Gaming Guide

Baldur’s Gate 3: The Best New Mods to Install This Week

A breakdown of the newest campaigns, subclasses, companions, outfits, and load order tools across Nexus Mods and mod.io.

A breakdown of the newest campaigns, subclasses, companions, outfits, and load order tools across Nexus Mods and mod.io.

Baldur’s Gate 3 modding has not slowed down, and the newest batch covers a lot of ground: a full custom campaign for Act Two, a recruitable githyanki hatchling, a werewolf overhaul with its own progression system, and a pile of outfits, heads, and fixes that smooth out the parts of the game Larian never touched.

Quick answer: The latest releases fall into four buckets — new content and companions, new class systems, cosmetics, and quality-of-life tools. They live on Nexus Mods and mod.io, and both load through a mod manager.


New quests, companions, and campaign content

The biggest release in this group is Act Two Expansion – Custom Campaign by SquallyDaBeans, which adds new regions, 70 new items, and more than 30 combat encounters tuned for levels 8 through 10. It is built to slot into an existing run rather than replace one.

Varrl Evolved by XAON goes in a different direction. Lae’zel can recruit Varrl, a githyanki hatchling who comes with monk-style abilities, his own level-up progression, and unique spells instead of a stock companion sheet.

Varrl Evolved01:34Varrl Evolved
Varrl Evolved gives Lae'zel a recruitable githyanki hatchling with monk-like abilities and his own level-up track. Shown at 01:34 in Jay Dunna’s video. Image: Larian Studios

Early Minsc by Mbergna lets you pick up Minsc in Act 1 at Grymforge while keeping his Act 3 storyline and quests intact. For cut content, Early Access Dream Visitor Restored by HyperspaceTowel brings back the original Daisy dream sequences, including the old voice lines and scenes.

Two smaller additions round it out. Companion Combat Death Reactivity by MagneTuning triggers voice line reactions when a companion drops in battle, and Catstarion by RevolutionScribe hands Astarion a Vampire Cat wild shape with a tiny vampire bite.


New subclasses and power systems

This is where the mechanical mods are. Aurora Soul by GIJORGE is a Sorcerer subclass built around radiant and cold damage, with features named Auroral Echo, Auroral Magic, Starlight Veil, and Luminous Step.

Elegy of the Beast by Latyole is the heaviest of the bunch. It rebuilds lycanthropy around 28 power perks and a beast point system you spend to unlock abilities, and it sits alongside the author’s vampire overhaul work.

Fade’s Augmentation Runes by GraphicFade ties progression to boss kills. Runes unlock as you take down targets like the Phase Spider Matriarch, Commander Zhalk, and Grym, and you fuse them together for stronger buffs.

Fade's Augmentation Runes00:29Fade's Augmentation Runes
Fade's Augmentation Runes unlocks and fuses runes as you kill specific bosses. Shown at 00:29 in Jay Dunna’s video. Image: Larian Studios

Summoner builds get a dedicated kit in Concordant Summoner’s Regalia by JRadical, which runs on Concord stacks that feed summon buffs, extra damage, protective shields, chain strikes, and summoner-specific spells. Draconis by Naerys takes the flashier route with a draconic outfit, a wing slot, fire damage, a Dracarys breath attack, and teleport-style winged flight.


Armor, outfits, and weapon mods

Cosmetic gear makes up the largest share of new uploads. Most of these are dyeable and ship with camp clothing variants.

ModAuthorWhat it adds
Opalescent ThreadsaeredeeaModular dyeable clothing and dresses with cloth physics
Amour DresslumadairLayered dress with armor pieces, multiple dye palettes
Sanctus SignumberrysemifreddoOutfit ensemble with capes and standalone arm accessories
MaleficaKaliSinsLight armor and camp clothing for body types 1–4
Gothic Dress / Sorceress’ DressEuryaleXDresses for body types 1 and 3; Gothic grants 12 AC and Shield
Merigold the FearlessYoonheeTriss Merigold’s alternative Witcher 3 outfit, dyeable
Flora Fey DressElledwinFairy dress, butterfly wing cloak, floral headpiece
A Touch of Fey – Weapons PackCalisSinsSix plant-themed weapons with sleep and faerie fire perks
Couronne des Plaies d’OrBerrySemifredoDyeable golden Lathander circlet sold by vendors
Resplendent Wings – WCCAardvarkHenriettaGlowing angel and fiend wings with elemental flight passives

A few are worth calling out on their own. Tactical Espionage Set by Scurby is a Metal Gear-flavored sneak suit with a knife and pistol combo weapon, idle cigar smoke animations, cardboard box camouflage, and utility belt abilities.

Tactical Espionage Set Mod01:03Tactical Espionage Set Mod
The Tactical Espionage Set bundles a sneak suit, a knife/pistol weapon, and box camouflage. Shown at 01:03 in Jay Dunna’s video. Image: Larian Studios

Scurvy’s DnD Arcade Thief Set covers similar ground with a thief hood, scarf, low-rise jeans, camp versions, and a wakizashi dagger that slots into the underwear slot. For headwear, the Underdark Cork Hat by Volno is an Australian-style cork hat made for the Modathon Week 3 Past and Desert theme, and it sits surprisingly well on Minthara.

Underdark Cork Hat Mod03:51Underdark Cork Hat Mod
The Underdark Cork Hat, shown on Minthara. Shown at 03:51 in Jay Dunna’s video. Image: Larian Studios

Shifting Sands: Forgotten Armoury Part III by RevolutionScribe hides a desert mage outfit and staff inside the Djinni Lamp, with Steal Time and Encore attached.

ClaraHesty’s Mushroom Hat For All works on every body type except Dragonborn, so check your character before downloading it.


Character creation: heads, hair, and tattoos

Head packs keep arriving, and the newest ones lean into races the base game underserves.

  • Grace’s Frog Faces by Grace455 — five custom heads built for githyanki characters.
  • Elfsong Ladies Head Pack by ManuliPeroni — presets named Coraline, Mira, Ophelia, and Rowena.
  • Gnome Beauties by ManuliParoni — gnome heads including Arden, Elowen, Fern, Willow, Inka, Juniper, Maeva, and Mila.
  • Alice CC Set by HeartWires — a custom elf head, hairstyle, makeup, robes, and matching camp clothing.
  • Alternate Tiefling Legs by FluffySpider — hooves, claws, and scaled legs in both character creation and inventory slots.
Grace's Frog Faces03:40Grace's Frog Faces
Grace's Frog Faces adds five githyanki head options to character creation. Shown at 03:40 in Jay Dunna’s video. Image: Larian Studios

The Elfsong presets show up in both the Character Creator and the Magic Mirror, so you can apply them mid-run without starting over.

Elfsong Ladies Head Pack06:22Elfsong Ladies Head Pack
The Elfsong Ladies presets appear in both the Character Creator and the Magic Mirror. Shown at 06:22 in Jay Dunna’s video. Image: Larian Studios

Hair, tattoos, and novelty heads

Harmonic Hairstyles by lumadair adds 36 new hair presets with color variation support. Luci’s Tattoo Collection by i7c8d covers hand-drawn face and neck designs, with separate installation variants depending on which body framework you use.

On the novelty side, Rafaell5500’s Dwayne_Johns_on_head puts a Dwayne Johnson preset in character creation, and auresco’s Homelander Head Preset does the same for Antony Starr’s character from The Boys.

Companion appearance edits

SweetGenerous released three companion reworks. The Prophet of Nature reworks Halsin’s face, hair, and equipment. The Pride of the Gate gives Wyll alternative hairstyles themed around Eldritch Blast and Arms of Hadar. Astral Fury resculpts Lae’zel’s face with updated textures, a refined wrinkle map, and redesigned starting armor.


Quality-of-life mods and load order tools

These are the ones that change how the game handles day to day, and several are worth installing before anything cosmetic.

ModAuthorFunction
Partial RespecVolitioRoll back specific levels, keeping class, subclass, and feats
VOLOmistermoonesonBrowser tool for sorting mod load orders
Native Mod Configuration MenuLuezNunezIn-game settings framework for supported mods
Skip Mod Verification WindowVolutaioSuppresses the mod mismatch warning at startup
Auto-Sorting HotbarEolaOrganizes spells and passives using MCM rules
Sensible Visible Shieldsjoow92Keeps equipped shields visible on the character’s back
Me and My PalsFerionLegacyOversized parties join dialogue, extras hidden elsewhere
True Third-Person CameraRelissiaOver-the-shoulder view with dynamic FOV and MCM support
True Disguise SelfFortisEstVeritasUnlocks race dialogue tags matching your disguise

Partial Respec is the standout. Instead of wiping a character and rebuilding from level one, it rolls back only the levels you pick and carries the rest of your choices forward automatically. True Disguise Self also ships an illusion-only option that changes dialogue tags without altering your body.

Install Native Mod Configuration Menu first if you plan to use Auto-Sorting Hotbar or True Third-Person Camera, since both hook into it for their settings.


Custom maps for photography and combat

Three map mods target virtual photography and staged fights rather than story content. A Peaceful Retreat by inkyplease is built around rocky cliffs, autumn trees, and water. The Dreamer’s Divide by Axiavana and Inkyplz spans Astral Plane clockwork ruins, Spring Court gardens, and a portal labyrinth. PlaneScapes by Terrorbyte33 uses warp portals to reach custom locations including a gym called Baldur’s Gains and the Brine Springs canyon.


Installing these mods and checking they loaded

Work out where each mod lives. Files hosted on Nexus Mods are installed manually or through a mod manager, while mod.io uploads are handled by the in-game mod manager.
Set your load order before launching. VOLO exists for exactly this, and frameworks such as Native Mod Configuration Menu need to sit above the mods that depend on them.
Confirm each mod actually loaded. Head presets, hairstyles, and tattoos show up in the Character Creator and the Magic Mirror. Gear mods appear in your inventory or at the vendor the author lists, and subclass mods appear on the level-up screen.

Whether you want a whole extra chunk of Act Two or just a shield that stays visible on your back, the useful move is to add a few at a time and check each one loads before piling on the next.