Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Variant Human implementation and companion changes

As far as I know, Variant Human is not exactly a subrace and more likely a "toggle" that changes their starting bonus. As such, I suggested it mainly as a toggle in BG3 as well, so that people who want to play +1 to all stats bonus can play without it and people who want Variant Human starting bonuses can play with it.

That was my understanding too. It might from a ruleset perspective function like a subrace and that would probably be the easiest way to implement it technically in game, but as far as I’m aware variant humans aren’t considered in universe to be either mutants or a separate genetic group (or whatever passes for that in the FR!). I’m not sure if there’s actually any in-universe explanation of why some humans might be less jacks of all trades and instead have specialist skills in some areas, though it wouldn’t seem too hard to explain in terms of natural variations within the race. Possibly one of the folks here who know their FR lore can expand on that!

If Minsc would become a companion (likely), he could receive similar treatment and have normal and Variant Human preset stats suitable for different builds that could be switched with a toggle.
For example, as a normal Human he could have stats for a ranged build and as a Variant Human he could have stats for a melee build with a feat that would supplement that.

Variant Human was not announced. I still hope it will be implemented, as it is a starting bonus toggle and not a distinct race / subrace.

There is no lore regarding Variant Humans.
Variant Human isn't a sub-race it is simply an an optional rule in the PHB that gives you a different way to create a Human character.
Although it's used ubiquitously in most D&D sessions it is a variant character creation rule that requires DM permission to use.

The text from the PHB:
"If your campaign uses the optional feat rules from Chapter 5 your Dungeon Master might allow these variant traits, all of which replace the Human's ability score increase trait"

That is what I expected. That means that Larian should not have trouble with adding it as a toggle option, even if it was not announced in the list of races. But we'll see.