allowing them to be proficient in two skills of their choice. This option does not appear to be present in BG3 and they must choose one of the below variant Half-Elf options which grants the additional following features:

====Build Synergy====

In tabletop the Half-Elf is the second most common race for players to pick behind variant human. This is largely due to their ability score bonuses where they get a +2 to [[Charisma]] (as well as flexible ability scores they can put elsewhere) in combination with Charisma focused classes like [[Bard]], [[Warlock]], [[Sorcerer]], [[Paladin]], and possibly even some charming [[Rogue|Rogues]]. They are also desired in tabletop for their [[Darkvision (Passive Feature)|Darkvision]] and Skill Versatility options. Of the above three features (ability score bonuses, darkvision, and skill versatility), only Darkvision will be available to Half-elves in BG3. This significantly shakes them up. The [[Fey Ancestry]] is a nice feature, but rather niche and by no means a reason why most people pick this class in tabletop.

Now half-elves keep their [[Darkvision (Passive Feature)|darkvision]] and niche [[Fey Ancestry|fey ancestry]] feature, but the extra armor, shield, and weapon [[proficiency|proficiencies]] they are likely to obtain are intended to make up for the loss to traditional half-elf ability score bonuses as discussed in the [[Guide:Baldur's_Gate_3_Races_Guide#Flexible_Ability_Scores|Flexible Ability Scores]] section. Like with human these features make half-elf a slightly more tempting target for something like a squishy [[Warlock]] or [[Bard]] since they can throw a shield on and slightly boost their AC. And this is especially the case for [[Sorcerer]] and [[Wizard]] Characters who by default do not even get light armor proficiency. I still think a one level dip into a class that grants medium armor and shield proficiency like Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, or Druid would be better for such characters, but playing a half-elf is a way to get some defensive boosts without multiclassing.  

* High Half-Elf's Cantrip goes great with [[Intelligence]] based casters such as the [[Wizard]], [[Eldritch Knight]] [[Fighter]], or [[Arcane Trickster]] [[Rogue]]. But if the character will not have a high Intelligence then Light, Minor Illusion, and to an extent Mage Hand can also be good options as described in the [[Guide:Races_Guide_by_Phantomsplit#Build_Synergy_4|Elf Mechanics]] section of this guide.

* Wood Half-Elf movement speed bonus is nice on all characters, but especially nice on melee characters who can use this to get into range of their target. Their stealth proficiency is nice on sneaky characters as it opens you up to put proficiencies from [[background]] and your starting class elsewhere.

Overall if Half-Elf is implemented as they are expected to be then they are still a very flexible choice which anyone will get at least some benefit out of. There is a very good chance that a more specialized race exists for a specific build. But anyone will at least get some decent use from their half-elf features.

====Lore====

{{FRWiki|Orc|Orcs}} first came to the planet of Toril as a result of one of {{FRWiki|Lolth|Lolth's}} plots to kill {{FRWiki|Corellon}} as described in the [[Guide:Baldur's_Gate_3_Races_Guide#Drow|Drow Lore]] section. One of the gods who Lolth tricked into fighting the Seldarine was {{FRWiki|Gruumsh}}, patron god of orcs who brought a horde of orc with him. Upon Gruumsh's defeat many orcs would be left behind in Faerun and more orcs crossed into Faerun via other methods. For tens of thousands of years orcs were isolated savages which posed no major threat to civilized races. However around -3,600 DR (about 5,000 years before BG3) orcs began to band together and raid civilized lands in massive hordes. And in fact this is how most orcs to this day still behave. They are typically violent, selfish, short tempered creatures.

Humans and orcs have been known to exist peacefully together in some scenarios, as stated in the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition Players Handbook which states, "Whether united under the leadership of a mighty warlock or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, orc and human communities, sometimes form alliances. When these alliances are sealed by marriages, half-orcs are born. Some half-orcs rise to become proud leaders of orc communities. Some venture into the world to prove their worth. Many of these become adventurers, achieving greatness for their mighty deeds." One popular example of this cooperation is {{FRWiki|Many-Arrows|Kingdom of Many Arrows}} located near the northern end of the Sword Coast. Many-Arrows was established just over 100 years before the events in BG3 and is a peaceful settlement of orcs that has generated bonds and relationships with their neighbors. In-fact their neighbors have even come to the military defense of Many-Arrows. From these kinds of relationships between humans and orcs, half-orcs can be born.

Half-orcs are rare and do not have a society or culture of their own. They tend to adopt the culture of whatever settlement they are in. If they venture out from their home they are very likely to be met with hesitation from all they meet due to the reputation orcs have. Even other orc tribes will be unfriendly toward their half-orc kin due to the human blood being seen as a weakness.

====Build Synergy====

[[Darkvision (Passive Feature)|Darkvision]] is always great to have. Relentless Endurance goes great with any melee character that you will have getting up into the thick of things and is especially desired on tanky characters like [[Barbarian|Barbarians]], [[Circle_of_the_Moon|Moon]] [[Druid|Druids]], [[Fighter|Fighters]], and [[Paladin|Paladins]]. Meanwhile Savage Attacks goes great with anyone making melee weapon attacks which goes great with tons of characters. We'll have to see if Larian applies the Savage Attacks damage to a Monk's unarmed strikes or a wildshaped Druid's natural attacks, which is normally not allowed per D&D 5e but I suspect Larian may change this. It isn't a massive damage increase but can become more notable on Champion [[Fighter]] characters with their increased chance to critically hit, or any melee character where parties can guarantee crits such as if you have casters who can consistently land [[Hold Person]]. The proficiency in [[Intimidation|intimidation]] is a nice tassle on the end, but could become more significant for classes with a high [[Charisma]] like a [[College of Valour|Valor]] [[Bard]] or Swords Bard or [[Paladin]] or Pact of the Blade [[Warlock]].

Overall the Half-Orc is one of the best races for melee combat characters with a heavy emphasis on the combat part. Ourtside of melee characters they will offer a little bit of something if mechanically implemented as expected.

====Lore====

{{FRWiki|Halfling}} Lore is extremely sparse. There is no information on when or where the first halflings appeared. They tend to have a sense of wanderlust and exploration moreso than even the elves, as well as a tendency towards finding mishchief whether wittingly or not. They are known for their clan like social structure with an emphasis on family bonds. Some bands may settled down and make a small isolated village for a while before getting bored of it and packing up to leave with little worry or concern. Others will roam about and never settle down at all. The only major halfling settlement of {{FRWiki|Luiren}} was flooded as a result of the world shaking Spellplague as described in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Dragonborn|Dragonborn Lore]] section and this further emphasizes the modern day halfling tendency to roam.

Besides the flooding of Luiren, the only other major Halfling lore event (which I doubt will be brought up in BG3) is the {{FRWiki|Hin_Ghostwar|Hin Ghostwar}}. "Hin" is another name for Halfling, and the Ghostwar is so named because the {{FRWiki|Strongheart_halfling|Strongheart Tribe}} and {{FRWiki|Lightfoot_halfling|Lightfoot Tribe}} teamed up and went to war with their {{FRWiki|Ghostwise_Halfling|Ghostwise Tribe}} brethren. Around year -100 DR (about 1,600 years before BG3) the druidic Ghostwise halflings were led by a cleric who came to worship the evil god of primal savagery and stalking, {{FRWiki|Malar}}. The cleric led her tribe to ruthlessly attack and torment wild creatures as well as other halflings from the Lightfoot and Strongheart Tribes. The Lightfoot and Strongheart tribes teamed together in the Hin Ghostwar to push the Ghostwise halflings back and killed their evil cleric. The surviving Ghostwise tribe members exiled themselves in shame for their actions under the clerics influence. While the [[Halfling#Strongheart_Halflings|Strongheart halflings]] were happy to continue living in and around Luiren, the [http://Halfling#Lightfoot_Halflings Lightfoot halflings] were horrified by the bloody events that had taken place at the hands of both the Ghostwise and the Strongheart tribes. They instead decided to set off and explore the continent of Faerun rather than stay with the awful memories of what had occurred.  

While I do say that Larian may not really include the above lore info, they did go out of their way to refer to Strongheart Halflings as such, rather than simply saying Stout halflings as they are known in the D&D 5e Player Handbook Rules. So perhaps they will keep it in mind.

| [[Naturally Stealthy]] granting [[proficiency]] in [[Stealth]] || [[Strongheart Resilience]] giving them resistance to poison damage and [[advantage]] on saving throws against poison.

|}

====Build Synergy====

As with [[dwarf]] and [[gnome]], the halfling's movement speed penalty mostly hurts them when it comes to melee combat builds because this may make it more difficult to close the distance with their target, though this is not as important for ranged builds and can be somewhat offset by melee builds that get a movement speed bonus like [[Barbarian]] and [[Monk]]. Not having darkvision is a pretty significant detriment to this class which is something you'll have to keep in mind while playing in dark areas. Brave giving them [[advantage]] on saving throws against being [[Frightened (Condition)|frightened]] can be very helpful at high levels when creatures start having powerful effects that apply fear, but until then it is very situational. Their best ability is by far [[Lucky]], as it gives you a chance to succeed on checks you would have otherwise failed. Lucky is further moderately buffed in BG3. Larian has implemented a controversial [[D&D_5e_Rule_Changes#Fundamental_Changes|rule change]] where a natural 1 on an [[Ability Check|ability check]] results in an automatic failure, even if your modifiers, proficiency bonus, [[Guidance|guidance]], etc. would put you over the DC of the check. This can cause you to fail a check which by the D&D 5e books you should have succeeded just because you rolled a 1. A halfling's ability to reroll natural ones reduces the likelihood of this Larian houserule hurting your character. This makes halfling a more tempting race for skill monkey character like [[Rogue|rogue]], [[Bard|bard]], [[Ranger|ranger]], or knowledge domain [[Cleric|cleric]].

The lightfoot halfling's naturally stealthy could be nice on a character who is doing some sneaking about and allow them to focus proficiencies they get from their class and/or background in other areas. While a strongheart halfling's resilience will help them resist the very common poison damage and associated effects in combat.  

==== Lore ====

Like with [[Elf|Elves]] and [[Dwarf|Dwarves]], the {{FRWiki|Human}} history also tends to meet typical fantasy expectation.  For thousands of years the dwarves ruled the depths while the elves roamed far and wide and were the greatest power on the surface. But as a result of human ingenuity, dedication, perseverence, and a fast rate of reproduction they established large settlements at critical locations for trade allowing them to prosper commercially over time. The human kingdoms would fight among one another which certainly did not help their rise to dominance. But these skirmishes were nothing compared to the devastation the elves suffered in the First Sundering (as discussed in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Elves|Elven Lore]] section) and the {{FRWiki|Crown_Wars|Crown Wars}} and persistent conflicts with the [[Drow]], and the devastation that the Dwarves experienced when the [[Drow]] moved underground as described in the [[Guide:Baldur's Gate 3 Races Guide#Dwarves|Dwarven Lore]] section. As a result the Humans have grown to dominate much of {{FRWiki|Faerûn}}, including the {{FRWiki|Sword Coast}} region where Baldur's Gate is located.  

However there are two human empires whose downfall look like they will play at least a minor part in BG3. First is {{FRWiki|Netheril}}. This kingdom was mankind's greatest at the time of its destruction in -339 DR (about 1,800 years before BG3) and consisted of common folk who lived on the planet's surface while the elite ruling class lived in flying cities. The mage Karsus of Netheril rightly feared the threat posed by worm like monsters called {{FRWiki|Phaerimm}} and sought a way to destroy this threat to the Netherese Empire. Unfortunately his plan to do so was to cast a 12th level spell to steal the power of the god of magic at the time, {{FRWiki|Mystryl}}. He did succeed at drawing Mystryl's power which ultimately killed her, but worse still Karsus himself was unable to contain the magic he had absorbed. He released Mystryl's power, the {{FRWiki|Weave}} which controls magic broke down, and the Netherese cities magically held aloft began to falter as they fell from the sky. The goddess of magic was quickly reborn, this time as {{FRWiki|Mystra}} and she was able to save some but not all of the falling cities. As a result of this Mystra made it so that no mortals could cast spells above 9th level, and the Netherese empire crumbled away with the death of so many high ranking citizens all due to this event now known as {{FRWiki|Karsus's Folly|Karsus's Folly}}. For the sake of BG3 it is important to note that Netherese magic was powerful, and may not have been implemented with adequate safeguards.

The second notable human Kingdom to look into is {{FRWiki|Thay}}. In short starting around 100 years ago this nation far to the East of Baldur's Gate came under the control of a necromancer wizard named {{FRWiki|Szass_Tam|Szass Tam}} after a civil war, and the nation is now known for comitting evil acts on the regular such as consulting with devils and evil gods. They implement slavery, but they also often use undead to conduct meanial day to day routines or to make up the bulk of the nation's army. More recently Szass Tam and his {{FRWiki|Red_Wizards_of_Thay|Red Wizards of Thay}} have attempted to take over foreign kingdoms across Faerun using discrete tactics with years of planning, usually wrecking absolute chaos when their plans come to fruition. There are some notable references to Thay in BG3 but it is difficult to tell how related they will be to the main plot if at all. The Red Wizards of Thay and Szass Tam are covered more in the D&D Honor Among Thieves movie.

[https://youtu.be/8D44Ak%20X1%20I This 9 minute video by WolfheartFPS] covers Szass Tam's rise to power.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye-Y3EBXE6U This 8 minute video by Spell&Shield contains Act 1 spoilers on where Thay is mentioned in BG3 Early Access and also provides more lore on Thay's upheaval.]

====World Interactions====

====Mechanical Traits====

Normally in D&D 5e there is an optional rule whicha allows a player to use a set of features for humnans referred to as "variant human." This is seen as the most powerful race mechanically due to the variant human's feature which grants them a [[Feats|feat]] at level 1. However variant human will not be in BG3 (without mods) and therefore I'll go no further here.

[[Human|Humans]] in BG3 are one of the races that are hampered by Larian's [[Guide:Baldur's_Gate_3_Races_Guide#Flexible_Ability_Scores|Flexible Ability Scores]] changes. It is ''speculated'' based off some launch build footage from content creators that Humans will get:

====Build Synergy====

It is difficult to say what a [[human]] synergizes with given that we are still unceratin about the actual features they get. The lack of [[Darkvision (Passive Feature)|darkvision]] is a big downside for humans. Like with [[Half-Elf|half-elf]] the starting weapon and armor proficiencies make human a somewhat tempting target for something like a squishy [[Warlock]] or [[Bard]] since they can throw a shield on and slightly boost their AC. And this is especially the case for [[Sorcerer]] and [[Wizard]] Characters who by default do not even get light armor proficiency. I still think a one level dip into a class that grants medium armor and shield proficiency like Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, or Druid would be better for such characters, but playing a half-elf is a way to get some defensive boosts without multiclassing.  

But until we know more about if they get something more, they do not appear to be very appealng for much of any builds. Just the fact that Half-Elf offers darkvision as well as the weapon and armor proficiencies makes them a better option than human in most cases, unless human gets something that entirely subverts expectations.

==[[Githyanki]]==

====Lore====

The {{FRWiki|Githyanki}} have in my opinion the most interesting lore of all [[Races|races]] in BG3 and furthermore in all Dungeons and Dragons settings altogether, and BG3 Early Access touches on it in many ways. '''I think it is exceedingly likely that Githyanki lore will play a major role in Baldur's Gate 3.''' This lore is one of the main reasons I will be bringing [[Lae'zel]] as a companion on my first run, besides my appreciation for blunt and confident people. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9iQTnxyDqI This 10 minute video by WolfheartFPS] covers the Githyanki race.

The planet that Githyanki originate from and even the original name of their race is lost to time. They were slaves to the vast [[Mind Flayer|Illithids (Mind Flayers)]] empire that spanned accross planets for such a long time that this information is forgotten. During these countless millennia they were experimented on and selectively bred to further meet the needs of the Mind Flayers as a slave race. But over this time these creatures built up a resistance to the Mind Flayer psionic effects and were able to overcome their masters. Led by the great warrior {{FRWiki|Gith}}, these creatures came to topple the Mind Flayer from the inside. They came to name their entire race after Gith (the warrior), so they took on her name {{FRWiki|Gith (race)}} for their entire race.  

After the Gith race earned their freedom and had established themselves as a force to be reckoned with two main Gith factions emerged. Those led by Gith the Warrior wanted to continue to hunt down the Mind Flayers to the ends of all realms and exterminate them at all costs. They would hunt down Mind Flayers on foreign planets and kill them, and if some of the planets' meaningless locals were harmed in the effort then it was all part of the greater mission of exterminating mind flayers. A rival faction led by {{FRWiki|Zerthimon}} instead sought to find a quiet place for the Gith race to settle and prosper peacefully, and would undermine some of the more locally destructive methods the Gith (the warrior) led fighters were implementing to hunt down Mind Flayers. These ideological differences became irreconcilable and a civil war among the Gith race broke out. In the end Zerthimon would die and his faction would retreat into the chaotic plane of {{FRWiki|Limbo}}, while the Gith (the warrior) led faction continued to live in the {{FRWiki|Astral Plane}} popping up to hunt down Mind Flayers wherever rumors of them emerged. The generations of isolation and magical effects of Limbo vs. the Astral Plane led to physiological differences between these two Gith factions. Those on the side of Gith the Warrior became known as the [[Githyanki]], while the more peaceful faction became known as the {{FRWiki|Githzerai}}. The Githyanki and Githzerai remain at war to this day thousands and thousands of years later.

There have been no mentions of Githzerai in BG3, so the remaining story will focus on Githyanki. Not long after the end of the Gith (race) civil war, Gith (the warrior) was recommended to go search for new allies to bolster up their reduced numbers by her advisor Vlaakith I. Gith (the warrior) went to the {{FRWiki|Nine Hells}} and spoke with {{FRWiki|Tiamat}}, goddess of evil dragons. Nobody knows what occured. Gith (the warrior) never returned, and this is one of the things I hope BG3 reveals. All we know is that a group of young red dragons were sent to the Githyanki, and Githyanki have used red dragons as mounts ever since. When the dragon reaches maturity they return to Tiamat and keep their spoils of war as a new young dragon is sent to the Githyanki to take its place. The dragons also announced that Vlaakith I and her descendants would rule the Githyanki race which has been the case ever since, with all of Vlaakith's descendants also taking the name Vlaakith. We are now at {{FRWiki|Vlaakith CLVII}} (with CLVII meaning she is the 157th of Vlaakith's name) also known as the Lich Queen because she achieved lichdom and has now ruled for over a thousand years. While most Githyanki remain loyal to their queen beyond all else, some Githyanki whisper that Vlaakith has become delusional with power. She has begun seeking to obtain godhood and slaying any Githyanki who rise in power long enough to challenge her. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acRbmXZak0Y This 7 minute video by Spell&Shield goes into greater detail on Vlaakith CLVII.]

[[Lae'zel]] bandies about with many Githyanki specific words which are defined as follows. Time does not pass in the Astral Plane which Githyanki call home, so they must be hatcehd from the eggs they are born in and trained to maturity on another planet. These hatcheries and training grounds are known as ''crèches''. Githyanki usually go on raiding parties in groups of ten which is led by a Githyanki called a ''sarth''. Every ten sarths are supervised by a ''kith'rak''. And every ten kith'raks are supervised by a ''supreme commander.''

====Build Synergy====

[[Jump]] (the spell) is extremely useful in Baldur's Gate 3 based off Larian's design of combat areas and their changes to the regular [[Jump (Bonus Action)|jump]] movement ability. It is especially useful with a high [[Strength]] character. A high Strength character with the Jump spell cast on them can jump extremely long distances, to the point it is a feasible option for bypassing some obstacles. Or at the very least it greatly increases the ability of a melee character to get into range with enemies as they will be able to jump so far with this spell. Even if the Githyanki character is not the one to use this spell, it can still be immensely beneficial if cast on an ally with high Strength or limited mobility.

{{FRWiki|Gnome|Gnomes}} have various stories on how they came to exist on Faerun, but the common theme is that their souls were drawn from gems by their patron god {{FRWiki|Garl Glittergold}} around 20,000 or more years prior to BG3. It is said that the [[Gnome#Rock_Gnomes|Rock Gnomes]] are born from the souls of diamonds, [[Gnome#Forest_Gnomes|Forest Gnomes]] are born from the souls of emeralds, while the [[Gnome#Deep_Gnomes|Deep Gnomes]] are born from the souls of rubies. It's worth noting that [[Dwarf|Dwarves]] have the [[Underdark]] based subrace [[Dwarf#Duergar|Duergar]] which are a result of Mind Flayer experimentation, and [[Elf|Elves]] have their Underdark based cousins the [[Drow]] which are the result of Dark Elves being cursed by the Seldarine Gods, but the Deep Gnomes are Underdark dwelling variants of Gnomes yet they were never cursed or transformed into this form. It is how they have always been.

The Rock Gnomes and Forest Gnomes have a largely shared history. While they often don't coexist and settle in the same communities, historical events influenced both similarly. Both are very adept craftspeople and inventors, with rock gnomes being especially skilled with masonry and metalwork, while forest gnomes were more capable woodworkers. Both Rock and Forest Gnomes are excellent at gem crarfting. These qualities and skills were sought after by some, and as a result the gnomes were brought into slavery by the humans of Netheril (see the [[Guide:Races_Guide_by_Phantomsplit#Humans|Human Lore]] section) starting around 5,000 years before BG3. Those that escaped would often go to live with nearby High Elf settlements, where the elves would over the years try to teach the Gnomes some magic. Gnomes proved to be shockingly adept at Illusion Magic much to the surprise of the Gnomes and Elves both. The bulk of surface gnomes spent 1,300 years in slavery to the human Netheril empire before a combination of Gnomes acting as saboteurs and diplomatic intercession by neighboring elves finally led to the empire freeing their slaves. From there the gnomes went on to move into or near dwarven, elven, and human settlements across Faerun.  

Rock Gnomes are the most common variant of Gnomes, and they tend to make homes from burrows built into the ground. While the more rare Forest Gnomes tend to build their homes up in the trees. The only large Gnomish settlement was populated by Rock Gnomes and found on {{FRWiki|Lantan}} located quite a ways to the southwest of the {{FRWiki|Sword Coast}}, which is the region where Baldur's Gate 3 takes place. Many thought the island was destroyed in the {{FRWiki|Spellplague}}, but it turns out most of it was instead sent to the planet {{FRWiki|Abeir}} as described in the [[Guide:Races_Guide_by_Phantomsplit#Dragonborn|Dragonborn Lore]] section. Lantan was returned to {{FRWiki|Toril}} During the {{FRWiki|Second Sundering}}, and the gnomes of Lantan are said to be both more secretive and have far more advanced technology than before.

The Deep Gnomes (called Svirfneblin in their own tongue) have a separate history. They have largely lived in the Underdark trying to stay unnoticed by their neighbors, both uncivilized and civilized. They tend to not build large settlements underground because this just makes them a large target for slaving raids by their [[Duergar]] and [[Drow]] neighbors. {{FRWiki|Blingdenstone}} is the greatest settlement they ever made, yet it was quickly squashed by the Drow who summoned demons in the city when the gnomes had made a nuisance of themselves. Deep Gnomes are able to survive and thrive in the perilous Underdark so long as they do not draw attention to themselves. Like their surface cousins, Deep Gnomes are also very well known for their abilities with Illusion magic, and in fact to a greater degree since the Deep Gnomes use this magic regularly to ensure survival.

====World Interactions====

While both Rock Gnomes and Forest gnomes have a knack for tinkering as well as for wildlife and animals, the Rock Gnomes further embody the inventing aspects while the Forest Gnomes further embody the bond with nature. Both may have specific reactions to mechanical constructs or interacting with wildlife, but Rock Gnomes are more likely to have the former while Forest Gnomes are more likely to have the latter. Other surface races see Gnomes as a mix between [[Elf|Elves]] and [[Dwarf|Dwarves]] in mentality. Gnomes have the ability to be industrious and craft magnificent things (their gem crafting capability earns them particular respect from the Dwarves). But they also know how to kick back and enjoy life. They have the greatest power of all; a work-life balance. The Gnomes are also known for their lighthearted pranks and mischief. While a [[Halfling|halfling]] is often too innocent to understand the mischief they are getting themselves into, Gnomes intentionally cause mischief for a good laugh.

Deep Gnomes exhibit many of the above personality features, but only if you get to know them first. The millenia of hiding to survive from the [[Drow]] and [[Duergar]] have led them to be paranoid and distrustful of all, and this social reluctance can lead many to think that Deep Gnomes are cold and callous creatures. When a Deep Gnome has the slightest suspicion that danger is on the horizon their survival instinct kicks in and they clam up. But when they are able to relax with those they trust then they behave much like their surface brethren. That said, it will be difficult for a Deep Gnome to ever trust a Duergar or Drow. If there is any other race that Deep Gnomes may have good relations with, it is Mountain Dwarves who are known to trade and cooperate with Deep Gnomes or shelter the Deep Gnomes when their homes are destroyed by the Underdark's inhabitants.

* A 25 ft movement speed (5 ft less than normal)

* [[Gnome Cunning]] granting them [[Advantage|advantage]] on [[Intelligence]], [[Charisma]], and [[Wisdom]] [[Saving Throw|saving throws]].

The Gnome Subraces additionally obtain:

====Build Synergy====

As with [[Halfling]] and [[Dwarf]], the Gnome's movement speed penalty mostly hurts them when it comes to melee combat builds because this may make it more difficult to close the distance with their target, though this is not as important for ranged builds and can be somewhat offset by melee builds that get a movement speed bonus like [[Barbarian]] and [[Monk]]. The [[Gnome Cunning]] ability is seen right up there with Halfling's [[Lucky]] as one of the best racial abilities in the game. Lucky has the added benefit of applying to all [[Attack Rolls|attack rolls]], [[Saving Throws|saving throws]], and [[Skill Check|skill checks]]. While [[Gnome Cunning]] only applies to [[Saving Throws|saving throws]] that specifically use Intelligence, Charisma, and Wisdom. However if you are making one of those types of saving throws then Gnome Cunning applies every time, whereas halfling's Lucky only applies on the off-chance your roll ends up as a natural 1. Lucky is not as powerful but more universally applied, while Gnome Cunning is far more useful in the specific scenarios it applies. Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma saving throws are typically used to resist mind altering affects that can make you skip turns. In turnbased combat games action economy is paramount. If you have a 6th level [[Paladin]] aura applied to a Gnome (or if the Gnome themself is a Paladin) then it will be very difficult for them to fail sucha a debilitating saving throw. Baldur's Gate 3 also often uses Wisdom Saving throws in certain dialogue scenes, so having [[Advantage|advantage]] on these saves is immensely benefical.

Each of the Gnome subraces bring a lot to the table as well. This is a Larian game, so a Forest Gnome being able to [[Speak with Animals]] at will is a wonderful ability to have and will certainly open new paths up to players to explore if you don't already have somebdoy with such an ability. The Rock Gnome's expertise in History is a bit more niche and specifically useful for high Intelligence characters like [[Wizard|Wizards]] where it will get the most mileage in ensuring you succeed on History checks. And I have seen many suggest that Deep Gnome is the best race overall for stealthy characters as having advantage on stealth checks permanently is not something you will likely not be able to get elsewhere barring magic items. Combine this with [[Pass Without Trace]] from a caster in your party with access to the spell and possibly [[Expertise]] in [[Stealth|stealth]] from playing either a [[rogue]] or a [[bard]] to become practically undetectable.

====Lore====

{{FRWiki|Tiefling|Tieflings}} are descended from a human and fiend such as a devil or demon (in Forgotten Realms lore Devils and Demons are very different creatures at war with each other, and these terms are not synonymous). A devilish ancestor is far more common than others, and this could be anything from a powerful lord of the {{FRWiki|Nine Hells}} to something more tame such as a [[Cambion]]. Either way their fiendish ancestry appears in them in some shape or another. This often is in the form of horns, a tail, eyes without pupils, and/or altered skin color. Whether an offspring is a Tiefling or not has some element of chance, a bit like a recessive gene (but not entirely). Two tieflings may give birth to a normal human. Two humans may give birth to a Tiefling due to dormant fiendish ancestry from past generations. The exact rates and mechanisms of tiefling birth has changed with different Dungeons and Dragons editions. Despite their fiendish heritage Tieflings are not naturally inclined towards evil, though many are too biased by a tiefling's appearance to consider this possibility.

Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to pick from three Tiefling subraces. The first and most common are the Asmodeous Tieflings, meaning that they were descended from some devil with ties to {{FRWiki|Asmodeous}}. Asmodeous is the lord of all devils and resides in {{FRWiki|Nessus}} the lowest of the Nine Hells. During the {{FRWiki|Spellplague}} Asmodeous captured and devoured the weakened god {{FRWiki|Azuth}} and the two shared a body as Asmodeous achieved divinity. Azuth was later released and restored back to godhood, but part of this deal also ensured that Asmodeous was able to devour another deceased god and maintain his own divinity status. When Asmodeous initially achieved divinity it caused strange effects to ripple through the planes, turning all Tieflings into Asmodeous Tieflings. This is a major part of why Asmodeous Tieflings are now the most common type on Toril.

The next subrace of Tieflings are Mephistopholes Tieflings, which have some tie to {{FRWiki|Mephistopheles}} who is the second greatest devil of all and the right hand of Asmodeous. As is typical for devils, Mephistopheles seeks to overthrow Asmodeous and take the throne of Lord of Devils for himself, but is too afraid of Asmodeous's rage to attempt anything without absolute certainty of success. Asmodeous is well aware of Mephistopholes's intentions. I have not seen much connecting Mephistopheles to the plot of BG3 so far.

The last subrace of tieflings in BG3 are Zariel Tieflings, and there are a lot of references to {{FRWiki|Zariel}} in BG3. Zariel was once an angel and served {{FRWiki|Lathander}} god of light, where she was tasked to monitor the ever raging {{FRWiki|Blood War}} between Devils and Demons. Zariel wanted the angels and celestials to get involved and squash the demon and devil armies, but the celestials refused her requests. Nearly 150 years before the events of BG3 Zariel went rogue and came to the city of {{FRWiki|Elturel}} in the {{FRWiki|Sword Coast}} region of Faerun, where she hand trained a militia to enter the upper most realm of the Nine Hells named {{FRWiki|Avernus}} to take the fight to the Demons and Devils. However her forces were defeated and Zariel was knocked unconscious and captured. Zariel was brought to Asmodeous, who praised her for her battle prowess and presented her with the offer to become the Archdevil of Avernus so she could command the devil forces and take the fight to the demons. Zariel accepted this offer and was transformed from an angel to a Devil. Only a few of her militia survived and returned to Elturel. They became known as {{FRWiki|Hellriders}} and went on to train future generations of Elturel's defenders. The origin character [[Karlach]] is one such recent generation member of the Hellriders.

There are more recent events with regards to Zariel and tieflings which will spoil events revealed in the [https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/bgdia Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus] tabletop campaign module.

====World Interactions====

Tieflings don't have distinct relations with other races, as they are the offspring of humans and will usually be found in Human settlements and share their history. Their often devilish descent does sometimes give them a knack for being charming or even deceptive, and they often make excellent diplomats. But the reaction they are most met with by the more uneducated is fear and uncertainty given their fiendish physical features. Tieflings at the precise time and location of BG3 are likely to be met with an unjust xenophobic reaction by many as a result of events discussed in the Descent into Avernus spoiler section above. Zariel Tielfings in particular may have the most world interactions of all Tieflings based off available info.

====Mechanical Traits====