Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3offers so many branching choices, so many endings, so many NPCs, and so, so many classes and subclasses to choose from when making a character. As a result, of course,its replay value is very high. If you already made your dream character and played through the game once, though, you might not know where you want to go next.
Whether you’re looking for combat to be more challenging, for new interactions you didn’t find on your first playthrough, for more information on the game’s lore, or for new ideas on personality types to explore, we have a range of ideas to make your next playthrough as fun and distinct as your first.
Updated on June 17, 2025 by Britt Poteet:With the continued popularity of Baldur’s Gate 3 and the upcoming addition of Patch 8, the game is still growing. A lot of people are replaying the game. We’ve added five more playthrough options for your next run to keep things interesting.
15Opposite Of Shadowheart
Moonmaiden Guide Me
Playing Shadowheart’s opposite opens up some interesting dialogue and character interactions you probably didn’t get in your first playthrough. Her love for the Lady of Loss opposes your dedication to the Moonmaiden as you navigate a complicated relationship.
The Cleric of Selune run is particularly great if you plan on romancing the Dark Justiciar, giving you an enemies-to-lovers dynamic as you attempt to convert each other to your beliefs. Aside from Shadowheart, you also get a lot of new dialogue during conversationswith Selunite Isobeland other NPCs.
14Redeemed Bhaalspawn
I Must Resist The Dark Urge
While embracing your Dark Urge provides a twisted playthrough, we also recommend trying the Resist Durge route for a satisfying, new story. While the violent impulses attempt to control you, you don’t have to succumb to the darkness. This push and pull provides a complicated narrative with completely new dialogue.
Resisting your murderous urges completely changes up the feeling of the game and makes you a more integral piece of the main plot. Bonus points if you choose to romance Astarion, as his story as a spawn resisting Cazador is a great compliment to the Bhaalspawn’s.
13Embrace Everything Illithid
Use All The Parasite Powers
If you didn’t go the Illithid route during your first run, embracing all the tadpole powers is a great option for your second game. This means accepting every tadpole, romancing the Emperor, and choosing to go full Mindflayer at the end of the game.
To add another layer to this playthrough, make your Tav a Githyanki. Giths abhor the Illithid and reject everything that comes with them. By going against the grain and defying the expectations of your people, your character becomes more complex with greater roleplaying potential.
12Try Multiplayer Or Single Player
The Opposite Of What You Did Before
Depending on which way you played before, choose either multiplayer or single player for a completely different experience. If you’ve only done co-op mode, try playing on your home to interact more with the companions and learn each of their abilities better.
If you haven’t tried multiplayer, play with friends online. The roleplaying and additional commentary from your real-life companions adds a new element to the game. Any build works for this run.
11Romance Run
The Flirt of Faerun
Was there one character in particular you romanced last time? Try the opposite for your second run. Romance as many of the companions as you can. They’re all great options and romancing multiple at once can be an entertaining juggle.
While some arepolyamorous, like Halsin, other monogamous companions get jealous if you want to share. Try to see if you can manage multiple partners or not. Two to three romances is generally your best bet if you want to avoid glitches. Add in romanceable NPCs for more fun, like Harleep, Mizora, or the Drow Twins.
If you want more Charisma and cheekier dialogue options, try:
10Trickster’s Run
The Heroes Aren’t So Heroic This Time Around
The game gives you a lot of options to be dishonest, to pickpocket, and to steal. Why not take advantage of all of these things by embracing your inner liar, thief, and all around criminal mastermind? The goals of this run are to trick and steal your way through the game as much as possible.
Choose Deception whenever possible, make sure you have a high lock-picking bonus, and take what you want from people without having to first indulge their requests. Oh, andyou’re going to need to prioritize stealth,of course. If you’ve already experienced the game as a righteous, helpful band of adventurers, you’ll certainly find this second playthrough very different.
Some builds that would suit this playstyle are:
Prepare to upset more than a few of the realm’s residents if you follow this path!
9All Or Nothing Weaponless Runs
A Magical, Potentially Terrifying Twist On Combat
For these runs, commit to abandoning your weapons and using either just your fists or pure magic. This is a challenge for those who want more than Honour Mode, or, maybe just want a lower-stakes challenge while still being able to save their progress.
If you love close-quarters combat, are a fan of martial arts, or maybe want to use more improvised weapons, you should choose the path of fighting without any weapons. If, on the other hand, you’re an avid magic user who rarely uses your weapon anyway, then you should go ahead and commit to using it exclusively.
8The Most Authentic Run Possible
Always Be Yourself
Why not play as yourself? That’s right. Make yourself in the game, as 1:1 as possible. Try to make only the choices that you would actually make in the game. Don’t ever reload, and let the chips fall where they may. Don’t you want to know how you’d fare if you were in this situation?
This is bound to be a chaotic run, so you’ll have to get comfortable making mistakes and maybe even losing a few characters. The idea behind this run isn’t to represent your best or worse self, but just to follow your instincts and be yourself. Come as you are and let’s see if it’s enough.
7In-Character Origin Run
Learn Even More About The Quirky Cast Of Baldur’s Gate 3
If you’ve played through the game once, you probably have a favorite character. So why not revisit the game through that character’s eyes? Test your knowledge and love of that unique cast member by keeping as close to their familiar personality as possible in Origin mode.
This is a fun way to gain a deeper understanding of both your chosen protagonist and the wider party and citizens of the realm, all whilegetting to experience unique dialogue and interactions.It’s also very interesting to see how the characters interact with each other without the barrier of Tav often dominating the action. Select the Origin cast member you prefer and enjoy exploring their perspective on the unfolding narrative.
6Party Of Summons Run
You’ll Need To Master Your Minions To Survive
Who needs others, right? You can probably beat the game without the help of a well-balanced party, so long as you can summon your own private army. In this run, you challenge yourself to beat the game with only your summons to help you.
This playthrough has absolutely no benefits story-wise and gives you room to decide what kind of personality you want to approach NPCs with. Instead, it’s about the combat challenge. This is a good potential option for those of you who started off playing on a high difficulty and want other, unique combat challenges.
