Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Background advantages beyond proficiency?

So here's something I'm wondering about in the full game. We get two proficiencies from our background currently, yes? However, said backgrounds provide several other benefits according to the PHB, though a lot of them aren't particularly relevant in act one. They could be noted, however, like how the criminal background gets a completely reliable underworld contact (and there are a few less than savory types transporting to Baldur's gate that could pass a message off to your contact there, letting them know you're alive, though with no immediate benefit) or how having noble background has everyone treating you with more deference ( you could have, say the duke's advisor treat your character with added deference as a cosmetic difference [and perhaps some down the line benefits from such] when you rescue her).

Perhaps, also, when you reach Baldur's gate, your background also unlocks a quest chain that plays off of it and is different for every possible background, to help them feel more relevant and interesting.

Just some thoughts

That's one of the things I would really, really like to see.

But I doubt Larian will even do anything in that direction. Indeed, a lot of the Background things are roleplay, and they can't assume too much on a character without closing doors for the player's backstory for their character. Some of the things are more mechanical, like language and tool proficiencies. But Larian has removed these proficiencies from the game.

The two main things I'd hoping for :

- Dialogue options based on background. (Perhaps also a small, optional quest. If they have the resources to write one for the 13 official backgrounds.)

- Flexibility in choosing the two skills for our background. That's part of the standard customisation suggested in the PHB.

I think Larian said at one point that NPC will not respond to your background. They already react to your race, class and some other things and it would be too much work to implement that too.

They said if you are a noble NPC could ask what title you have or if you are a folk here what did you do to become a hero. This would open a huge bag of background related stuff, so it's better to leave it to the players imagination.
So yes, background gives only extra skills, nothing else.

It's funny, becuase I'd much, much rather have specific dialogue line options related to my background, than I EVER would having ones spurred by my race, of all things.

Indeed, pretty much NONE of the race tagged dialogue extras that I've encountered so far have felt good, or really landed well at all. They range from "I'm actively being racist if I say that", to "That's not even relevant", to "That's a perfectly reasonable thing for anyone to say - why is it race locked?"

Most of the halfling ones are things that literally any character of any race might very well want to say. I've even seen people on the forum requesting that extra lines be added to certain sections of the game, seemingly unaware that those types of lines do exist - if and only if you are a halfling. (Apparently only halflings could ever possibly want to diffuse tensions or resolve arguments through peaceful mediation. No-one could ever be a dumb farmer-yokel other than a halfling, too). They're really very poorly placed and handled at the moment.

I saw a half-elf one earlier... where my character apparently recognised Shadowheart as a half-elf (honestly, she *barely* has any elvish tells at all), and was suggest some line about suggesting that everyone was going to think we were cousins. Never mind that whatever flavour of half-elf she is was obviously a completely different one to me, and also that, after humans, half-elves are fairly common, and no-one other than someone overtly judging people based on their race as a first call, would ever be inclined to make any sort of assumption like that...

Race tag dialogue lines should be about culture and history that a ember of a certain race might wish to share or add to a dialogue, or a particular insight that cultural background might offer - they should not be the fuel or fodder for further racially-motivated commentary, or for standard conversation lines that anyone might reasonably want to say.

I think the idea is that others can see your race and class at one. This one throws a fireball so it's likely a mage and that has a huge weapon and heavy armor so it's likely a fighter.

When you see a dwarf fighter you do not know if he was a criminal or an acolyte before.

I think about the following (hypothetical) complain of a player:
OK, so I selected noble background, I am a baron and I have a servant. But the game gives my dwarven baron a male dwarven servant. I want a female halfling servant and I want to enter her name and look.

Some dialogue options would be nice, but implementing other features would be a waste of time in my opinion.

You could arguably implement some easily (Sailor for example), whereas others like Charlatan would be a pain.

+1 for some dialogue options based on background. I know swen commented that the problem is that dialogue options are specific and backgrounds are not (How a folk hero became a folk hero?) , but i would still prefer if they would try to hit a sweet spot with some extra comments.

Solasta do backgrouds so much better.
With the team and money Larian got i find it funn that Solasta is so much better in some areas.

+1 This will really improve the role playing aspect. I agree with @Niara, I would much rather have dialogue options opened by background instead of race.

It seems like there are two different things here:
1) How you behave in dialog.
Your options should totally be driven by your life experiences and knowledge - background and class should absolutely give you more dialog options. Race is more of a stretch but I could see an argument for common cultural experiences (assuming you grew up under typical circumstances, which is questionable for adventurers).

2) How others behave towards you in dialog.
This could be influenced by the things you say and things that people can figure out about you by looking at you or hearing you. Race is certainly a factor here. There might be hints about your class, but that's less clear. Background probably shouldn't be a factor outside of very specific cases where there are visual cues (e.g. if you're wearing your captain's hat, they might be able to guess that you're a sailor). But no one outside of Sherlock Holmes is going to just know that this 50-year-old adventurer was an urchin when they were 12 by looking - if they figure it out, it's because of how you behave in dialog (which is driven by #1, above).

I'm in about totally agreement with that. It's an important distinction to me.

There are still a few racial "what you say" things that make sense. Like an elf saying "hey, how come I'm dreaming, I usually don't" during the dream cutscenes. (Also, who can an elf by conveniently sleeping when Astarion comes for a bite ? WFT ?!). This is biology, more than culture. But overall, this should be rarer than class or background, that say more about your personality, and thus what someone like could say.

And as you point out, nobody should see you as a former Criminal or Sailor, but if you're a Drow, you can expect people not trusting you.

It would be nice if they could unlock some kind of noncombat utility ability for each maybe, like entertainer being able to distract people akin to minor illusion or noble being able to summon a servant or urchin being able to beg for gold or something.

Because your noble character just happened to bring a servant along to summon, while being kidnapped, implanted with a tadpole and crashing into the wilderness?

I just assume that my "background" influences the various nature, history, religion etc. rolls that come up both in and out of conversations.

As noted, your race and class are generally obvious to those you interact with - background is not so obvious, unless you are somehow blatantly "advertising" it. Even then, just because you act aristocratic and noble, doesn't mean you aren't just good at faking it. Next time you are in a city, look at folk passing by - that guy in the suit - is he a lawyer? stockbroker? salesman? new grad out on an interview? or is he a plumber on his way to a wedding? And if he's a stockbroker, does he have an MBA or is he a high school grad working at daddy's firm?

While I am sure it is possible to code various responses and situations involving all the various backgrounds in the game, time/cost principals will always come into play - it's more effective to stop at class/race/sex for the most part, and focus other efforts into other areas of the game - combat, spells, game mechanics and the like.

There's still plenty going on even with just race/class/sex. I'm in my first run as a drow, and there are boatloads of distinctive conversation/event trees that did not crop up as an elf, human, dwarf.

And we are still in EA, in a rural wilderness setting. I can imagine plenty of other opportunities once we reach more populated, urban settings.