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In Baldur's Gate 3, the Ranger class has their own unique powers, and the good news is this makes it an ideal candidate for multiclassing. This allows players to create a powerful BG3 character with some impressive abilities when it comes to weapon skills and stealth abilities.
Players can choose to take this build in two directions. They can dual-wield hand crossbows with the Thief Rogue subclass for consistent damage, or maximize the alpha strike with the Assassin Rogue subclass. Both of these builds work best as a ranged character, allowing the Ranger to ambush the ideal target without having to worry about movement or terrain.
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Baldur's Gate 3 has several different classes for players to choose from, with most being magic-based, meaning spells are very important.
Updated June 27, 2024, by Kristy Ambrose: There have been several patches and bug-fixes to Baldur's Gate 3 since its release, so even though there won't be any DLCs and the wait for a sequel will be longer, the game continues to evolve. Players are still experimenting with different builds and classes. That includes multiclass builds with three or even four classes instead of the standard two. A Ranger is well suited to this kind of experimental build, so it's an ideal start for those that are new to the concept of multiclassing or others that are already familiar with the concept.
Recommended Races
Prioritize Stats Depending On Build
Players can pick whichever race they like, but should make sure to keep Dexterity as their highest ability score, followed by Wisdom and then Constitution. The great thing about a Ranger is how versatile they can be, so there aren't many wrong choices when it comes to the protagonist's race.
For those that are leaning more into the ranged-weapon Rogue or DPS Fighter, Dexterity is more important. Melee fighters need better Constitution and Strength. However, Rangers can be healers too, and for a casting class, Wisdom is more important.
- Wood Elf: All the Elf races, including the half-elves, have similar abilities when it comes to ranged weapons and Darkvision, but only the Wood Elf has Stealth and Fleet of Foot.
- Githyanki: The extra movement abilities, such as Enhanced Leap and Misty Step, make the Githyanki a natural choice. They also have a decent choice of melee weapons.
- Drow: Either subrace is a fine choice, because they have the same bonuses with crossbows and Perception checks.
- Lightfoot Halfling: Naturally Stealthy gives this race an Advantage on Stealth checks and against the Frightened condition, along with Halfling Luck.
- Human: A wide variety of weapon proficiencies to add to the already versatile Ranger's armory, along with an increased carrying capacity.
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The classic D&D classes form the backbone of classes in Baldur's Gate 3. How do they stack up against each other?
Background, Feats, and Gear
Start With The Future Multiclass Build In Mind
Rangers are often thought of as denizens of the forest, but that isn't always the case. Use a creative mix of different backgrounds, Feats, and gear to define your multiclass Ranger.
Backgrounds
- Sage: Often, scholars like Wizards or Clerics take on this Background, which improves your knowledge of Arcana and History.
- Soldier: Rangers can be scouts or snipers with a military background that taught them the value of Athletics and Intimidation.
- Outlander: This is the most obvious choice for a character that lives in the wilderness and learned the arts of Survival and Athletics.
- Folk Hero: A character doesn't have to be a Paladin or a Cleric to be a homegrown hero with the talents of Animal Handling and Survival.
Feats
- Sharpshooter: Add incredible damage at the cost of slightly reduced accuracy. This accuracy loss is easily mitigated by the Archery Fighting Style, as well as the +2 bonus to attack rolls from being on high ground.
- Alert: Gain +5 to Initiative rolls and never be Surprised again.
- Athlete: Get up sooner after being knocked Prone, gain 50% jumping distance, and increase your Dexterity or Constitution by 1.
- Magic Initiate: Cleric: Add healing, support, or DPS spells from the impressive Cleric spellbook, which also uses the Wisdom modifier.
Gear
Anything that improves Dexterity or gives the Ranger some extra hit rating or ranged damage should be a priority.
- Sharpened Snare Cuirass: Purchase this medium armor from Roan Moonglow in Moonrise Towers. It adds the character's Dexterity modifier to their armor class, so it's basically made for Rangers.
- The Graceful Cloth: For those that are leaning into the Rogue side, this piece of clothing adds +2 Dexterity and gives you Advantage on Dexterity checks. Buy it from Lady Esther by the Mountain Pass.
- Hellfire Hand Crossbow: There are a few hand-crossbows in the game, and this one gives the wielder the power to cast Scorching Ray. It drops from Yurgir in the Gauntlet of Shar.
- Gloves Of Dexterity: These raise the wearer's Dexterity to 18 and give +1 to their attack rolls. A'jak'nir Jeera at Crèche Y'llek has a pair in her inventory.
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Cloaks may be somewhat overlooked in Baldur's Gate 3, but these choices can offer some decent benefits - or at least a few style points.
The Gloom Stalker Ranger, Levels 1-5
Experience One Of The Most Underrated Subclasses
This Gloom Stalker build starts with 5 levels of Ranger in order to get the all-important Extra Attack feature, along with a few spell slots and the Sharpshooter Feat. With their high Dexterity, a Gloom Stalker character can make use of both Light and Medium Armor and can pick whichever type they like, depending on which magic items they find.
- Levels 1 and 2: All Rangers have a Favored Enemy. Bounty Hunter or Keeper of the Veil is recommended. For Natural Explorer, take Beast Tamer or Urban Tracker. Your ranged Fighting Style is Archery.
- Level 3: Choose the Gloom Stalker subclass and its related stealth features. These include Dread Ambusher, Dread Ambusher: Hide, Umbral Shroud, Superior Darkvision.
- Levels 4 and 5: Gain the Misty Step spell as part of your subclass. Take the Feat Sharpshooter, so your ranged attacks no longer take low-ground penalties and you get an Extra Attack.
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Rogue Thief, Levels 6-12
Build On Ranged Attack Powers And Extra Attacks
This version of the build combines dual-wielding hand crossbows with the extra bonus action from the Rogue's Thief subclass, leading to a total of four attacks per turn at level 8. Provided that the player can utilize high ground bonuses and the Archery Fighting Style to boost their accuracy, they can fire all of these shots with Sharpshooter for up to 40 extra damage.
Once they've reached the Thief subclass, take 1 more level in Rogue in order to unlock their second ASI/Feat, then move into Fighter for the final 3 levels of the build. This will grant them some great features that remain consistent into the late game, including Action Surge and the Battle Master Maneuvers.
- Levels 6 to 8: Expertise and Sneak Attack, which includes the ability Cunning Action. Subclass Features for this level include Fast Hands and Second-Story Work. Another Feat that could be added at this point would Alert, Athlete, or Sentinel.
- Levels 9 to 10: Extra Sneak Attack damage for all Rogues, and Supreme Sneak for the Thief. Rogues also get an extra Feat at both levels 9 and 10.
- Levels 11 to 12: Reliable Talent is an ability that ensures skill dice rolls can never be lower than 10. The character gets one more Feat at level 12.
Best Classes to Multiclass in BG3
Multiclassing is a great way to spice up characters in Baldur's Gate 3. Here's what combinations work best together.
Rogue Assassin, Levels 6-12
Swap Out The Extra Attack For More Damage
This version of the build swaps the Thief Rogue subclass for the Assassin, losing the extra off-hand attack from Thief in exchange for incredible first-turn damage. While Thief remains the more consistent of the two builds, the Assassin's ability to kill a dangerous enemy before they even get a turn can make this a superior choice in certain fights.
The Assassin subclass allows the character to start combat from hiding and still retain their action and bonus action on their first turn. In addition to this, the Assassin grants Advantage against all enemies that haven't acted yet. This adds an easy source of Sneak Attack, which will then be multiplied by a guaranteed critical hit.
- Levels 6 to 8: Subclass Features gained at these levels include Assassin's Alacrity, Assassinate: Ambush, and Assassinate: Initiative. All these skills improve Perception, Initiative and battlefield organization. The Ranger will almost always get the first turn, regardless of how many enemies they're facing.
- Levels 9 to 10: Intimidation Expertise replaces Supreme Sneak. A good Feat of choice here would be Spell Sniper or Crossbow Expert for some extra ranged power.
- Levels 11 to 12: The Assassin also has access to the Reliable Talent ability and one more Feat at level 12.
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Other Multiclass Options
Healers And Spellcasters Also Work
Rangers can also take support or healing roles. It's best to choose classes that also use Wisdom as their spellcasting modifier.
- Druid: Add some DPS spellcasting power with a combo with this class, which shares the same spellcasting modifier, Wisdom.
- Cleric: Build a support class with healing powers by multiclassing with a Cleric, another Wisdom-based spellcasting class.
- Fighter: Combine the Gloom Stalker Ranger with the Fighter to produce a well-rounded martial character with incredible first-turn damage.
- Barbarian: Another class known for their wilderness skills, a Barbarian can give your Ranger a melee-edge with increased Strength and Constitution.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Platform(s)
- PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
