Baldur’s Gate 3 features a ton of mods that players quickly celebrated on the heels of its launch. Some of these mods were present in the early access version and have been updated for the full release. These are the best mods in Baldur’s Gate 3, adding plenty to Larian’s celebrated RPG in the form of strictly cosmetic bonuses or powerful, game-changing boosts.
Before you can start using these mods in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to have the Full Release Mod Fixer downloaded. This enables the ability to use the other mods on this list, so it is essential. Additionally, as of a recent update from associate editor Andrea Shearon, we’ve got a little explainer at the end of this on how to install BG3 mods, it’s dangerous to go poking around in those files alone.
AI Friends mod (BG3)
The AI Friends mod turns gives BG3 players a simple way to focus on just their Tav, streamlining battles by having your party make decisions for themselves. If you’re someone who prefers to focus on using your player character, rather than commanding the entire party and all summons, this mod does that for you.
More Spell Slots mod for BG3
If you’re frustrated by your Sorcerer’s limited use of magic, then the More Spell Slots mod for BG3 should remedy that. Spell slots are highly limited in this game for magical classes. You are limited to only being able to cast as many spells in battle as you have available slots, and for some of us, a measly once or twice just isn’t enough.
Increased Max Level Cap mod (BG3)
One of the strangest limitations in BG3 is the level cap, but the Increase Max Level Cap mod removes that barrier for you and your party. You can only reach level 12 in Larian’s RPG, which is far lower than other games like it.
You’ll now have a level cap of 20. The way it works is that this Baldur’s Gate 3 mod doesn’t increase the max level you can reach with a single class. Instead, you can reach 20 through multiclassing. You still can only up to level 12 with a single class, but you can use an extra eight levels for another class.
Summon Minthara mod (BG3)
Larian didn’t make Minthara the easiest companion to recruit in BG3, but the Summon Minthara mod gives us one way to fast-track the Drow into our ranks. She’s one of the trickiest party members to recruit, only obtainable if you side with the goblins and take out all of the Druids and Tieflings at the Emerald Grove. Plus, you miss out on recruiting Halsin if you go this route.
As such, this mod addresses that issue head-on. From the start of the game, you can summon Minthara as a party member. She’ll even progress alongside the player, essentially letting you be a good guy in the game and still recruit the Oathbreaker Paladin.
You Were a Goat for 10 Years BG3 background mod
Perhaps the most bizarre and hilarious mod of them all, the You Were a Goat for 10 Years mod delivers a new background option for your BG3 adventures. You can pick a backstory where you were a goat for 10 years before the start of the game. That alone makes this one of the most unique mods, but this has some gameplay elements.
As a person with some goat experience, you automatically gain access to handle animals and have Darkvision. You can use these without having to pick a certain race or class.
Fast XP mod (BG3)
Despite only having a max level cap of 12, leveling up can be a bit of a slog in BG3, so those looking for a quick power boost may want to check out the Fast XP mod. This is even the case for completionists who are doing all of the side content available in the game. Considering how tough this game can be, you might want to over-level.
To do this, you can use this mod to gain experience much faster. There are two interesting options for this mod. The first is it gives you double the XP for the first six levels in the game. This ensures you quickly prepare and can access some of the mid-game spells and feats.
However, the other option is to have fast XP for the entire game all the way to the level cap. Mix this with the level 20 mod, and you could have a much speedier (and easier) playthrough.
Party Limit Removal mod (BG3)
The BG3 Party Limit Removal mod is either what brought you here or the one you just learned you want. No one wants to choose between bringing Karlach, Wyll, Shadowheart, Gale, Astarion — I can keep going. So, why not just bring even more pals along for the journey?
This removes the party limit of four and makes it a whopping 16 party members you can bring with you at once. In addition, it somehow ups the multiplayer party size to eight players. With this, you can have a massive multiplayer party with nearly every major party member all together. This will make battles larger, wilder, and a lot easier.
Pearly and Glittery Dice mod (BG3)
The only thing you may see more in BG3 than your Tav is that constant roll of die, so why not dress them up, too, with the Pearly and Glittery Dice mod? For those who are disappointed by the severe lack of dice skins available in the game, this mod is for you. You get 13 new dice skins to choose from, ranging from bright and cheery lime green to deep pearl silver. There is likely an option for everyone in this quick and easy mod.
Paladin Deity mod (BG3)
One of the strangest flaws of the Paladin is the lack of a deity to pick, but the BG3 Paladin Deity mod fixes that. Only Clerics get that option, despite Paladins (lore-wise) following a deity to who they vow their oath; hinting at this canceled feature in the backend. This fanmade tweak should smooth over that glaring omission, allowing you to pick between the same gods the Clerics follow.
5th Edition Spells mod (BG3)
If you want a complete spell collection for BG3, then try the 5th Edition Spells mod to expand your scroll library. While Baldur’s Gate 3 takes the foundation from Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, it doesn’t contain all of its spells. This mod adds in some of the missing spells, such as Dominate Monster and Mass Heal. This alone makes it worth picking up if you feel the spell book is too limited in the base game.
In addition, this mod better balances the overall progression of spells in this game with its numerous extra higher-level spells. You get a better balance of spells across the 5th and higher levels for late-game players.
Tav’s Hair Salon
Larian was pretty generous with its vanilla styles, but the Tav’s Hair Salon mod for BG3 cranks it up another level with tons of new hair options for your party. It’s got new looks, plus looks you’ve longed pined over some NPCs wear, but remain mysteriously absent from the character creator.
It’s also neat to see some hairstyles make a return from Early Access, after Larian removed them for the full release for one reason or another. They’re aren’t all perfectly flowy, and some clipping looks silly here and there, but none of it’s too big a deal and definitely worth the time investment for making this one work.
Basket Full of Equipment
The BG3 closet gets a little bigger with the Basket Full of Equipment mod. If you’re anything like me, mixing and matching the armor pieces Larian gives you is entertaining enough early on, but in the intense moments, I need my crew lookin’ their best.
It’s the natural next step after swapping up hairstyles, and while most things in the Basket Full of Equipment are for cosmetic purposes, there are some handy additions that buff your party. Dig around in there, and you’ll notice accessories and other gems that don’t have to limit your BG3 party to just looking almighty, it’ll make the brute force to back it up, too.
Native Camera Tweaks
The Native Camera Tweaks mod is one of my BG3 must-haves. The vanilla camera just doesn’t do my Tav’s every, very photogenic angle perfect justice, so I love the extra control here. With this mod, you can override some of the zoom and FOV limits, giving you close-ups for better screenshots that aren’t just in cutscenes.
It can get a little finicky sometimes, but it’s way better than your usual options in BG3 and perfect for those of us really into dolling our Tavs up.
How to Install mods in Baldur’s Gate 3
To install mods in BG3, you’ll want to begin with a few basics. You could always go the manual route — extracting and placing everything in the proper folder, overwriting certain files, etc. — but I much prefer a mod manager. Specifically, I recommend the BG3 Mod Manager from Laughing Leader. For a quick run down, here’s the whole process:
- Download mod manager
- Download any mod requirements
- Select File, then Import Mod, and click desired mod
- From the Inactive Mods box, drag mods to Active Mods
- Note the load order, place the mod in the correct priority suggested by modder
- Select Save Load Order to File, then Export Order to Game
After downloading and installing your new mod manager, get the basics installed. You may want to go ahead and install the Full Release Mod Fixer, like we mentioned above. It’s not a requirement for everything necessarily, but so many mods use it it’s worth the download. Improved UI is another you may encounter often.
If you’re using the BG3 mod manager, note the “#” column. This is your load priority. When dragging and dropping mods here, the lower the number, the higher priority it is. Some mods getting prioritized over others will break them. On some occasions, modders provide help with prioritizing load order, and for some of the tweaks, where they’re at just doesn’t matter.
It can be a bit of a guessing game, but I suggest loading mods in one at a time, making sure your most recent addition works before adding another.
Published: Apr 8, 2024 04:21 pm