You can change your character's race before you start playing, but not after

Baldur's Gate 3 does not let you alter your character's race once you enter the game world. The race you choose during character creation is permanent for that playthrough. If you want a different race, you must start a new game and rebuild your character from the beginning.

This is different from some other settings in the game—you can respec your ability scores, skills, and class features at any point by visiting a specific NPC, but race remains locked. The game treats race as a foundational choice tied to your character's story and mechanical bonuses, so it stays fixed.

Key Takeaways

  • Race cannot be changed after character creation; you must start a new game if you want to switch.
  • You can change almost everything else about your character—class, abilities, and skills—through respeccing at a mirror in your camp.
  • Race affects your character's appearance, dialogue options, and mechanical bonuses like ability score increases.
  • The game saves your character creation choices, so you can load a previous save only if you have not progressed past the character creation screen.

What race affects in your playthrough

Your race choice shapes three things: how your character looks, what dialogue options appear in conversations, and what stat bonuses you receive. A Half-Orc character, for example, gets +2 to Strength and +1 to Constitution, while a High Elf gets +2 to Dexterity and +1 to Intelligence. These bonuses matter for combat and skill checks.

Some NPCs also react differently to you based on your race. Certain characters may trust or distrust you more, or comment on your appearance. These moments are woven into the story, which is why the game does not let you change race mid-playthrough—it would break the narrative consistency.

How to change race before you start playing

During character creation, before you confirm your character and enter the game, you can change your race as many times as you want. The race selection screen appears early in the creation process, usually after you choose your class. Click on your current race to open a menu of all available options: Human, Elf (High, Wood, or Drow), Half-Elf, Halfling, Dragonborn, Tiefling, Gnome, Half-Orc, and Githyanki.

Select the race you prefer, and the game will update your character's appearance and stat bonuses when ready. You can see the mechanical changes right away—your ability scores will shift to reflect the new racial bonuses. Take your time here; this is the only moment you can make this change without restarting.

What you can change after the game starts

Once you are in the game, you can respec your character's class, ability scores, skills, and feats by visiting a mirror in your camp. This lets you completely rebuild how your character plays without losing progress. You can swap from a Barbarian to a Wizard, redistribute your ability points, or change which skills you are proficient in.

However, respeccing does not touch race, appearance, name, or background. Those elements remain exactly as you created them. If you realize mid-game that you picked the wrong race, your only option is to load an earlier save from before you entered the game world, or start a new playthrough.

Why the game locks race in

Baldur's Gate 3 treats race as a story element, not just a mechanical choice. Your race influences how companions and NPCs perceive you, what they say to you, and sometimes whether they will travel with you. A Drow character, for instance, faces prejudice from some characters because of their race's history in the game world.

The developers also designed the game so that respeccing is meant to let you experiment with builds and tactics, not to undo fundamental character decisions. Race, like your character's name and background, is considered foundational—something you commit to when you create your character.

Starting a new game if you want to change race

If you have already entered the game world and want a different race, you will need to start a new playthrough. Create a new character with the race you want, and you can skip through character creation faster the second time since you already know what you are doing. The game does not penalize you for having multiple characters; you can keep your old save and start fresh whenever you want.

Many players keep several characters at different points in the story so they can experience different race and class combinations. This is a normal way to play—Baldur's Gate 3 is designed to reward multiple playthroughs with different character choices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my character's appearance if I can't change race?

You can change some appearance details like hair color and facial features through respeccing, but your race itself stays the same. If you want a completely different look tied to a different race, you need to start a new game.

What if I save before entering the game world?

If you have a save file from the character creation screen before you confirm your character, you can load that save and change your race. Once you enter the game world, that option is gone—character creation is complete.

Do I lose my progress if I start a new character?

Yes, starting a new game means beginning from the beginning. Your old character and their progress remain in your save file, but you will play through the story again with the new character. You can keep both saves and switch between them.

Does race affect difficulty or how the game plays?

Race gives you different stat bonuses and can change how some NPCs treat you, but it does not make the game harder or easier overall. You can beat the game with any race; the choice is about roleplay and which bonuses fit your build.