The DnD Githyanki may not crop up in the core Dungeons and Dragons rulebooks, but they’re as big a part of the game’s history as any Elf or Dwarf. Since first edition, the Githyanki have cruised the skies of the Astral Plane on red dragons, slaying Mind Flayers and flashing their silver swords in daring raids. If you’re thinking of rolling up a Githyanki 5e character in your next game, you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re a long-time lover of different DnD races – or you’ve discovered the Gith by playing Baldur’s Gate 3 – we’ve got plenty of astral knowledge to share. Below you’ll find Githyanki history, their current DnD stats, and the DnD classes we’d recommend pairing them with.
Here’s all you need to know about the Githyanki:
Who are the Githyanki?
The Githyanki are a species of humanoids from the Astral Plane, one of two communities formed by the Gith after they escaped their enslavement by DnD Mind Flayers. Like their fellow Gith (the Githzerai), Githyanki have yellow-green skin, elongated heads, sharp teeth, and small, flat noses.
Little is known about who the Gith were before the Mind Flayers forced them into servitude. Some say they were once DnD Humans, transformed by Illithid experiments. Others speculate that they have always been their own, distinct species.
Githyanki society revolves around a few core values. First is the worship of Vlaakith, an undead Lich that rules the Githyanki.
Next is a ruthless, individualistic mindset that makes Githyanki capable fighters – but also hard to be around for anyone outside the Githyanki community. The Githyanki prize their fighting skills, and much of their culture is built around the execution of raids and attacks on Mind Flayers.
While Githyanki often like to keep to their own communities, they cannot age while in their home DnD plane. This means creches are established in other worlds to hatch Githyanki eggs and train their young – so a Githyanki could crop up in any DnD campaign.
Githyanki 5e stats
Here are the current Githyanki 5e stats:
| Ability score increases | +2 and +1 any two different stats |
| Languages | Common and one other language |
| Size | Medium |
| Features | Astral Knowledge, Githyanki Psionics, Psychic Resilience |
And here’s a breakdown of the Githyanki’s racial abilities:
Astral Knowledge
Thanks to their connection to the Astral Plane, a Githyanki can gain extra knowledge. Mechanically, this means you gain proficiency in a DnD skill of your choice and a DnD weapon or tool of your choice once per long rest.
As long as these are chosen from the Player’s Handbook, you’ve got free reign over what skills and tools you pick up. You can also change these proficiencies on your next long rest 5e – just in case your decisions prove unhelpful.
Githyanki Psionics
A Githyanki automatically knows the Mage Hand 5e cantrip. Any time they cast this DnD cantrip using their racial trait, the mystical hand that appears is invisible.
After a few DnD level ups, a Githyanki can also cause Jump at level three. Then, at level five, Misty Step is added to the roster. A Githyanki can cast one of these higher-level spells once per long rest – or they can choose to cast them with a regular spell slot instead.
When you create a Githyanki, you’ll choose one of the regular stats (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) as your spellcasting modifier.
Psychic Resilience
This is a simple one – all Githyanki are resistant to psychic damage. It’s pretty situational, but you’re better prepared for a Mind Flayer attack than most races. Derek the DnD Dwarf will just have to manage.
Best classes for DnD Githyanki
Thanks to their flexible stats and skills, plus those utility-focused spells, a Githyanki is a good fit for pretty much any of the D&D classes. That being said, we do have a few favorites.
The first of these is the DnD Fighter. Having a bit of extra mobility is useful for any melee-based martial class, so spells like Misty Step and Jump will come in very handy. Plus, if you’re playing an Eldritch Knight 5e, expanding your spell list will make you feel a bit more useful.
A Fighter might not have much use for the Githyanki’s changing skill proficiencies, but it never hurts to have. And depending on your campaign, being able to swap weapon proficiencies could be very helpful in a pinch.
Our second choice is the Bard 5e class. Often the resident skill monkey of the D&D party, a Bard gets a lot of use out of the extra proficiencies and spells a Githyanki has to offer. Plus, being able to Misty Step out of harm’s way will definitely come in handy.
For more DnD character creator help, here are the best DnD backgrounds and 5e feats to pick up. Plus, our Baldur’s Gate 3 races guide can help you with your Githyanki-based Baldur’s Gate 3 builds.