How to get Inspiration Points in Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3, as expected from a game set in the universe of Dungeons & Dragons, brings the TTPRG experience with the Inspiration and Background Goals systems that reward you for role-playing.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, attributes such as Strength or Intelligence are important, but they are not the only aspects of your character that matters during your journey. A character’s Background is also a key feature that allows you to establish their motivations in the world. To reward you for knowing what they want in the complex and dense world of Baldur’s Gate, the game has the Inspiration Points system.

But earning Inspiration Points is not as simple as it looks. In this Baldur’s Gate 3 guide, we cover not only what Inspiration Points are but also summarize Background Goals that must be completed to gain these valuable points.

What are Inspiration Points in Baldur’s Gate 3

In Baldur’s Gate 3, your characters can earn Inspiration Points that can be spent to reroll an Ability Check. In other words, you can use them to redo a failed dice roll.

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Just like in the TTRPG, when you try to perform an action, you’ll face a test. The success of your action depends on getting an equal or higher number than the Difficulty Class for that specific situation, with a dice roll plus modifiers.

If you get a lower number or a one, it’s considered that you have failed the test. By having at least one Inspiration Point, you can spend it to try the roll again. While spending Inspiration Points doesn’t guarantee a better result, it’s still a useful tool that can save your characters in some situations.

How to earn Inspiration Points in Baldur’s Gate 3

Now, Inspiration Points are rare; you only earn them when performing actions that follow the principles of your character’s Background, by completing hidden achievements called Background Goals.

When creating a new character, you must choose a Background. These Backgrounds can be understood as archetypes that explain things such as where your character is from or how they approach the world around them.

By choosing the action that best fits a character’s motivations, as determined by their Background, you have a chance to complete one of their Background Goals, rewarding you with Experience Points and an Inspiration Point. When it comes to your companions, since they also have Backgrounds, they can complete Background Goals as well. You don’t have to be actively controlling them to complete the goals, but you need to have them in your party.

It’s important to keep in mind that you can only carry a total of four Inspiration Points. If you complete a Background Goal but have four points already, you get only the Experience Points. You can complete each Background Goal only once.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Background Goals

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There are a total of 11 Backgrounds for you to choose in Baldur’s Gate 3. This is by no means an exhaustive list (you’ll want to trawl a Baldur’s Gate 3 wiki resource for that), but rather a generalized summary of the Background Goals you’ll need to complete to earn Inspiration Points for each Background:

Acolyte

An Acolyte character is interested in learning rites and ways of communicating with the gods in the temples they spend some time in. Performing actions to serve the gods or find out things related to them is a good way to complete Acolyte’s Background Goals.

Charlatan

A character with the Charlatan Background knows the art of manipulation and uses it as a weapon. When it comes to completing the Charlatan’s Background Goals, you must focus on situations where persuasion is a key element, such as in scenarios where you can convince NPC to follow your order or bend the truth to trick them.

Criminal

The Criminal has a past as an outlaw — the path they chose to follow in order to survive. The Background Goals of a Criminal are related to acting in such a manner that profits from breaking the law.

Entertainer

An Entertainer has the tools and knows the tricks to engage an audience and make them move following their intent. Due to this Background’s intrinsic connection with art, one way of completing the Entertainer’s Background Goals is to act toward preserving art as well as bringing joy to the life of the oppressed.

Folk Hero

The Folk Hero is the ideal Background if you want your character to be a traditional hero, one who fights tyrants to help the innocents. Because of that, Folk Hero’s Background Goals are related to saving people that are in danger.

Guild Artisan

Focused on honing a particular craft, characters with the Guild Artisan Background are part of a mercantile guild and established strong connections with those who see the value of their art. When exploring the world of Baldur’s Gate 3, choosing to repair objects or discover rare crafts is what will lead you to complete the Guild Artisan’s Background Goals.

Noble

The Noble has been part of the social elite and knows the taste of having power over the less fortunate. Following what your character learned as a Noble, they will complete their Background Goal by raising their social status as well as accumulating power and loyalty.

Outlander

The Outlander has grown up among the woods, learning from nature how to survive, instead of relying on the safety of civilization. Choose dialogue options or perform actions that improve your character’s skills when it comes to surviving the dangers hidden in the wild if you want to complete their Background Goals.

Sage

With the Sage Background, your character becomes a scholar, curious about the world and to learn about it. The Sage’s Background Goals are related to discovering and reading rare books, acquiring the knowledge and lore inscribed on them.

Soldier

The Soldier’s prowess in combat comes from their training while serving either a mercenary company or officer corps. To complete a Soldier’s Background Goals, look for opportunities to prove their battlefield tactics as well as their bravery.

Urchin

The Urchin has lived a life with very little but developed a few tricks to take the most out of the situations. An Urchin character is proud of what they learned during life, so using their street smarts is the best way to complete their Background Goals.

For more information on the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, consult our overviews on the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard classes. If you’re stumped by the choice, consult our guide on what class to start with.