When getting started in Baldur’s Gate 3, one of the first important choices the player is tasked with is selecting a Race. This can be a difficult choice, a race impacts character classes, in-game interactions, and even access to certain areas of the map.
All of the races in Baldur’s Gate 3 have racial features that provide additional attributes to individual abilities, making some ideal starting choices over others. These are some of the races you can make for any of the classes you can play in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Find Dribbles the Clown’s Body Parts in BG3
What Race Should You Pick For Any Class in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Barbarian
Barbarians are wild and fierce, using the Rage ability to fuel dangerous attacks. You’ll want a high amount of Strength and Constitution, which can be gained through pairing the class with a specific race. Below are the races we would recommend for a Barbarian in BG3.
- Dragonborn
- Drow
- Dwarf
- Elf
- Githyank
- Half-Orc
- Human
- Tiefling
Bard
For anyone who wants to play musical instruments and support your party members from a distance, Bard is a wonderful class in Baldur’s Gate 3. You’ll be playing your instrument to cause chaos on the battlefield, buffing your party members with increased advantages in combat, or finding openings against the enemies, making it more difficult for them to successfully make their rolls. While the Bard is a good class for any race in BG3, here are a few we have picked as standout options.
- Dragonborn
- Elf
- Gnome
- Half-Elf
- Halfing
- Human
Cleric
Hands down, you want to make sure your cleric has a high wisdom score. The better their Wisdom score, the higher the chance your spells hit incoming enemies and make them more potent. Clerics are also strong fighters, and having high Strength and a decent Constitution score is essential. You probably don’t need to rely on dexterity, along with Intelligence. However, Charisma can also prove useful because you add your proficiency score to your Charisma saving throws, proving exceptionally useful during combat. Here are a few BG3 races good for playing as a Cleric.
- Dragonborn
- Dwarf
- Githyanki
- Half-Elf
- Half-Orc
- Human
- Shield and Gold Dwarf
Druid
For those who want to get in touch with nature and their animal powers, Druids are fearsome opponents, capable of being a frontline take, or a magical support class. There are a variety of races that meld well with this class, so long as you keep your Wisdom score in mind, and build how you want to react in combat, leaning into your Strength or Constitution checks. Here are a few BG3 race options to try pairing with Druid.
- Dragonborn
- Elf
- Half-Elf
- Half-Orc
- Human
- Tiefling
Fighter
A fighter is your bulky attacker. They’re skilled in combat, and you can choose to make them viable at ranged or melee, depending on your preference and how you want to build your party. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are your most important skills, making them a much more physical character. They usually have lower Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. Here are a few BG3 races we think pair well with the Fighter class.
- Elf
- Dragonborn
- Drow (more dexterity-based)
- Githyanki
- Shield Dwarf
- Strongheart Halfling
Monk
Monks are exceptional fighters who want to have the frontline. They’re capable of wielding a variety of heavy attacks that make them a fearsome force against any opponent, and they can close the distance extremely well. Although they might not be a traditional Tank, they can certainly do a wide range of damage, depending on how they use their Ki points, the primary way they tap into their powerful abilities. The majority of BG3 races can succeed as a Monk.
- Dragonborn
- Drow
- Dwarf
- Elf
- Half-Elf
- Half-Orc
- Halfling
- Human
- Tiefling
Paladin
Defending your party and keeping to your oath is fundamental to the Paladin. They are typically on the frontline, standing between your party and any big threats that they find in most encounters. They might not be the ones leading the conversations in most campaigns, but they do more talking with their weapons and magic than anything else in Baldur’s Gate 3. Below are the races we would recommend for a Paladin.
- Dragonborn
- Dwarf
- Githyanki
- Gnome
- Half-Orc
- Human
Ranger
The ranger is your more dexterity-based combatant, who knows a mild degree of spells with various skills. You want to focus on having high Dexterity for combat, good wisdom for your spells, a fair Constitution, and better-than-average strength and Charisma. You don’t need to worry about Intelligence as much, and if you must have a lower Charisma for higher, more critical abilities, that’s a good choice. Elves, Drow, and Humans are the preferred Race choices for Rangers in BG3.
- Elf
- Drow
- Human
- Half-elf
- Lightfoot Halfling
Rogue
The rogue is the sneaky assassin of your group. They are notoriously good at entering the shadows and attacking foes by surprise, dealing incredible amounts of damage. Much like a ranger, you want to have a higher dexterity ability, but you also want a decent amount of intelligence for your saving throws. Several unique skills like perception and insight are helpful for a group, and they rely on wisdom, making it an excellent ability to have higher than usual. To make sure your rogue doesn’t die after a few hits, having a good constitution score also goes a long way. Here are a few race options in BG3 that fit well with a rogue.
- Elf
- Drow
- Human
- Half-elf
- Lightfoot Halfling
Sorcerer
Sorcerers are powerful magical wielders that were born into the magical life. They’re capable of unleashing a variety of spells, relying on their Charisma score to give them aid in combat. How you want to approach this class is up to you, but you typically want to stick to the backline and protect your party in Baldur’s Gate 3. Here are our picks for race when building a Sorcerer.
- Dragonborn
- Elf
- Gnome
- Half-Elf
- Halfling
- Human
Warlock
Warlocks have decided to give themselves over to an all-powerful being in exchange for incredible spells. The primary skill feeding warlocks is charisma, so you want to make sure this is high. You want to keep your warlock at a distance, primarily doing spellwork, but you don’t want them to be too squishy. Having a decent constitution and dexterity scores could help you to stay alive longer. Several of your skills, such as arcana, investigation, history, or religion, require a decent intelligence score to effectively use them. Here are the BG3 races we recommend for warlock.
- Asmodeus and Mephistopheles Tiefling
- Human
- Half-elf
- Lightfoot Halfling
Wizard
The final choice is the wizard, another powerful magic practitioner with a variety of spells available to them. Their primary ability score is intelligence, making that your most practical choice. Much like a warlock, you don’t want them to be too squishy, so having points in dexterity and constitution are vital, so they’re not going down every encounter. If you want them to be useful during conversations and potentially get themselves out of a mess, a decent charisma score helps. While any Baldur’s Gate 3 class can be a wizard, here are a few races we think stand out.
- High Elf
- Asmodeus and Mephistopheles Tiefling
- Human
- Half-Elf
Need more advice? Check out Gamepur’s complete Baldur’s Gate 3 guide for battle strategies, story tips, and BG3 gameplay breakdowns.
