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Baldur's Gate 3 marked the final major update for the game with the release of Patch 8 in April 2025. Most significantly, this patch introduced twelve new Subclasses to the game for players to test out during their playthrough, such as Bladesinger Wizard, Hexblade Warlock, Arcane Archer Fighter, Swashbuckler Rogue, Drunken Master Monk, Swarmkeeper Ranger, Circle of the Stars Druid, and more.
When it comes to creating the best build for a character, everything, such as items, armor, Races, Feats, and Subclasses, is all-important to consider. While Races aren't as impactful as other mechanics for creating a build, they can be particularly fun for characteristics and roleplay purposes, as well as offer slight advantages to give your build the edge. Here's everything you need to know about the best Race for each Subclass added in Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 8.
Best Races For Each Patch 8 Subclass in Baldur's Gate 3
In Baldur's Gate 3, there technically is no wrong or right when it comes to the Race and Class/Subclass combination that you choose to combine. This is because one player may prefer to pick their Race and Classes for roleplay and character development purposes, while others prefer to try and pinpoint the strongest builds on all levels. In this circumstance, some Races can offer different Classes and Subclasses better perks and synergies. Based on this approach, here are the best Races for every new Patch 8 Subclass.
Path of Giants Barbarian
Duergars are a great choice for Path of Giant Barbarians. They gain access to Invisibility, which can then be used to proc your Boot of the Giants success chances.
Alternatively, Gold Dwarves also work well, as they gain bonuses to their Maximum HP with every level. This is important as Max HP is a very crucial stat (CON) to consider for a melee Tank such as a Barbarian.
Half-Orcs are a brilliant choice for Barbarians overall, gaining Racial Feats that enable them to really fit into that tanking role, such as Relentless Endurance and Savage Attacks.
College of Glamour Bard
Asmodeus Tieflings are a solid Glamour Bard choice. This is because Glamour Bard's core Mantle of Inspiration feature revolves around protecting their allies by inflicting Charm on those who attack them, as well as providing these allies with scaling Temp. HP. To help add more tools into the Glamour Bard's kit, the Asmodeus Tiefling's Produce Flame, Hellish Rebuke, and Darkness come in very handy for chipping in with extra damage and hindering the enemy, especially as they use the CHA modifier, which the Bard already utilizes.
Mephistopheles Tieflings are just as solid, as they also utilize CHA modifiers for their Racial Spells, but gain access to Mage Hand, Burning Hands, and Flame Blade, rather than Produce Flame, Hellish Rebuke, and Darkness. This comes down to personal preference between the spells and the type of playstyle you'd like to go for.
Bards, as a CHA-based caster, make a brilliant choice for your party's designated Charisma pick or spokesperson. Githyanki can capitalize on this by using Astral Knowledge to gain advantage in all CHA skills each Long Rest, as well as Mage Hand, Enhance Leap, and Misty Step. All of these spells have a solid place in the Bard's kit, and therefore free up space for you to take other Spells in the Class slots. Lastly, you will also gain proficiency in Medium Armor, making your Glamour Bard a bit tankier in combat to help them remain on the field to proc Mantle of Inspiration.
Death Domain Cleric
Death Domain Clerics gain their choice of a Cantrip between Bone Chill, Bursting Sinew, and Toll the Dead. In this scenario, Toll the Dead and Bone Chill are superior options, as Death Domain Clerics can turn single-target Necromancy Cantrips into double-target Necromancy Cantrips. As you can only pick one option, the High Elf or High Half Elf Race enables you to take Bone Chill, meaning you can take Toll the Dead through your Class Spell slot to gain both ASAP and maximize your build.
Zariel Tieflings are also an interesting option, as they gain both Searing Smite and Branding Smite. Smites are technically considered to be Melee Attacks, and Death Domain Clerics can expend Channel Divinity Charges to apply extra Necrotic Damage to their Melee Attacks, meaning you can stack a bunch of extra damage through your Smites. They also use CON as the modifier, which comes in handy as a Death Domain Cleric will likely have very solid CON to help them utilize their melee specialties on the frontline.
Wood Elves or Half-Elves tend to synergize well with most races in BG3, making them a solid contender for the Stars Druid. Wood Elves gain additional Movement Speed, which works well in almost any circumstance. Furthermore, Elves can provide Bow Proficiency for the Stars Druids, as the Druid does not gain this naturally. For a Stars Druid who often uses Luminous Arrow, regular weapon attacks with a bow fit nicely thematically.
Drow are also a nice choice for similar reasons due to their Crossbow Proficiencies. Specifically, Seladrine Drow also fits the Class of a Stars Druid quite nicely, as lore-wise they are Drow who have left broken away from the worship of Lolth and tend to generally worship Eilistraee, who is often associated with the moon and stars - so this is a nice little fit.
Arcane Archer
Githyanki are a great choice for the Arcane Archer, as they gain Misty Step. The Arcane Archer can really make the most of this to help them reposition themselves across the battlefield and escape moments of danger. You also gain access to Medium Armor, which can help bump up AC and grant you more survivability.
Wood Elves or Wood Half-Elves gain bonus Movement Speed through their Fleet of Foot Racial Trait, which synergizes well with a ranged fighter, ensuring that they always have space to move around and get the best shots off.
Way of the Drunken Master Monk
Mobility is quite important for a Class such as Way of the Drunken Master, so yet again the Wood Elf or Wood Half-Elf remains a brilliant choice thanks to the extra Fleet of Foot movement.
Humans gain a second Skill Proficiency through their Human Versatility Racial Feat, which players can use to pump their build with extra strengths. Plus, they also gain extra carrying capacity, which comes in handy for lugging around all of that alcohol.
The Human Race remains a solid choice for Oath of the Crown Paladins due to the versatility the additional Skill Proficiency provides
Zariel Tieflings make great paladins as they gain two Smites - Searing and Branding, through their Racial Spell Slots, therefore freeing up other Class Spell Slots for the remaining Smites and other useful Paladin Spells. Furthermore, these Spells use the CON modifier, and despite the fact that Paladins naturally use CHA for their Spellcasting, they usually also have pumped CON, or at least solid CON due to being a melee Tank Class.
Swarmkeeper Ranger
Screenshot of Minsc in Baldur's Gate 3
Duergars are a decent choice for a Swarmkeeper Ranger, as they gain Resistance against Charm, Poison, and Paralysis, as well as the Enlarge/Reduce Spell - all of which the Swarmkeeper can use to add more utility and defensive perks into their kit.
Strongheart Halflings gain access to Lucky, Poison Resistance, and Brave, which the Swarmkeeper can benefit from to help make the most impact with their Swarm by proccing Advantage on your Attacks.
Forest Gnomes gain Speak With Animals at will, which is a spell that Rangers can certainly make the most of when it comes to communicating with the various animals in each Act. And, as this Spell gains the benefit of cast at will, you will never miss out on the hilarious, interesting, and intriguing little dialogues that go on.
Swashbuckler Rogue
The Githyanki is one of the best Race options when it comes to Swashbuckler Rogues, as they gain multiple additional movement abilities that synergize well, such as Misty Step and Enhance Leap.
High Elves can gain access to a Cantrip, which they can use to pick Booming Blade. Rogues benefit significantly from melee Cantrips such as this, so this is a great way to secure a handy new tool for your kit without taking a Multiclass level lip.
Drow are one of the best choices for a Shadow Magic Sorcerer. They gain Drow Weapon Training for Proficiency with a few key melee weapons, which you can use in a pinch. However, they also gain additional Spells that can be added to the Shadow Magic Sorcerer's Kit, making them a good selection.
Mephistopheles or Asmodeus Tieflings are also good choices for this same reason - they gain additional Spells that you can use to further pad your Shadow Magic Sorcerer Kit. This includes the likes of Produce Flame, Hellish Rebuke, and Darkness, or Mage Hand, Burning Hands, and Flame Blade.
Lastly, both High Elves and Wood Elves remain solid choices, too. High Elves gain an additional Cantrip that you can use to enhance your kit, Wood Elves gain bonus Movement Speed through Fleet of Foot, and both gain immunity to Magical Sleep and Advantage against being Charmed.
Hexblade Warlock
Drow is a great choice here. They gain the Darkness Spell and can cast it without using a Spell Slot, essentially giving the Hexblade a free panic button for when things go wrong, so to speak.
Githyanki can make the most out of additional movement bonuses through their Racial Feats, such as Enhance Leap and Misty Step. As the Hexblade is a Melee Caster, this can make it even easier to navigate the battlefield.
Half-Orc works well thanks to their additional damage die on Crits, which synergizes pretty well with Hexblade's Curse - essentially creating a Hexblade Crit-fishing build.
Lastly, Wood Elf or Wood Half-Elf work nicely here thanks to their enhanced Movement Speed and Stealth benefits, if you're planning to go the finesse weapon route and make a DEX-based melee caster.
Bladesinger Wizard
High Elves / High Half-Elves are a brilliant choice for Bladesinger, as you can use their bonus Cantrip to get yourself set up with the likes of Booming Blade, right from the beginning. As this is essentially bread & butter for any Caster who utilizes melee weapons, this works perfectly for the weapon proficiencies that Bladesinger gains.
Wood Elves and Wood Half-Elves provide Fleet of Foot, granting additional Movement Speed that a class such as Bladesinger can certainly make the most of. Furthermore, as the Bladesinger utilizes a lot of finesse weapons, pumping DEX is somewhat important, so the Stealth benefits of Wood Elf also synergize quite well here for an overall Stealthy, Dexterous Caster build.
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