Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Build Discussion Tool, music instrument and language proficiencies not tied to background?

There are indeed no tool proficiencies, no languages.

Thieves tools don’t need proficiency, just like you don’t need proficiency in a poisoners kit. If you have proficiency in sleight of hand then you have proficiency in thieves tools since that’s what’s used for picking locks, disabling traps, and picking pockets alike in this game.

All backgrounds give 2 skill proficiencies, no more and no less. The urchin background, with stealth and sleight of hand, arguably *does* give you thief-lite capabilities (lite since most rogues imho will put expertise into those two instead of just proficiency).

Musical instruments appear to be the exception to no tool proficiencies being in game for some reason, but any character can get them for free (check the wiki, help Alvira). Once obtained you just use performance checks, which is indeed granted by the background in question.