Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Which Origin and why

Good analogy, let me extend it some. Each of the DOS2 origin characters have a series of quests linked to their story -- one wants to kill her former slave master, another to stop a queen before she can commit an act of genocide . . . This isn't so different from BG2 where companions had unique quests but what is different is that you, the custom player, don't get any unique quests. In BG2 each class got it's own quests in form of a stronghold. So it would be as if Imoen got the planar sphere, Minsc the ranger's cabin, Jaheria the Druid's grove and you were there just holding their extra equipment.

Agreed. I want to be able to put together a party of only good characters and there should be a good path to follow.

So far I think I'll like shadowheart. She seems to be a substitute for Viconia and I'd be happy if she, like vicky, had redemption route.

It really depends on my character, which I haven't decided yet. Plus I'm likely to play it online, so it also depends on the other person! Likely I would go elven sorceress, cleric or fey pact warlock if available. Maybe druid. Okay, I think you get my point straight away, I'm undecisive :P
As of right now I don't feel particularly drawn to any of the companions. All of them seem too serious and competing to have the edgier background, it's like a big disfunctional family. I'll likely be needing a rogue or a fighter, so Astharion and Lae'zel by process of elimination.

For my PC, like some others have said, I will never use the origin characters as a matter of principle. Making my own character is a critical part of my enjoyment of an RPG, and I can guarantee that no developer will ever create a character that I will ever consider to be my ideal PC.

In terms of creating my PC, I dislike D&D spellcasting and so it would definitely be a melee warrior of some sort. I always go back and forth between a strength-based warrior wielding a two-handed weapon and a dex-based warrior/rogue type with dual-wielding. Race I tend to prefer sticking with human for the strength-based builds and elf for the dex-based builds. I don't care for playing shorties, though I have occasionally played dwarfs.

For my party, otoh, it will be strictly the origin characters and not generic mercenaries. Unlike for my PC, for party companions I definitely like them to be fully fleshed out and with their own stories and such, so no generics. But I also must have only non-evil characters in my party (good or at least neutral), so I am concerned about whether the game will provide me with at least three origin characters who are not only non-evil but also provide good range with respect to the different roles that need to be filled in a well-balanced D&D party. The latter point, though, is going to be very hard to achieve anyway, with only a party of four. A balanced party for me is DPS melee warrior (my PC), tank, rogue, healer, arcane caster. This is why I will never get to use eclectic classes/builds, unfortunately, because there won't be a spot for them within my must-be-balanced party of just four.

Thanks for the explanation.
I really understand better why it could be cool especially for MP players.
Imoen was also the exemple I had in mind.

That gives also a good explanation about the meeting with all of them at the early begining of the game.

Do we know how big the party will be? Is four only confirmed like in DOS2? Can we switch between members in camp, like in Dragon Age or will we be sticking with our chosen companions for the duration of this adventure? I just want to confirm, since 4 seems to be the ideal number, even though the older BG games we had up to 6 members in a party.

It´s confirmed that BG3 would have 4 player coop multiplayer. I do not know if that could change in SP.
The standard party size in D&D is 4 players. (Standard as: this is the size WOTC makes his campaigns for. You usually have to tweak it later)

Right now there are only 5 origin companions that we know of, and that would be too few for a 6-man-party, but that could change.

I will probably use a custom character so the game feels more like BG1+2.
I want only companions in my party, no mercenaries.
I am sure there will be more companions than the ones already known.

Probably I will use a bard of lore, a skill monkey with many spells.
High cha and dex and criminal background so I am good in casting, talking and the typical rogue skills.
When your main char is good in many things you have more freedom in selecting your companions.

I prefer my own custom character. However, I might turn to origin characters for the storyline once I have explored every noon and cranny of the game with my PC.

If I do make a custom character I am thinking of a Tiefling Warlock or a Drow Wizard. Sage for the background. Fiend Patron for the Tiefling. Not sure which magic specialization for the Drow. The sorcerer class doesn't have subclass options that really interest me.

I think a Drow Warlock would make better use of the Charisma and a High Elf Wizard for the intelligence and extra cantrip.

Anyway I have happily settled on my chosen Origin Character of Wyll the Warlock for the face of the party with damage dealing magic, Shadow heart the Cleric for healing magic, Lae'zel the fighter and Astarion the rogue. Pretty well rounded team I think. I think I have Astarion as an Arcane Trickster to make the most of his High Elf racial bonus, with a focus on archery, and Lae'zel would make a perfect Eldritch Knight as a Githyanki. So all my characters will be able to use a spell or two to help them out of a tricky situation. Wyll has a Fiend pact for firepower and a pact of chains for a useful imp familiar and Shadowheart has her Trickery domain to befuddle the enemy. My dream team is realised, now the waiting game begins.

Tiefling works just as well for Charisma so does Half-Elf, a Drow Warlock would make sense, and I might consider it if I don't like the Origin character.

I probably won't play an origin character this time around, even if I have enjoyed playing as Lohse in DOS2 a whole lot. None of them appeal to me as much as she did, and well, I tend to prefer playing my own custom character.

What the custom character will be, will depend on the options. If I can, I would love to recreate my High Elf, Hexblade Warlock with Blade pact, which, while perhaps not the most optimal combination, was a lot of fun. Because we already had a bard (however annoying he was she says through gritted teeth), I have decided to instead focus my proficiencies on the Intellect skills, and sacrifice Constitution for Int. My investigation, history and arcana weren't perhaps as that of a Wizard, but we didn't have one for half a campaign, so /shrug

If I can't be a Hexblade (awww), I will probably choose between tiefling Fiendlock (or sorlock?), or high elf Eldritch Knight. Paladin is also interesting mechanically, but I'm just into the roleplay of that...maybe if there is a non-divine reflavour of them as a mod...but if I'm playing around with mod ideas, I might as well try to get/make Hexblade work.

Was going to do a custom to start, but I agree with most comments that there isnt enough detail around them to make me pick one.