Baldur’s Gate 3: Half-Orcs Race Overview

In Baldur’s Gate 3, Half-Orcs are known for their strength, ferocity, and resilience, making them fantastic picks for melee-based combat classes.

Baldur's Gate 3 Half-Orc
Baldur’s Gate 3 Half-Orc
Source: Larian Studios

The Half-Orc race offers a compelling choice for players looking to combine brute strength, durability, and unique racial abilities. As a Half-Orc, you have access to distinct traits that can greatly influence your character’s playstyle and effectiveness in combat. This guide will provide an overview of how the Half-Orc race works and suggest some effective builds for your character.

Half-Orc in Baldur’s Gate 3

Creatures of intense emotion, half-orcs are more inclined to act then contemplate – whether the rage burning their bodies compels them to fight, or the love filling their hearts inspires acts of incredible kindness.

Abilities

Upon release of the full game, racial choices will no longer be tied to specific ability score bonuses. Each character will get a +2 and +1 bonus to spend on whatever ability stat they would like, regardless of race.

Consequently, this means that the non-ability score traits and racial features are vitally important selecting the appropriate build. Moreover, you won’t be as restricted to certain races when min-maxing by only being able to select a specific race for optimal ability score.

Racial Features:

  • Darkvision
    • Half-Orcs can see in the dark up to 12 meters
  • Relentless Endurance
    • Once per rest, when you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead
  • Menacing
    • Gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
  • Savage Attacks
    • When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice an additional time, then add the number to the extra damage of the critical hit.
Baldur's Gate 3 New Character Creation Screen with Half-Orc
Source: Larian Studios

Sub-Races

There are no sub-races for Half-Orcs.

Best Builds for Half-Orcs

Barbarian

This build capitalizes on the Half-Orc’s innate strength, combining it with the Barbarian’s rage ability to deal devastating melee damage. Choose a two-handed weapon like a greataxe or greatsword and the Berserker sub-class to maximize damage output. Prioritize Strength and Constitution for ability score improvements.

Fighter

This build focuses on becoming a master of melee combat, using the Half-Orc’s Savage Attacks and Action Surge from the Fighter class to deal consistent damage. Consider wielding a versatile weapon like a longsword and a shield for versatility in offense and defense.

Baldur's Gate 3 Fighter Class
Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter Class

Paladin

Half-Orcs can also make for powerful Paladins. Their high Strength and Constitution make them well-suited for the frontlines, and their Relentless Endurance can help them stay in the fight even when they’re injured. The Oathbreaker subclass is a good choice for this build, as it gives them access to a variety of abilities that can help them dominate their enemies.

Conclusion

Half-Orcs are a versatile race that can be built to fit a variety of playstyles, but pair best with melee classes where brute strength can really shine. Remember that these are just a few suggestions, and you can mix and match classes, backgrounds, and playstyles to create a Half-Orc character that suits your preferences best. Experiment with different combinations to fully enjoy the rich role-playing experience that Baldur’s Gate 3 has to offer.


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