What class/race will your character/origin character be in your first play through when we finally get full release?

I have an neutral evil wizard character I've been developing that I'll probably use at this point.

Initially I thought, in honor of my very first guy all those years ago in Candlekeep, I'd make a gnome thief/illusionist, but I'm wondering if I won't play an origin character first.

My first EA character was a Halfling Wizard, and I still kind of want to continue her story, too. I'll really have to wait to see what the game will be like closer to release I think

A (mostly) good elf sorcerer!

I gues it really depends on what we will have in the end ... and how it will look.

I would really like to start with my kinda Chaotic Neutral Half-Orc Barbarian ...
But if Half-Orcs wouldnt look as i would like, im not sure if i ever will. :-/

So in that case either Gnome Wizard, or Tiefling Warlock ...
Most likely Warlock tho.

Well if you had asked me before EA, I would have said without a doubt that my first playthrough would be a chaotic/neutral good tiefling warlock (Fey patron pact of the blade) as well, but honestly I think there's a decent chance I go with a neutral good seladrine drow ranger. I played that (tried and failed to go evil) early on in EA so that I wouldn't burn myself out on warlock come full release and I really enjoyed it.

Most likely a female Wood elf Bard (College of Lore).
She went to Baldur's Gate so she could have more opportunities to learn about bards and their music/magic.

She's also a Guild Artisan. Mostly working with wood (Duh).
At first, she was mainly crafting bows and training swords. But then, she learned to craft wooden musical instruments as well.
I'm envisioning her as some sort of Will Turner (from PoTC) where she learns to craft and also to use what she crafts.

I already have the lists of spell I want her to learn (I've made a spreadsheet 😅).
The spells were selected according to my own interpretation of racial/class traits and her personality.

To give a few examples of how my logic works:

• Mask of the Wild (Wood elf trait)? Seems to me like the next step should be Disguise Self and (Greater) Invisibility.
• Fleet of Foot (Wood elf trait)? How about Misty Step?
• She's from a forest and has Fey Ancestry? Conjure Woodland Beings, right up! Might as well learn Speak with Animals (and maybe Conjure Animals) while we're there.
• She wants to be a proper bard? Better learn spells like Dissonant Whispers, Thunderwave, Calm Emotion and Hypnotic Pattern.
• She's a good noodle? Healing Word (and maybe Greater Restoration) then.

I hope the conjuring spells will be done well. We will see ^^

My next pick would be a male Seldarine Drow Sorcerer.

I have no clue - it all depends who will be the remaining companions. I don't have a class that I have particular interest in at the moment. I was thinking that bard is a good option, as I am unlikely to take Astarion, but I didn't enjoy playing as bard much so far. Reaction revamp might change it, but it might not. We will see.

My first playthrough will probably be as an origin character, but my first Tav...

...is hard to say because there's still so much I haven't seen. Subclasses for the wizard, the assassin for the rogue, and the champion for the fighter. Not to mention the monk and paladin, of course.

At the moment I'm leaning toward a githyanki wizard with the soldier background.

Aasimar (cries) Paladin.

First: AvahZ Darkwood (N/G)
Half-Elf Fighter/Druid or Paladin (Oath of Ancients) depending on how it’s implemented.
Will save everyone at grove. May use illithid power up to first ability.

Second: Cobalt Walker (C/E)
Human: Paladin Oath Breaker if possible. If not Paladin/Warlock patron Atropos (Great Old one if I have to would rather be The Undead) https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Atropus
http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/warlock:undead
Will side with the Goblins to ruin the grove to spite Sylvanus. Hates the gods and all they stand for (All thing’s die and so should the gods). Will not use the illithid powers.

Third: Myst Windlore (T/N)
Elf: Sorcerer (Silver Dragon) specializes in Ice Magics (No not a Disney copy lol, she was an original in og BG)
Will save all in Grove. Will use illithid power, may stop at first power.

Fourth: Rah Rah (C/N)
Drow: Bard/Thief
Will steal idol for Mol and thus kill Druids. Kill goblins (Not a Spider Queen Draw) Will use illithid power sparingly. Will join the Zhentarim. Yes, you can join them in EA. Have to be a Thief and convince (don’t remember his name) the guy you saved from the gnolls to sell the chest.

But wait there’s MORE

Fifth: Zebulon (C/N)
Tiefling: Barbarian
Will kill Druids, kill goblins and use the illithid power how ever he wants.

My char will likely be a drow necormancer - if no necromancer then warlock. Playing an entirely evil character that wants to secretly destroy baulders gate and enslave everything and everyone, and once they are all enslaved, go on an torture the nps until they die.

Oh my second play through, play a square who is purely good to a fault. That class will be a elf who is a Druid duel classing with a bard.

The final play through will be a chaotic prick that will be astarions / raphael’s favourite best friend. This character will be a tiefling and have a class of blood rager.

I'm going with custom party and already have two chars set in stone:

Of course Lotus a V-Human - Thief (LVL 12) - Dual wielding hand crossbows and I hope they add Ninjatōs (a variant of short swords) for more flavor to the game. The background will be Criminal for now, as long as they don't add my beloved Faction Agent.

Nyria a V-Human - Trickery Cleric (LVL 4) / Lore Bard (LVL 8) of Waukeen - club with shield + lute and hopefully a blowpipe (to give the coup de grace) for flavor. She will hopefully be a Guild Merchant for either alchemy or gems, as befits a rogue mercenary band.


I will also be joining the Zhentarim. But as of now, it's more Robin Hood-like. We will see how it goes on with the Zhentarim until the end of the game. I plan to accompany them on a better path. I like their "gray" style. At least the smarter ones of them know that they shouldn't be too cruel, because it makes no sense to rule over a graveyard. Dead people don't bring income. I want to use their family ties to do good from the shadows. In their competition, they end up fighting other evil factions. So far, I've been able to make good decisions to do this (e.g., convincing Brem to release Oskar). However, if they really only stand out as abysmally evil later in the game (i.e., from the options available to us), then I'll weed them out and join The Guild instead. Since I'm a mercenary, I can hopefully join several organizations and infiltrate and betray one or the other if necessary.


I don't know the other two character slots yet. I would like to have them filled with non-PHB classes. Currently they would be:

Rakdos a Zariel-Tiefling Berserker all the time throwing enemies and items in his frenzy mode. I would also love to multiclass him with the https://www.5esrd.com/database/classoption/thrown-weapons-master-3pp/ I really love this because it's just something new and varied to the usual ranged combat style with bows or spells. I would also complement it with a slingshot, which is also a strength-based weapon. However, I can also imagine playing him as a Gloomstalker / Blood Hunter (Profane Soul) with Bounty Hunter background. But then I lose the alternative ranged playstyle (frenzy mode for BA ranged attack is just too elemental). I'm also a bit skeptical about Blood Rites, because of Speak with Dead. If I kill every enemy with elemental damage the spell is useless. Well, but these subclasses probably won't find their way into the game yet, and I would have time to test NPCs that are eligible for Speak with Dead during playthroughs. On the other hand I'm thinking about Gandrel (at least Monsterhunter subclass?) and there are rumors about Helia a Werewolf counterpart to Astarion (which implies a BH with Order of the Lycan subclass).

The last slot is currently planned for a Battlemaster Half Orc named Sorin. And there are many other awesome non PHB Classes I cant mentioned too often: Arcane Archer, Raven Knight, Hexblade, Echo Knight, Artificier. You know its difficult, especially with just a limited Party of 4...

If the modding gods love me...
Thri-Kreen - Beast Master Ranger/Rogue(exact blend depends on lvl cap). Sentinel whip & shield + dual hand crossbows. Requires mods for both race and whip as a weapon option.

I'll be lucky though if Thri-Kreen is added at all, let alone for release so more likely...
Custom Drow couple. Light Cleric & Warlock. Possibly both dual class not 100% sure yet. They would be joining the above Tav for a custom 3 some party( O.o ) start if I can make him.

I haven't decided yet. Before I can know I need to know...

1. If there are going to be any unexpected classes or subclasses added.
2. If there are going to be any unexpected races added.
3. What companions will be in the game at launch.
4. Will companions be class locked.
5. What will all of the origin options be? Because if a particularly awesome origin character comes out - I may play as them in my first play through. So far none of the available ones would appeal to me over Tav though. I actually tend to prefer this route (as an example I think playing as Geralt in The Witcher and Kratos in God of War is a lot more interesting than build-your-own)... but none of the origin characters come off as that amazing to me. They seem great as companions and to learn about - but not to play as.

Probably a boring ass Human College of Valor Bard. I'd hope Variant Human is a thing so I can get Sharpshooter feat right off the bat.

If BG3 decides to change Paladin smite mechanics so that you can smite with ranged weapons, I'd probably entertain a 2 level multiclass dip into Paladin and then take advantage of all the Bard spell slots to be constantly smiting. Especially considering that Bards don't have much in the way of direct offensive spells. Though depending on where the final level cap is, this might not be that good of a plan (since I would be delaying Magical Secrets by 2 levels doing this, and that's something Valor Bards normally get at level 10).

I'll probably make my two current p&p characters:

Liya Tana - halfelf lore bard/ archfey warlock


Olenna Shadowblade - tiefling hexblade/ sorcerer ( clockwork in p&p, but with sorcerer I'm open to most subclasses, the hexblade will be modded - there already is a great hexblade mod out there).

As a maybe third playthrough:

Mirabelle Layne- gnome rogue/ wizard

Main playthrough will be neutral evil Drow Lolth Sworn ranger hunter ( or Gloomstalker if added by mods.) This will most likely be using companions.

Will also play Draconic sorcerer, race probably some sort of elf or half elf and alignment probably some sort of neutral or evil. This will most likely be in a full or partial custom group depending on which companions annoy me the least after my first playthrough. If full custom then I will also have a rogue, ranger, and warlock or wizard to make up the rest of the party.

Lore bard, either half wood elf or drow.
In BG1 I had a bard and it was the most useless char in my party.
Since then I wanted to play a bard again to redeem them but it never happened so far.
Now that they are full casters and skill monkeys they look good.
I try to be chaotic good and not using tadpole at all.


The game looks so huge that I will be happy to finish it once.
But if I play it again maybe as evil paladin of vengeance.
I like it that paladins are no longer forced to be lawful good.

I generally like to play as a half-elf ranger, but I'm giving bard a try this go-round.

A Githyanki Eldritch Knight that's both ally and an arrogant competitor to Lae'zel.
Unconditional service to Vlaakith.
Would go straight to the Githyanki creche at release and not bother with the teethlings ^^

A noble Dwarf with an Historian background! Shield & Axe as main weapons

Strongly depends on the last races they add when the game releases.

A Dragonborn Druid if all PHB races are added.

A Half-Orc Druid (Possible Barbarian multi-class) if they decide the reptile head is too complicated.

A Lizardfolk Druid if my wildest dreams come true.

The Dragonborn is a traveling scholar who believes creatures born of magic chicanery are still living things and thus deserve his Circle's protection, so he aspires to create a refuge for the unnatural living things of the world to live freely and safely.

The Half-Orc is the product of an illicit affair between his noble adventurer mother and an orcish warlord she fell in love with. He ended up living on the streets after his mother passed away, but was picked up and trained by his mom's old adventuring companion; a halfling druid.

The Lizardfolk is a servant of a Green Dragon that rules over his tribe. He was sent out to become an adventurer by his dragon-god so that he could accumulate wealth and bring it back to enrich his hoard, as well as bring back information about the wider world.

A gorgeous, highly educated and somewhat spoiled sorceress from a noble family(most probably half elf) who is used to handle even the slightest inconvenience with her magic. Having a tiny amount of know-it-all attitude she will point out to Gale that she was born with magic and he was not, every chance she gets. While secretly admiring him for his intelligence and fantasizing about what's underneath that robe of his...

Is that backstory a cliché? Yes, yes it is. I don't care :P The stuck up attitude of the general Aes Sedai (for those of you who have read Wheels of Time) is how I imagine a sorceress every time :P

It depends on whether we're stuck with the Baldurian tag or not. The only things that are set in stone is that the character is a male human or half-elf and will be either fighter (champion), rogue, bard, ranger or paladin if we're stuck with the tag.

Im affraid we are ...
Underdark, Plannar, or Baldur's Gate. :-/

I hope they'll reconsider and add a few more, even if they are limited to Amn, Swordcoast, Western Heartlands, etc. or something like "Outlander".
Otherwise the outlander background doesn't make much sense. I'd love to play as a barbarian (berserker) or druid, but if I'm forced to have the Baldurian tag that won't happen.

Yeah i get what you mean.
But honestly? Dont seem like much problem to me ...

As long as you never pick any [Baldurian] dialogue choice ... so far it seems like you are prefectly fine as Outlander.
Also ... i can quite easily imagine person who was born in Baldur's Gate ... therefore have Baldur's Gate origin tag ... but spend last decade or two in the wilderness ... therefore have Outlander background.

Until they add into character creation that we are forced to be Baldurian, I choose to pretend that tag does not exist. It makes no sense to create a character (and most of us probably come up with a location in the backstory) and then find out later that we can't be who we think we are. And you are absolutely right that it makes no sense for an Outlander background.

Cool backstories love...... the imagination on this forum.

Yeah, there's some really fun stuff in this thread.

In terms of background, my Seladrine ranger will be one whose job it is to hunt down Lolth-sworn drow who are escaping to the surface. She's genuinely a good person who defies Lolth on principle, but she's still haughty and arrogant, viewing other races with a degree of condescention. She's also got a bit of a ruthless streak. Not to the point of crossing the line to evil, but she's willing to make a few ethical sacrifices and not lose sleep over it. If the goal is important enough, she'll employ sketchier methods.

I should probably think of a good backstory for my tiefling.

I will create a male human Ranger (that looks like me with long locks) with the Folk Hero background. I did some research into the city of Baldur's Gate in the 5th Edition time frame, and the poor folk need a vigilante hero to defend them because the Flaming Fist sure as hell ain't doing it.

Seldarine Drow Bard, college of Lore, super-devoted to Elistraee (I hope we get a mod that allows every class to pick a god, like the Cleric does atm) on a neverending quest to annoy Gale. Being a Seldarine born on the surface, she wouldn't know much about the Underdark but would get very invested in the Society of Brillaince and in visiting the library of Gravenhollow (two things I really hope the devs will expand upon!). For act one, she would make it her mission to discover as much as possible about the NightSong the moment she hears about it.

Alingment wise, I see her as chaotic good.

My character is a very sturdy dwarven cleric of Moradin. He's the soul of the party - very difficult to put down and keeps allies alive and buffed at all times. A true tank/support both in combat and outside of it.

Either helf-elf chaotic or neutral good sorceror (wild mage) with potentially a dip into warlock.

Or a half-elf paladin, probably lawful neutral or good. It will depend on how I like the playstyle of paladin when it's released.

Down the road I'll play a neutral evil bard too.

Love reading the backstories here <3
Myself, I might go with my classic Half-elf Wild Magic Sorceress, whom I usually play as a pompous Baldur's Gate Noble 😅
But I'm also very tempted to play a Githyanki rogue and romance Lae'zel 🥺

My 1st playthrough will be a half-elf red dragon bloodline sorcerer with Charlatan background (my 1st dnd 5e character ever made).

He loves gambling and hitting on pretty faces as well as having a lot of money to spend on alcohol and parties ;>

Most of the decisions will be chaotic/good alligned and I will try to rid off the tadpole (and not kill myself in the process)

I will try to recruit all of the infected origin characters as well as npcs (Withers, Halsin Barcus Root) to keep me company at the camp. The more the merrier!

As for romance options I was planning to have Shadowheart on the side of my bedroll at first, but after I heard Lae'zel saying 'I want to ride a red dragon', I cannot resist but help this poor githyanki to fulfill her dream (I repeat, red dragon bloodline sorcerer). Or maybe Larian will give me this 'shared arrangrment' option so I don't have to choose

I've already answered Bard but...please, hear me out.

Until recently, "Paladin" meant to me :
- Either the knight in shining armor trope
- Or the dark knight / avenger type

And I don't vibe with those ones.

To each their own, of course. After all, Batman is a very popular character😄
Plus, not every player follows the same tropes. But, I still don't find those types of paladin inspiring.


But (!), after doing some more reading :
A) I've learnt those types of paladin only mean Oath of Devotion and Oath of Vengeance. Still not interested in those.
B) I've learnt that I love the Oath of Redemption and its Tenets. I find myself wanting to create a paladin now. Never thought I'd see the day 😅.

However, only classes and sub-classes from the PHB were confirmed to be implemented in BG3.
Soooo...I've checked the PHB again. And, honestly...I could totally vibe with the Oath of the Ancients as well.
I love this. I still miss the notion of redemption but it's compelling enough to make me want to play a paladin on my first playthrough and to jump on the "please-release-the-paladin-class-during-EA" bandwagon.


T.L.D.R : I've overcome some preconceptions and I will now (most likely) by playing a Moon Elf (always an elf) Paladin following the Oath of the Ancients 💚.

EDIT : Backstory (a general draft or course)
She a Moon Elf paladin who has decided to take the Oath of the Ancients. She uses her charm, wits, agility and dexterity to fight the dark and despair (DEX based paladin). Sometimes her words and/or compassion alone are enough to put an end to an altercation. While her fighting style could be seen as a form of art in and of itself, she also uses her mastery of movements and sense of humor to entertain people (Entertainer background). And in such, bringing the light through art, beauty and laughter. This resonates well with those two tennets :

Red Draconic sorcerer from the noble background who takes pride in being the descendant of a dragon, and who is borderline obsessed with loot, wealth, and becoming the strongest sorcerer that has ever been and that will ever be.

In 3.5e it would be simple. Easiest to play for the first playthrough is human, because of two talents at L1.

In 5e... hm... I guess I'll go with the one with the best looking females, which is the Drow.

And I think it will be Sorcerer class, the one I like best.

I'm leaning heavily towards a male half-drow ranger knight.