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When making characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, it can be tough to know just which backgrounds to pick for your character. To know which background you should pick, there are a couple of things you should understand about backgrounds in general first.
All Baldur’s Gate 3 backgrounds grant characters twoskill proficienciesand determines what willinspirethem throughout the game. You can only pick one for your character. If you decide to play one of theorigin characters, their background is already selected and it cannot be changed. Additionally, you cannot change your background character after character creation – not even with Withers.
So, let us get right into backgrounds and which classes have the best synergy with them!
Acolyte is the background ofShadowheartand it gives proficiency in bothinsightandreligion. Sinceinsightis a Wisdom-based ability andreligionis an Intelligence-based ability, you will get the most use out of this with a class that specializes in one of those stats.
We recommend that you use Acolyte with Cleric. With the Acolyte background, you get inspiration any time you serve or worship a god or whenever you resurrect an ally. This pairs nicely withCleric, the class that channels godly divinity to cast spells.
The Charlatan is a master of manipulation and exaggeration, and the background of our very ownAstarion. Charlatan gives proficiency in the skillsdeceptionandsleight of hand, which are Charisma- and Dexterity-based, respectively.
Right off the bat, this background seems like it would be most beneficial forRogue– and you would be correct in assuming this!Roguepairs extremely well with Charlatan because it would boost its ability to lockpick and pickpocket.
Another good pick for this background isBard. Expert storytellers,Bardshave a huge pool of Charisma to draw on for its spellcasting and for the social aspects of the game. TheBardwould be able to capitalize on Charlatan’s boost todeceptionreadily.
Charlatans gaininspirationprimarily by dialogue choices in the game. Any time you can talk your way out of a fight, or trick an NPC, you will gaininspiration.
Criminal is a great background if you want to roleplay an evil character, or if you want to play aRogue. Criminal gives the character proficiency indeception(Charisma) andstealth(Dexterity), which is extremely helpful forRogueboth in and out of combat.
The boost to stealth helpsRoguein particular because ofRogue’sability toStealth Attackbefore combat starts. Pairing this background withRogue’sAssassinsubclass capitalizes on this synergy.
In general, Criminals gaininspirationfrom stealing, murder, and escaping jail. You can do these things at any point in the game, so it is an easy choice if you want to max out yourinspirationas quickly as possible.
Entertainer
Entertainer is another background on the list without anorigin characterto pair with. It is an excellent choice forBards– the obvious choice, really – due to the bonus toacrobatics(Dexterity) andperformance(Charisma).
Performancebonuses are great to have when you come upon them in dialogue. There are plenty of chances to use it throughout the game and might just save you if you would more than likely fail any other skill check at your disposal.Bardwill also haveAdvantageonperformanceskill checks.
PaladinorWarlockare other decent options for this background, though not as popular compared to other backgrounds. ThePerformanceskill is capitalized on by both class’s Charisma.
Entertainers gaininspirationfrom dialogue throughout the story, particularly when you speak toVoloorAlfira.
Folk Hero is the background of theWarlock Wylland theRanger Minsc.
This background provides bonuses toanimal handlingandsurvival, which are both Wisdom-based skills. These two skills are handy for any class really, so you could pick it safely for anything. However, a class that used Wisdom will take the most advantage of this background.
We recommend you use Folk Hero forRangers. The boost toanimal handlingandsurvivalis a healthy immersive detail for theRanger, andRanger’sthird-most important stat is Wisdom (third to Dexterity and Constitution).
You could also pick Folk Hero forDruid, but sinceDruidcan useSpeak with Animalsanyway, we do not recommend this if your goal is to min-max.
Folk Heroes gaininspirationfrom, well, being heroic. Any time you save people in your adventure, you will gain a point ofinspiration. If you plan to play a good character, you will max out yourinspirationquickly.
Guild Artisan
Guild Artisans are crafters, members of mercantile guilds. This background does not really do well from the roleplay side of this game, as there is no real crafting system in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, this background gives skill proficiency ininsight(Wisdom) andpersuasion(Charisma). These two skills areextremelyuseful throughout the game and can save you a lot of trouble on your adventure.
This is another background you could arguably take for anyone, butBardorWarlockwill make the most of it due to their strong Charisma stats and just how oftenpersuasioncomes up in the story. That said,Druidis also a wonderful choice for the sake ofinsight’simpact on the story.
Guild Artisans will gaininspirationwhenever you sell an item that is worth at least1000 goldor when you trade with someone who hasHigh approvalwith you.
Haunted One
Haunted One is a particularly special background, as you can only pick it if you plan to playDark Urge.
The Haunted One will receive a bonus tomedicine(Wisdom) andintimidation(Charisma). From a roleplaying aspect, this makes sense as theDark Urgeis a particularly violent character and knows its way around murder.
As for which class to take, well, we recommendMonk.Monkis a Wisdom-based melee fighter, so its Wisdom skill with capitalize on themedicinechecks that will come up throughout theDark Urgestory. For the same reason, you could pickClericorDruid. The latter choice may even lend some roleplay flavor.
Sorcereris not a bad choice here, either. A Charisma-based class,Sorcerercould make skillful use of theintimidationskill. It is worth noting that theDark Urgeis originally meant to be aSorcererif you choose not to change anything about it in character creation.
Haunted Ones will gaininspirationwhenever they give in to or resist theirDark Urge, and whenever they kill 5 enemies in a single round of combat.
Noble is the background of our very own potential companion, the DrowMinthara.
The Noble background gives proficiency in the skillshistory(Intelligence) andpersuasion(Charisma). Right off the bat, we would recommend you playWizardwith this background – being the only intelligence-based class in the game to take full advantage of thathistorybonus.
Other good choices here would be any class that uses Charisma, likeWarlock,Ranger, Monk, Paladin,Druid,andSorcerer. You could take this background for any class, and it would benefit becausepersuasionis valuable to have for the story.
Nobles gaininspirationwhenever they acquire aSoul Coin, when they reach2000 goldamong the party, when they use their wealth to bribe guards, or when they ignore the pleas or requests of a companion in dialogue.
Outlanders are another popular background in the party, being the backgrounds of bothHalsinandKarlach.
The Outlander background gives the character a bonus to theirathletics(Strength) andsurvival(Wisdom) skills. Any strength-based class will do very well with Outlander, but we would recommend this one for eitherFightersorBarbarians.
There are not many classes other than the tankiest of melee classes that will make use ofathleticsin the way thatFightersorBarbarianscan. Additionally, you will want to build either of these classes with ten or more Wisdom, so you will not have to worry about building with a useless skill.
Outlanders gaininspirationfrom encounters out in the field. It will not cap yourinspirationright away, though, so be mindful of that.
Our belovedWizard Gale of Waterdeephas the Sage background, and it makes sense.
Sage pairs very well with Wizard on account of its bonuses toarcanaandhistory, which are both Intelligence-based.
It is kind of a no-brainer here. If you are not planning to pick a background for roleplay reasons, then Sage istheWizardbackground.
Sages will earninspirationwhenever they useSpeak with Deadto get some information. You will also get inspiration when you correctly followGale’sinstructions to resurrect him.
Soldier is the background for the fierce companionsJaheiraandLae’zel, aDruidandFighter,respectively.
Soldier is another one of those backgrounds that just works very well with a lot of different classes. This background gives you proficiency inathletics(Strength) andintimidation(Charisma). We recommend you pair this background with aPaladinor aBarbarian.
Barbarianwill get the most out of this because of its naturalAdvantageonintimidationskill checks. You may not have the most charismaticBarbarian, but the bonus coupled with theAdvantagewill see you pass mostintimidationchecks anyway.
Soldiers getinspirationwhenever they survive a fight in which they kill 10 or more enemies, kill 5 enemies in a single turn, or defeat a boss in one strike.
Urchin is another background with all the trappings attractive toRogues. Urchin gives the character proficiency insleight of handandstealth, which are both Dexterity-based skills. There is no argument thatRoguemakes significant use of these from a flavor and stat perspective.
However, and bear with me here,Monkcould also make use of these proficiencies. You would pick this background with the intent to build aWay of ShadowMonk, whose primary stats areDexterity and Wisdom.
Urchin characters will gaininspirationas they go through the story and pick certain options throughout. InAct One, you will getinspirationif you choose to fill your plate atRaphael’s House of Hope, or during interactions withMol’sgang of thieves.
Whatever background you pick for your character, have fun with it! Backgrounds do not have huge impacts on stats or damage, so pick whichever one suits your character’s needs.
Safe travels, adventurers!
Baldur’s Gate 3: Barbarian Beginner Guide
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