In Baldur's Gate 3, there are a number of different Classes to choose from when building a character. On top of this, each Class has a range of Subclasses to choose from at different levels, enabling you to customize every little detail of your build. In Patch 8, which is considered the send-off for the game, there were twelve new Subclasses added—one for each primary Class in the game.
When it comes to Clerics, Death Domain Cleric was the Patch 8 addition, adding a Subclass that has special abilities/Spells and unique traits related to Necromancy and Necrotic damage. If you're looking to perfect your Death Domain Cleric build in Baldur's Gate 3, the best Necromancy items have been outlined in the guide below.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Spells For Each Patch 8 Subclass
Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8 introduced twelve new Subclasses. Find out the best Spells for each of the Casters/Half-Caster Subclasses in this guide.
Best Necromancer Items For Death Domain Clerics in Baldur's Gate 3
In Baldur's Gate 3, Death Domain Clerics gain access to additional Necrotic Spells and have abilities related to Necrotic damage that can be triggered through their Channel Divinity. For this reason, it's best to keep an eye out for key Necromancy-themed items that can synergize well with these Necrotic bonuses. The best items have been outlined below, as well as a brief explanation on why they work so well in a Death Domain Cleric build.
Necromancy of Thay
|
Item |
Type |
Rarity |
Damage/Effect/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Necromany of Thay |
Book |
Story Item |
Necromancy of Thay is a Story-related Book connected to the Search the Cellar Quest. |
- Located on an altar in the Apothecary's Cellar beneath the Blighted Village (behind a locked gate).
- Using Shadowheart, or another Cleric with a dark/evil-aligned God, you can succeed in a check during this quest to gain Speak With Dead without needing to expel a Spell Slot.
- Later in Act 3, you can also secure The Tharchiate Codex to unlock the full potential of the book. After re-reading Necromancy of Thay, you can pass a DC 20 check to gain a permanent ability—enabling you to summon 4 ghouls via Danse Macabre once per Long Rest. These ghouls will fight alongside you in battle, helping to chip in for extra damage, so this is definitely a viable spell for the Death Domain Cleric. Plus, both Danse Macabre and Speak With Dead fit rather nicely in a thematic sense, too.
Circle of Bones
|
Item |
Type |
Rarity |
Damage/Effect/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Circle of Bones |
Circlet |
Rare |
Animate Dead (Cast at Lv. 3 once per Long Rest) Undead Ward - Allied undead within 20 ft are Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing damage |
- Can be looted from Balthazar's corpse after defeating him.
- Circle of Bones is pretty much perfect for a Death Domain Cleric build. This is because it not only provides the Animate Dead spell at Level 3 once per Long Rest but also a buff for any allied undead within range. This helps them sustain life longer in battle and ultimately gain more value by dealing more damage per fight. While it may feel like a bit of a double-up as the Death Domain Cleric already gets Animate Dead at Lv. 5 through their Domain Spells, the buff from Undead Ward more than makes up for this.
Ring of Exalted Marrow
|
Item |
Type |
Rarity |
Damage/Effect/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ring of Exalted Marrow |
Ring |
Rare |
Exhort the Risen - Subjugate the undead with your commands. (Once per Long Rest) (halt, grovel, flee, drop, approach) Ghoulish Touch - Lash out with deadly claws and possibly Paralyze the target. Elves and undead cannot be Paralyzed by this attack. (Once per Long Rest) 2d6 Necrotic damage |
- Located in a heavy chest at the altar on Moonrise Towers Rooftop.
- Exhort the Risen pretty much has a built-in Command Spell once per Long Rest, which can come in handy for the likes of pushing certain enemies away, or causing them to drop a very powerful weapon. However, Ghoulish Touch is where this Ring really comes into play. This is a Necrotic damage Spell that also has a chance to Paralyze the target, making it a solid addition to a Death Cleric's build. This is because, through the Death Cleric's Subclass Features, they can add extra Necrotic Damage to melee attacks, and Ghoulish Touch counts as one. At the maximum level, this would equal 2d6 + 7x12 Necrotic Damage, equaling a whopping bonus of 84 damage from one hit.
Baldur's Gate 3: The Swarmkeeper Ranger Tempest Cleric Build Guide
Making use of one of the Patch 8 classes, this multiclass build turns players into a damage-dealing tank.
Hollow's Staff
|
Item |
Type |
Rarity |
Damage/Effect/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hollow's Staff |
Quarterstaff |
Rare |
1d6 +1 Bludgeoning (one-handed) 1d6 +1 Bludgeoning (two-handed) +1d4 Necrotic Arms of Hadar - Lv. 3 Once Per Long Rest Heightened Necromancy - Creatures have Disadvantage on Saving Throws against your Necromancy spells. |
- Can be looted from Lucretious at Circus of the Last Days.
- Hollow's Staff is a nice little find for a Death Cleric. It gives an extra spell with Arms of Hadar once per Long Rest, but the true value is in Heightened Necromancy, which is a huge buff for all of your Necromancy Spells. As the Death Cleric primarily uses Spells of this category, this means all targeted enemies will automatically have a Disadvantage on every Necromancy Spell you cast that requires a Saving Throw.
Staff of Cherished Necromancy
|
Item |
Type |
Rarity |
Damage/Effect/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Staff of Cherished Necromancy |
Quarterstaff |
Very Rare |
1d6 +2 Bludgeoning (one-handed) 1d6 +2 Bludgeoning (two-handed) +1d4 Necrotic Heightened Necromancy - Creatures have Disadvantage on Saving Throws against your Necromancy spells. Life Essence Harvest - When the wielder kills a hostile creature with a spell, they greedily absorb its energy and gain Life Essence until the next Long Rest. |
- Can be looted from Mystic Carrion at Philgrave's Mansion.
- This staff is one step up from Hollow's Staff, as it not only grants the same Heightened Necromancy spell, ensuring all of your Necromancy Spells that require Saves automatically apply Disadvantage, but you also gain Life Essence Harvest, which can proc Life Essence until your next Long Rest. Life Essence is huge for a Death Cleric, as it enables you to cast any Necromancy Spell without using a Spell Slot.
Abyss Beckoners
|
Item |
Type |
Rarity |
Damage/Effect/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Abyss Beckoners |
Gloves |
Very Rare |
Demonspirit Aura: - The wearer's summoned creatures have resistance to all damage except Psychic Damage. - At the start of the summoned creature's turn, it must succeed a WIS Save or be driven Mad. |
- Inside a locked chest in a cell at Zhentarim Basement.
- The Abyss Beckoners buff all summons quite nicely. This is very handy for the Death Cleric, who is frequently animating the dead and controlling shadow creatures, undead/skeletons, and other summons through the array of Spells they have in their kit. For Death Clerics, their summons are an essential factor in their build, so buffing them tends to pay off well.
Crypt Lord Ring
|
Item |
Type |
Rarity |
Damage/Effect/Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Crypt Lord Ring |
Rings |
Very Rare |
Create Undead - 1x Lv. 6 Spell Slot per Long Rest |
- As mentioned above, your summons as a Death Cleric are a key factor in your build. For this reason, the Crypt Lord Ring is a viable option for Death Clerics, as it offers the Create Undead Spell at Lv. 6 once per Long Rest. This creates yet another minion to aid you in battle, and to potentially receive bonus buffs from other items on this list. Essentially, this Ring gives you a bonus minion (without the use of a Spell Slot) that you can stack with your other summons from your Spells.
Baldur's Gate 3
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
