Solasta 2: Best Race & Ancestry Guide (Early Access)

This guide showcases the best and worst ancestry (race) options in Solasta 2 – giving players details about what each ancestry does, how ancestry is different than races from previous games, and what each build and class should pick.

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Solasta 2 shifts away from previous DnD ruleset and now incorporates the 2024 5e rules. This means, no longer does race determine your ability score improvements. That belongs to your background decision in character creation. Race, now ancestry, determines minor, yet still important bonuses to your character. Additionally, the level cap in Early Access is 4, limiting some ancestry bonuses which factors into your decision on selections.

At the initial outset for Solasta 2, the developers have four races unlocked: Human, Elf (two kinds), Halfling, and Dwarf. Our guide intends to give you the knowledge to make the best choices based on your individual playstyle and build. Below we share how races work in Solasta 2, which are the best, and which ancestry you should pick based on your class. To see the full stats and effects for each Ancestry, check out our Full Race Guide for Solasta 2.

How Ancestry (Race) Works in Solasta 2

Feature	2014 Rules (BG3 / Solasta 1)	2024 Rules (Solasta 2 / One D&D)
Stats (+2/+1)	Tied to your Race (e.g., Mountain Dwarf = +2 STR).	Tied to your Background (e.g., Lawkeeper = +2 STR).
Origin Feats	Only available to “Variant Humans.”	Everyone gets a feat from their Background.
Ancestry Role	Defined your “Math” (How well you hit).	Defines your “Utility” (Movement and Magic).
Humans	Often seen as “boring” or “weak.”	Top Tier due to having two feats at Level 1.

In older DnD games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or the original Solasta, your Race was your most important mechanical choice because it dictated your Ability Score Improvements (ASI). In Solasta 2, those stats have been moved to your Background. Therefore, you can expect ancestry to be less impactful on overall combat.

If we look at the picture above, there is a lot of details for ancestry. First, you have speed which is in feet. This is your per turn movement. The Sylvan Elf is the only race that has a bonus of 35 feet. This bonus can stack with the Origin Feat called Quick, giving you another 5 feet, totaling 40 feet per turn for incredible movement.

Next, you have skill proficiencies. Skills determine non-combat related bonuses during exploration. The only exception to this is Athletics, which helps against being shoved. Skills are incredibly important in Solasta 2 because your entire party interacts while exploring and dialogue, not just one player. Thus, having a diverse skill set is critical to pass important skill checks, which aid in questing.

Next, we have Ancestry Features, which are the perks or bonuses for each ancestry. These include additional spells, cantrips, or even Origin Feats. Overall, this is the most important aspect of your ancestry choice and determines your overall strength. Combining the proper ancestry with background and origin trait gives you a strong build potential rather than just randomly selecting something.

Finally, we have languages and language choices. This might appear odd at first, but again, factor in your party has four characters in total, each with language choices. There are eight languages so far, and a common language that anyone can understand. This means, when you pick up a book or a scroll, etc, you need to know that language to parse the information. Therefore, make sure each party member knows different languages so you can handle each and every situation Solasta 2 throws at you.

All Ancestries & Bonuses (Quick Glance)

This table provides a raw look at what each race brings to the table under the 2024 Ruleset in Solasta 2.

Ancestry	Key Features	Movement	Visual/Defense
Human	Extra Origin Feat, Heroic Inspiration, Skillful	30 ft	None (Needs Light)
High Elf	Fire Bolt Cantrip, Longstrider (Lvl 3)	30 ft	Darkvision (60 ft)
Sylvan Elf	Venomous Cantrip, Expeditious Retreat (Lvl 3)	35 ft	Darkvision (60 ft)
Dwarf	Dwarven Toughness (+1 HP/Lvl), Stonecunning	30 ft*	Darkvision (120 ft), Poison Res
Halfling	Luck (Reroll 1s), Brave, Naturally Stealthy	30 ft	None (Needs Light)

Note: In Solasta 2, Dwarves now have a base speed of 30 ft (up from 25 ft in the first game) to match the 2024 D&D updates!

Check out the full Ancestry guide here.

The Best Ancestry (Race) for Solasta 2 Early Access

While backgrounds give you your stats, your Ancestry gives you the innate biological advantages that can turn the tide of a tactical encounter. Here is how they stack up in the current Early Access build.

Rank	Ancestry	Why It’s Here	Best Build Synergy
1	Human	Getting an extra Origin Feat and free rerolls via Heroic Inspiration is mathematically superior to any other racial trait.	Any Class (Max Versatility)
2	High Elf	Built-in Fire Bolt gives non-casters a ranged option, and Longstrider is a massive “set-it-and-forget-it” mobility buff.	Wizards / Paladins
3	Wood Elf	The 35ft movement and Expeditious Retreat make them nearly impossible to pin down in tactical combat.	Rogues
4	Dwarf	The extra HP and Poison Resistance are great, but they lack the offensive “pop” of Humans or Elves.	Tanks
5	Halfling	While “Luck” is great, the lack of Darkvision and slower movement makes them the weakest general pick.	Stealth Rogues Only

1. Human (The Versatile Powerhouse)

Humans are the undisputed kings for your Ancestry choice in Solasta 2 because they grant the two most powerful “meta” resources in the game: an extra feat and reliable rerolls.

Heroic Inspiration: You start every Long Rest with Heroic Inspiration. You can expend this to reroll any D20 roll, essential for clutch saving throws or landing a critical attack.
Skill Versatile: You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice at character creation.
Versatile (Extra Origin Feat): This is the game-changer. Humans get a second Origin Feat from their background list. This allows combos like a “Tough and Savage Attacker” at level 1 for huge upside.
The Trade-off: No Darkvision. You will need to rely on the Light cantrip or torches in Solasta’s many dark dungeons.

The Human race went from weak and meager at best in 2014 and Solasta 1 to a power house in Solasta 2. Heroic Inspiration is absolutely essential early when your primary ability score is low, and your percentage to land or avoid attacks is weak. You can clutch save an incoming attack or reroll when you desperately need to hit a target.

With the addition of Origin Feats, the Versatile bonus is an amazing addition since you get two feats. Your background gives you one feat, while your human Ancestry allows you to select another. Playing a Sorcerer with the Occultist feat unlocks the Magic Initiative Wizard origin feat. While it uses Wizard spells, this feat uses your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom, thus you can stack just one stat like Charisma and still have effective Wizard spells.

Picking the Human on this character then gives you another Origin Feat, which you can use to select Ready for War. This feat unlocks light armor, shields, and martial weapons. Thus, your squishy Sorcerer can now wield a quarterstaff, a shield, and light armor. At level four, a feat helps bypass the Somatic spellcasting issue, freeing up your hands. This combination makes the high DPS, low survivability Sorcerer turn into a juggernaut at level four. Plus with the Wizard spellbook, you can get Shield on top of Blur to have the survivability of a tank!

The origin feat and background combos are massive, and this makes the Human the best overall ancestry in BG3. Again, beware of the downside which is the lack of Darkvision. You can combat this by using the Darkvision spell, casting the Light cantrip or activating a lantern on your inventory. The bonuses are well worth the minor downsides and if you don’t know what to select, stick with the Human as the best all around option in Solasta 2.

2. Elf

Coming in second is the Elf Ancestry which gives you a ton of bonuses including Darkvision, mobility, extra spells, and help against crowd control. In Solasta 2, there are two types of Elves, High Elf and Sylvan Elf. Each has its strengths and weakness as well as common traits listed below:

Ancestral Vigor: Advantage on saves against being Charmed and immune to magical Sleep.
Darkvision: See in the dark up to 60ft (no disadvantage on attacks in low light).
Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition.
Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Insight, Perception, or Survival skill.
Trace: Magic can’t put you to sleep, and you retain consciousness during lost rest.

High Elf (The Arcane Specialist)

The High Elf is the natural choice for spellcasters who want extra mobility, and the Fire Bolt cantrip.

At level 1 you gain Fire Bolt or you can replace this cantrip for another Wizard upon a long rest. Second, you get Longstrider at level 3. This is a critical spell that allows extra mobility and can be pre-cast before combat. Lastly, at level five, you will gain Misty Step. Sadly, Early Access only starts with max level of four, so this incredibly powerful spell won’t be in play initially.

While High Elves are usually associated with spellcasters since you get an extra cantrip, with Longstrider spell, this is helpful on a variety of different martial melee classes. Considering the 2014 ruleset, you have many combat encounters where you need mobility to reach an enemy on turn one or even turn two. Having any source of extra movement is critical for classes like the Paladin or Cleric. Otherwise, you’re using spells which chew through your spell slots quickly or lower DPS cantrips.

Don’t sleep on the High Elf for any build that wants a reliable, decent damage cantrip and a good mobility spell starting at level three.

Sylvan Elf (Mobility)

No other ancestry beats the innate movement of the Sylvan Elf (Wood Elf) due to its extra 5 feet of movement.

Venomous Spike Cantrip: 60 feet, one enemy deals piercing and poison damage using an action.
Expeditious Retreat (level 3): can cast this as a bonus action to Dash, making you the most mobile unit on the battlefield.
Increased Speed: Natural base walking speed is 35ft (instead of 30ft).

Every turn adding five feat is massive for reaching targets at melee or in range. Plus, an origin feat like Quick adds another 5 feet of movement per turn, giving you massive reach. Playing a Rogue with Cunning Dash as a bonus action means you can move across the entire battlefield in one turn and still use your action.

Another benefit is the Venomous Spike cantrip. Not only does this cantrip deal poison damage, but piercing as well. Meaning, it makes a great long-range replacement if you’re lacking range DPS or a target is weak to poison.

The Sylvan Elf is another great choice for any build simply due to its increased movement. In Early Access of Solasta 2, there are just very few ways to reach the target in one turn. On melee builds this is the difference between a four damage weak bow attack, or a 30 HP Divine Smite nuke.

3. Dwarf (The Indestructible Frontline)

Dwarves are built for players who want to park a character in the center of five enemies and never die. These are your ultimate tanks and should be used when dying is not an option!

Dwarven Resilience: You have advantage on saving throws against Poison and resistance to Poison damage (very common in Solasta’s early game).
Dwarven Toughness: Your Hit Point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by another 1 every time you level up.
Darkvision: Standard 60ft vision.
Stonecunning: As a bonus action, you gain Tremorsense (60ft) while on stone surfaces for 10 minutes—huge for spotting hidden enemies.
The Trade-off: no offensive bonuses.

The ultimate tank combo is picking the Ascetic background with the Origin Feat Robust, and the Dwarf Ancestry. With this combo, you stack massive amounts of HP, use heavy armor as a Paladin, and can use a shield. You can self-heal, deal good melee damage, and cast spells. Plus, you gain Dwarven Toughness, which stacks with the Robust feat, and Darkvision, helping you in dark places.

The major downside to the Dwarf is, it’s purely focused on defense. You won’t get any cantrips, overpowered spells, or extra origin feat. The Dwarf ancestry pigeon-holes you into a tank playstyle that never wants to die. Hey, that’s quite all right for one person in your party, and we highly recommend a Paladin or Fighter Dwarf combo for those players who level big HP and face tanking enemies.

4. Halfling (The Stealth Specialist)

While they sit at the bottom of the general rankings, they are the “Best-in-Slot” specifically for Rogues or players who hate “Critical Fails.”

Luck: When you roll a 1 on an attack, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. This virtually eliminates “Nat 1” disasters.
Brave: Advantage on saving throws against being Frightened.
Halfling Nimbleness: You can move through the space of any creature that is a size larger than yours (great for escaping corners).
Naturally Stealthy: You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
The Trade-off: average movement, no spells.

The best part of the Hafling is its Luck bonus, which helps you reroll a natural 1. It keeps you from a critical failure which is nice, and you are naturally stealthy. This bonus helps you hide behind larger creatures than you. These two features are perfect for a melee-focused Rogue build who wants to weave in and out of the fight, hiding.

Similar to the Dwarf, the Halfling feels optimized for a Rogue stealth build only, and lacks other bonuses that give it variety. You can counter this point by saying the Luck feat is versatile, and that’s true, but no cantrip or spell options make it average at best. With Humans giving you two origin feats and the ability to reroll a dice at will, they seem like a much stronger choice all around.

Best Ancestry for each Class in Solasta 2

Class	Best Ancestry	Why It Works
Fighter	Human	Starting with two (e.g., Savage Attacker and Robust) makes you a juggernaut by Level 1.
Rogue	Sylvan Elf	Gaining an ranged damage cantrip and Expeditious Retreat spell helps compliment your mobility and range, plus an extra 5 feet each turn!
Wizard	Human	Since Wizards are “glass cannons,” using the Humans’ extra feat to grab Robust (+HP) or Ready for War (Shields) is helpful for survival in Early Access.
Cleric	Dwarf	The extra HP from Dwarven Toughness and Poison Resistance makes you the ultimate frontline healer. You can’t heal if you’re dead!
Paladin	Human	Paladins are “MAD” (Multiple Ability Dependent). The Human’s Heroic Inspiration ensures you don’t waste your limited spell slots on a missed Smite.
Sorcerer	Human	Balanced choice lets you stack two OP feats like Magic Initiative Cleric for guiding bolt and Ready for War for Shield and Light armor.

Keep in mind, these are merely suggestions and ultimately the goal of Solasta 2 is to have fun. You can pick an off-meta based ancestry and still do great in combat. You should pick what fits your narrative theme in your campaign, especially if you’re familiar with the DnD 2024 rule set. However, the above recommendation is great for newer or beginner folks that aren’t familiar with how power is obtained through character creation choices.

More Powerful Solasta 2 Builds!

Check out our complete list of powerful Solasta 2 builds to start your next adventure!

Solasta 2: Best Race & Ancestry Guide (Early Access)

How Ancestry (Race) Works in Solasta 2

All Ancestries & Bonuses (Quick Glance)