Baldur’s Gate 3 Needs to Improve Playable Race Like D&D Did

Although Baldur’s Gate 3 received official updates before its launch, it can be overly faithful to D&D, even using an outdated version of a major race.

The Dragonborn race featured in D&D’s 2014 Player’s Handbook is often regarded as one of the less favorable options in the game. This is attributed to its breath weapon attack, which does not increase in power as the player levels up and can only be used as an Action, as well as its limited elemental damage resistance that is only effective in certain situations.

The Dragonborn received a much-needed update in the form of Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons. This book not only provided extra powers and updates to existing abilities for the Chromatic and Metallic Dragonborn, but it also introduced the neutral-aligned Gem Dragonborn, expanding the range of options available to players.

Regrettably, the Dragonborn featured in Baldur’s Gate 3 is modeled after the lackluster version of the race from 2014. As a result, members of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit community have been requesting updates or mods to enhance the current Dragonborn.

White Dragonborn Sorcerer in Baldur's Gate 3 — Larian Studios

Even the Dark Urge isn’t safe from underwhelming bonuses.

One user commented, “Mods serve the purpose of addressing the shortcomings of Dragonborn racial benefits, which, to be honest, are quite disappointing.”Another user suggested, “It would be great to have more distinctive abilities, such as a bite attack or increased unarmed damage. I just want to be able to bite off heads during battles.”

One suggestion from a player was to make it easier to enhance the abilities of Dragonborn characters by implementing the following changes: increasing the damage of their breath attack as they level up and allowing the attack to be used as a bonus action.

“Another fan commented, “You and everyone else were given everything else, except for Darkvision, by the ugly-looking Gith.”

Despite not having the same level of strength as their future D&D counterparts, the Dragonborn remain a beloved choice among the community. Larian’s 1st year anniversary Baldur’s Gate 3 statistics show that the Dragonborn race ranks as the 6th most popular, surpassing even the highly-regarded Githyanki and Half-Orc.

The Dragonborn’s appeal was likely enhanced by its portrayal as the main character in the Dark Urge storyline. Additionally, playing as a dragon person is inherently enjoyable, despite potentially being weaker than their wyrm counterparts or traditional tabletop depiction.

Despite the recent update to the Dragonborn in D&D’s 2024 Player’s Handbook, it is possible that Baldur’s Gate 3 will continue to improve upon them in future patches, providing players with the powerful and deserving draconic protagonist they have been waiting for.