What Humanoids Are In Baldur’s Gate 3, And Why It Matters

True to their Dungeons & Dragons counterparts, several spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 can only be performed on certain targets. One example of this is Vicious Mockery, which can only be cast upon sentient targets who would be able to understand the insult. Some afflictions can only apply to humanoid creatures — however, what actually counts as a “humanoid” is a little more complicated than you might expect.

Parties will come across many different creatures throughout the game, many of which appear to be humanoid. Mind flayers are bipedal and have human-like bodies, yet are considered aberrations along with spectators and cloakers. Humanoids in Baldur's Gate 3 do follow some specific standards, however, and breaking down the rules can remove a lot of confusion.

What Does “Humanoid” Mean In Dungeons & Dragons?

It's A Little More Complicated Than Simply Looking "Human"

Spells such as Hold Person or Crown of Madness, which can only target creatures who are “humanoid,” often provide the unfortunate revelation that a target doesn't actually fall into the category. For example, the generic zombie enemy appears to have most of the features of a typical human, but cannot become a target of these spells. This is because Baldur’s Gate 3 uses 5e Dungeons & Dragons’ definition of humanoid, which is a little different from how you would usually describe the word's meaning.

Shadowheart and Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3 alongside a D20 die.

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If you’re planning a strategy for a fight, it’s good to know that in D&D, “humanoid” is the general term for most of the sentient species that make up the citizens of the world, and it normally excludes undead creatures. Humanoids typically have their own languages and cultures and are usually capable of learning magic. “Goblinoids” such as goblins, hobgoblins and orcs fall under the humanoid category, as well as “Demi-humanoids,” which include Elves, Dwarves, Halfings, and Gnomes.

Which Creatures Are Humanoids In Baldur’s Gate 3?

Intelligent Bipedal Creatures, But Not On The Same Level As The Fey

The pixie Dolly Dolly Dolly, a small humanoid with purple skin, hair, and insectoid wings, in Baldur's Gate 3.

All the playable races in BG3 are humanoids. Most bipedal creatures with levels of human-like intelligence also fit under this category — characters can have full conversations with gnolls, kobolds, bugbears and even Kuo-Toa without magical interference. However, fey creatures that also fit this description, like hags, dryads, redcaps, and pixies, have their own category and are not considered humanoid.

All Humanoids In Baldur’s Gate 3

Aasimar
Bugbears
Dragonborn
Drow
Dwarves/Duergar
Elves/Half-Elves
Githyanki
Gnolls
Gnomes
Goblins
Half-Orcs
Halflings
Hobgoblins
Kobolds
Kuo-Toa
Tieflings
Werewolves

Even when fey creatures are disguised as humans, they still won’t register as humanoids most of the time. This wasn't always the case, and players found loopholes for defeating Auntie Ethel with certain spells before she reveals her true form. Judging by my recent experience, however, this appears to have since been patched. Some other creatures that may catch players out include dryads, harpies, and cambions. These characters use the same models as the playable races, so it’s much easier to mistake them for humanoids than, say, ogres, which have their own unique models.

It’s worth noting that Baldur’s Gate 3 stretches DnD’s definitions of certain creature types. For example, as a vampire, Astarion should technically count as being undead rather than humanoid — this rule still applies to his siblings, but it’s quite clear that this was overlooked for the sake of convenience. Though it could be argued that this is due to illithid tadpole interference, changes like this can be seen throughout the rest of the game.

Gale gesturing to three spell icons from Baldur's Gate 3.

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Owlbears are usually counted as monstrosities but are defined as beasts in BG3, so the party can talk to them with the Speak with Animals spell. Another creature that's considered a monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons but a beast in Baldur's Gate 3 is the Displacer Beast. Unlike the existence of the owlbear cub, who can become a camp companion, there is no obvious reason for this.

Many Players Have Found BG3’s Definition Of Humanoid Frustrating

Not Realizing A Spell Won't Work On An Enemy Can Ruin Battle Tactics

Astarion, Karlach and Shadowheart looking angry from Baldur's Gate 3.

Although Baldur’s Gate 3 is simply following a pre-made set of rules when it comes to defining humanoids, this hasn’t stopped many players from feeling rightfully frustrated over not being able to use certain spells when a Dungeon Master may be willing to let certain technicalities slide. Players like DnD_Or_Naught on Reddit have expressed confusion over certain enemies like the harpies not falling under the humanoid umbrella. BG3 has been many people’s first introduction to the D&D setting, which makes situations like this quite common, particularly in the second act of the game.

Once players reach the final act, they’ll face mostly humanoid enemies, but the Shadow Curse causes most of the creatures in Act Two to be of the undead persuasion. Fighting Ketheric Thorm in BG3 is already a massive struggle for lots of players, and it’s easy to forget that he’s undead when he appears to be humanoid in all visual aspects. It’s important to know exactly who your enemy is in Baldur’s Gate 3 in order to form the most effective battle tactics, especially in Honour Mode, where rushing into a fight whilst ill-prepared may cost you your save file.

Source: DnD_Or_Naught/Reddit