The Beginner's Guide to Baldur's Gate 3 Races (Abilities and Class Recommendations)

All BG3 Race Perks and Bonuses

Choosing between the Baldur’s Gate 3 races can be difficult, especially since it’s one of the permanent decisions of the character creation process.

Each race offers its own unique perks and bonuses that offer potential advantages to your party.

Compared to D&D 5th Edition, there are some slight differences to choosing your race – mainly no racial stat bonuses and no languages.

In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll be covering all the BG3 races in alphabetical order with a list of their abilities and some notes on good class/playstyle pairings.

Dragonborn
Dwarf
Drow
Elf
Githyanki
Gnome
Half-Elf
Halfling
Half-Orc
Human
Tiefling

Dragonborn

Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Colors
- Black
  - Acid Breath (cone-shaped DEX save) + Resistance
- Blue
  - Lightning Breath (cone-shaped DEX save) + Resistance
- Brass
  - Fire Breath (line-shaped DEX save) + Resistance
- Bronze
  - Lightning Breath (cone-shaped DEX save) + Resistance
- Copper
  - Acid Breath (cone-shaped DEX save) + Resistance
- Gold
  - Fire Cone (cone-shaped DEX save) + Resistance
- Green
  - Poison Cone (cone-shaped CON save)+ Resistance
- Red
  - Fire Cone (cone-shaped DEX save) + Resistance
- Silver
  - Cold Cone (cone-shaped CON save) + Resistance
- White
  - Cold Cone (cone-shaped CON save) + Resistance

Dragonborns don’t have the best racial bonuses, but they are among the coolest-looking races.

Depending on the ancestry you choose, you’ll get an elemental resistance and a matching breath attack that replenishes on a Short Rest.

With any elemental resistance, its value will be situational since you’ll face a lot of different environments and enemy types. Sometimes it’ll be a solid buff, other times it will have no use.

The breath ability does scale with levels but it isn’t that appealing unless you’re playing a class that lacks AoE like the Fighter, Monk, or Rogue.

Dwarf

Base Racial Speed
- 7.5m per turn
Dwarven Combat Training
- Unlocks Proficiencies
  - Battleaxe, Handaxe, Light Hammer, Warhammer
Darkvision
- Can see in the dark up to 12m.
Dwarven Resilience
- Advantage on Saving Throws against Poison and Resistance to Poison damage
Subraces
- Gold Dwarf
  - Dwarven Toughness
    - Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and increases by 1 every time you gain a level
- Shield Dwarf
  - You have Armour Proficiency and Light and Medium Armor
- Duergar
  - Superior Darkvision
    - Can see in the dark up to 24m
  - Duegar Resilience
    - You have Advantage on Saving Throws against illusions and against being Charmed or Paralyzed

With their inherent prowess in weaponry, Dwarves provide an appealing choice for players looking to operate in melee range. However, keep in mind that due to their stubby legs, they have lower movement speed than other classes.

Because of this, you may want to consider them more as Fighters or Paladins to be stout frontliners rather than Rogues or Rangers that thrive on being nimble.

Each of the subraces also offers additional defensive perks (health, armor proficiencies, or Saving Throws), making Dwarves even tankier in general compared to other races.

Drow

Spells
- Level 1
  - Dancing Lights (Cantrip)
- Level 3
  - Faerie Fire (1st level spell)
    - Refreshes every Long Rest
- Level 5
  - Darkness (2nd level spell)
    - Refreshes every Long Rest
Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Drow Weapon Training
- Unlocks Proficiencies
  - Rapier, Shortsword, Hand Crossbow
Superior Darkvision
- Can see in the dark up to 24m.
Keen Senses
- Perception Proficiency
Fey Ancestry
- You have Advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Subraces
- Purely for flavor, no other bonuses

We’re a bit confused as to why Drow are their own standalone race rather than being a subclass of the Elf (like the Duergar for Dwarves or Deep Gnome for Gnomes). In 5th Edition, they were a subclass of the Elf.

That aside, the Drow makes a great choice for Rogues and Rangers, not only due to their given weapon proficiencies but also because of their Superior Darkvision.

While many other subclasses have access to Darkvision, the Superior Darkvision allows them to scout more efficiently and safely (in addition to having more movement speed than others with Superior Darkvision).

The Drow do have two subraces but they are purely for flavor, with Lolth-Sworn being more evil leaning and Seladrine leaning more good.

Elf

Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Elven Weapon Training
- Unlocks Proficiencies
  - Longsword, Shortsword, Shortbow, Longbow
Darkvision
- Can see in the dark up to 12m.
Fey Ancestry
- You have Advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Keen Senses
- Perception Proficiency
Subclasses
- High Elf
  - 1 Cantrip
    - Acid Splash
    - Blade Ward
    - Bone Chill
    - Dancing Lights
    - Fire Bolt
    - Friends
    - Light
    - Mage hand
    - Minor Illusion
    - Poison Spray
    - Ray of Frost
    - Shocking Grasp
    - True Strike
- Wood Elf
  - Fleet of Foot
    - Your Movement Speed is increased by 1.5m
  - Mask of the Wild (not listed in Character Creation)
    - Gain Proficiency in Stealth

Elves are a versatile class that can fit well into basically any mold. If you want to play more of a caster (or just want more spell utility for any class), High Elf can be an appealing choice to unlock the additional Cantrip.

On the other hand, Fleet of Foot can be very useful for melee classes that want to chase down enemies or ranged classes that want to maintain a safe distance.

The combination of Mask of the Wild and Keen Senses in particular make Elves particularly great as scouts or infilitrators.

Githyanki

Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Martial Prodigy
- Unlocks Proficiencies
  - Light Armor, Medium Armor, Shortswords, Longswords, Greatswords
Astral Knowledge
- Allows you to choose Proficiency in all Skills for an Ability Stat (STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHR)
- Refreshes every Long Rest
Githyanki Psionics
- Level 1
  - Mage Hand (Cantrip)
- Level 3
  - Enhance Leap (1st level spell)
    - Refreshes every Long Rest
- Level 5
  - Misty Step (2nd level spell)
    - Refreshes every Long Rest

If you’re a player looking to min/max, the Githyanki are an incredible choice due to their inherent utility and adaptability.

First off, they get Light/Medium Armor proficiencies, making mage Githyankis tankier than most other races.

Next, their Astral Knowledge makes them an ideal candidate to be your “skill monkey” as they can buff to whatever Skill Checks you need to face on the fly.

Lastly, environmental manipulation and navigation are especially valuable in BG3. Their Githyanki Psionic spells give the race more potential solutions to problems, often being able to reach places that others cannot.

The main downside of the Githyanki is their “community perception” that they are an “ugly” class, but honestly, I think that’s a lame take.

Gnome

Base Racial Speed
- 7.5m per turn
Small size
- Can fit into crevices
Gnome Cunning
- You have Advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma Saving Throws
Subraces
- Rock Gnome
  - Darkvision
    - Can see in the dark up to 12m.
  - Artificier’s Lore
    - Add twice your Proficiency bonus to History Checks.
- Forest Gnome
  - Darkvision
    - Can see in the dark up to 12m.
  - Speak with Animals
    - Refreshes every Long Rest
- Deep Gnome
  - Superior Darkvision
    - Can see in the dark up to 24m.
  - Stone Camouflage
    - You have Advantage on Stealth Checks.

Gnomes, along with Halflings, are the smallest race choices in BG3. While there is the downside of having less movement speed, you are also able to fit into crevices that other races cannot.

The upside of this is that you can often find secret entrances or angles for your party that would otherwise not be accessible without a transformation ability.

With that aside, the one of the best reasons to play a Gnome is for their Cunning feature which allows you to have Advantage on INT, WIS, and CHR Saving Throws.

This is absolutely massive as you’ll be incredibly resistant to enemy debuffs and crowd-control effects – it has a solid argument for being the best main race feature.

When it comes to their subclasses, Rock Gnomes can be a solid choice for a skill monkey, Forest Gnomes inherently provide Speak with Animals which is one of the most valuable social abilities in the game, and Deep Gnomes offer a third path that excels in scouting/infiltration.

Half-Elf

Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Civil Militia
- Unlocks Proficiencies
  - Spears, Pikes, Halberds, Glaives, Light Armor, Shields
Darkvision
- Can see in the dark up to 12m.
Fey Ancestry
- You have Advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.
Subraces
- High Half-Elf
  - 1 Cantrip
    - Acid Splash
    - Blade Ward
    - Bone Chill
    - Dancing Lights
    - Fire Bolt
    - Friends
    - Light
    - Mage hand
    - Minor Illusion
    - Poison Spray
    - Ray of Frost
    - Shocking Grasp
    - True Strike
- Wood Half-Elf
  - Fleet of Foot
    - Your Movement Speed is increased by 1.5m
  - Mask of the Wild (not listed in Character Creation)
    - Gain Proficiency in Stealth
- Drow Half-Elf
  - Level 1
    - Dancing Lights (Cantrip)
  - Level 3
    - Faerie Fire (1st level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest
  - Level 5
    - Darkness (2nd level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest

Although Elves also have a boost in perception, the main difference between Elves and Half-Elves is their unlocked Weapon/Armor Proficiencies.

If you want Spears, Pikes, Halberds, Glaives, Light Armor, or Shields, go with Half-Elf. If you want Longswords, Shortswords, Shortbows, or Longbows, go with Elf.

Halfling

Base Racial Speed
- 7.5m per turn
Small size
- Can fit into crevices
Lucky
- When you roll a 1 for an Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw, you can reroll the dice and must use the new roll.
Brave
- You have Advantage on Saving Throws against being Frightened
Subraces
- Lightfoot Halfling
  - Naturally Stealthy
    - You have Advantage on Stealth Checks
- Strongheart Halfling
  - Strongheart Resilience
    - You have Advantage on Saving Throws against Poison and Resistance to Poison damage

Like we mentioned with the Gnomes, Halflings have the lowest racial speed in exchange for being able to fit into crevices which allow you to reach difficult to reach rooms and areas.

They also get access to Lucky, which is another powerful racial ability that allows you to reroll a 1. Since rolling a 1 means a Critical Failure, this can be very clutch in otherwise disastrous moments.

Due to this, Halflings make a great choice to be the face of your party as they can help you navigate social interactions while avoiding the worst outcomes. Sorcerer, Warlock, or Bard may be especially appealing here since a Paladin may feel the speed penalty a bit more.

If you want to play a Halfling Rogue, consider the Lightfoot subrace which grants a boost to Stealth check. Otherwise, you may want to go Strongheart for the additional survivability.

Half-Orc

Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Darkvision
- Can see in the dark up to 12m.
Relentless Endurance
- If you reach 0 hit points, you regain 1 hit point instead of becoming downed.
  - Refreshes every Long Rest
Savage Attacks
- When you land a Critical Hit with a melee weapon attack, you’d deal an extra dice of weapon damage.

Half-Orcs have an absolutely beastly package of racial unique bonuses for melee and frontliner classes.

First off, you get Relentless Endurance, which basically allows you to die twice per Long Rest. This lets the Half-Orc play more aggressively and take a few more risks compared to other races.

Another reason why a Half-Orc is a great melee class choice is due to Savage Attacks, which makes your already hitting Crits hit even harder. There are even subclasses like the Fighter Champion subclass and loot that makes it easier to crit more often.

That being said, don’t be discouraged from playing a Half-Orc for non-melee classes as there will still be instances where Relentless Endurance can come in clutch.

Human

Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Civil Militia
- Unlocks Proficiencies
  - Spears, Pikes, Halberds, Glaives, Light Armor, and Shields
Human Versatility
- Select an additional Skill to be Proficient in. Your carrying capacity is increased by a quarter.

The Human won’t be the best race for any class but it also won’t be the worst. Their main draw will be their access to Light Armor and Shields as well as the additional Skill Proficiency if your party needs a skill monkey.

The carrying capacity is a bit pointless unfortunately since you can just send your extra loot to camp instantly.

Tiefling

Base Racial Speed
- 9m per turn
Darkvision
- Can see in the dark up to 12m.
Hellish Resistance
- You have resistance to Fire damage, taking only half damage from it.
Subclasses
- Asmodeus Tiefling
  - Level 1
    - Produce Flame (Cantrip)
  - Level 3
    - Hellish Rebuke (1st level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest
  - Level 5
    - Darkness (2nd level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest
- Mephistopheles Tiefling
  - Level 1
    - Mage Hand (Cantrip)
  - Level 3
    - Burning Hands (1st level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest
  - Level 5
    - Flame Blade (2nd level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest
- Zariel Tiefling
  - Level 1
    - Thaumaturgy (Cantrip)
  - Level 3
    - Searing Smite (1st level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest
  - Level 5
    - Branding Smite (2nd level spell)
      - Refreshes every Long Rest

Tiefling racial bonuses offer resistance to Fire and three different subclass lines of demonic spell progression.

If you want to play a ranged class, the Asmodeus Tiefling may be the best fit since the other two subraces have melee ranged spells. Produce Flame can also be used not only as a damage Cantrip, but also to activate light sources in the environment.

Mephistopheles Tieflings have access to fire magic spells, Burning Hands (a solid AoE option) and Flame Blade, which uses CHR to power its attacks, making it a nice fit with the Pact of Blade Fiend Warlock. The Mage Hand Cantrip they also have provides a wide range of utility ranging from pulling levers to throwing items.

Lastly, we have Zariel Tieflings which have access to Thaumaturgy, Searing Smite, and Branding Smite. Thaumaturgy makes them a good match for Bards or Barbarians in social situations. Searing Smite is a solid melee-ranged spell, but a unique draw of the Zariel subrace is the Branding Smite which provides a Radiant damage option that also helps to counter Invisibility.

Common BG3 Race Questions

Here are a few common questions related to race. If we missed anything, feel free to ask in the comments below.

What is the best BG3 race?

Although any combination of class and race is viable on for beating Tactician mode (the hardest difficulty), if we were forced to make a tier list based purely on race and subrace bonuses, it would be something like:

Githyanki
Half-Orc
Drow, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf,
Halfling, Tiefling
Dwarf
Dragonborn, Human

Can I change my race?

Although you can change your class any time by just spending 100g (unlocked early on), you cannot change your chosen race or origin permanently.

That being said, there are ways to temporarily change your race, such as with spells like Disguise Self!

How impactful is base racial speed?

There will definitely be instances where you feel a lack of movement compared to other races, but with proper planning and positioning, it won’t be too big of a deal.

Plus, the shorter races have some nice racial bonuses to make up for their lack of speed.

Does race affect dialogue choices?

It does! However, most of the time it won’t make much of a difference outside of flavor and lore. There may be a few instances here and there where being a particular race will help or hurt you, but not enough for it to be the reason why you do or don’t choose a race.

Will race affect romance options?

Nope, all romance options can be pursued by any gender or race.

Baldur's Gate 3 Guides

The Beginner’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate 3 Races (Abilities and Class Recommendations)