Learn more about every class in Baldur’s Gate 3
Want to learn more about all Baldur’s Gate 3 classes?There are 12 classes inBaldur’s Gate 3, and learning the differences between them all can prove overwhelming for those new to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Fortunately, that’s where we come in!
In this guide, we break down all 12Baldur’s Gate 3classes, covering the proficiencies, primary abilities, HP total, subclasses, and class features of each so that you can get a clear picture of how each class plays while you fight your way across Faerun.
Baldur’s Gate 3 classes
Below, you’ll find a list of all 12 Baldur’s Gate 3 classes:
TheBarbarianis a melee powerhouse, and one of the best beginner classes. Unlike other classes, the upgrades you receive upon levelling up as a Barbarian are some of the simpler powers in the Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset.
For example, the Barbarian gets Extra Attack at level 5 and Fast Movement at level 7, both of which do exactly what they respectively say: grant you a second attack and give you 10ft of extra movement per turn. These are far easier to understand than the massive spell lists of a Bard or a Wizard, for example.
The Barbarian’s key ability is Rage, which you can activate during combat to gain advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and extra damage when you make an attack. Again, these are simple buffs to your survivability and your damage, but they can easily turn an impossible encounter into a piece of cake.
For more on kitting out your Barbarian and Raging your way through the battlefield, see ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Barbarian build guide.
TheBardis one of the more versatile classes, and it typically fills a supportive role in the party. Bards gain access to plenty of spells that can deal damage, such as Thunderwave and Cloud of Daggers, but they have far more spells that will buff or heal allies, or inflict enemies with negative status effects.
The Bard also gets access to Bardic Inspiration, one of the key ways to buff your party. When you use Bardic Inspiration, you give an ally 1d6 that they can add to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This increases to 1d8 at level 5 and 1d10 at level 10.
If subduing enemies and buffing allies through song-fueled magic sounds like your jam, head on over to ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Bard build guide.
TheClericis a holy warrior who can use sacred magic to heal allies and devastate opponents. Thanks to their divine powers, Clerics possess unique abilities to destroy skeletons, zombies, and all other manner of undead foe.
The Cleric gets access to Channel Divinity, a unique mechanic that you can use to Turn Undead. This forces nearby undead creatures to move as far away from you as possible, and only allows them to use the Dash or Dodge actions.
Depending on your subclass, you’ll also get more Channel Divinity effects. Life Domain Clerics, for example, can Channel Divinity to heal allies, while Trickery Domain Clerics can use this power to Invoke Duplicity. You’ll get more Channel Divinity powers as you level up, and a second charge at level 6.
For more info on pledging allegiance to the divine, take a peek at ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Cleric build guide.
TheDruidis a spellcaster who lives a life entwined with nature and uses nature-powered magic to heal friends and harm foes. Like the Bard, this is one of the most versatile Baldur’s Gate 3 classes, well-suited to dealing damage or supporting the party depending on what’s needed.
Of course, it’s Wild Shape that sets the Druid apart. You can use this to become a Cat, Badger, Bear, Spider, Dire Raven, and even an Owlbear depending on your level. This is available to all Druids, but those who take the Circle of the Moon subclass can incorporate Wild Shape into their playstyle even further by making it a bonus action (rather than a full action) and by unlocking new animal transformations.
That’s just the tip of the moss-encrusted boulder when it comes to the Druid. For more thoughts on running through the wilds in the Wild Shape of your choice, see ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Druid build guide.
TheFighteris the combat jack-of-all-trades in Dungeons & Dragons, with melee and ranged prowess that allows you to easily adapt to any battle scenario. Like the Barbarian, it’s an incredibly beginner-friendly class thanks to the simplicity of many of its upgrades.
These include Action Surge, which grants you an extra action on your turn, and Extra Attack. If you want more versatility in your Fighter build, you can also go with theEldritchKnight subclass, which grants you a range of magical options. The Battle Master subclass is also a great choice, granting you Manoeuvres that you can use in combat to disarm, distract, parry, and more.
Fighters also gain access to a Fighting Style, which lets you hone in on a specific type of damage. These include: Archery, Defense, Dueling, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, and Two-Weapon Fighting. These offer small bonuses to a specific stat or weapon type that you might want to focus on. All Fighters get to choose one Fighting Style, and Champions get to choose a second at level 10.
OurBaldur’s Gate 3 best Fighter build guidehas more information on making the most of your fighting style and choosing the best feats to always topple your enemies.
TheMonkis D&D’s martial arts master. Like the other martial Baldur’s Gate 3 classes, Monks also get Extra Attack at level 5, but they’re generally faster and more evasive. Unarmored Movement, for example, gives you increasingly more movement speed during combat as you level up, as long as you’re unarmored. Monks also benefit from Unarmored Defense, which makes your Armor Class equal to 10 plus your Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers.
Monks get access to Ki Points, a mystic energy that you can spend to alter your strikes. This lets you use Flurry of Blows, for example, to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action immediately after attacking. As you level up, you’ll unlock more Ki abilities, such as Stunning Strike.
Be sure to head over to ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Monk build guideif you want additional advice on channeling your Ki strikes and becoming an unarmed attack machine.
ThePaladinis typically a warrior sworn to an oath of righteousness and justice. They fight against the evils of the world, smiting those who do wrong and commit villainous acts. They can channel divine powers for casting spells, butPaladinsare generally far more melee-focused. They’re also one of the tankier classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Paladin’s key feature is DivineSmite, which you can use to empower your melee strikes with additional radiant damage by expending spell slots. Like the Cleric, they also get access to various Channel Divinity powers, depending on their Oath. That is, of course, if they keep their Oath. Paladins who lose their way can become Oathbreakers, a darker hidden subclass that you might unlock while playing and cannot initially choose as a starting option.
For an in-depth rundown on how to become an Oathbreaker and all the other intricacies of this divine class, see ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Paladin build guide.
TheRangeris a capable hunter, focused on stalking their prey before striking from afar. They’re natural trackers, easily able to find foes and set themselves up to dominate during combat. While you might typically envisage a Ranger holding a bow, they also get access to a curated selection of nature-based spells that grant utility - such as Speak with Animals - or damage, such as Hail of Thorns.
The Ranger’s playstyle is largely determined by their subclass.The Hunterbecomes more of a lone warrior, gaining increased damage and defense to make them far stronger than they could be otherwise. The Gloom Stalker is more magic-focused, with access to additional spells and even the ability to manipulate fate by rerolling a missed strike.
The Beast Master is by far the most exciting, though, as it gives you an animal companion! This will act as another combatant for your party during combat, drawing enemy aggression and even gaining its own Extra Attack as well.
For more on dealing damage from afar or hunting the wilderness with a bear by your side, see ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Ranger build guide.
TheRoguesneaks in and strikes from the shadows, lurking in murky darkness while waiting for their moment. They’re one of the more fragile Baldur’s Gate 3 classes, with lighter armor to allow for better Stealth, and they’re also one of few martial classes that don’t get extra attack. They do, however, get a bunch of skill check bonuses thanks to Expertise, and can also Dash or Disengage as a bonus action.
If you’re looking for an extra magical flair, the Arcane Trickster Rogue gets access to a range of spells that you can use to deal damage or control the battlefield. The Thief subclass is even better at hiding, with advantage on Stealth checks during combat. The Assassin subclass is perfect for Surprise rounds at the start of combat, granting advantage on attack rolls against enemies who haven’t yet taken their turn and also guaranteeing a critical strike on any surprised enemies.
The best boon in any Rogue’s repertoire, though, is Sneak Attack. If you have advantage on an attack roll, or an ally is within 1.5ft of the target, then you can add Sneak Attack dice to your damage roll for an attack. This can be done every turn, so you don’t need to wait for a short or long rest between uses, and the damage bonus can rise up to an additional 6d6 at level 12.
Backstabbing and slinking around enemies never gets old, and these are just a fraction of the Rogue’s useful abilities. OurBaldur’s Gate 3 best Rogue build guidehas more intel.
TheSorcereris adept with magic thanks to a bloodline nherited from an arcane ancestry. They have far fewer spells than the Wizard, but they can use those spells to deal far more damage. With the Draconic Ancestry subclass, they can further specialise in a specific damage type, while the Wild Magic subclass offers the potential to add some unexpected shenanigans into an encounter whenever you cast a spell of 1st level or higher.
All Sorcerers get access to Sorcery Points, a unique class resource that you can spend to get more spell slots or power up spells that you’re about to cast. You can do this with various Metamagic options, which can upgrade spells to hit multiple targets, double the duration of inflicted effects, increase the range within which you can cast them, and more.
Feeling like a sorcerous bloodline might be your ideal way to dive into the realm of magic? Be sure to read ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Sorcerer build guidefor a more in-depth breakdown of this class.
Rather than receiving magical gifts from a bloodline or needing to study spellbooks, theWarlockis granted arcane talents by a Patron, a mysterious entity with which they form a pact of service. The Warlock is beholden to this pact for their spells, and their chosen Patron also acts as their subclass.
The go-to spell for any Warlock is Eldritch Blast, a cantrip that upgrades as you level up. Make sure to take it straight away, as it will be your most reliable damage dealer throughout your adventure. Eldritch Blast deals 1d10 damage, but it fires two rays at level 5, and three rays once you reach level 11.
You can also take Eldritch Invocations as you level up, many of which will improve Eldritch Blast further. Agonizing Blast, for example, adds your Charisma modifier to Eldritch Blast’s damage, while Repelling Blast lets you push enemies back by 10ft if Eldritch Blast hits.
If you’re keen on delving deeper into the world of dark patrons, ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Warlock build guidehas more information.
TheWizardis an arcane scholar, burying their nose in books and scrolls. They have the biggest spell list by far, giving them access to a huge variety of magic for any scenario. Need damage? An old, trusty Fireball will clean up a pack of enemies with ease. Need to get some control in a tough fight? Haste, Slow, Fear, and Confusion grant access to a wide range of status effects that can either buff your allies or disrupt your enemies.
At level 2, you get to choose a School of magic in which to specialise as your subclass. Your chosen subclass will grant benefits to spells of that School. Choosing School of Evocation, for example, buffs your destructive capabilities by granting you Sculpt Spells, which you can use to prevent allies from taking damage when you cast area of effect spells such as Fireball. There are eight Schools to choose from, which also makes the Wizard an incredibly versatile class.
If you end up wanting to focus on a different School of Magic than the one you initially picked, don’t forget that you can speak with Withers - an NPC that you may meet during Act 1 - to respec your character at any time.
For more on bookish wizards and the many, many spells they have at their disposal, see ourBaldur’s Gate 3 best Wizard build guide.
That wraps up our guide on all Baldur’s Gate 3 classes. We’ve also got a guide to thebest builds for every classif you desire more knowledge. Meanwhile, if you’ve settled on a party and want to know how to romance your companions, check out ourBaldur’s Gate 3 romance guide.
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.
