The first choice you’ll have when playing Baldur’s Gate 3 is whether you want to create a custom character from scratch or create one with an Origin. Origins refer to premade characters that come complete with their own backstories, which in turn, affects all their interactions with the wider world and NPCs. Custom characters are yours to build freely, from their class to their backstory.
There are seven Origins to choose from: Astarion, Gale, Lae’Zel, Karlach, Shadowheart, The Dark Urge, and Wyll. They all have different perks and opportunities, but one thing none of them can offer is the absolute freedom of a custom character.
Origin vs. custom characters in Baldur’s Gate 3: What’s the difference?
Origin characters in BG3 come pre-built, meaning they have their own backgrounds, story, and appearance, while custom characters are fully customizable. So you can choose the race, class, sub-class, and anything else to do with your custom character. This means that if you want your custom character to be the epitome of an angel, you can, or if you want them to be the source of all evil, you can do that too because it’s all up to you.
The table below has a quick overview of all differences between Origin and custom characters in Baldur’s Gate 3.
| Character type | Character customization | Quests, background, and world interactions | Available as a companion |
| Origin character | None | Unique for each Origin | Yes |
| Custom character | Fully customizable | Standard | No |
| The Dark Urge Origin | Fully customizable | Unique | No |
Everything else in the game remains the same regardless of what kind of character you create. For example, all of them can multiclass at any point, and you can respec them if you have the gold for that. The only difference is that you can’t change the main class of an Origin character.
Should you play as an Origin or custom character in Baldur’s Gate 3?
If it’s your first time playing Baldur’s Gate 3, build a custom character. Having the freedom to customize them how you want makes the first adventure truly unforgettable. You can choose their abilities, class, skills, race, and more.
Related: How to change difficulty in Baldur’s Gate 3
If all those decisions seem overwhelming and you’d rather jump right into things, Origins are a better fit. It provides a more story-driven experience complete with personal quests, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and having predetermined abilities and skills tied to their backstory is nice, too.
The Dark Urge Origin explained
The Dark Urge is Baldur’s Gate 3 customizable Origin, making character creation fully available to you, including classes and races, with the addition of an extra subplot to the narrative. It’s the best of both worlds if you can’t decide between a fixed Origin character and a fully custom one.
I played Dark Urge in my first playthrough, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But it’s not for the faint-hearted since it will force you to listen to or fight an evil voice inside your character’s mind throughout the whole campaign.
There really isn’t a right or wrong answer, though. It all comes down to personal preference. That’s the beauty of Baldur’s Gate 3; you can play it however you want. If you enjoy the game as much as I have and have the time to spare, why not try them all to see what works best? You can even change classes, too.
