When you create a character in Baldur’s Gate 3, you choose from 11 playable races: Elf, Tiefling, Drow, Human, Githyanki, Dwarf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Gnome, Half-Orc and Dragonborn. The list comes from the game’s official website, and we only include subraces where at least two major games outlets agree. Below you’ll find a table of races and subraces, what we know about racial traits, which races the Origin characters have and how modded races work. This applies to PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox as of 20 October 2026.
Every race and subrace in BG3
Names are given exactly as you’ll see them in character creation. Drow is a separate race in the game, not an elven subrace, and the Half-Elf has three variants of its own.
| Race | Subraces |
|---|---|
| Elf | High Elf, Wood Elf |
| Tiefling | Asmodeus, Mephistopheles, Zariel |
| Drow | Lolth-Sworn, Seldarine |
| Human | no subraces |
| Githyanki | no subraces |
| Dwarf | Gold Dwarf, Shield Dwarf, Duergar |
| Half-Elf | High Half-Elf, Wood Half-Elf, Drow Half-Elf |
| Halfling | Lightfoot, Strongheart |
| Gnome | Rock Gnome, Forest Gnome, Deep Gnome |
| Half-Orc | no subraces |
| Dragonborn | Black, Blue, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Green, Red, Silver, White |
Outlets disagree on the dwarves. GamesRadar+ and PC Gamer list Gold Dwarf and Shield Dwarf, while IGN uses different names. We go with the two outlets that agree; the third subrace is the Duergar.
Dragonborn: subrace by dragon colour
The Dragonborn is the only race where you choose the subrace by dragon colour: Black, Blue, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Green, Red, Silver or White. Your subrace decides which Breath Weapon your character has and what they resist. So don’t pick the colour on looks alone, because it also shapes how your breath works in combat.
Races without subraces
Human, Githyanki and Half-Orc have no subraces. Once you pick one of them, you go straight on with the rest of character creation. The Githyanki is also the race of your companion Lae’zel.
Racial traits: what the official site says
The official website only describes racial traits for the Elf. Elves get Elven Weapon Training, Darkvision of 12 metres, Fey Ancestry and a movement speed of 9 metres. They have two subraces to choose from, High Elf and Wood Elf.
We don’t list the traits of the other races or any ability score bonuses here, because we haven’t confirmed them from an official source. You’ll see them directly on the character creation screen for each race and subrace, so compare them there before you decide.
Which race the Origin characters have
You can play an Origin character as your main hero or meet them as companions. Their race and class are fixed:
| Origin character | Race | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Astarion | High Elf | Rogue |
| Gale | Human | Wizard |
| Lae’zel | Githyanki | Fighter |
| Shadowheart | High Half-Elf | Cleric |
| Wyll | Human | Warlock |
| Karlach | Zariel Tiefling | Barbarian |
If you want a varied party, you can pick a race for your own character that doesn’t repeat any of the Origin characters. Where each companion joins is covered in our companions guide. The seventh Origin character is The Dark Urge, a custom character with a fixed backstory.
Modded races and consoles
On PC, mods can add new races. On consoles, however, Larian’s patch notes say mods that add new playable races cannot be approved. On PS5 and Xbox you’re limited to the 11 official races in the table above.
Race is only half of character creation. Every class and subclass, including Patch 8, is in our classes guide, and if you’re just starting out, have a look at our beginner’s guide too.
Join our Discord to show off your character or find partners for co-op: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Eleven playable races: Elf, Tiefling, Drow, Human, Githyanki, Dwarf, Half-Elf, Halfling, Gnome, Half-Orc and Dragonborn.
Human, Githyanki and Half-Orc. For every other race you also pick a subrace during character creation.
The dragon colour is the Dragonborn’s subrace. It determines your Breath Weapon and your resistance.
No. Mods that add new playable races cannot be approved for consoles. On PC you can use them.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are waiting in our BG3 guides section.