How does character creation work in Baldur's Gate 3?
Summary
Q.How does character creation work in Baldur's Gate 3?
A.Baldur’s Gate 3 character creation starts by choosing an Origin or a fully Custom character, then selecting race, class, background, and appearance, with 12 classes and 11 races. You build your stats using a 27-point buy (base 8, max 15 before bonuses) plus one +2 and one +1 boost, and you can respec and multiclass later. The Dark Urge is a fully customizable Origin with its own dark narrative, while other Origins offer fixed backstories but can still be altered at will in many aspects. official guide and Larian support provide the core rules, with game-wide details on Origins and customization.
More info
Character creation in Baldur's Gate 3 centers on a core choice: pick an Origin character (pre-made, with its own story) or craft a Custom protagonist from the ground up. The Dark Urge is a notable fully customizable Origin, while other Origin characters (e.g., companions you can recruit) have fixed races and backgrounds but retain flexibility in later class choices and respeccing. You can also respec and multiclass with either Origin or Custom characters, and you can tweak your character’s appearance and name at camp using the Magic Mirror. Introducing fully customizable Origin character The Dark Urge (blog.playstation.com)
Races and classes form the next major axes of creation. There are 11 playable races (with multiple subraces such as High Elf vs Wood Elf, or Dragonborn variants) and 12 base classes, each with its own subclass options. In practice this means you can pick from a broad roster (Dragonborn, Drow, Dwarf, Elf, Githyanki, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Halfling, Human, Tiefling) and then choose a class like Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard, with multiple subclass paths available. In later patches, Larian expanded subclass options across the board. GamesRadar: playable races (gamesradar.com)
Ability scores are handled via a Point Buy system: you start at 8 for all six scores, spend 27 points to raise them (costs scale, max 15 from the buy), and then you get a +2 and a +1 boost to assign as you like, allowing a possible starting score up to 17. This system is described in detail on BG3 wikis and guides, and is the foundation for how you shape your character’s core strengths from the outset. You also choose 2–4 skill proficiencies, influenced by race and background, and you can customize your appearance and, for Custom characters, the name. BG3 Wiki: Point Buy (bg3.wiki)
Backgrounds provide additional depth: each background grants two skill proficiencies and narrative hooks that affect dialogue and interactions. You can change many class, race, and background choices later through respeccing, and Origin characters can be altered in terms of spells and abilities as you progress. The Dark Urge’s Haunted One background is a unique tie-in for that origin. Larian Support: Origins and backgrounds PlayStation Blog: The Dark Urge background (larian.com)
