Highlights

  • Barbarians in Baldur's Gate 3 are heavy-hitting warriors who excel on the front lines, making them a great choice for any player's party.
  • The Barbarian class is a popular and simple choice for newcomers to the game, with a lower learning curve for combat and leveling compared to other classes.
  • Barbarians have the ability to channel their rage into additional attacks and increased damage output, but they cannot cast spells or concentrate while raging.

Baldur's Gate 3 has a wide variety of classes to choose from, giving players dozens of possibilities for different playthroughs. A player's choice of class is important as it determines the playstyle, roleplaying, and build of the player character. Barbarians are an RPG staple; heavy hitters who excel on the front lines, they're the kind of class any player would want in their party. Barbarians have long been a staple in Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop game Baldur's Gate 3 is based on.

Barbarian is a popular class to play thanks to its simplicity, and is a great choice for newcomers to Baldur's Gate 3, as the learning curve for combat and leveling isn't as extreme as it is for other classes. Barbarians also get some fun dialogue choices thanks to their brutish nature, so they're a great class to roleplay some interesting characters.

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What is the Barbarian Class in BG3?

Warriors in Their Purest Form

Barbarians are a class of warriors who draw their strength from their inner rage and their connection with the world around them. Some Barbarians purely rely on their anger, some are attuned to nature, while others have a connection to magic. No matter the type, all Barbarians are passionate fighters who are a formidable sight on the battlefield. Barbarians use Rage to increase their damage output and gain resistance to damage, at the cost of not being able to cast spells or concentrate. They also get Advantage on Strength checks and Saving Throws while Raging.

The Difference Between Barbarians and Fighters

Barbarians are similar to Fighters in that they're both combat-focused classes, but Fighters are more disciplined and are implied to have received more formal training than Barbarians, who channel their emotions in battle. That said, the two classes synergize well together, and it's highly suggested that Barbarian characters take a couple of levels in the Fighter class as well.

Picking a Barbarian Subclass

Barbarian subclasses determine how their Rage is channeled. All Barbarians get Rage at Level 1, and can choose a subclass at Level 3.

  • Berserker: Berserkers channel their anger to make additional attacks, deal more damage, and gain immunity from mind-altering effects that can distract from their Rage.
  • Wildheart: Wildheart Barbarians are attuned with nature, can cast Speak With Animals, and their Rage abilities mimic that of an animal, the type of which can be changed each time the Barbarian levels up.
  • Wild Magic: Wild Magic Barbarians tap into magic that is very similar to the Wild Magic Sorcerer, in that their magic is unpredictable. Their Rage gives off an unpredictable and random Wild Magic surge that benefits the Barbarian and their allies.

Building a Barbarian in Baldur's Gate 3

Multiclassing as a Barbarian

One of the best builds for a BG3 Barbarian to multiclass into is taking at least two levels in Fighter to gain Action Surge and Second Wind, though the Fighter's subclasses are also useful for Barbarian multiclass builds. As both Barbarian and Fighter can use Strength as their primary skill, the two classes work together well as a multiclass. And, while Barbarian excels particularly at the lower levels, it becomes outclassed at the higher levels by most of the other classes, so it benefits from investing in other class levels.

Barbarian Skills

A Barbarian's primary stat is Strength, followed by Constitution, then Dexterity. Barbarians don't have much use for the other stats, especially if they're only multiclassing into Fighter.

  • Strength: 17
  • Constitution: 17
  • Dexterity: 15
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Playing as a Barbarian in Baldur's Gate 3

Roleplaying a Barbarian

Barbarians aren't known among players for having the highest Intelligence scores, preferring to punch their way through a problem with brute strength. Larian Studios knows this, and wrote the dialogue options for Barbarians accordingly. RPGs are all about choice and Baldur's Gate 3 gives the player more freedom than most CRPGs to play their characters however they like, but generally Barbarian playthroughs are more rewarding when they're played straight. Lean into the tropes, play them as strong and a little dumb thanks to that low Intelligence stat, and enjoy the chaos of throwing enemies into each other.

Be Prepared for Moments Out of Combat

While Barbarians are masters of the battlefield, much of Baldur's Gate 3 happens off it, and Barbarians need to be equipped to deal with the world beyond swords and axes. Barbarians may not excel in Intelligence or Charisma checks, but giving them proficiency in Intimidation is both class-appropriate and opens the door for some great roleplaying moments outside of combat.

Combat as a Barbarian

The core ability of the Barbarian is Rage. How that manifests depends on the Barbarian's subclass, but Barbarians are primarily differentiated from Fighters by their reckless fighting style that includes throwing enemies to leave them Prone. Unlike Fighters, Barbarians are only proficient in Light and Medium armor, which allows them to use their Rage ability and lets them move quickly and unencumbered. Barbarians are natural warriors, and have honed their instincts through self-taught, informal experience, rather than the disciplined style of the Fighter.

Drawbacks of a Barbarian's Rage

A Barbarian's Rage has a lot of benefits, but one of its drawbacks is that the Barbarian cannot cast spells or concentrate while Raging. This means that any multiclassing into any spellcasting class, such as Eldritch Knight or Paladin Oath of Devotion, is going to be wasted on the Barbarian. The only magic a Barbarian can tap into is that granted by Wild Magic, which grants a level of unpredictability to the battlefield.