Highlights
- Roleplaying is the most enjoyable way to experience Baldur's Gate 3, focusing on character creation and building a realistic and fun character.
- Choosing abilities and gear that align with a character's role rather than going for objectively superior options can enhance the roleplaying experience.
- Players can create unique and entertaining character combinations, such as a ninja assassin or a bear-loving druid, to add depth and fun to their gameplay.
Although it can be fun trying to min-max in Baldur's Gate 3 and beat the game on the hardest difficulty with an optimal build, much like its tabletop inspiration Dungeons and Dragons, Baldur's Gate 3 is arguably enjoyed most when roleplayed.
The first step for roleplaying in Baldur's Gate 3 is to create a character and build that work together in a fun and realistic way. Instead of opting for spells, abilities, and gear that are objectively superior, they can choose stuff that aligns with their character.
6 A True Bard
Bard is one of the best classes in Baldur's Gate 3, but if players focus on spells, weapons, and clothes that are more true to a real Bard, then strength makes way for roleplay. By opting for abilities such as Viscous Mockery, Charm, and Tasha's Hideous Laughter which are more about the emotions that a Bard can illicit rather than traditional magic, players will truly feel like a Bard.
Additionally, instead of armor which is better for protection, players can try to find vibrant outfits of rich fabrics. In terms of weapons, lighter weapons such as small crossbows seem more apt for someone more interested in carrying around an instrument.
5 Shadow Monk Assassin Ninja
There are a few ways to roleplay as a ninja in Baldur's Gate 3 usually involving the various Rogue and Monk subclasses. One fun example is to choose the Way of Shadow Monk and level it up until level 5 when players unlock Extra Attack and Stunning Strike. After this, players can dip into Rogue to acquire the ability to Sneak Strike, and at level 2 Rogue they will get Cunning Actions.
At level 3 Rogue the fun really starts as players can select the Assassin Rogue subclass and the powers that come with it. From here on out, players can strike swiftly from the shadows, killing or stunning targets before they know what is on them. From this point onwards players can continue putting points in Monk.
4 Barbarian Druid Berserker
Barbarians and Druids are two of the tankiest classes in Baldur's Gate 3, at least when Druids shapeshift. By starting as a Barbarian and multiclassing into Druid, players will not just become beefier with the option to shapeshift after absorbing damage as a Barbarian, but they will also be able to roleplay as a berserker.
Unfortunately, players cannot rage while in the shape of a bear for example, but they can rage before, becoming harder to kill. This is far from the best Berserker build in BG3 as players will miss out on lots of the critical hit features, and it is also suboptimal for aspects of the Druid class, such as healing. However, roleplaying as a creature overtaken by primal rage is certainly fun, and players will discover other unique interactions between these two classes.
3 Brother Bear Beastmaster Druid
In Baldur's Gate 3, players can both summon beasts by being a Beastmaster Ranger and turn into beasts by being a Druid. However, by multiclassing players can do both at once and for example, have a bear companion while being a bear themselves.
While the build is technically weak, this is extremely fun to play, with players able to pretend that they are summoning the bear spirit of their dead sibling, in ways similar to the Disney film Brother Bear. Of course, players can create any animal combinations they like, and in co-op mode with three friends also playing as Beastmaster Druids, there could be eight beasts running rampant. Those playing solo can also do this by respecing three companions.
2 Know-It-All Divination Wizard
Baldur's Gate 3 is a game with incredible replayability, but one of the downsides of having multiple playthroughs is that players learn specific plot points or the consequences of decisions. However, one way to make the most out of this is to play as the School of Divination Wizard subclass.
While the gameplay of a Divination Wizard revolves around prophecies and Portent Dice, players looking to roleplay can pretend they are an all-knowing Divination master, relying on their knowledge from previous playthroughs.
1 No Crime Honorable Paladin
To get strong in Baldur's Gate 3, players will usually loot corpses, open chests that aren't theirs, and potentially also extort innocent people they happened to save. For a real challenge, players can take on the role of a Paladin with impeccable morals, refusing to engage in any unseemly activities.
Arguably the best Paladin subclass for this playthrough would be the Oath of Devotion, as players will be sworn to act with honor and virtue and to protect the weak. To enhance the roleplay, players can opt for spells and abilities that are not cruel, and if a particular aspect of the game requires picking a certain lock, players can get one of the companions such as Astarion the Rogue to do it while their Paladin isn't looking.
Baldur's Gate 3 is out now on PC and is set to release on September 6, 2023 for PlayStation 5.