Baldur's Gate 3 classes: What's the best class and subclass?

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Some classes are inherently more complicated than others; the Wizard, for example, has eight subclasses to choose from with innumerable spells, whereas the Barbarian has three and likes to just smash things as hard as possible.

All this flexibility means you can play Baldur’s Gate 3 how you’d like to and let other party members fill out the gaps, though it’s crucial to understand how they work too as you’ll be controlling them in combat.

What’s the best class in Baldur’s Gate 3?

The best class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Cleric, as they can do large amounts of damage while being able to do critical tasks such as healing.

This combination of both makes them arguably the most useful class, and you will seriously feel it if you don’t have one in your party.

You don’t necessarily have to play as a Cleric, though, and can instead leave those duties to a companion such as Shadowheart.

Ultimately, however, the true best class is the one that you like to play as most. We have been having great fun stalking the shadows and unlocking doors and chests as a Rogue Thief, for example.

Read more on Baldur's Gate 3:

• Baldur's Gate 3 review - our final verdict
• Baldur's Gate 3 builds - create your character
• Baldur's Gate 3 cast - all voice actors
• Baldur's Gate 3 mods - best hacks and cheats
• Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer - co-op explained
• Baldur's Gate 3 companions - recruit them all
• Baldur's Gate 3 classes - best class and sub-class
• Baldur's Gate 3 change appearance - can it be done?
• Baldur's Gate 3 early game tips - get an epic sword

All Baldur’s Gate 3 classes and what they’re good for

Below is a quick look at all the playable classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. Underneath this is a more comprehensive look at each class and what they’re good at.

• Barbarian – Embody the relentless force of melee combat, tearing through foes with sheer power.
• Bard – Bring harmony to the battlefield, supporting your party with a variety of buffs and debuffs through captivating melodies.
• Cleric – Channel divine power to serve as a versatile support and damage dealer with faith-based magic.
• Druid – Embrace your connection with nature, shapeshifting to adapt to any role required by your party.
• Fighter – Master the art of close-range combat and wield arcane magic to augment your skills on the battlefield.
• Monk – Exhibit unmatched prowess in unarmed combat, achieving a state of Zen-like focus and discipline.
• Paladin – Embrace the path of righteousness (or not), capable of fulfilling the roles of a tank, damage dealer, and support.
• Ranger – Adaptable and resourceful, forge a bond with an animal companion and excel in various combat situations.
• Rogue – Stealth and cunning as you excel in infiltrating, ambushing, and acquiring coveted treasures.
• Sorcerer – Command the elements, specializing in powerful spellcasting to incinerate your enemies.
• Warlock – Form pacts with otherworldly beings, wielding dark magic to manipulate and deal devastating damage.
• Wizard – Master the arcane arts, using a vast array of elemental spells to conquer your adversaries.

Barbarian

Baldur's Gate 3's Barbarian excels with big-choppin’ two-handed weapons, effortlessly slicing through enemies. The best Barbarian builds makes good use of the Rage mechanic, boosting damage and physical resistance. Stay in Rage mode by dealing or taking damage.

However, the Barbarian's Achilles' heel lies in the lack of ranged attacks. To counter this, recruit a protective Cleric to shield and heal. With this support, the Barbarian becomes an unstoppable force, surging through adversaries with ease.

Check out our full Barbarian guide for more.

Bard

Looking for a formidable damage dealer? Consider the Bard! With Bardic Inspiration, they bolster allies' rolls and saving throws, turning the tide of battle. Hypnotising enemies with their tunes – combat becomes a breeze.

The Bard's versatility shines in team composition. Additionally, high charisma grants persuasive skills outside combat, saving time and money through cunning negotiations. Embrace the Bard's tricks for a rewarding adventure!

Find out all you need with our full Bard guide.

Cleric

To ensure your Baldur’s Gate 3 party members thrive and survive, reliable protection is essential. The Cleric excels as the game's top-notch support class, offering party-wide healing, buffs, and potent ranged attacks with the optimal Cleric build.

For a formidable and dynamic duo, it’s best to pair the Cleric with the mightiest classes. When alongside a Wizard such as Gale, it creates a lethal combination making all but the most extreme combat encounters feel trivial. While the Wizard is dishing out the damage, the Cleric shields and heals in critical moments.

Heal and deal damage in full with our Cleric guide.

Druid

Druids boast remarkable versatility on the battlefield. Equipped with medium armour and shield proficiency, they stand as durable spellcasters. Their repertoire of spells encompasses potent offensive abilities, invaluable support, and versatile utility like Speak With Animals. Through Wild Shape, they seamlessly transform into tanky melee assailants, stealthy scouts, or even take flight to reach unreachable spots swiftly.

On the other hand, while they can perform admirably in various roles, they lack the prowess of dedicated specialists. Pinpointing the ideal role within the party can prove challenging.

Fighter

The Fighter's Champion subclass embraces the role of a classic sword-wielding adventurer without any of that magic nonsense. At level 3, you gain Improved Critical Hit, granting crits on natural (not aggregated) 19s and 20s. Unlike the Battle Master with intricate manoeuvres or the spellcasting Eldritch Knight, Champions focus solely on mastering weaponry without special tactics or spells.

As a Fighter, you excel in staying on the battlefield rather than hanging around the periphery, utilising Action Surge for extra attacks and Second Wind to regain health. You remain engaged like a Barbarian but with a more tactical approach. Regardless of your choice, being a Fighter revolves around weapon mastery and relentless combat prowess.

Monk

Monks go without weapons and instead focus on unarmed combat and their Ki attacks which can even blow a person up. How zen, right? They are well suited to a stealth build as they can use Way of the Shadow to teleport between shadows to get to where they need to go.

It makes sense to team up with an equally sneaky fellow so the Rogue is the natural choice for this who can quietly dispatch foes with their Sneak Attacks.

Their lack of spells and proficiency with weapons do limit their versatility but they are a very fun build to play. Just be sure to have a Cleric nearby to save them when your meticulously planned stealth mission inevitably blows up in your face.

Paladin

Using powers bestowed upon them from the divines, the Paladin can pretty much do anything. Divine Smite will funnily enough smite those in your way and Lay on Hands will make sure your friends don’t go down dying.

Jack of all trades but master of none, the Paladin can do with a helping hand from those who specialise in their own craft - such as the Wizard, who can dish out huge amounts of damage from afar if your Paladin is caught out up close.

Ranger

If you like the idea of a Rogue but without the fiendish and sly doings then the Ranger may just be for you, as these nature lovers are equally at home in the shadows.

They are also incredibly versatile as they pick and choose elements from every non-magic class, making them able to use most weapons and armour sets.

By having the Beast Master subclass, you can employ an animal friend to help you out (rather than turning into one like the Druid).

Being pretty good at everything is very handy, but you will definitely want to pair them with those that excel in something in particular, like a Cleric for keeping your hit points topped up.

Rogue

Sneaking up on a hapless foe and shoving them into a bottomless pit never gets old and that pretty much surmises what is great about playing as a Rogue.

They don’t have the best spells or weapons but they can sneak their way in and open doors that would otherwise remain locked.

Abilities such as Cunning Action open up new possibilities for you during combat such as being able to utilise stealth in the heat of battle when your enemies are distracted by another party member.

As stated, though, they are lacking in a few departments - so pairing them up with healers and damage dealers is a must.

Sorcerer

Sorcerers are a bit like Wizards, but with the charisma turned up at the cost of smarts and versatility. But who needs big dusty books when you can schmooze your problems away?

With mastery over the Fireball spell, an unstoppable path unfurls before you. Unlocked at Level 5, it bequeaths the Sorcerer an unparalleled early-game spell, igniting adversaries into scorching oblivion.

Whilst a bit hardier than their bookish cousin, the Wizard, they still aren’t the best at soaking up damage - so you’ll want to have a Cleric for healing and a Paladin or Barbarian at the front soaking up the damage.

Warlock

Warlocks have made a deal with the devil (or with any of the innumerable divine beings), and as such have powerful spells available to them - such as mind control, which is very handy to still have if you opt to get rid of your tadpole or need to control someone without a little brain muncher.

The Great Old One grants you some very impressive powers indeed, such as the Eldritch Blast, which has multiple variations available to you. But having bargained with something more powerful than yourself, you can be sure you will have to pay for it – somehow.

As is the case with most of the magic-based classes, Warlocks are not the best at taking damage - so, as always, a healer such as a Cleric or Paladin is always recommended.

Our Great Old One Warlock guide will have you covered.

Wizard

It wouldn’t be Dungeons & Dragons without a Wizard now, would it? Wizards have serious magic chops and, as such, they can send some serious arcane firepower down range to ruin just about anyone's day.

Wizards are, however, often dubbed as ‘glass cannons’ - in that they can hand out the hurt, but equally be hurt very easily too, so do be sure you have someone in your party on hand to heal.

They are best suited to being in the back away from the carnage and lobbing spells such as Fireball or, when enemies do get a little close for comfort, Thunderwave - which can send a whole group of enemies flying. Extremely handy in dungeons with chasms and bottomless pits.

What about Baldur’s Gate 3 sub-classes?

Every class in Baldur’s Gate 3 (and Dungeons & Dragons for that matter) have a sub-class that is essentially a further level of specialisation that exists within that class.

For instance, a Rogue Assasin is going to be well suited for sneakily dispatching enemies, whereas a Rogue Thief will make light work of making pockets lighter.

Below is a list of the classes and sub-classes available to them with a few bullet points listing what proficiencies and powers they have.

Some sub-classes are unlocked at certain levels as well so you may need to wait a while before you’re able to use certain abilities

Barbarian

Wildheart

“Your attunement with nature and its beasts inspires your rage, empowering you with supernatural might.”

• Bestial Heart
• Speak with Animals

Berserker

“Violence is both a means and an end. You follow a path of untrammelled fury, slick with blood, as you thrill in the chaos of battle, heedless of your own well-being.”

• Frenzy
• Frenzied Strike
• Frenzied Throw

Wild Magic

“Violence is both a means and an end. You follow a path of untrammelled fury, slick with blood, as you thrill in the chaos of battle, heedless of your own well-being.”

• Rage: Wild Magic
• Magic Awareness

Bard

College of Lore

“You pursue beauty and truth, collecting knowledge from scholarly tomes to peasants' tales, and use your gifts to hold both audiences and enemies spellbound.”

• Cutting Words
• Arcana Proficiency
• Intimidation Proficiency
• Sleight of Hand Proficiency

College of Valour

“You wander the land to witness and relate the deeds of the mighty, keeping alive the memory of heroes of the past and inspiring heroes of the future.”

• Medium Armour Proficiency
• Shield Proficiency
• Martial Weapon Proficiency
• Combat Inspiration

College of Swords

“A highly trained and skilled warrior, you use your prowess with words and weapons to fight and entertain in equal measure.”

• Fighting Style
• Slashing Flourish (Melee)
• Slashing Flourish (Ranged)
• Defensive Flourish (Melee)
• Defensive Flourish (Ranged)
• Mobile Flourish (Melee)
• Mobile Flourish (Ranged)
• Scimitar Proficiency
• Medium Armour Proficiency
• Deception Proficiency
• Performance Proficiency

Cleric

Life Domain

“The Life domain is an aspect of many good deities, offering spells that protect and restore the mind, body and soul.”

• Heavy Armour Proficiency
• Disciple of Life
• Bless
• Cure Wounds

Light Domain

“The Light domain is offered by deities of justice, majesty and primordial flame, providing spells that dispel darkness and harm the undead.”

• Warding Flare
• Faerie Fire
• Burning Hands

Trickery Domain

“A domain shared by wicked, chaotic, and mischievous deities alike, those who channel Trickery specialise in deception and illusion magic.”

• Blessing of the Trickster
• Charm Person
• Disguise Self

Knowledge Domain

“Adaptable and adroit in all manner of languages and skills, your mind is an intellectual cup brimming with exquisite knowing.”

• Blessings of Knowledge
• Command
• Sleep

Nature Domain

“You embody the vast viridian power of the natural world, an avatar of the subtle divinity of fruitfall, avian migration, woodland silence and the landslide's roaring fury."

• Acolyte of Nature
• Bonus Proficiency: Heavy Armor
• Shillelagh
• Speak with Animals
• Animal Friendship

Temptest Domain

“Your faith has made you the very thunder that quakes the black firmament, the lightning coursing through the veins of a terrible storm."

• Bonus Proficiency (Martial Weapon)
• Bonus Proficiency (Heavy Armor)
• Thunderwave
• Fog Cloud
• Wrath of the Storm

War Domain

“Fortified by holy zeal, you brandish an arsenal of sacramental savagery to use against those you deem unrighteous."

• Bonus Proficiency (Martial Weapon)
• Bonus Proficiency (Heavy Armor)
• War Priest
• Divine Favour
• Shield of Faith

Druid

Circle of the Moon

“Druids sworn to the moon draw on its mercurial nature to transform into massive creatures and primal elementals.”

• Combat Wild Shape
• Lunar Mend
• Wild Shape: Bear

Circle of the Land

“Druids of this Circle connect to powerful magic that flows through the earth and binds all living things together.”

• Natural Recovery
• Wild Shape

Circle of the Spores

“Viewing death, necrosis, fungal growth and sporulation as just another part of life, you can manipulate such spores to augment yourself and harm your foes.”

• Halo of Spores
• Symbiotic Entity
• Bone Chill
• Wild Shape

Fighter

Battle Master

“Battle Masters are paragons of tactical superiority, combining combat manoeuvres and experience in the field to dominate every fight.”

• Superiority Dice: 4
• Choose 3 Manoeuvres

Eldritch Knight

“Eldritch Knights study magic to supplement their weaponry, allowing them to overcome resistance from the toughest foes.”

• Spell Slots Unlocked (2 LvL 1 Slots)
• Weapon Bond

Champion

“You approach the complex problems posed by combat with one distinctly effective solution - you hit those problems, really quite hard.”

• Improved Critical

Monk

Way of the Open Hand

“You specialise in unarmed combat, using your hands and your control of ki to heal or inflict grievous hurt.”

• Open Hand Technique
• Wholeness of Body
• Tranquillity

Way of Shadow

“Monks of the Way of Shadow follow a tradition that values stealth and subterfuge. These monks might be called ninjas or shadowdancers, and they serve as spies and assassins. Sometimes the members of a ninja monastery are family members, forming a clan sworn to secrecy about their arts and missions. Other monasteries are more like thieves' guilds, hiring out their services to nobles, rich merchants, or anyone else who can pay their fees. Regardless of their methods, the heads of these monasteries expect the unquestioning obedience of their students.”

• Shadow Arts

Way of the Four Elements

“You focus your ki to bend the elements to your will, using them as an extension of your own body.”

• Disciple of the Elements

Paladin

Oath of Devotion

“Following the ideal of the knight in shining armour, you act with honour and virtue to protect the weak and pursue the greater good.”

• Holy Rebuke
• Oath of Devotion Tenets

Oath of the Ancients

“You fight on the side of light in the cosmic struggle against darkness to preserve the sanctity of life and the beauty of nature.”

• Healing Radiance
• Oath of Ancients Tenets

Oath of Vengeance

“You have set aside even your own purity to right wrongs and deliver justice to those who have committed the most grievous sins.”

• Inquisitor's Might
• Oath of Vengeance Tenets

Oathbreaker

“You have broken your sacred Oath in pursuit of power and ambition. Only darkness remains to fuel you now.”

• Spiteful Suffering

Ranger

Beast Master

“Beast Masters bind themselves to an animal companion, sharing an intelligent bond that flourishes in and out of combat.”

• Ranger's Companion

Hunter

“Hunters seek the most dangerous prey in Faerun, from ancient dragons to massive hordes of undead, and excel at slaying them all.”

• Hunter’s Prey

Gloom Stalker

“Emerging like a horrible gift from the envelope of darkness and shadow, you ambush and put down your foes before they can even scream.”

• Dread Ambusher
• Superior Darkvision
• Dread Ambusher: Hide
• Umbral Shroud
• Disguise Self (Lvl 1 Spell)

Rogue

Thief

“Thieves use their skills in stealth and larceny to acquire whatever they wish, whether from a third story window or the depths of long-forgotten ruins.”

• Fast Hands
• Second-Story Work

Arcane Trickster

“Arcane Tricksters are rogues with a clever touch of magic, using illusions and enchantments to keep their opponents on the backfoot.”

• Spellcasting
• Mage Hand Legerdemain

Assassin

“You focus your training on the grim art of death. Those who adhere to this archetype are diverse: hired killers, spies, bounty hunters, and even specially anointed priests trained to exterminate the enemies of their deity. Stealth, poison, and disguise help you eliminate your foes with deadly efficiency.”

• Assassinate

Sorcerer

Wild Magic

“Your powers come from ancient forces of chaos. They churn within you - waiting to burst free at any time.”

• Tides of Chaos
• Wild Magic (Feature)

Draconic Bloodline

“Your veins carry draconic magic, the result of a powerful dragon ancestor. “

• Draconic Resilience: Hit Points
• Draconic Resilience: Armour Class

Storm Sorcery

“Whether crackling with the energy of ancient deluges or pierced by gales and hurricanes, your lineage is a strange tapestry scrawled by a tempest.”

• Tempestuous Magic

Warlock

The Fiend

“Warlocks in service to fiends work towards corrupting, destructive ends - intentionally or otherwise - and receive hellish blessings in turn.”

• Dark One's Blessing

The Great Old One

“Warlocks bound to eldritch beings in the Far Realms work towards inscrutable goals, gaining strange powers over entropy and the mind.”

• Mortal Reminder

Archfey

“Graced by a lady or lord of the fey, you are imbued with all the sumptuous and scary qualities of your patron's extraordinary realm.”

• Fey Presence
• Misty Escape
• Beguiling Defences

Wizard

Abjuration School

“Abjuration spells summon wards, banish enemies, and nullify magic, suitable for those who wish to defend themselves and others. Learning Abjuration spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Abjuration Savant
• Arcane Ward

Conjuration School

“Compelled by shape and motion, your favoured arcane style involves summoning creatures and objects, as well as displacing them in space. Learning Conjuration spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Conjuration Savant
• Minor Conjuration: Create Water

Divination School

“You peer through time itself and can sculpt the future, like temporal clay, into a more favourable form. Learning Divination spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Divination Savant
• Portent

Enchantment School

“Your magic influences, beguiles, and bends the will and coniction of those around you. Learning Enchantment spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Enchantment Savant
• Hypnotic Gaze

Evocation School

“Evocation spells focus elemental energy into powerful attacks and enchantments. Those who specialise in this school are known as evokers. Learning Evocation spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Evocation Savant
• Sculpt Spells

Necromancy School

“You walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and make lots of friends there. Learning Necromancy spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Necromancy Savant
• Grim Harvest

Illusion School

“You specialise in unravelling and restitching the fabric of reality to fool the unwary, the gullible and the monstrous. Learning Illusion spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Illusion Savant
• Improved Minor Illusion

Transhumation School

“Your innate fascination with the structure of things has granted you an incredible power over crude matter and its manipulation. Learning Transmutation spells from scrolls only costs you 25g per spell level, not 50.”

• Transmutation Savant
• Experimental Alchemy

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