Best Classes In Baldur's Gate 3, Ranked (2024)

Larian Studios blew the world away with their stellar game Baldur's Gate 3 that impressed fans even during its Early Access phase. The full release saw the addition of classes and races not previously included or playable before. Players can also, if they desire, play as one of the pre-written origin characters instead of an original character. But that makes it so much more difficult to choose for new players.

Do you opt for magic or raw strength? Should you put points into constitution or rely on potions and your teammates to take the hits? Regardless of your overall strategy, there are definitive pros and cons to every class in Baldur's Gate 3. Let's rank them based on ease of use, raw power, the cool factor and how RPG friendly they are.

12 Ranger

Underpowered And A Bit Lackluster In Comparison

• Subclasses: Gloom Stalker, Hunter, and Beast Master
• Favored Weapons:
• Favored Armor: Light, Medium, and Shields
• Saving Throws: Dexterity and Strength
• Skills: Athletics, Animal Handling, Investigation, Insight, Nature, Perception, Survival, and/or Stealth

Unfortunately, everyone's favorite Rashemi Ranger is way cooler than the class he is. Though the Ranger class does provide animal companionship, the game doesn't allow for many opportunities to leverage these abilities in the game in a real way. Yes, you can talk to the dinosaur and Displacer Beast. You can get the Owl Bear as a pet and rescue Scratch the Dog more easily. But you could also do that with a potion or spell

.

Everything else about the class feels like an afterthought in comparison to the other classes which isn't that surprising. Fitting a Ranger class into BG3 in the same way a Wizard fits is a much more difficult task. New players may opt for a different class than Ranger just to have better RPG elements, abilities and combat prowess. Due to its overall muted nature, the Ranger class ranks low for coolness, RPG friendliness and raw power. But it is easy to pick up for newer players.

11 Warlock

It Just Feels A Little Boring For A Deal With The Devil?

• Subclasses: Archfey, The Fiend, and The Great Old One
• Favored Weapons: Simple weapons
• Favored Armor: Light
• Saving Throws: Charisma and Wisdom
• Skills: Deception, Arcana, Religion, History, Investigation, Intimidation, and Nature

The Warlock class is not friendly for those new to the Dungeons and Dragons model. It's a magic-using class that can also be a swift attacker in battle and draws power from a contract with a devil, an eldritch being, or the Fey. But you don't get the safeguards of insane health or durability like a Barbarian or Fighter, nor do you have replenishable spell slots like Druids and Wizards. Your Warlock spell slots, however, refresh upon every short rest. So players can cast high level spells multiple times using those spell slots. Additionally, the subclasses provide distinct benefits such as being able to cast specific spells at will without expending a spell slot.

The benefits you get for Charisma aren't as great as a Bard or Paladin and you can't perform additional tricks like lock picking as a Rogue would. Overall, for newer players, the Warlock class ranks high on the cool factor and RPG friendliness, but falls short when it comes to ease of use and raw power. Having that Familiar around all the time never hurts, though!

10 Rogue

Mostly Just Around to Be a Skill Monkey

• Subclasses: Thief, Arcane Trickster, and Assassin
• Favored Weapons: Simple weapons, Longswords, Shortswords, Rapiers, and Hand Crossbows
• Favored Armor: Light
• Saving Throws: Dexterity and Intelligence
• Skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Deception, Insight, Investigation, Intimidation, Persuasion, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, and/or Stealth

Being able to pick locks, steal from merchants, and deceive others always come in handy in RPGs and BG3 is no different. The various Rogue classes all offer benefits in those areas with the Arcane Trickster having the added benefit of some magic skills. From a role-playing perspective, the Rogue is a great pick as it lets the player experiment more with then game world. In combat, however, the Rogue is nowhere near as useful as even a Bard would be.

Specializing in Arcane Trickster just makes you a worse Wizard and a worse Thief. Veteran players can learn how best to capitalize on the Rogue class' strengths and weaknesses. Newer players may find it ranking low for coolness and raw power, but appreciate its ease of use and RPG friendliness.

9 Bard

A Great Class For Roleplaying and a Talented Skill Monkey

• Subclasses: College of Swords, College of Lore, and College of Valor
• Favored Weapons: Simple weapons, Rapiers, Shortswords, Longswords, and Hand Crossbows
• Favored Armor: Light
• Saving Throws: Charisma and Dexterity
• Skills: Any three skills and Musical Instrument Proficiency

For a skill monkey (a character just around to pick locks and pass checks) that has a bit more utility, look no further than the much clowned upon Bard class. While players cannot access the Wish spell the class has access to at level 18 in D&D, they can do solid damage while still slinging spells if they specialize correctly. Additionally, Bards have tons of proficiencies with various weapons to allow for lots of unique builds and loadouts. The College of Lore offers a more Wizard-like approach while the College of Swords focuses on melee attacks. The College of Valor gives players the best of both worlds.

The Bard class is also strong from an RPG friendliness perspective. Being the team chronicler in a band of tadpoled misfits sounds like a fun time, right? New players enticed by this should be aware that the ease of use score is low for Bards as the choice fatigue and analysis paralysis are very real. The class also falls squarely in the middle when it comes to raw power and coolness.

8 Druid

Get Renewable Spell Slots And At-Will Spells

• Subclasses: Circle of Spores, Circle of the Moon, and Circle of the Land
• Favored Weapons: Quaterstaffs, Javelins, Clubs, Maces, Spears, Daggers, Sickles, and Scimitars
• Favored Armor: Light, Medium, and Shields
• Saving Throws: Wisdom and Intelligence
• Skills: Nature, Medicine, Animal Handling, Arcana, Investigation, Perception, and/or Insight

Some fans of BG3 rank Druid low due to its relative lack of damaging spells in comparison to other caster classes. With the right spells and gear, however, a Druid character can be wildly useful in battle. While the Circle of the Land subclass nets you more access to spells, the Circle of the Moon puts the focus on Wild Shape, letting the player wreck enemies with the power of animals. Luckily, players can get a taste of both of these subclasses with the characters Halsin and the Harper, Jaheira. For the third subclass, veteran players might want to tackle it with a guide as it can get broken with the right equipment and abilities.

From an RPG friendliness perspective, the Druid class is average due to the saturation of Druids in the story already. The ease of use score is middling, too, while the raw power and cool factors are slightly above average. Those familiar with D&D will enjoy the Druid class more than beginner players.

7 Fighter

It's Basic But Not In A Bad Way

• Subclasses: Eldritch Knight, Battle Master, and Champion
• Favored Weapons: Martial weapons and Simple weapons
• Favored Armor: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Shields
• Saving Throws: Constitution and Strength
• Skills: Survival, Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Animal Handling, History, Insight, and/or Perception

This is one of the best classes for beginners due to its total ease of use and raw power. Specializing into Battle Master lets players smack enemies repeatedly while offering a sturdy defense and health pool. Additionally, Fighters can be damage or defense focused and even incorporate magic into their kits with the Eldritch Knight subclass. It's best to experiment with Lae'zel as the Fighter class since, like Karlach, she best exemplifies all you can do with the class she's assigned in the game. Veteran players may grow bored with the class as it doesn't have a ton of build variability. It ranks in the middle on all factors considered here, as well, adding to its average nature.

6 Monk

Stay On Your Toes...Somewhat Literally

• Subclasses: Way of the Open Hand, Way of the Four Elements, and Way of Shadow
• Favored Weapons: Fists, Simple, and Shortsword
• Favored Armor: None or Light
• Saving Throws: Dexterity and Strength
• Skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Insight, History, Stealth, and Religion

This is another class that some BG3 fans swear by while others think it's more useless than the Bard class. From a roleplay perspective, however, playing a Gith monk is top-tier. The class falls short when it comes to ease of use and coolness, but there's no denying the raw power of any of the available Monk subclasses. There's also a ton of gear specifically for Monk builds spread across BG3 to help would-be practitioners. Additionally, Larian Studios augmented the way Ki Points work from the base D&D tabletop game, basically adding more Ki Points in the late game to let players have more fun with the class. If you want a class that will challenge you and keep you on your toes, Monk may be the one for you.

5 Wizard

Globe Of Invulnerability Or No Wizard

• Subclasses: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Necromancy, Illusion, and Transmutation
• Favored Weapons: Quarterstaffs, Light Crossbows, and Daggers
• Favored Armor: None
• Saving Throws: Intelligence and Wisdom
• Skills: Arcana, Insight, History, Medicine, Investigation, Insight, and/or Religion

Swen Vincke himself has professed an immense love for the Wizard class, so it's no surprise that the class is balanced and fun and that there's a main character who's a Wizard (Gale). The subclasses are numerous, but the overall experience of Wizard is cast spells, replenish spell slots and cast more spells. One of the best parts of the class is how your equipment can benefit or alter your spellcasting. Additionally, the access to Arcana proficiency will ostensibly make the story more rich by being able to access different knowledge than say a Fighter or Ranger.

As Minthara likes to say, however, Wizards are brittle, fragile little things who crumble at the slightest hint of combat. New players will need to keep this in mind while veteran players may delight in being glass cannons. Keep a stock of potions or someone with healing magic nearby to keep you healthy. Alternatively, players can opt for a Necromancy-focused build for a build chock-full of minions.

4 Barbarian

Smash All The Things! Many, Many Times!

See Also

Intel instability fix: I've seen no notable impact on game performance with 0x129 patch on the Core i9 14900K

• Subclasses: Wildheart, Berserker, and Wild Magic
• Favored Weapons: Martial weapons, Simple weapons, and Throwing weapons
• Favored Armor: None, Light, Medium, and Shields
• Saving Throws: Strength and Constitution
• Skills: Athletics, Animal Handling, Intimidation, Nature, Survival, and/or Perception

By now, everyone knows that the Barbarian class is a melee-focused class with the ability to Rage. This puts the player in a Berserk-like state that buffs critical hit chance and makes them harder to take down. Barbarians also have access to a wide array of weapon types and the Throw ability. A player can also gain access to animal companions with Wildheart or delight in the random effects of Wild Magic. For a more classic Barbarian experience, specializing in the Berserker subclass is a must. You can bash on enemies all day and take hits too.

Just be careful that you don't take too many or let your Rage end early as you have a specific number of charges. Unlike Fighters, Barbarians don't get extra armor and cannot Rage when wearing Heavy Armor. It's best to fit them with Light or Medium armor or clothing that provides benefits specifically for Barbarians. With its ease of use and raw power, the class is a great fit for new players and veterans alike. Though the RPG friendliness is low, there's no denying how powerful it makes you feel when your character lets out a primal scream in the midst of battle.

3 Cleric

Spirit Guardians are All You Need

• Subclasses: Light, Life, Nature, Knowledge, Trickery, Tempest, or War
• Favored Weapons: Morningstars and Simple weapons
• Favored Armor: Light, Medium, and Shields
• Saving Throws: Charisma and Wisdom
• Skills: Medicine, Religion, History, Insight, and/or Persuasion

It's hard to justify making a player character a Cleric when Shadowheart exists, but the class is enticing enough for some players to forego Shadowheart's inclusion or just double up on the class. Besides, not all Clerics are healing oriented. The Nature subclass positions a Cleric nearer to a Druid while the War subclass buffs attacks. It's like the Bard class in that it can be molded to suit a player's tastes and strategies based on chose subclass, abilities and equipment. It is lacking when it comes to leveraging passive checks, though. A Fighter or Barbarian might prove more useful than a Cleric at noticing things in the world. They're also limited in their weapon proficiency, but the Blood of Lathander exists, so no one needs to worry about weapon choices.

Beginner players will be extremely comfortable on Cleric while veteran players can manipulate the class as they see fit. The RPG friendliness is middling and so is the cool factor, but the raw power of the Cleric class is consistent and unwavering. Best of all for the class is the Spirit Guardians ability. BG3 puts a lot of focus on Radiant damage, making Clerics overpowered.

2 Sorcerer

Lightning! Flight! ...Random Magical Effects?

• Subclasses: Storm Sorcery, Draconic Bloodline, and Wild Magic
• Favored Weapons: Quarterstaffs, Daggers, and Light Crossbows
• Favored Armor: None
• Saving Throws: Charisma and Constitution
• Skills: Religion, Arcana, Insight, Persuasion, Deception, and/or Insight

Unfortunately, the Wild Magic sorcery cannot randomly summon Flumphs like the Wild Magic Barbarian. But the other two Sorcerer subclasses are utterly broken by late game and with the right equipment. This includes the incredible staff Markoheshkir and the Kereska's Favour ability that allows the player to bond with an element from the draconic goddess Kereska. This, in turn, lets the player cast specific spells without consuming spell slots (or sorcery points) -- including spells like Chain Lightning or Cone of Cold. The Storm Sorcery subclass lets the player use a Flight bonus action after casting a spell and grants bonuses on Lightning or Thunder spells, as well as resistance to those damage types.

New players may be taken in by Wild Magic's chaotic trappings, but veteran players know the real fun is in the other two subclasses. From a role-playing perspective, Sorcerer makes a ton of sense as well, since no other main character in the story is a Sorcerer. You can even have some fun back and forth with Wizards like Gale and Larroakan about magic use. The additional Charisma also allows for fun conversations with various NPCs and to talk your way out of or into anything. Just don't expect this character to be any kind of tanky; they will be a glass cannon just like a Wizard. But you'll feel cool dishing out tons of damage on the battlefield. One of the only drawbacks is that fully utilizing Sorcery points isn't intuitive for new players.

1 Paladin

Swear Vengeance, Keep An Oath, Or Break One

• Subclasses: Oathbreaker, Oath of the Ancients, Oath of Devotion, and Oath of Vengeance
• Favored Weapons: Martial weapons and Simple weapons
• Favored Armor: Light, Medium, Heavy, and Shields
• Saving Throws: Charisma and Wisdom
• Skills: Athletics, Intimidation, Persuasion, Insight, Medicine, and/or Religion

Without a doubt, the best lore-related class in BG3 is Paladin -- specifically Vengeance or Oathbreaker. These allow the player access to unique abilites that let them sweep across the battlefield like a plague, bewildering and intimidating enemies until they face judgment. Playing as an Oath of Ancients or Oath of Devotion Paladin is fine too, but be wary as the Oathbreaker may randomly show up at your camp if you make one too many choices that threaten your Oath.

With tons of weapons and armor available to them, Paladins are versatile combatants with tons of build options. They also benefit from Charisma stats making them excellent in conversation and for role-playing. The heavy armor in BG3 such as the Helldusk Armor or Ketheric's plate are some of the coolest pieces in the entire game too and the Paladin can use them! The only real downside to the Paladin class is that if you want to have a more magic-focused build, that isn't really possible with a Paladin. Yes, you'll have some magic...but you'll mostly be whacking enemies and leveraging those Paladin abilities, including the ability to heal others. Definitely give Vengeance Paladin a shot in your next playthrough -- but maybe not as Dark Urge...

7Images

7Images

Baldur's Gate 3