Baldur's Gate 3 has promised to be one of the most phenomenal RPGs of 2023. With an incredible Early Access phase that allowed players to experience plenty of the classes before its full release on August 3, many players have already decided which class they deem to be the best.

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Larian Studios took heavy inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons for their classes, all twelve of which are directly linked to their tabletop counterparts. With so many interesting choices — and countless subclasses for them — players may wonder what class the best is to play. Therefore, this is every class in Baldur's Gate 3.

Updated on June 26th, 2024, by Megan Smith: Baldur's Gate 3's best class may have been set in stone for months. However, with the next patch for the RPG bringing official mod support for both the PC and console version of the title, many players are expecting to have plenty more classes to choose from than just the base ones that are currently available. Even with this in mind, the best class in BG3 will still be remembered for those that have decided they don't wish to explore using mods. With this in mind, players who are curious about what makes BG3's best class the best, this article ranks each class on how useful or powerful it is, and what the best subclass a player should pick too.

12 Ranger

Brilliant Dexterity Fighters That Favor Long Range

• Beast Master
• Hunter
• Gloom Stalker

Rangers in the Fifth Edition of Dungeons and Dragons are seen as one of the least-used, least-loved classes out of the many available. Larian took this into consideration when designing the classes for Baldur's Gate 3 to make sure that every class chosen by the player can be enjoyable. This makes the ranger in this CRPG a lot more fun to play than its tabletop counterpart.

However, it still ranks quite low out of all the classes available. Rangers are known for staying to the back ranks, though players can plan some interesting ambushes of foes when needed. Out of the three subclasses available for the Ranger, by far the best to select is Beast Master; this gives the player not only a familiar, but also a much larger animal companion to use in battle. Alongside being the Beast Master subclass, Ranger also has access to spells such as Hunter's Mark, which allows them to do even more damage to an enemy.

11 Barbarian

Frontline Fighters With Tanking Potential

• Berserker
• Wildheart
• Wild Magic

Although the Barbarian finds itself almost at the bottom of the list of classes, it's still a great class for players to experience for themselves, especially if they're new to Baldur's Gate. As a prominent melee class, players will be on the front lines dealing with various enemies they face head-on. Rage is what makes the Barbarian a great option for any player. This ability can only be used by Barbarians and makes them a lot harder to kill.

Being proficient in a wide range of weaponry also means that players can experiment with the various swords, maces, and axes they find while exploring in Baldur's Gate 3. With their extremely high constitution, players can also be thankful they are likely to survive many encounters too. Although Berserker is great for beginners, the Wildheart subclass is one of the greatest for its various options that allow players to fight with animalistic intent.

10 Rogue

Great Damage Dealers Who Multiclass Well

• Arcane Trickster
• Thief
• Assassin

Unsurprisingly, the Rogue is another tempting choice for many players in Baldur's Gate 3. Not only does it have its uses outside of combat, such as being the best when it comes to lockpicking or pickpocketing, but it also has the chance of landing plenty of critical hits to quickly deal with opponents. Like in many other RPGs, Rogues are seen as incredibly overpowered when put in the hands of a player who knows what they're doing.

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With the subclass Arcane Trickster, players can make this predominantly melee class more versatile through the use of magic. All three of the Rogues subclasses are great, though a player can only choose one on each character. Therefore, the best of the three has to be Arcane Trickster, which allows a player's Rogue to also use spells. Combining stealth attacks which make Rogues so lethal, alongside useful magic such as Blur, means thhe player doesn't have to worry about getting hit.

9 Sorcerer

Powerful Magic Casters With Plenty Of AOE Spells

• Draconic Bloodline
• Wild Magic
• Storm Sorcery

Although melee classes are interesting and easy to use, the spellcasters of Baldur's Gate 3 are some of the best classes a player can decide from. A Sorcerer's magic comes from their bloodline, allowing them to harness power to defeat their foes. The sorcerer points that every Sorcerer gets, no matter their subclass, also mean abilities like Quickened Spell allow players to use two cantrips during their turn as both an action and a bonus action.

While they may be unable to stand on the front lines of a battle due to their low health, this doesn't stop the class from being incredibly lethal, with three exciting subclasses to work with. Draconic Bloodline is arguably one of the most intriguing options, especially with how it can cause a physical change for the player's character. All three subclass options for Sorcerer are incredible, but by far the most exciting that players should try out for themselves has to be Wild Magic.

8 Druid

Great Magic Casters Or Potential Tanks Depending On The Subclass

• Circle of the Moon
• Circle of the Land
• Circle of the Spores

Like Barbarians, Druids were added later into the Early Access process of Baldur's Gate 3, so some players may not have experienced the class until the full version of the game was released. Druids are a versatile class, as players can either support from the back or become the tank for their party setup. Spells like Lighting Bolt will continue to be valuable no matter the type of build the player is going for, as it's arguably one of the best available to them.

Taking a subclass like the Circle of the Moon will allow the player to become a bear like Halsin. This allows them to tank many hits due to how much health the bear Wild Shape form has. Other subclasses will instead allow the player to look deeper into their nature magic. As mentioned, Circle of the Moon is one of the best subclasses, but if players are looking for more interesting powers, then they should instead consider Circle of the Spores.

7 Monk

Great Dexterity DPS With The Potential To Tank

• Way of the Open Hand
• Way of Shadow
• Way of the Four Elements

Players were unable to play the Monk during Early Access, due to the class only being added with the full release of the game. While many players may not have had a chance to try out the martial class yet, the Monk is an intriguing choice.

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At late levels, players using the Monk in the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons felt their Ki Points (the resource used by the Monk to use their abilities) were too few. Therefore, Larian Studios took it upon themselves to balance this, making Monks a far more enjoyable melee class. Yet again, all three Monk subclasses have exciting elements that make them fun to play; the Way of the Open Hand is one of the greatest, as it adds more power to the various actions a Monk can use during their turn. At later levels, this includes a Ki Resonation: Blast, which has the possibility of causing enemies to explode.

6 Cleric

Support Spells To Keep Control Or Even Protect The Party

• Life
• Light
• Trickery
• Nature
• Knowledge
• Tempest
• War

Cleric is an incredible class that works great not only on its own, but also when it is multiclassed with the other various choices in Baldur's Gate 3. There are a large assortment of subclasses for the player to pick from when deciding on their Cleric. Out of the seven subclasses, the Life Domain subclass is by far the best.

Not only does this allow a player to equip heavy armor for better defense, but it also allows the player to heal themselves and their party members while defending them from foes. Players can essentially become the battle medic of their dreams, or something a lot more aggressive, depending on their Domain of choice, with each subclass having its own interesting quirk to make each and every one of them different.

5 Bard

Support Spellcaster With Melee Potential

• College of Lore
• College of Valour
• College of Swords

Players looking for a class that can mix both magic and melee should look no further than the Bard. This class can be a brilliant support for any team due to their musical gifts, which can inspire the party to do better. Besides, creating various tunes through the subclass of College of Swords will allow a player to be far more aggressive in combat.

The Bard can be a jack of all trades, as they specialize in different skills. This can arguably make a first run of the game much easier for some players while creating quite a charismatic character at the same time. Although College of Swords was mentioned, the best of the three subclasses goes to College of Valour. It is a great mix of deadly spells and brutal swords which is almost a happy middle of the two other subclasses. Though Vicious Mockery will always be one of the best spells for any Bard to use.

4 Wizard

Spellcasters With The Potential To Control Or Deal Immense Damage

• Abjuration
• Conjuration
• Divination
• Enchantment
• Evocation
• Necromancy
• Illusion
• Transmutation

The Wizard class is another spellcaster that has piqued players' interest in Baldur's Gate 3. Wizards have the most subclasses out of all the main classes. This is because a Wizard can focus on a certain school of magic when deciding what sort of build they are going to use, with some giving the player features to use outside of combat, such as Transmutation Wizards able to craft two potions instead of one depending on their roll.

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Although Wizard is one of the most beloved classes, it is also one of the squishiest. Therefore, players who wish to use a Wizard should either have plenty of healing potions, or keep their character out of harm's way. Like Clerics, the Wizard class has multiple subclasses for the player to choose from. This is because there is a subclass for each school of magic in the game. While Necromancy is interesting to use, Evocation is by far the best for how powerful it becomes at later levels, with it increasing the damage from those spells.

3 Fighter

Incredibly Versatile With Focus On Defending

• Battle Master
• Eldritch Knight
• Champion

Returning to predominantly melee classes, the Fighter is a great option for any player who wishes to be at the center of combat. Lae'zel will likely take this role for many players in Baldur's Gate 3, but that doesn't stop them from also trying the class in their own build. While it may appear to be one of the most basic choices, Fighters can multi-attack.

By being able to attack twice during a turn, players are more likely to defeat an enemy before any serious damage can be done to them in return. Action Surge is another Fighter ability that then allows them to hit another two times during their turn. Champion may be the most straightforward of the subclasses available, but it allows the player to adventure as the classic Fighter in any adventure tale. With improved critical hit chances, Fighters are likely to hit their mark.

2 Warlock

Magic Caster With Potential To Be A Great Melee Fighter

• The Fiend
• The Great Old One
• Archfey

Warlocks are similar in Charisma to Bards, and almost as versatile. Although the class has limited spell slots, players will become quickly acquainted with the cantrip Eldritch Blast due to how powerful it becomes after leveling up.

The Pact of the Blade will help the Warlock strive to become one of the greatest DPS characters in the party. This has been heavily tweaked for Baldur's Gate 3, to make Warlocks an incredible class choice, even for those who wish to multiclass. Besides using a boon from their chosen pact, players must first decide on their subclass. Although all three are great options, nothing beats The Fiend due to its incredible passive feats that allow the player to gain extra hitpoints from kills.

1 Paladin

Typical Heavy-Armor Defender With Magic To Increase Damage

• Oath of Devotion
• Oath of the Ancients
• Oath of Vengeance
• Oathbreaker

Paladin is another class that wasn't in the game at the start of Early Access, but was added later in development. The Paladin's abilities allow the player to become the tank of their group, with various lethal abilities like Divine Smite, which is known to easily defeat enemies. However, what makes Paladin even more interesting is the chance of becoming an Oathbreaker.

Paladins must take an Oath, which becomes their subclass. If a player does something that is out of character for that Oath, they risk breaking it, which turns them into a different sort of Paladin. This would be fascinating to experiment with in-game for some players. For players that are trying to keep their Oath, one of the best subclasses to choose is the Oath of the Ancients. Players can go beyond their beliefs of good and evil to instead connect with nature, which gives them a few Druid-like spells. Its versatility allows a player to fill multiple different roles.

Baldur's Gate 3

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Genre(s)

RPG

See at Official Site