Why Do the Stats in Baldur’s Gate 3 Not Match the Character Appearance?

In Baldur’s Gate 3, everyone’s abilities are determined by stats, but their appearance is not affected by them. However, there is one character for whom this does not apply, and there is a valid explanation for this.

In accordance with the D&D 5E rules, Baldur’s Gate 3 assigns six stats to all characters: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These stats dictate a character’s bonuses or penalties on specific dice rolls, such as a high Strength giving a boost when attempting to kick down a door.

Even though each character has their own individual statistics, their physical appearance may not always accurately reflect their abilities. A prime illustration of this is Minsc, whose strength is only at a level of 12 (comparable to that of an average person) despite being known as a formidable Berserker in the lore of the series.

The curious variation in character attributes and physical features was a topic of conversation in a discussion on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit. The original poster questioned how Gale could have such defined muscles with a Strength of 8, but other players were quick to provide an explanation for why this particular sorcerer appeared to have been using performance-enhancing substances.

One user stated, “I am confident that our characters would be physically fit from the constant walking, fighting, climbing, and jumping they engage in.”Another user added, “I agree. Additionally, I believe that spellcasters would have well-toned muscles due to the arm movements required for casting spells.”

The ultimate solution is a metacognitive one. According to one user, “Larian made no effort to align the characters with their stats,”explaining that Shadowheart’s Charisma level of 8 does not accurately reflect her behavior in the game. The same goes for Lae’zel, who has the same Charisma level but does not exhibit behaviors that align with an 8.

“Despite having a Charisma 17, Wyll is the least charismatic member of the party. Although Jaheira’s Intelligence is only 8, she is rarely depicted as unintelligent. Minsc’s Strength of 12 is significantly lower than his original games’ score of 18+. Halsin’s Strength of 10 and Intelligence of 8 do not accurately match his character.”

During the Early Access phase, the developers already had an idea of how some of the Baldur’s Gate 3 characters would look as their designs were already determined.

Making sure everyone’s appearance accurately reflected their stats was not a top priority. After all, this is D&D, and perhaps it’s simpler to have toned abs in the Forgotten Realms. In Gale’s situation, a powerful Wizard was responsible for his impressive physique…and he happened to be the Wizard himself.