Classes in Baldur's Gate 3: features and tips for choosing

In Baldur's Gate 3 classes are the basis of any character, on the basis of which the abilities, skills, spells, focuses, combat styles and other characteristics of the hero are then selected. Often they also determine the behavior and worldview of the protagonist, if there is a desire to win back the chosen role.

This guide will cover the core of the game's class system. You will learn about the features, pros and cons of all archetypes, and their subclasses. We will also touch on the topic of multiclasses and give advice on choosing the best classes for beginners.

Basic information about classes in Baldur's Gate 3

The chosen class has a serious impact on the gameplay, since not only the style of combat depends on it (the use of spells or combat skills, for example), but also access to certain equipment, that is, the sorcerer will not be able to use heavy armor, and daggers are contraindicated for the barbarian. Plus, additional answers may appear in the dialogues. For this reason, you should carefully consider the selection of the archetype.

Note: However, even if after a few hours of playing you realize that you chose the wrong class or upgraded your abilities incorrectly, then you don’t need to worry too much about this, since you can relatively easily change the archetype or reset skill points.

Subclasses and multiclasses

Do not forget about subclasses, which can also significantly affect the gameplay. For example, the Priest does not have to be sent for healing - if you select the Storm Domain subclass, you can turn it into an offensive debuffer that blinds or damages enemies with a thunder wave.

Concerning opening dates for subclasses, then the sorcerer, priest, paladin and sorcerer can choose them already during character creation. At the second level, they become available from the wizard, warrior, and druid, and at the third level, from the rogue, barbarian, bard, monk, and ranger.

There is also a multi-class system, which greatly expands the possibilities for players to create the perfect character. Don't like that your wizard dies in half a kick due to lack of strong armor and low stamina? Then combine it with a warrior. Do you want your sorcerer to be able to skillfully open locks and hide from enemies? In this case, choose the second class of rogue.

There are a lot of combinations, so you can experiment almost endlessly. However, we do not recommend doing this for beginners who have never played such role-playing projects before, as there is a considerable chance of making a mistake and getting a weak hero.

Characteristics

Each class has its own main ability (marked with an asterisk), which is considered its most important characteristic, since it will determine the chance of hitting enemies with a weapon or spell, as well as the damage you deal.

For this reason, in most cases, the focus should be on increasing this particular attribute. For example, a priest who is aimed only at healing needs to pump Wisdom to the maximum, but when choosing the “Domain of War” subclass, it makes sense to increase Strength and Endurance in order to increase the hero’s combat potential.

So upgrade your attributes based on your future play style. As for the +2 and +1 bonuses, they allow you to get additional skill points for certain characteristics. If you again take as an example a priest with a War Domain subclass, then you can, for example, take a buff of +2 to Strength, and +1 to Wisdom, or vice versa.

The list below shows what each attribute affects:

• Strength - affects the effectiveness of using melee weapons (damage) and heavy armor, how far you can jump and how much you can carry.
• Agility - affects the effectiveness of using ranged and fencing weapons (damage), as well as initiative and armor class (light and medium).
• Endurance - affects the maximum number of health points.
• Intelligence - affects the effectiveness of casting spells for wizards.
• Wisdom - affects the effectiveness of casting spells for druids, priests and rangers.
• Charisma - affects the effectiveness of casting spells for bards, paladins, sorcerers and sorcerers.

You should also be aware that each characteristic affects the success of saving throws in certain situations. For example, you're more likely to convince someone with high Charisma, or less prone to disease with increased Stamina.

Skills with skill

Access to certain skills will depend on the chosen class and origin (sometimes race). We are talking about special skills that give a bonus to ability checks, increasing the likelihood of success, and also endow with special buffs. For example, if you chose Persuasion with high Charisma, you will be able to persuade other people in most cases without any problems.

• Athletics (Strength) - Helps push and prevents you from being pushed. Available to rogues, rangers, warriors, bards, barbarians, monks, and paladins.
• Acrobatics (Agility) - Prevents others from pushing you away. Available to rogues, warriors, bards and monks.
• Sleight of Hand - Helps steal from pockets, pick locks, and disarm traps. Available to rogues and bards.
• Stealth - helps to hide. Available to rogues, rangers, bards and monks.
• Magic - helps to recognize magic and interact with enchanted objects. Available to bards, druids, wizards, sorcerers and sorcerers.
• History - helps to learn the past of the world and the peoples inhabiting it. Available to wizards, warriors, bards, sorcerers, monks and priests.
• Investigation - helps in analyzing evidence and solving mysteries. Available to wizards, sorcerers, bards, rangers, and rogues.
• Nature - helps in recognizing plants and animals. Available to sorcerers, barbarians, druids, rangers and bards.
• Religion - helps in the recognition of gods and rituals. Available to wizards, sorcerers, monks, bards, priests, druids, paladins, and sorcerers.
• Training - helps to influence animals. Available to rangers, bards, barbarians, druids, warriors, and barbarians.
• Insight - helps to calculate people and recognize lies. Available to wizards, warriors, bards, monks, paladins, priests, druids, rogues, and sorcerers.
• Medicine - helps to recognize symptoms and diagnose diseases. Available to wizards, bards, druids, paladins and priests.
• Attention - helps to observe the environment and notice hidden details (useful when solving puzzles). Available to rogues, warriors, bards, barbarians, rangers, and druids.
• Survival - helps to survive in the wild and track down prey. Available to rangers, warriors, barbarians, druids, and bards.
• Deception - helps to lie, deceive and manipulate the truth. Available to sorcerers, bards, rogues and sorcerers.
• Intimidation - helps to threaten, cause fear and behave aggressively. Available to sorcerers, warriors, barbarians, bards, rogues, paladins, and sorcerers.
• Performance is to help entertain the audience. Available to rogues and bards.
• Persuasion - helps to beg and convince interlocutors using your charm. Available to sorcerers, bards, rogues, priests, and paladins.

We strongly recommend that you choose Attention if available, as it will greatly simplify the study of the world and solving riddles. Among the skills associated with Charisma, take the one that is open to your class. If more than one is available, then choose the one that best suits the chosen role, i.e. good-natured people should take Persuasion, cunning people should take Deception, and villains should take Intimidate.

How to change class and reset skill points

You need to find the Withered in your camp in order to change the class (subclass) and / or reset skill points for money. You can change it not only for the main character, but also for your companions. This opportunity does not appear immediately separate guide We told you what needs to be done.

All classes in Baldur's Gate 3

There are currently 12 classes and 46 subclasses in the game. Below, we'll go over all of them, pointing out the main characteristics, skills, recommended races, equipment used, main functions in the squad, as well as advantages and disadvantages. Based on these data, you can pre-select a suitable archetype for yourself.

Barbarian

• Team role: Melee damage dealer and/or tank
• Primary Stat: Strength
• The second most important characteristic: Endurance
• Features: Protection without armor
• Available Skills: Athletics, Nature, Training, Attention, Survival and Intimidation
• Recommended Races: Human, Dragonborn, Githyanki, Dwarf, Half-Rock, Tiefling
• This class of satellite: Karlach
• Rank: A

The Barbarian is a bit like the Warrior - he deals more damage, but is less diverse in terms of tactics. It must be thrown into the thick of the battle, triggering its Rage, which increases its damage and survivability, but does not allow you to use spells and concentrate. Without this action, the character may have difficulties due to the small selection of skills.

Subclasses

• Berserker - after falling into Rage, he can attack the target several times in one round and knock him down. The best option for the barbarian, as it gives him the ability to deal huge damage.
• Wildheart - able to speak with beasts and use abilities from totem spirits: elk (ramming), eagle (movement), wolf (saving throw bonuses), tiger (sweeping blow) and bear (survival).
• Wild Magic - When enraged, the barbarian begins to cast random spells from a certain list.

Bard

• Role in the team: caster support, buffing allies and debuffing enemies
• Main characteristic: Charisma
• The second most important characteristic: Dexterity
• Traits: 1st level spell slots unlocked
• Available Skills: All
• Recommended Races: Halfling, Elf, Half Elf, Tiefling, Drow, Dwarf
• Satellite of this class: none
• Rank: S

An extremely useful class for any squad, which is also quite fun to play. He can cast a lot of healing, crowd control, and support spells, but is more survivable than other supports. If desired, you can completely remove attacking spells from his arsenal, avoiding collisions with tricks and charms. If you try to collect the Bard for intelligence, then the gameplay for him will become even more variable.

Subclasses

• College of Valor - allows you to use medium armor, combat weapons and shields, and Inspirational Speech gives a bonus to the attack of allies. The most optimal subclass for Bard, as it increases his offensive capabilities and effectiveness as a support.
• College of Knowledge - Increases intimidation, magic and sleight of hand, and also allows you to learn a spell of any other class at level 6. His skills will begin to create a penalty to enemy attack rolls.
• College of Swords - allows you to use a scimitar and medium armor, as well as inflict an additional blow, choose a combat style (dual wielding, duelist). Plus, it increases movement speed after performing an attack.

Priest

• Team role: caster support and/or healer
• Main Attribute: Wisdom
• The second most important characteristic: Strength
• Features: 1st Level Spell Slots and Domain Spells Unlocked
• Available Skills: History, Religion, Insight, Medicine and Persuasion
• Recommended Races: Gnome, Elf, Half-elf, Human, Drow, Dwarf, and Tiefling
• This class of companion: Shadowheart
• Rank: S

Able not only to heal his allies, but also to deal good damage to enemies both with spells and with his weapons. At the same time, he is very tenacious, since under certain conditions he can even use heavy armor. The result is a very flexible class that can be customized for any situation.

Subclasses

• Life Domain - Improves the Priest's healing abilities and allows him to wear heavy armor, which is quite useful if you have not pumped Dexterity. One of the best subclasses for this archetype.
• Knowledge Domain - gives access to more skills and allows you to temporarily learn new abilities. Another good subclass for Priest.
• Domain of Light - Allows you to place a miss debuff on enemies, as well as a bonus to attack rolls and the ability to ignite the target.
• Deception Domain - Can grant bonuses to stealth and charisma, as well as charm humanoid enemies. With the help of an illusion, you can change the details of your appearance.
• Domain of Nature - Turns a club or staff into a magical weapon, increases the druid's skills (Survival, Nature and Training), and also allows you to speak with animals and charm them. You can wear heavy armor.
• Storm Domain - Grants lightning and thunder counters, as well as spells that deal lightning damage and blind enemies. You can wear heavy armor.
• Domain of War - gives an additional attack, increases the ally's armor class, gives attacks additional radiant damage. You can wear heavy armor.

Druid

• Role in the team: support with nature spells and werewolf (tank)
• Main Attribute: Wisdom
• Second most important stat: Endurance or Agility
• Traits: 1st level spell slots unlocked
• Available Skills: Magic, Nature, Training, Medicine and Survival
• Recommended Races: Human, Elf, Half-elf, Dwarf, and Tiefling
• Satellite of this class: Khapsin, Jaheira
• Rank: B

The main feature of the class is the ability to turn into a beast, which, as it were, gives the character a second bar of health, that is, after knocking out the animal, the druid simply returns to its original form again. In its normal state, this archetype can cast several useful support and offensive spells, but it is still inferior in this regard to a bard, priest, or attacking mage.

Subclasses

• Circle of the Moon - Enhances the druid's animal side, allowing them to heal themselves while in animal form. At the initial stage, it can turn into a brown bear and a crow, and at the end an incredibly strong polar bear opens up. The best subclass.
• Circle of Earth - allows you to restore 1 spell slot through meditation and receive special spells of the 3rd circle when choosing a place of initiation. Enhances the magical side of the druid.
• Circle of Spores - Imbues the druid with necromagic, allowing him to raise dead bodies and deal damage with spores. The most ambiguous subclass.

Warrior

• Role in the team: physical melee damage dealer with increased survivability
• Primary Stat: Strength
• The second most important characteristic: Endurance
• Features: none
• Available Skills: Athletics and Intimidation
• Recommended Races: Human, Githyanki, Dwarf, Dragonborn, and Half-Orc
• This class of satellite: Laezel
• Rank: A

An easy-to-use class that can both deal damage and protect allies. Plus, you can use different types of armor and weapons with it, pumping Strength or Agility if necessary. However, nothing extraordinary should be expected from him, that is, he cannot change the course of the battle alone. If you plan to keep Laezel in the squad, then we do not recommend making the hero a warrior.

Subclasses

• Martial Artist - Gives the Warrior a dominance die that can damage, counterattack, or buff an ally. A versatile subclass that enhances all major aspects of the archetype.
• Otherworldly Knight - endows the Warrior with spells aimed at strengthening weapons or armor. There are also offensive spells. However, to strengthen them, you will need to pump Intelligence, which can worsen other indicators of the class.
• Champion - increases physical strength and critical damage. The most straightforward and easy-to-learn subclass that beginners can choose.

Monk

• Role in the team: melee fighter, relying on speed
• Primary Stat: Agility
• The second most important characteristic: Wisdom and Endurance
• Features: Qi, defense without armor, and martial arts (agile attacks, skillful strikes and bonus attack without weapons)
• Available Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Stealth, Religion, History and Insight
• Recommended Races: Human, Githyanki, Dwarf, Dragonborn, Half-Orc, Wood Elf, Half Wood Elf, and Tiefling
• Satellite of this class: none
• Rank: C

The monk will appeal to those who like to think through their every move to the smallest detail. In terms of combat, they are similar to Rogues, as they also require an element of surprise to successfully attack. They show themselves poorly when fighting enemies at long distances. In such battles, Qi energy should be directed to increase the speed of movement. You can also choose as a race a wood elf (half-elf), able to move faster across the battlefield.

Subclasses

• Path of the Four Elements - allows the Monk to use some spells from other schools. Thus, you will be able to give him long-range attacks, which will make it easier to fight some opponents. Optimal subclass.
• Path of the Open Palm - Strengthens the Monk in melee combat, allowing him to place Chi Marks on targets, chain hits, knock down or push enemies.
• Path of the Shadow – Makes the Monk harder for enemies to spot, allowing him to sneak past them unnoticed. Gain Shadowstep, which is a special action that allows the character to teleport out of the Twilight by appearing right next to the target and attacking them.

Paladin

• Team Role: Healer, Tank, Melee, and Caster
• Primary Stat: Strength
• The second most important characteristic: Charisma
• Traits: Oath Power Charges 1
• Available skills: all
• Recommended Races: Human, Dragonborn, Githyanki, Half-Orc, Dwarf, and Tiefling
• This class of satellite: Mintara
• Rank: S

Another versatile class that, like the priest, can heal and support allies, as well as tank and damage enemies in melee. Holy damage will come in handy when fighting the undead. When exploring the world, his high Charisma will help you in persuading your interlocutors.

Subclasses

• Oath of the Ancients - Grants an aura that blocks a portion of damage taken. Can heal himself and nearby allies. At 5th level, gains Mist Step, which can quickly close the distance with enemies or move to the other side of the arena to heal. The best subclass for Paladin.
• Pledge of Allegiance - can give allies a counterattack, and also allows you to use sacred weapons and banish the unclean.
• Oath of Vengeance - Grants attacks additional radiant damage and a chance to inflict disorientation on enemies. Can increase its speed and scare opponents.
• Oathbreaker (unlocked by breaking one's oath) - allows you to deal necrotic damage, take control of enemy undead or buff an allied one, and scare nearby enemies.

Pathfinder

• Role in the team: melee and ranged damage dealer
• Primary Stat: Agility
• Second most important attribute: Wisdom
• Features: Summon Familiar
• Available Skills: Athletics, Stealth, Investigation, Nature, Training and Survival
• Recommended races: human, elf, half-elf, half-orc, tiefling, githyanki, and drow
• Satellite of this class: Minsk
• Rank: B

Choosing the Nemesis and the Nature Explorer can provide additional abilities and resistances for the character, but they are not able to turn the tide of the battle. It is recommended to build the ranger on Dexterity and learn how to use dual weapons effectively. At 2nd level, unfortunately, at 2nd level, the ranger doesn't get very many spells, and almost all of them are situational in nature.

Subclasses

• Beastmaster - allows you to summon animal companions that can help both in combat and when exploring the world. They can have their own armor and skills, which makes them very powerful reinforcements. The optimal subclass for the Pathfinder.
• Hunter - enhances the base archetype, allowing you to choose another bonus to counterattack or deal additional damage.
• Shadowhunter - aimed at covert combat. On the first hit, he performs an additional attack and gains special darkvision. This subclass can be chosen over Beast Mastery if you want to focus on stealth.

Dodger

• Team role: Stealth-focused damage dealer
• Primary Stat: Agility
• The second most important characteristic: Endurance
• Features: none
• Available Skills: Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Trade and Acrobatics
• Recommended Races: Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Tiefling, Githyanki, Dwarf, Halfling, and Drow
• Satellite of this class: Astarion
• Rank: B

An extremely useful class for exploring the world, as it can be used to pick locks, steal from pockets and disarm traps without any problems. However, in combat, a lot depends on your luck and the situation. For example, you can quickly go to the back of the enemy using the Cunning action, only the hidden blow can fail, and then you will find yourself on the front line without any support and extra AP.

So we advise you to keep one Rogue (or its hybrid) in the squad so that if necessary, open locked doors and steal valuable items. But at the same time, it is not recommended to make the main character a Dodger.

Subclasses

• Thief - Grants resistance to fall damage and additional AP, allowing the Rogue to perform even more actions per turn. The best subclass option for this archetype.
• Arcane Trickster - Gives the Rogue more spells to create illusions and charm enemies. Kind of a hybrid of a rogue and a mage. With the help of a magical hand, he will be able to move things.
• Assassin - Increases the Rogue's combat ability, allowing him to inflict even more crits when backstabbing enemies.

sorcerer

• Role in the team: damage caster (glass cannon)
• Main characteristic: Charisma
• The second most important characteristic: Endurance
• Traits: 1st level spell slots unlocked
• Available Skills: Magic, Religion, Insight, Deception and Persuasion
• Recommended Races: Elf, Half-elf, Tiefling, Drow, Human, and Dwarf
• Satellite of this class: none
• Rank: A

This class gains magical powers depending on their origin, which is why it is considered a more narrowly focused magician than, for example, the Wizard. Thanks to high Charisma, he can act as a diplomat in the squad. Using metamagic, the Wizard can modify spells to change their duration, range, or effectiveness. But he has a relatively small amount of health and cannot use armor, which is why you have to constantly monitor him in battle.

Subclasses

• Descendant of dragons - increases the armor class in the absence of armor, gives more health and gives an additional ability (we recommend taking a red or white dragon). The optimal subclass for a sorcerer, which allows you to somehow reduce his fragility.
• Wild Magic - Creates chaotic spells, randomly empowering them. Sometimes they can turn the tide of the fight, but in some cases spells can work against you.
• Storm Sorcery - Gives the Wizard the ability to fly, and enemies won't attack you if you fly past them.

Witch

• Role in the team: universal damage caster
• Main characteristic: Charisma
• The second most important characteristic: Endurance
• Traits: Sorcerer Spell Slots
• Available Skills: Magic, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion, Deception and Intimidation
• Recommended Races: Elf, Half-elf, Tiefling, Drow, Human, and Dwarf
• Companion of this class: Will
• Rank: A

Although we are talking about a magician, he is able to use light armor and simple weapons. A large selection of spells makes it a very versatile class that will be useful in almost any situation. There are fewer spell slots than other magical archetypes, but they are updated even after a short rest.

Due to its high Charisma, it should be used when talking to other people. True, if the Wizard specializes in persuasion, then the Sorcerer specializes in intimidation. We advise you to choose a couple of spells from the School of Evocation to increase the effectiveness of this archetype.

Subclasses

• Bestia - allows you to drain temporary health from dead enemies, which increases the survivability of the Sorcerer. Optimal subclass.
• Great Old One - bestows useful spells to control opponents. When dealing a critical hit, the target and nearby allies have a chance to receive a fright debuff.
• Archfea - bestows useful spells to control opponents. The sorcerer becomes immune to charm and gains the ability to teleport.

Wizard

• Role in the team: pure damage caster
• Primary Stat: Intelligence
• The second most important characteristic: Endurance
• Traits: 1st level spell slots unlocked
• Available Skills: Magic, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion, Insight and Medicine
• Recommended Races: Elf, Half-elf, Tiefling, Drow, Human, and Dwarf
• This class of satellite: Gale
• Rank: A

This class has a huge variety of spells. Unless there is a healing spell. It can also be called a "glass cannon" due to the lack of armor and low health, but it is more flexible than the Enchanter, for example, it can be used not only as a damage dealer, but also as a support.

With Magic Restoration, he can create new spell slots and learn additional enchantments from scrolls for as little as 50 gold.

Subclasses

• School of Evocation - allows you to deal huge damage in an area and at the same time block damage to allies. The optimal subclass that allows you to safely throw fireballs at opponents.
• The school of fencing is aimed at the magical protection of oneself and allies.
• School of Summoning - allows you to create matter, items and creatures, as well as move to a specific location without consuming spell slots or swap places with a teammate. During pumping, it does not lose concentration.
• School of Divination - Grants high perception, and also allows you to change the value of the rolls and restore spent spell slots.
• School of Charm - allows you to impose hypnosis on creatures and redirect enemy attacks to another target.
• School of Necromancy - allows you to restore health from the corpses of opponents and raise the bodies of dead enemies. Provides protection from necrotic energy.
• School of transformation - allows you to create a special stone with different bonuses and turn into an animal at high levels.
• School of Illusion - allows you to create various illusions and tricks for distraction.

The best classes in Baldur's Gate 3

There is no jack-of-all-trades in the game that can deal massive damage, and heal allies, and tank opponents, and many other things. However, there are a number of archetypes that perform their functions better than others and are often versatile fighters. The table below lists the ranking of all available classes in Baldur's Gate 3 and their main roles.

Which class to choose

If this is your first time playing this type of RPG, then we advise you to take something simpler, for example, the Warrior (Champion) or Barbarian (Berserker) archetype, which do not require much knowledge in tactics and strategy - you just need to send them into the midst of enemies, using standard abilities.

Those who want to support their allies and/or heal them should take a Bard or a Priest. If you want to also tank and deal damage, then choose Paladin. All three classes will bring great benefits to the team.

Want to deal massive damage to enemies from a safe distance? Then take any magic class. The Wizard is a full-fledged DD with low defense, the Sorcerer is stronger, but does less damage, and the Wizard can damage the area and buff allies.

Fans of sneak attacks should choose Rogue or Ranger. However, we immediately warn that they have serious disadvantages, which we indicated above. On the other hand, there are no frankly bad classes in the game, therefore, with proper pumping, any of them can bring benefits.

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