Baldur's Gate 3 has taken the gaming community by storm, allowing players to experience the thrill and magic of Dungeons and Dragons on screen. In accordance with the fifth edition rule set of the tabletop game, Baldur's Gate 3 features 12 playable classes, all with their own subclasses.

A grid showing two level one spells and Shadowheart from Baldur's Gate 3
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While some classes in BG3 are clearly better than others, some remain underutilized and underrated. This can be for a number of reasons, from a lack of interest in the power fantasy that these classes provide to a preconceived weakness in Baldur's Gate itself, D&D, or other similar games.

Updated on April 4, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Baldur's Gate 3 remains a popular and beloved game among fans, with players gearing up for another adventure in Faerun with a different character or a different game mode. Another run is ripe to check out one of the least played class BG3, as some of them are unjustly unpopular, as they have their own fun and unique traits that can completely change the feel of a game. Enjoyed the rogue run? Check out the upfront tanky barbarian. Made a warlock pact? Learn magic the tough ways with a wizard. This article has been updated with more BG3 classes that are vastly underrated to encourage players to check out these less popular but still brilliant classes.

7 Fighter

Gain Great Action Economy

Baldur's Gate 3 Fighter

Unique Class Features:

  • Second Wind - Heal 1d10 hit points + Fighter Level
  • Improved Extra Attack - Make two additional attacks after attacking once with their main-hand weapon
  • Fighting Style - Choose a specialty fighting style to gain attack and/or damage bonuses

Fighters are often seen as the 'boring' or 'safe' pick among RPG players, similar to playing the human warrior. But, this is a vast underselling of what the fighter class in D&D is capable of. They gain more bang for their buck in combat scenarios, with the ability to attack up to three times, or even regain hit points with Second Wind, saving the precious spell slots of the casters in the party.

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Baldur's Gate 3's Fighter Class is a Weapons and Armor Master by default, with each subclass offering additional capabilities and utility.

Fighter has proven to be one of the least popular picks according to Larian's game statistics, and those players are missing out on a severely underrated class. Plus, fighters don't have to fill in the rank of the mundane warrior role, as they can choose the Eldritch Knight subclass to gain magical abilities to go along with their swordplay.

6 Ranger

A Class That Can Be Flavored Into An Expert Hunter

Baldur's Gate 3 Ranger

Unique Class Features:

  • Favored Enemy - Select one enemy type to receive proficiency in one skill
  • Natural Explorer - Gain resistance to one damage type

Rangers have often been viewed as the class that gets the short end of the stick in terms of balance, particularly in D&D 5e, but this should not put people off playing these nomad hunters with a penchant for archery and navigation.

Their ability to specialize in tracking and slaying specific monster types makes them a class of natural hunters to be feared, and their range of subclasses gives them some versatility players can flavor into a unique character archetype. Plus, the Beast Master class provides an animal companion, and who doesn't want a fuzzy bear or wolf to share the road with?

5 Wizard

A Vast Number of Spells at Player's Fingertips

Baldur's Gate 3 High Half-Elf Wizard In Character Creation

Unique Class Features:

  • Spell Scrolls - Wizards can learn spells written on spell scrolls
  • Wizard Spells - Access to an expansive library of spells
  • Arcane Recovery - Recover spell slots 4th level or lower

Compared with the other magical classes such as Warlock and Sorcerer, the latter of which is one of the most popular classes in the game, Wizards in Baldur's Gate 3 are vastly underrated. Two things that Wizards are known for are being extremely squishy and damaging their allies with chaotic AOE spells; however, these downsides should not discourage players from testing out the arcane knowledge of Wizards.

Wizards have eight subclasses to choose from in Baldur's Gate 3, with these being different schools of magic, but they are only selected at level 2 instead of during the initial character creation. They also have the most spells available in the game and the most spell slots to match. With so many subclasses and spells, players can have radically different experiences when playing as a Wizard, while also dealing some of the highest damage in the game.

4 Druid

Wild Shape May be the Best Ability in the Game

Baldur's Gate 3 High Elf As A Druid In Character Creation

Unique Class Features:

  • Druid Spells - Access to the druid spell list
  • Wild Shape - Assume the form of a beast, gaining additional hit points and unique attacks

Despite allowing players to take on the form of animals, the Druid class in BG3 is fairly underrated, perhaps as it is a class that excels at nothing in particular while performing well across the board. As a Druid, players can take on the role of a tank by becoming a bear, or they can focus more on supporting their allies or even dealing decent damage.

A grid showing two fire spells and Gale the Wizard from Baldur's Gate 3
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There are three Druid subclasses in Baldur's Gate 3, known as Druid Circles, and these allow players to focus on different aspects of nature, wielding power in various ways. One of the most fun subclasses is the Circle of the Moon which is all about animals and shape-shifting into them. Ironically, the other two subclasses are just as underrated as the Druid class as a whole.

3 Barbarian

Become the Strongest in the Lands

Baldur's Gate 3 Asmodeus Tiefling As A Barbarian In Character Creator

Unique Class Features:

  • Unarmored Defense - Add Con bonus to AC while not wearing armor
  • Rage - Gain a bonus to damage, resistance to physical damage, and advantage on strength checks and saving throws

The word 'Barbarian' itself carries negative connotations, and thus, when creating a character in Baldur's Gate 3, players tend to overlook this class in favor of those that provide a more impressive power fantasy. However, Barbarians are actually underrated, as the ability to throw things and creatures plays a surprisingly big part in the game, and this is one thing that they excel at.

If enemies are standing near a cliff or a pool of lava, Barbarians are going to have an easy time shoving or throwing them to their deaths with their high Strength. The highlight of playing as a Barbarian and their greatest strength is their ability to become enraged, gaining significant combat buffs for a duration. Players might also enjoy the Barbarian's simplistic but humorous approach to certain dilemmas outside of combat, as showcased at the start of the game.

2 Monk

A Unique Gameplay Mechanic

Baldur's Gate 3 Lightfoot Halfling As A Monk In Character Creation

Unique Class Features:

  • Flurry of Blows - Attack twice in quick succession
  • Ki - A set of points Monks gain to use their unique class features
  • Unarmored Defense - Add Wisdom bonus to AC while not wearing armor
  • Martial Arts: Dexterous Attacks - Attacks scale with Wisdom instead of Strength if Wisdom is higher
  • Martial Arts: Deft Strikes - Attacks deal an additional 1 - 4 bludgeoning damage
  • Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strikes - After making an attack, an additional unarmed attack can be made with a bonus action

One class that is often forgotten about in both Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur's Gate 3 is the Monk class, and it is certainly not considered strong either. Monks mostly rely on Dexterity and Wisdom and work best with simple weapons and armor which may not be appealing to players who want to make use of the best gear in BG3. Monks also have a unique action mechanic where they consume Ki points, and this is something that may not appeal to new players.

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There are three Monk subclasses: Way of the Open Hand, Way of Shadow, and Way of the Four Elements, the last of these pretty much allowing players to role-play as Aang from Avatar the Last Airbender. To get the most out of the Monk class and create a game-beating build, heading into combat unarmed is strangely the best option.

1 Cleric

Heal or Hurt

Baldur's Gate 3 Gold Dwarf As A Cleric In Character Creation

Unique Class Features:

  • Domain Spells - Gain immediate access to spells from the chosen domain that are always prepared
  • Turn Undead - All undead in range must use their turns in combat to move away from the cleric
  • Channel Divinity - Players receive a unique effect based on their domain
  • Divine Intervention - Call upon their God for aid in our outside combat

In the first major patch for Baldur's Gate 3, Larian Studios stated that Cleric is the least popular class to play as, and so, at least in some ways, it must be underrated by the community. While this can be down to players being more than happy to take the Cleric companion, Shadowheart, with them and not feeling like they need another Cleric, this can't be the only reason for these tanky healers being the most underrated class in Baldur's Gate 3.

The main reason for a lack of interest in Clerics is likely the fact that they are perceived as weak and boring in combat, with many players seeing them as glorified healers who don't do much else. However, by delving into the various Cleric subclasses, players will discover more martial and deceptive play styles.