The sheer level of depth and detail with character choices and permutations, even in Early Access.
I played a Cleric of Ilmater and found around 3 dialogue options within an hour of playing that weren't just unique to my Cleric, but were unique to my patron god Ilmater, too.
Some of these dialogues were only achieved by following a specific pathway in a quest or dialogue tree as well (usually good outcomes as Ilmater is a 'good' god). The dialogue was fully voiced and the NPCs had unique lines that responded to it.
Considering there are something around 10-15 (!) patron gods in the game right now this is a mind boggling about of possible outcomes. For one class. Whilst the outcome of choosing my [Cleric of Ilmater] dialogue didn't seem to alter much gameplay wise, having this option to interact with the world through my character gave me such a strong sense of identity. I think that's one of the core feelings that makes D&D special, being able to basically astral project yourself into your own character and live within a vivid world full of magic and fantasy. I'm already getting this feeling from early access.
I have to keep reminding myself the game won't be ready for another year or more, and to not get attached to the characters I'm making, so this is a blessing and a burden.
I can't wait to play a druid, and I really hope Larian choose to include more bestial races like Dragonborn! The myriad of races in D&D is one of its biggest strengths for me, as it creates so much opportunity for conflict, identity and interaction. I've seen dragonborn be mentioned in books in the game, and I think Gale mentions one too, so they definitely exist within the world Larian are making. Lizards 2.0!
