This Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger build hits the bullseye
Do you need a strong Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger build?InBaldur’s Gate 3, Rangers are the typical archer archetype. Whether you aspire to be Faerun’s equivalent of Robin Hood or are simply out for blood with the help of a bow and arrow, the Ranger is a powerful class that deals consistent damage from a distance and is typically at home in the natural world.
If you want to create a Ranger, you’re going to need to make a lot of character-building decisions that amplify the power of your bow-shooting nature-dweller. Here’s everything you need to know about building your Ranger character, including the best race, subclass, background, Natural Explorer options, Favored Enemies, and spells.
Note: Looking for lots more builds to choose from? Check out our dedicated list of thebest builds in Baldur’s Gate 3for each class!
Baldur’s Gate 3 Ranger best build
The Ranger’s primary ability isDexterity, meaning that an good Ranger build can catch enemies off-guard and strike them before they even know what they’re up against. Rangers are also great at traversing the wild, tackling difficult terrain, and slinking from tree to tree. We’ve emphasised this with all of our options in this guide, which puts the focus on a stealthy arrow-slinger who traverses the shadows and picks enemies off one by one.
At Levels 1, 6, and 10, Rangers can choose from severalNatural Explorerenvironment options that are unique to the class.
At Levels 1, 6, and 10, Rangers can choose one of severalFavoured Enemyoptions that give them extra bonuses.
At Level 2, Rangers can select a Fighting Style from the following:
At Level 3, Rangers can choose from the following subclass options:
Your race, background, and skills introduce attributes that buff your Ranger character. These are our favourite picks.
The best Ranger race is Wood Elf.
TheWood Elfsubrace endows the player withFleet of Foot, which results in an increased movement speed of 10.5m (relative to 9m of most other races). The subrace also grants a proficiency bonus toStealthchecks, which is great for the sneakiest Ranger build imaginable.
Further,ElvesgainDarkvisionand can see in dark and dim settings. They also gainElven Weapon Trainingfor weapon proficiency with longswords, shortswords, longbows, and shortbows. Last but not least,Fey Ancestrygrants an advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed, magic can’t put elves to sleep, and they also gainPerceptionproficiency.
The best Ranger background is Charlatan.
To boost our stealthy Ranger build, take theCharlatanbackground, which grantsDeceptionandSleight of Handproficiency bonuses.Deceptionhelps you hide the truth about matters, whileSleight of Handgrants checks on acts of manual tricks such as lockpicking, pickpocketing, and hiding items.
The best Ranger skill proficiencies are Nature, Stealth, and Survival.
Natureimproves your Intelligence checks to relay information relating to terrain, plants, and animals in the wild.Stealthallows you to make a Dexterity check when attempting to hide, slip away, or sneak up on someone.Survivalgrants a Wisdom check when faced with the opportunity to follow tracks or traverse difficult terrain.
The best Ranger Natural Explorer environment for Level 1 isWasteland Wanderer: Fire, since fire is a common enemy attack damage type, and resistance to it will always come in handy for surviving big attacks like Fireball. At Level 6, selectWasteland Wanderer: Poison, as poison becomes more common later in the game and can be extremely debilitating. At Level 10, we recommendWasteland Wanderer: Cold, as it’s generally helpful to round out all your resistances with the ability to endure cold damage.
For your Favoured Enemy at Level 1, we recommend going withBounty Hunterfor the improvements it grants your Ensnaring Strike spell, which can be useful as an opener at early levels. At Level 6, go withMage Breakerto gain theTrue Strikecantrip, which grants advantage on your next Attack Roll. At Level 10, chooseSanctified StalkerforReligionproficiency and theSacred FlameSpell.
The best Ranger Fighting Style isArcheryfor +2 damage to ranged attacks. You’re a nimble ranger attuned to long-distance combat, after all - it’s not bad to lean into the stereotype!
The best Ranger subclass isGloom Stalker, which grants theUmbral ShroudAction. This action covers the Ranger in shadows, which turns themInvisiblewhen obscured. This is extremely powerful for sneak attacks, though you’ll lose it once you attack, cast another spell, perform an action, or take damage.
The Gloom Stalker subclass also grantsSuperior Darkvisionso you can see further distances underground andDread Ambusherfor a +3 bonus to initiative and increased movement and damage on your first combat turn.
The subclass gets even stronger as you progress. At Level 7, you’ll earnIron Mind, which gives proficiency in Wisdom and Intelligence saving throws, and at Level 11, you’ll earnStalker’s Furyand can make a free weapon attack when you miss a strike.
Rangers gain access to a limited number of spells, and their spells only go up to spell level 3.
These are the best Ranger spells by spell level:
Level 1:Ensnaring Strike, Cure Wounds, Enhance Leap, Hunter’s Mark
Level 2:Pass Without Trace
Level 3:Lightning Arrow
Rangers can choose feats at Levels 4, 8, and 12. The best Ranger feats are:
Sharpshooterkeeps your ranged weapon attacks from receiving any penalties when you shoot from high ground. You can also choose to take a -5 penalty to your ranged weapon attack roll in favour of dealing an additional 10 damage, which can be a useful tradeoff especially when tackling a boss that needs to be downed quickly.Luckygrants three Luck Points, which you can use to gain advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws. You can also use them to make an enemy reroll their attack rolls. Finally,Toughis infinitely useful because it increases your Hit Point maximum by 2 for every level you have gained, which is retroactive and applies going forward for 24 points by the time you reach Level 12.
That’s everything you need to develop the best Ranger build possible inBaldur’s Gate 3. Once you’ve mastered your Ranger, you may also want to check out our guide tomulticlassing. If you’d like to try an entirely different build, you can always respec your Ranger with ourBaldur’s Gate 3 respec guide, and if you plan to choose a new class, you’ll also want to see ourbest buildsguide for a complete overview.
Disclosure: Former RPS deputy editor Adam Smith (RPS in peace) now works at Larian and is the lead writer for Baldur’s Gate 3. Former contributor Emily Gera also works on it.
