Modding is very popular on PC games, both as a way to change things up in a game you’ve played before, and to improve upon aspects of the game that might be lacking (or simply not as the player prefers). As a massive game, Baldur’s Gate 3 has lots of potential for modding, and luckily, Larian Studios fully supports it! Mods for BG3 can be found on Nexus Mods, and there are plenty to choose from. In this guide, we will go over how to install these mods, and what some of the best mods are to get you started.
Note: If you install mods, you will not be able to earn achievements (unless you get the Achievement Enabler mod to work, that is).
How to Install & Run Mods
Before you start picking what mods you’d like, you will want to ensure that you know how to install mods to get them working properly. Make sure you have opened Baldur’s Gate 3 at least once, so that Steam can make a profile of the game. Then, follow the steps below:
- Make sure that .NET Framework 4.7.2 is installed.
- Download the latest version of LaughingLeader’s BG3ModManager.
- Extract the contents of the .zip file to any folder that you’d like (just make sure it’s somewhere that you’ll remember).
- Download any mods you want.
- Open BG3 Mod Manager (and help it find the installation folder if needed), and then import your mods by hitting control + M, or going File –> Import Mod, then selecting the zip of the mod you want to import.
- The mod(s) you imported will appear in the ‘Inactive’ section on the right. Drag the mods that you want turned on to the ‘Active’ section on the left.
- Click on ‘Save Order’, then ‘Export Order to Game’, and you’re all set!
Note: The mods folder is located here: C:\Users\*user*\AppData\Local\Larian Studios\Baldur’s Gate 3\Mods, but are placed there automatically by the Mod Manager. If you can’t get the mod manager or the mods to work, confirm that after importing a mod, its PAK file is appearing in the Mods folder indicated above.
Full Release Mod Fixer
This mod will be required for many of the other mods to work. The Full Release Mod Fixer essentially forces the game’s story to recompile, allowing any other mods you install to work properly. It is worth noting that unlike every other mod, this one will not show up in your Mod Manager, and will be active automatically.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Mods
Now that you’re all set for modding the game, let’s go over what some of the best mods are!
Tav’s Hair Salon
Tav’s Hair Salon is great for people who love character creation. This mod adds numerous new hairstyles to give the player character, particularly for the Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Drow, and Tiefling races. This will give you plenty of new looks that you can give yourself!
Basket Full of Equipment
The name of this mod is not an exaggeration — the Basket Full of Equipment adds a MASSIVE 700 pieces of equipment to the game! It is worth mentioning that the equipment for each slot all share the same stats, so these extra pieces are primarily cosmetic. This means that you will have plenty of more options when it comes to how your character looks.
Not only does this mod add many pieces of gear, it also adds some new spells to the game. A couple of examples are the Conjure Basket Full of Equipment Spell, which will summon the basket containing all of this new gear, and Squad Cleanse, which removes dirt and blood from characters.
Once installed, there are a few different places you can find the basket containing all of your new gear, including the very beginning of the game. If you’re having trouble finding it, however, you can use the Dash Summons a Basket mod to turn your Dash action into a new one to summon a Basket Full of Equipment.
5e Spells
Similar to Basket Full of Equipment, 5e Spells adds a large amount of unimplemented spells to the game. While most of these spells range between Cantrips and 3rd level Spells, there are new Spells all the way up to the 9th level. Additionally, many Spells have been edited in order to be more accurate to the source material.
This mod is constantly being updated with new spells, so keep an eye out for new versions to download!
Party Limit Begone
If you think that the party limit being 4 is too small, you will love this mod. Party Limit Begone increases the party cap all the way up to 16! On top of this, it also increases the multiplayer limit to 8. This is perfect if you want to have a larger group of friends to get in on the D&D experience.
Choose Your Stats
This is a straightforward mod, but a very useful one. Choose Your Stats adds a potion in the game that lets you alter several aspects of your character. This includes changing ability scores, adding skill proficiencies, summoning items, adding feats from the base game, and more.
The potion is easily accessible as well. You get one as soon as you start the game, and you can buy it from various merchants. This is a perfect mod if you want to freely experiment with different choices for your character.
This only scratches the surface at what you can add to Baldur’s Gate 3 with mods. There are literally hundreds to look through, with modders adding new ones every day. There are plenty of things you can alter with these, such as adjusting difficulty, quality of life improvements, and of course, altering the appearance of characters. If you’re interested in making some changes to your playthrough, take a look through Nexus Mods and explore your options!
