BG3: The Definitive BEST Animal Aspects Guide [Top 8]

In the expansive world of Baldur’s Gate 3, harnessing the power of the Animal Aspects can drastically shape a player’s strategy and prowess in battle. From the stealth of the Wolf to the resilience of the Honey Badger, each Aspect offers unique benefits. I have listed here 8 best animal aspects in BG3 that you should definitely look into while playing the game.

Best Animal Aspects In Baldur’s Gate 3

Here is an overview of the best animal aspects to have in BG3 showcased along with the effects of each one of them in the game. 

1. Tiger Animal Aspect

The Tiger Animal Aspect in Baldur’s Gate 3 strengthens your character’s offensive capabilities against weakened foes (those who are Bleeding or Poisoned) and also bolsters your wilderness-based skillset by making you more adept at survival tasks.

• When you attack targets that are either Bleeding or Poisoned, you get to add an additional Strength Modifier to your Attack Rolls.
• This means that your attacks against such targets will be more likely to hit, especially if you have a high Strength score.
• You gain Proficiency in the Survival skill.
• I recommend running this Aspect if you have weapons that induce poison or bleeding using attacks.

2. Elk Animal Aspect

The Elk Animal Aspect in Baldur’s Gate 3 is about enhancing mobility for you and your nearby allies, allowing your party to traverse the battlefield more swiftly or position yourselves more strategically during encounters.

The Aspect of the Elk provides enhanced movement speed. Specifically, when you activate Aspect of the Elk, both you and nearby allies receive a boost to their movement speed for a duration.

3. Wolverine Animal Aspect

One of the best aspects in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Wolverine Animal Aspect lets your character hinder and debilitate already weakened (Bleeding or Poisoned) enemies, making it harder for them to move or dodge certain threats. This can significantly impact the flow of combat, rendering affected targets more vulnerable.

• Targeted Conditions: The ability activates when you attack targets that are either Bleeding or Poisoned.
• Maim Effect: Upon attacking such a target, you apply the “Maim” effect to it for 1 turn.
• Effects of Maim:
  • The creature’s Movement Speed is reduced to 0, meaning it cannot move.
  • The creature gains a Disadvantage on Dexterity Saving Throws, making it more susceptible to effects or attacks that require such a save.
• Counter: The Maim effect can be removed if the creature is healed.

4. Wolf Animal Aspect

The Wolf Animal Aspect primarily enhances your character’s ability to operate discreetly, increasing your sneaking capabilities with proficiency in Stealth. The exact effects of using the Aspect of the Wolf ability would require me to experiment with it more in BG3, but here is a basic rundown of it for now.

You gain Proficiency in the Stealth skill using the Wolf Animal Aspect in BG3. This means that you add your proficiency bonus to any Stealth checks you make, increasing your chances of remaining undetected.

This Aspect is good at Normal Difficulties, but I tried it out in Honor Mode, and it was extremely helpful. If you can afford the less damage on this Aspect, the ability to sneak up and kill boss enemies at the start is fantastic.

5. Honey Badger Animal Aspect

The Honey Badger Animal Aspect provides resilience in the face of debilitating conditions, giving your character a chance to harness their inner fury (Rage) without spending any resources (Rage Charges) when affected by certain debuffs.

• Triggered Conditions: This ability activates if you start your turn under one of the following conditions: Poisoned, Frightened, or Charmed.
• Effect: If the above conditions are met, there’s a 50% chance that you will automatically enter a Rage state.
• Rage Charge Conservation: Activating Rage in this manner does not consume a Rage Charge, meaning you can save those charges for later use.

6. Bear Animal Aspect

Another of the best aspects in BG3, the Bear Animal Aspect, enhances your character’s physical prowess, both in terms of how much they can carry and their effectiveness in situations requiring sheer strength.

• Carrying Capacity: Your character’s ability to carry items, equipment, and possibly other loads is doubled. This can be particularly useful if you tend to pick up a lot of items or wear heavy equipment.
• Strength Checks: You gain an Advantage on all Strength Checks. In-game mechanics, this means when you roll a Strength Check, you roll two d20s and take the higher result. This increases your likelihood of success in any situation where raw strength is required, such as pushing, pulling, lifting, or breaking objects.

I use this Aspect on Karlach so my pary composition has someone who can carry all the stuff I find when exploring the creeps and corners of Faerun.

7. Stallion Animal Aspect

The Stallion Animal Aspect provides a protective boost when moving swiftly (dashing), making your character more resilient when covering ground quickly on the battlefield.

• Dashing Benefit: When you use the Dash action, you gain temporary hit points.
• Amount of Temporary Hit Points: The number of temporary hit points you receive is equal to twice your character level. For instance, if you’re level 5, you’d gain 10 temporary hit points upon dashing.
• Restriction on Temporary Hit Points: You can only have temporary hit points from one source at a time. This means if you gain temporary hit points from another ability or item, you’d need to choose which source of temporary hit points to keep, typically the higher amount.

8. Crocodile Animal Aspect

The Crocodile Animal Aspect enhances your character’s mobility and stability, particularly in wet or slippery conditions, keeping them agile in water and steadfast when the terrain gets treacherous.

• Water Movement Boost: When your character stands on water-based surfaces, your movement speed is increased by 3 meters. This makes navigating aquatic terrains faster and more efficient.
• Stability on Slippery Surfaces: If you find yourself on slippery surfaces, you gain an Advantage on Saving Throws made to resist being knocked Prone. “Advantage” means you’ll roll two d20s and take the higher result, increasing your chances to stay upright when faced with challenges that might topple others.

My Tips For Animal Aspects

Animal Aspects are one of the most fun parts of building a nice Barbarian build. I almost always go for Bear Aspect on Karlach, but if it is my Tav, then it’s the Tiger Aspect. One thing to make the Tiger Aspect really pop off is to use Shadowheart to induce poison. Additionally, you could find a weapon that can inflict bleeding for damage as well.

In conclusion, throughout the intricate landscapes of Baldur’s Gate 3, Animal Aspects offer champions a touch of the wild to enhance their abilities. Whether you’re drawing from the strength of the Bear or the agility of the Crocodile, each imparts its primal essence. And my guide should give you enough reasons for which animal aspect to go within what situations. 

That is all on Animal Aspects. If you are interested in more information, then consider reading Best Bard Subclasses, Best Race For Bard, and BEST Tavern Brawler Build in Baldur’s Gate 3 guides. You can also check out Huzaifa’s Review of BG3 to better understand the use of these Aspects.

Next:

• Baldur’s Gate 3: Who Is Slack Skinned Head?
• Baldur’s Gate 3 Scuffed Rock
• BG3: Dark Amethyst
• Baldur’s Gate 3: What Is Shadowfell & When To Enter