Picking one of Baldur’s Gate 3’s eleven Backgrounds is a great way for players to flesh out their custom characters with useful new skills and a backstory. Each Background is good in its own way, but the skills they offer tend to benefit certain character classes more than others. A character’s Background is one of the most important choices players have to make during character creation.

Players who pick a premade Origin Hero won’t be able to personalize their own character Backgrounds. However, making a custom Baldur’s Gate 3 hero is the best choice regardless, as this gives players a lot more control over the character they’re playing as. Players can either pick a Background that synergizes with their chosen character class, or pick one that doesn’t synergize so well to give their custom character a more diverse set of skills.

Acolyte

Acolyte Characters have spent their lives in temples, worshiping gods and goddesses, and learning holy rites. In-game, Acolyte Characters gain Proficiencies in Insight and Religion skills. Insight refers to the ability to read people and situations, and its rolls depend on the Wisdom stat. Religion refers to knowledge of religious rites, deities, and pantheons, and its rolls depend on the Intelligence stat.

As such, character classes who have high Wisdom and Intelligence stats tend to benefit the most from the Acolyte Background. Players tend to have regular opportunities to use and test their Insight outside of combat, but Religion tends to be a bit more uncommon. The Acolyte background is a particularly good choice for anyone who picked Baldur’s Gate 3’s Cleric class, as they rely heavily on Wisdom for spellcasting, represent divine entities, and wield their magic in the lore.

Players should also consider Baldur’s Gate 3’s Inspirations, where players gain Inspiration points when attempting actions that fit with their character backgrounds. Due to their religious natures, Clerics may gain Inspiration when using the Acolyte background’s Religion skill, for example.

Druids, Monks, Rangers, and Wizards all benefit from having Insight or Religion due to their high Wisdom and Intelligence stats, so the Acolyte background is also a good choice for these classes.

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Charlatan

Charlatan Characters are experts when it comes to exaggeration, manipulation, and lies, and gain Proficiencies in the Deception and Sleight of Hand skills. Deception is Charisma-based and allows player characters to lie, cheat and manipulate, while Sleight of Hand is Dexterity-based. It’s most useful for players who want to pick both pockets and locks, but also spot and disarm dangerous traps.

As such, the Charlatan Background fits several classes well. Bard characters have high Charisma and Dexterity, so they’re much more likely to be able to checks for Deception and Sleight of Hand. On top of that, it also makes sense to have a nimble-fingered, silver-tongued Bard character from the perspective of in-game lore. However, other character classes with high Dexterity such as Baldur’s Gate 3’s Rangers also benefit.

For example, players might like to play as a careful Ranger who spot and disarm dangerous traps, or as a Rogue who excels at picking locks and pockets. The Charlatan background is also an interesting choice for the Warlock class. Warlocks rely on high Charisma for casting their spells, but they’ve also made dark pacts with capricious entities, so the ability to deceive other characters fits their gameplay and lore surprisingly well.

Monks are also a high Dexterity class and may benefit from Sleight of Hand. However, a Monk with the Charlatan Background arguably doesn’t make as much sense in the lore.

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Criminal

Criminal Characters tend to find themselves on the wrong side of the law, so Bards, Rangers, Rogues, and Warlocks tend to be the usual suspects for the Criminal Background. Much like Charlatans, Criminals also have Proficiency in the Deception skill, but swap Sleight of Hand for Stealth, another Dexterity-based skill for characters who enjoy staying out of sight.

As such, the Criminal Background is a great choice for players who want to try stealthier and sneakier approaches. As mobile scouts with high Dexterity, Rangers can excel at using Stealth. The same is true for any Baldur’s Gate 3 Rogue players who want to be able to sneak around more effectively.

This background also fits certain Bards and Warlocks, as long as players picture them as being particularly deceptive and sneaky. As a high Dexterity class, Monks can also take this background, but from a roleplaying perspective, the Urchin Background arguably makes a bit more sense.

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Entertainer

The Entertainer Background gives characters the ability to entertain and engage an audience, making it the perfect choice for a Baldur’s Gate 3 Bard. Proficiency in the Charisma-based Performance skill allows Bards to put on a dazzling show of music and dance that’s often enough to defuse tense confrontations, convince or inspire characters, or even just outright confuse potential foes into submission.

Proficiency in the Dexterity-based Acrobatics skill also gives the character better balance and the ability to resist being shoved in combat. Bards benefit the most, as they depend on having high Charisma and Dexterity stats. Rogue players might like to choose this for Acrobatics alone.

For roleplaying purposes, the Entertainer Background is surprisingly niche, and it can be difficult to imagine non-Bard characters with a flair for song and dance. However, for any Bards, it’s arguably the best Background to pick.

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Folk Hero

The Folk Hero is Baldur’s Gate 3’s traditional wandering hero, looking to defend the helpless and champion the cause of the common folk. It provides Proficiencies for Animal Handling and Survival skills, both of which actually depend on the Wisdom stat. As such, it’s ideal for any Druids in Baldur’s Gate 3, who use the Wisdom stat for taking on Wild Shapes, transforming into beasts. The affinity for animals offered by the Animal Handling skill fits a Druid’s gameplay and roleplaying well.

It’s also a good choice for other character classes. Players might be able to imagine a wandering Folk Hero Cleric who has a particular affinity for animals and surviving out in the wild, for example. Although Rangers rely on Dexterity rather than Wisdom, their gameplay often focuses on controlling and commanding wild beasts. The Folk Hero Background may not give a Ranger a big boost to their skill checks, but it’s great for roleplaying purposes.

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Guild Artisan

Guild Artisans have Proficiencies in Insight and the Charisma-based Persuasion skill, which reflects a character’s ability to charm and convince others. It’s the perfect choice for a smooth-talking Bard who’s nevertheless on the constant lookout for possible danger. Players who want to play as a particularly persuasive Sorcerer or Warlock should also consider the Guild Artisan.

Clerics should also consider the Guild Artisan Background if they’d like to try something a little different from the Acolyte.

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Noble

of the nobility in Baldur’s Gate 3 come with a Proficiency in History, an Intelligence-based skill that reflects a character’s ability to recall and historic events, and Persuasion. Wizards in Baldur’s Gate 3 rely heavily on the Intelligence stat for spellcasting, so a boost to their rolls when it comes to testing their knowledge of history is a solid perk. Noble-born Bards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks are also fairly traditional roleplaying choices.

A noble-born Bard wields potent powers of Persuasion, combined with some historical knowledge that may hint at a surprisingly sharp and well-read mind. Sorcerers and Warlocks also depend on Charisma for their spellcasting, which also boosts their skills of Persuasion.

The Noble Background is a great choice for players who like to picture their characters as being closely related to the influential and powerful, or attempting to break away from the rather rigid and stuffy lifestyle of a noble.

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Outlander

Outlander Characters were raised by the wilderness. What they may lack in social graces, they more than make up for in sheer physical strength and survival skills. This Background doesn’t suit Charisma-based classes such as the Bard. Instead, it’s an excellent choice for any classes that use Strength as their primary attribute: Barbarians, Fighters, and Paladins.

The Outlander Background provides Proficiencies in Athletics, a Strength-based skill that has several advantages in combat, and Survival. Athletics directly affects a character’s ability to demonstrate their physical strength, usually by performing physical actions or shoving and resisting shoves. It’s ideal for tank classes such as Baldur’s Gate 3’s Barbarian class, but Fighters and Paladins also gain an advantage from the skill.

Druids might want to consider the Outlander Background as well. Although they don’t rely on Strength, a background of being raised in the wilderness and learning survival skills suits a Druid’s backstory.

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Sage

Sage Characters gain Proficiencies with Arcana, an Intelligence-based skill that reflects a character’s knowledge of magic and magical lore, and History. As both skills rely on Intelligence, the Sage Background is the best choice for Wizards. Wizards rely on the Intelligence stat for casting their spells, and naturally have a lot to gain from deep knowledge of the magical arts and history.

From a roleplaying perspective, Warlocks and Sorcerers should also consider the Sage Background, even if their primary stat isn’t Intelligence.

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Soldier

Soldiers have Proficiencies in Athletics and Intimidation, a Charisma-based skill that lets player characters intimidate and threaten others into doing their bidding. As such, it’s the best background for any classes that rely on Strength and Charisma, such as Baldur’s Gate 3’s Paladins. Player characters with high Strength and Charisma stats can use intimidation to get what they want and resort to violence if the threat of bodily harm isn’t sufficiently convincing.

Barbarian players may also want to consider the Soldier Background for a slightly different backstory compared to the Outlander.

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Urchin

Urchin Characters were raised on the streets, an upbringing that requires them to be nimble and dexterous. The Urchin Background grants Proficiencies with the Sleight of Hand and Stealth skills, both of which are based on the Dexterity stat. It’s the ideal choice for Rogues and Monks, whose gameplay and lore may involve some elements of sleight-of-hand trickery and stealthy evasion.

Bards also have a high Dexterity stat, so picking the Urchin Background can make them into a powerful jack-of-all-trades character in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Although players should consider the best Backgrounds for the character classes they’ve chosen, picking one that doesn’t fit is also a perfectly valid approach. Picking an unusual Background can give characters skills they wouldn’t normally have. It’s also a great way to create an unusual and eclectic character backstory. In the end, having an interesting character makes Baldur’s Gate 3 a much more interesting experience.

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