Best Classes In Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 proved 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 their full release on August 3, many quickly decided on what they believed was the best class.

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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 which class they should pick.

Updated on December 11, 2025, by Anastasia Maillot: Almost a year since Patch 8 was released, the major updates to Baldur's Gate 3 have come to an end, and Larian is moving on to greener pastures. It's safe to say that the game has reached its peak, with all the content envisioned for it now in the game, including the extra subclasses that the final Patch introduced. This has shifted some of the "meta" in the game, which also affects the ranking of the classes here. A new criterion is also introduced: CHA-based classes will rank higher by nature since party-face characters tend to be the easiest to play with, especially for the first time. They are also a core part of an Honour Mode run, and with the hardest content in the game used as a benchmark, the ranking has been adjusted accordingly.

Ranger

Brilliant Dexterity Fighters That Favor Long Range

• Beast Master is perfect for players who want an extra companion.
• Hunter focuses on dealing serious damage to targets from afar.
• Gloom Stalker is a great stealth archer option.
• Swarmkeeper is a fantastic debuffer against enemies.

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 in the back ranks, though players can plan some interesting ambushes of foes when needed. Out of the three subclasses available for the Ranger, Gloomstalker is a fantastic one to multiclass, and Swarmkeeper all the way to level 12 comes with some excellent debuff options that players shouldn't overlook if they'd rather not multiclass.

Barbarian

A Frontline Fighter With Tanking Potential

• Berserker is a straightforward melee subclass.
• Wildheart adds an animal twist to the player's rage.
• Wild Magic Barbarians use magic to boost their rage abilities.
• Path of the Giant Barbarians plays further into the power of Throw builds.

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, while also unlocking Speak with Animals for a class that usually can't do spells.

While Barbarians are very strong in the beginning and second act, they are notorious for falling off later in the game.

Rogue

Great Damage Dealers Who Multiclass Well

• Arcane Tricksters use their intelligence to cast spells.
• The Thief subclass gains an extra bonus action.
• Assassin deals the most damage out of the three.
• Swashbuckler is Rogue's single weapon combat subclass, but it doesn't hold a shadow to the rest.

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 Rogue subclasses are great, though a player can only choose one for each character. Therefore, the best of the three has to be the Arcane Trickster, which allows a player's Rogue to also use spells. Combine stealth attacks that make Rogues so lethal and useful magic such as Blur, and the rogue becomes near impossible to hit.

Rogues are highly effective when multiclassed with Gloomstalker Ranger, but they are glass cannons and can struggle early on if players are not strategic when running them.

Druid

Great Magic Casters Or Potential Tanks, Depending On The Subclass

• Circle of the Moon Druids focus on their Wild Shape forms.
• Circle of the Land Druids have more spells in their roster.
• Circle of the Spores makes the most of decay and necrotic damage.
• Circle of the Stars introduces Starry Form, spell slot-free Guiding Bolts, and Cosmic Omens to passive buffs.

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 Lightning 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 natural 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, where they can raise the dead through mushrooms.

Druids are highly versatile and somewhat overlooked. They make for great supporting characters, crowd controllers, and even damage dealers in some circumstances (Owlbear from above), but their lack of CHA can make them tough to play as a party face.

Wizard

Spellcasters With The Potential To Control Or Deal Immense Damage

• Abjuration passively protects the Wizard who uses this school of magic.
• Conjuration allows the player to swap places with allies at later levels.
• Divination can replace the dice rolled with other scores.
• Enchantment allows players to hypnotize enemies
• Evocation stops allies from taking damage from the player's spells.
• Necromancy allows the player to gain health from killing with spells.
• Illusion Wizards can use Minor Illusion as a bonus action.
• Transmutation Wizards can make two potions with only the ingredients for one.
• Bladesingers can combine magic and swordplay.

The Wizard class is another spellcaster that has piqued many 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 being able to craft two potions instead of one, depending on their roll.

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 carefully position their glass cannon. 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 for those that favor False Life or Create Undead, Evocation is by far the best for how powerful it becomes at later levels, with it increasing the damage to spells such as Fireball.

Although Wizards are a powerful choice for a party due to their ability to learn spells from scrolls, including some extremely powerful ones, they somewhat lose out to Sorcerers. Having one in your party is a good idea, but a main character Wizard might be tough to play due to how powerful Charisma can be. Bladesinging has quickly risen to one of the more powerful options; however, it strikes a fantastic balance between the powerful spells Wizards can use and actual, solid melee gameplay.

Cleric

The Most Powerful Support In The Game

• The Life domain healing spells are stronger.
• Light Clerics can cause an enemy to attack with disadvantage.
• Trickery Clerics can improve their stealth checks
• Nature Clerics have access to some Druid spells.
• The Knowledge domain increases the Cleric's proficiency.
• Tempest Clerics may retaliate with thunder or lightning damage when hit.
• The War domain allows a Cleric to attack more.
• The Death domain gives access to additional cantrips and Necromancy spells.

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 is 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, with players healing their allies for more with Cure Wounds or Prayer of Healing. However, the Life Domain can feel very passive and powerless in certain situations, so for parties who want more bang for their buck, the Tempest Cleric is worth considering for its beastly damage capabilities.

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Not only does this allow a player to equip heavy armor for better defense, but it also permits the user 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.

Fighter

Incredibly Versatile And Straightforward With Great Damage

• Battle Masters learn extra moves to disarm enemies.
• Eldritch Knight has access to an assortment of spells.
• Champion Fighters do more damage to singular foes.
• Arcane Archer adds in some archery and magic, with solid damage.

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 allows them to hit another two times during their turn. Champion may be the most straightforward of the subclasses available, but Eldritch Knight is where the real damage comes in, especially when paired up with Tavern Brawler and Throwing.

If you're completely new to a game with turn-based combat like Baldur's Gate 3 and don't care for Charisma, Fighter is probably the simplest place to start.

Monk

Deadly Damage With Multiple Attacks

• Way of the Open Hand focuses on melee combat predominantly.
• Way of Shadow makes for a great stealth Monk.
• Way of the Four Elements adds spell-like abilities to the Monk.

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 extremely powerful and 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. Thankfully, 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. Pair this up with potions that buff your Strength, like Potion of Hill Giant Strength, and watch enemies melt before your eyes.

Warlock

A Magic Caster With The Potential To Be A Great Melee Fighter

• The Fiend gains temporary hit points with every kill.
• The Great Old One is great for a melee-attacking Warlock.
• Archfey gives the player a better Warlock for a distance.
• Hexblade is a powerful subclass that takes advantage of the Hexblade's Curse.

Warlocks are similar in Charisma to Bards and almost as versatile. Although the class has limited spell slots, players will quickly become acquainted with both Eldritch Blast and Booming Blade due to how powerful they both are.

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, Hexblade has quickly risen to the top spot with how good Hexblade's Curse is.

Sorcerer

Powerful Magic Casters With Plenty Of AOE Spells

• Draconic Bloodline gains elemental resistance due to their blood.
• Wild Magic Sorcerers bring magical chaos with random effects with each spell.
• Storm Sorcery is the most mobile, boasting the ability to fly after using a spell.

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 choose from. A Sorcerer's magic comes from their bloodline, allowing them to harness power to defeat their foes. The sorcery 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. This, therefore, allows the player to make the most of the spells, such as Magic Missile or protective abilities like Mirror Image.

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, and thanks to the added protection it provides. All three subclass options for Sorcerer are incredible, but for harder difficulties, Storm Sorcery is incredibly strong if players take advantage of water and wet.