Backgrounds in the fifth edition of the tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons, serve many uses, they provide several pieces of starting gear, some coin for your purse, some additional proficiency, and a ton of flavor for you to work with as you embody your character and really get into acting out their choices.
Baldur’s Gate 3, being a video game based on the franchise, does not need these heavy role-playing elements intended for a tabletop environment, so it trimmed and streamlined these Backgrounds to better fit a Video Game environment over a tabletop one.
What Are Backgrounds?
When you create a character, you can choose what race your character is and what class they have been devoting their time training to become. Backgrounds complete the triangle and tell us what their life has been like that has shaped them regardless of what they dedicated their training to. An Elf Rogue might have grown up on the streets, struggling to survive, or they may have been born to a noble family and are just stealing for the kicks. Choosing your background can have many impacts on your playthrough, including how NPCs may view your characters.
The Goal Of Backgrounds
Each character will have goals to complete that relate to their background. Some of them are repeatable, while others will be a one-time option. Whenever you complete one of these goals, that character will gain an Inspiration Point, as well as get some Experience Points. You have a limit of four Inspiration Points, with any more being converted into Experience Points. Inspiration Points can be used to re-roll an Ability Check that you might have failed, making them very important when a skill roll is vital for a favorable outcome.
What Background Options Are There?
There are 13 options available at launch, this includes options from all walks of life, each giving you proficiency in two skills. As you gain levels for your character, they will become more proficient and roll higher results. Any skills that they are proficient in will benefit from these results. If Baldur's Gate 3 handles adding new backgrounds in the same manner as the tabletop sourcebooks, we are in for a lot of interesting new backgrounds down the line.
|
Background |
Description |
Proficiencies |
|---|---|---|
|
Acolyte |
You have spent your life in service to a temple, learning sacred rites and providing sacrifices to the god or gods you worship. Serving the gods and discovering their sacred works will lead you to greatness |
Insight and Religion |
|
Charlatan |
You're an expert in manipulation, prone to exaggeration, and more than happy to profit from it. Bending the truth and turning allies against each other will bring you success down the road. |
Deception and Slight of Hand |
|
Criminal |
You have a history of breaking the law and surviving by leveraging less-than-legal connections. Profiting from criminal enterprise will lead to greater opportunities in the future. |
Deception and Stealth |
|
Entertainer |
You live to sway and subvert your audience, engaging common crowds and high society alike. |
Acrobatics and Performance |
|
Folk Hero |
You're a champion of the common people, challenging tyrants and monsters to protect the helpless. Saving innocents in imminent danger will make your legend grow. |
Animal Handling and Survival |
|
Guild Artisan |
Your skill in a particular craft has earned you membership in a mercantile guild, offering privileges and protection while engaging in your art. Repairing and discovering rare crafts will bring new inspiration. |
Insight and Persuasion |
|
Noble |
You were raised in a family among the social elite, accustomed to power and privilege. Accumulating renown, power, and loyalty will raise your status. |
History and persuasion |
|
Hermit |
You were once sworn to seclusion and continue to prefer solitude over the chaos of society. |
Medicine and Religion |
|
Outlander |
You grew up in the wilds, learning to survive far from the comforts of civilization. Surviving the unusual hazards of the wild will enhance your prowess and understanding. |
Athletics and Survival |
|
Sage |
You are curious and well-read, with an unending thirst for knowledge. Learning about the rare lore of the world will inspire you to put this knowledge to a greater purpose. |
Arcana and History |
|
Sailor |
You are familiar with the workings of ships and life at sea, having spent years weathering storms and battling creatures of the deep. |
Athletics and Perception |
|
Soldier |
You are trained in battlefield tactics and combat, having served in a militia, mercenary company, or officer corps. Show smart tactics and bravery on the battlefield to enhance your prowess. |
Athletics and Intimidation |
|
Urchin |
After surviving a childhood on the streets, you know how to make the most out of very little. Using your street smarts bolsters your spirit for the journey ahead. |
Sleight of Hand and Stealth |