What is the Worst Character Background?

[GrandMajora]

Both in terms of skill proficiency, and Inspiration points.

Because I'm of the mind that it might be Guild Artisan.

You get Inspiration points by assembling pieces of gear together? Great, except there is barely any opportunity to actually do that in game.

In fact, the only4 that come to immediate mind are the frost staff, the anti-eye spear, the Adamantine weapons, and the Sussar weapons. All of which are located in Act 1.

[Orion Invictus]

There's also one in Act 3, but I think that's all.

[GriffinPilgrim]

I played Guild Artisan my first go, I got quite a bit of Inspiration for just finding or witnessing high quality gear. Or even just unusual gear; you get an inspiration for finding the drow armour on a dead drow at Waukeen's Rest, also for powering the Arcane Tower. And some oddities, like freeing the artist at the Zhent camp (one artist to another).
Then in Act 2 there's getting Infernal Iron gear from Dammon, getting the Spear of Night, returning Wulbren's tools during the jailbreak, finding the Moonlantern.
And so on. Yes you get inspiration from making stuff but it's hardly the only one.
Me, I find Criminal the most restrictive; most of the Inspiration requires you to be playing evil.

[Cartesian Duelist]

Your companions also get inspiration so depending on who you choose you shouldn't have any trouble getting points. The points are put in a shared pool, they aren't per character like in TT.

[Metallicus]

Guild Artisan is the default best background BG3 has to offer. Getting Insight and Persuasion for free is huge as those are the best two skills available. Also, I had no issues getting inspiration points as a guild artisan. You get them constantly.

[NightingaleMuse]

Technically it's not just creating and assembling stuff for Guild Artisan. It also counts if you engage in mercantile services like prostitution and taking advantage of special items like using a super powerful bomb to blow something up or even just acquiring certain items like buying a fancy dress at a boutique. My Guild Artisan finished the game with 18 inspirations.

The descriptions for each of these backgrounds is very broadstrokes and I've seen some funny and unexpected inspirations pop up for many of them.

As for what's the worst... can't say. I mostly just use these for roleplaying perspectives and never really took into account how many inspirations my character will actually gather.

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by GriffinPilgrim:

Me, I find Criminal the most restrictive; most of the Inspiration requires you to be playing evil.

Well, you're a criminal, after all. If you weren't evil, then you're probably living under an evil regime.

Which, given this is the city of Baldur's Gate we're talking about... you probably were.

[shadow's embrace]

if its about assembling gear there is also the spear of the absolute (think thats the name), you get the spear shaft from the dwarf near the owlbear cave and the spear tip is from the owlbear, there is also the frost staff in the underdark, 1 piece is on the mage guy where the beholder is, another piece is on the dead drown in the spore people camp, the last piece is on the mage guy near the sussar bark tree

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by shadow's embrace:

if its about assembling gear there is also the spear of the absolute (think thats the name), you get the spear shaft from the dwarf near the owlbear cave and the spear tip is from the owlbear, there is also the frost staff in the underdark, 1 piece is on the mage guy where the beholder is, another piece is on the dead drown in the spore people camp, the last piece is on the mage guy near the sussar bark tree

That's the eye spear I was talking about. It deals extra damage to creatures with multiple sets of eyes. Which I assume means Spectators and Spiders. Which is why I usually like to assemble it before taking on the Phase Spider Matriarch.

[Marmottty]

I dislike mountains background i prefer forest ones.
I'd say that mountains background is the worst.

[Soji]

Really just depends on how you're trying to play, Charlatan if you plan on doing a lawful playthrough doesn't really make sense, but its not like there isn't opportunity from all backgrounds to get inspiration.

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by Soji:

Really just depends on how you're trying to play, Charlatan if you plan on doing a lawful playthrough doesn't really make sense, but its not like there isn't opportunity from all backgrounds to get inspiration.

I'm not talking about role play, since your background has literally no impact on that whatsoever. I'm talking about in terms of practical use, both in terms of skill proficiency, as well as how easy it is to acquire inspiration points.

You can't get 18 Inspiration without the use of mods. Normal game is capped at 4.

[Lisan al Gaib]

A 5th is the crossbow you get by combining the elements in the steel watch foundry

[GrandMajora]

Originally posted by .:

A 5th is the crossbow you get by combining the elements in the steel watch foundry

I figured something had to be related there, when you can collect pieces of Steel Watchers. But I was not aware of any crossbow pieces.

[Oonayah]

The "worst" background, specifically for my approach, has turned out to be Soldier. That's not how I play without making a conscious effort to play that way, so Lae'zel is rarely inspired by me. The "best" background for me is Charlatan, but this is absolutely the "worst" one for my teenage daughter who thinks Folk Hero is the only way to go.

Regarding Guild Artisan, which I know can be a tough sell... Aside from gaining the extremely useful Insight and Persuasion proficiency, the strongest aspect of the Guild Artisan background - at least in terms of playing a video game - is that this is one of the few ways you can short-term bank inspiration in the camp stash (I know Sage has a couple, too). In Act 1, stow away one of Auntie Ethel's milder potions or save the spear pieces, hold off on giving extra infernal iron to Dammon in Act 2 until you need a point. Sure, it's cheese, but mild cheese at best.

I'm a bigger fan of double-dipping by creating Tav with the same background as one of the Origin characters in the party. Racking up inspiration 2 points at a time makes me less reluctant to spend them.

[GriffinPilgrim]

Originally posted by GrandMajora:

Originally posted by GriffinPilgrim:

Me, I find Criminal the most restrictive; most of the Inspiration requires you to be playing evil.

Well, you're a criminal, after all. If you weren't evil, then you're probably living under an evil regime.

Which, given this is the city of Baldur's Gate we're talking about... you probably were.

Sure but the outlaw with a heart of gold is a classic heroic archetype. Hell, it's kinda the default for Rogues.