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The grand roster ofBaldur’s Gate 3boasts 12 classes and a staggering 46 subclasses, each one playing a distinct yet integral part in the party’s four-person ensemble. Even seasoned D&D veterans may find themselves frozen with indecision when faced with the character creation screen, let alone those fresh to the world of Faerûn.
This guide aims to dissect each class and guide you towards the one that aligns best with your desired playstyle and gameplay, ensuring a memorable and epic journey as you explore the Gates.
Updated May 10, 2025, by Sean Murray:With Baldur’s Gate 3 enjoying a sensational release, we’ve decided to make sure this guide is updated with the latest info players have discovered about each and every class.
Preface And Criteria
Viability
Baldur’s Gate 3 is avery well-balancedgame.Every class is viable—andcan flourish in their given rolegiven the right builds, investment, and party.
This tier list aims to highlight those thatparticularly excelin the game’s core mechanics.
Focus
Our focus in judging each class leans towardscombat and utility.
Of course, roleplay is a massive part of the game. However, because each player will have aunique approachto it (for instance, a silver-tongued bard who sways with persuasion vs. a gruff soldier who prefers to intimidate), it’schallenging to universally evaluateevery aspect of roleplay.
That said, we do considersocial and knowledge-based skill proficiencies and expertiseas a whole, as they can significantly impact gameplay.
In consideration of the well-balanced nature of the classes, we also account foropportunity costs: what potential benefits or options do you forego by choosing a particular class?
Criteria
Our tier list assumes adiverse party composition, targeting each class’sintended role,not solo play.These ratings would differ greatly for a solo run.
Itemizationwillnotbe significantly factored into the ranking as it islargely dependenton your chosen builds and playstyle, and istoo volatileto be consistently taken into account.
Ranger
S-Tier
These are classes that truly stand out, not onlyexcelling in their given rolebut alsoproviding sizable contributions in general gameplaythat can really shape your team’s strategy.
Subclasses marked with this tier enhance the base class considerably, either bymastering its base class roleorintroducing a new rolethat wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
The Wizard’simmense flexibility and scaling, the Cleric’sversatility and supportive capabilities, and the Sorcerer’sunparalleled damage outputearn them spots in this tier.
A-Tier
These classesare excellentin their designated roles.
Subclasses marked with this tierclosely align withandsignificantly upgradeits base class role.
The Bard’ssupportive capabilities and battlefield control, the Fighter’sadaptability and consistent damage output, the Barbarian’sdamage and sturdiness, and the Paladin’swide range of capabilitiesplace them in this tier.
B-Tier
These classesdo wellin their designated roles but aren’t the very best options when compared to others.
Subclasses marked with this tieroffer some improvementto the base class roles.
The Rogue is agreat scout and striker, but is outshone bythe sustained outputof other classes. The Druid pales when compared to thesheer power of other full-casters, but its subclassesexpand the class' rolesin extremely useful ways. The Monk can be a powerful melee combatant, but isheld back by a lack of range and hit points. The Warlock offersconsistent ranged damageand flexibility in melee but hasfew spellsto impact combat.
C-Tier
These classes do fine buttend to get overshadowedin their designated roles.
Subclasses marked with this tier tend to incurlarge opportunity costswhen picked instead of the other options available.
The Ranger comes with aton of flavor and customizability, but—due to itssituational features—falls shorter than other classes in every role that it tries to fill.
1d6
Ability Scores
Intelligence
Wizards master the arcane by specializing in individual schools of magic, combining ancient spells with modern research.
Overview
Analysis
The Wizarddeserves their spot in this tier for several reasons, central of which is thesheer volume of theirspell repertoire.
Boasting the largest spell list in the game, they’re prepared spellcasters who have theflexibility to switch spellson the go. This versatility is further enhanced by the unique ability tocollect and learn spells from scrollsthey find, allowing their potential toscale exponentiallythroughout your journey.
The Wizard’s expansive spell library allows them tofill multiple roles during battles. They canoutput high damagewith their spell slots orutilize crowd controlto manipulate the battlefield to their advantage. Their arsenal includes some of themost potent control and damage spellsin the game, likeSleep and Fireball, providing a range of options that can turn the tide of any encounter—capable of supporting both spellcasting and martial allies.
Their focus on Intelligence also equates tohigh knowledge checks, making it easier to uncover aspects of the narrative that can be crucial for plot progression.
They are, however,notoriously fragile. Wizards can mitigate some of this risk throughdefensive spellssuch as Mage Armor, but they should still certainlyavoid the frontlines.Good positioningis vital to keeping your Wizard alive and off the ground.
School of Abjuration: B
Abjuration Wizards focus ondefense and support.
Its first subclass feature,Arcane Ward, grants temporary hitpoints upon the casting of an Abjuration spell. Unfortunately, the amount of temporary hit points you receive from casting Abjuration spells is much fewer than in the tabletop version of D&D, which makes this subclassonly slightly more resilient than other Wizards.
School of Conjuration: B
Conjuration Wizards focus onsummoned creaturesto do their dirty work.
Unlike in tabletop, Conjuration Wizards don’t make extra tough minions, nor do they have the ability to create anything at will. They cancreate water as an action,teleport with a friend,andmaintain concentration more easily on their summoned creatures. It’s all a little underwhelming, although being able to create water on a whim helps put out fires.
School of Divination: S
Divination Wizardspeer into the futureto ensure success in the present.
Portentis bothextremely powerful and extremely fun. You get to guarantee success or failure (depending on your roll) several times per day, and you even get little mini-quests to refill expended Portent die. Even the lack of Divination spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t detract from this subclass’s utility.
School of Enchantment: A
Enchantment Wizards specialize incontrolling the minds of others.
Being able toneutralize a boss with a powerful enchantment spellcan get you through many encounters, and that only gets better with Split Enchantment which lets you neutralize two creatures at once.Instinctive Charm keeps you saferthan even an Abjuration Wizard.
School of Evocation: A
Evocation Wizards focus ondestructive elemental magic—which is one of the Wizard’s strongest suits.
Patience is a virtue with this subclass as you don’t really feel the power until level 10 with Empowered Evocation. Sculpt Spell, the Evocation Wizard’s first subclass feature, gives the Wizard the ability to exclude allies from their destructive area-of-effect spells. This can be very useful but can be somewhat mitigated already with proper positioning from allies.
School of Illusion: B
Illusion Wizardsuse tricks and deceitto avoid combatentirely.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of situations in Baldur’s Gate 3 wherecombat simply cannot be avoided, making your illusion tricks less useful. However, you’regreat when paired with a Rogueas your Minor Illusions can distract enemies, allowing your Rogue to sneak attack.
School of Necromancy: A
Necromancy Wizardssummon the undeadto protect themselves and others.
This subclass doesn’t really come online until level six when you get to summon more undead than a regular Wizard. But once you do, your army of skeletons (or ghouls, or zombies) can be unstoppable. You’re also able to regain hit points, something no other Wizard subclass can do.
School of Transmutation: S
Transmutation Wizards use alchemy tobestow great boons on themselves and others.
Being able tomake twice as many potionsas everyone else means never having to buy a healing potion again. Plus, you’re able to get more recovered spell slots, hand out stones that grantresistance to damage, and poisons to make your rogue even more deadly. Later,you get to flywithout spending a spell slot. Easily one of the best Wizard subclasses.
1d8
Wisdom
Clerics are representatives of the gods they worship, wielding potent divine magic for good or ill.
The Clericmerits their position in this tier due to theirexceptional supportive capabilities. They possess an array of spells that can effectivelyenhance the survivabilityof the party while simultaneouslyincreasing their damage output.
Their spell list boasts some of the best supportive spells in the game. ‘Healing Word’ optimizes the otherwise inefficientin-combat healingby utilizing a bonus action instead of an action, which keeps your allies in battle without sacrificing the Cleric’s turn. ‘Bless’ also significantly improves the performance of the entire team by augmenting hit and saving throw success rates.
Although the primary function of Clerics is to offer support, they also have access tovaluable control spellssuch as ‘Hold Person.’ Plus, the Cleric’ssubclasses and patron deitieseach offeradditional specializationin the form of proficiencies and expanded spell lists. This often allows the Cleric to excel in more than just their main party role.
The high Wisdom score inherent to Clerics also leads toimproved Perception and Insight checks, which can provide information important to progressing through the game.
The base Cleric class, however, tends to belacking in area-of-effectdamage options, which isn’t a huge problem if you’re building them as a support.
Knowledge Domain: S
The Knowledge Domain offers more skills and potent spellcasting.
Worshipping knowledge has its perks. You getmore skill proficienciesthan most other classes, and yourChannel Divinity gives you proficiency inanyskilljust when you need it. A collection of useful spells is capped off with Potent Spellcasting, making yourcantrips far more damaging than most spellcasters.
Light Domain: A
The Light Domain offers Clericsoffensive capabilitiesin battle.
Radiance of Dawn does considerablearea-of-effect damage, while Warding Flare imposes disadvantage on enemies at thecost of a reaction. The Cleric has little to no use for their reaction, so this isan excellent use of it. The spell list also includeshigh-damaging spellssuch as Burning Hands and Fireball—useful, as the base class lacks in similar areas, as mentioned above.
Life Domain: A
Life Domain Clerics focus entirely on honing theirhealing capabilities.
Preserve Life and Disciple of Life bothsignificantly boost the cleric’s healing, making it the best healer of the game. The potency of these healing features allows the party toplay more aggressively, knowing that they’ll come out of any skirmish better for it than the opponents.
Nature Domain: A
Nature Domain Clerics gainpower through worship or nature.
Heavy armor proficiencyallows you to forgo Dexterity in favor of Strength, making this an oddly martial subclass with full spellcasting. You still won’t have as many attacks as Fighters or Barbarians, but you do have a collection ofnature-themed spells that can be very useful.
Tempest Domain: S
The Tempest Domaincharges into battle with lightning and thunderat their side.
Heavy armor and martial weapon proficienciesprovide this subclass with access to all items. YourChannel Divinityalso ensuresmaximum damage from thunder and lightning spells, which is incredibly powerful given the high potential damage these spells are capable of.
Trickery Domain: B
Trickery Domain clerics shift their focus tocontrol and utility.
Invoke Duplicity and Blessing of the Trickster areboth great features, granting advantage to ally attacks and stealth, respectively. However, these features are hurt by the fact that theycompete for concentrationwith each other, and with the excellent Cleric spell, “Bless”. That said, Trickery clerics get access togreat defensive spellsthat significantly boost their durability.
War Domain: S
War Domain clerics specialize in dealing damage.Lots of damage.
Arguably better than a Paladin, you gainextra attacks as bonus actions at level one, something that other classes don’t get until level four or five. You canensure attacks from you or your allies using your Channel Divinity, and your spells are both useful and powerful. However, you’ll often have tochoose between hurting and healingas your attacks use your bonus action.
Charisma
Sorcerers are natural spellcasters, drawing on inherent magic from a gift or bloodline.
Sorcerers earn their place in this tier by boastingincredible damage potentialandimpressive customizabilityover their magic.
Their playstyle is very similar to the Wizard’s, though they have asmaller spell listand they do not have the ability toprepare spells. While the Wizard is excellent for their versatility, Sorcerers pick one thing and do it extremely well.
Sorcerers truly stand out thanks to their uniqueMetamagicfeature. This feature, allowing them tocustomize their spells—such as byextending the duration,reducing the enemies' resistanceagainst them, anddoubling the spell output—grants them an unparalleled damage ceiling. Among the Metamagic options,Twinned Spellespecially stands out, letting them double-target with a single spell, which can be game-changing in combat scenarios.
The high Charisma score inherent to Sorcerers also leads toimproved socialization checks, which can provide information important to progressing through the game.
Also like Wizards, however—base Sorcerers arereally squishyand will need to be positioned well to survive long battles.
Subclasses
Draconic Bloodline: S
The Draconic Bloodline subclass grants Sorcerers an added layer of survivability, making themless dependent on Mage Armorand more resilient.
It also opens up a lineage-specificarray of great spells, expanding their combat versatility according to their chosen dragon ancestry. Later, you receiveresistance and extra damageto spells of your chosen elemental ancestry. Easily the best of the three Sorcerer subclasses.
Storm Sorcery: A
Storm Sorcery Sorcerers havehigh mobility,more defensive options, andadditional lightning and thunder-based elementalspells.
Storm Sorcery provides you with the most spells of any Sorcerer subclass, but yourabilities typically require you to be near enemies to get their full value–something this subclass should generally avoid, given how fragile it is.
Instead,focus on using your extreme mobility to always have the high groundfor better accuracy with your spells.
Wild Magic: B
The Wild Magic subclass introduces Wild Magic Surge, which triggersunpredictable magical effectsduring combat. This unpredictability can lead tounfavorable outcomes, even potentially harming your party. Despite the randomness, however, the Wild Magic subclass providesreally fun and chaotic gameplay, and a spectacularly beneficial surge can significantly turn the tide of a battle.
You know music is more than a fancy - it is power. Through study and adventure, you have mastered song, speech, and the magic within.
The Bardcan prove invaluable to almost any party composition due to itssupportive capabilitiesandwell-rounded skillset. They bring a significant boost to the party’s damage output and survivability.
Their ability to control the battlefield withEnchantment and Illusion spellsis almost unmatched. They have a ton ofcrowd-control optionsand can manipulate the dynamics of any encounter to the party’s advantage. TheirBardic Inspiration featureis also a solid boon to party performance.
Out of combat, Bards excel with animpressive list of proficiencies and expertise. Their unique ‘Jack of All Trades’ feature means they can handle a variety of situations effectively, making them a versatile choice forresolving challenges. Of course, theirhigh Charismaand likely proficiency insocialization skillsalso greatly help in out-of-combat situations.
College of Lore: A
The College of Loresubclass takes the already versatile bard and pushes it to new heights. It leans heavily into the bard’sinherent flexibilityandgreatly enhances Bardic Inspirationwith Cutting Words. Cutting Words allows Bardic Inspiration to be used bothoffensively and defensively, with the ability toturn enemy successes into failures.
College of Swords: S
This is the martial subclass that all Bards should aspire to. YourSlashing Flourishattacks up to two enemies at once, but the ranged version canhit the same enemy twice for double damage. Use the Two-Weapon Fighting style and two hand crossbows for even more damage, and then attack again at level six. All that combined with the Bard’sfull range of spellcastingmakes this an extremely strong subclass.
College of Valor: C
Valor Bards get a combat upgrade withmartial weapons, medium armor, and shieldsto try to make a tougher skirmisher out of the Bard. They can also add theirCombat Inspiration to armor class for extra resilience, which is quite good. However, this strays from the Bard’score strength: support. UsingCombat Inspiration for damageis also rarely as worthwhile asenhancing attack rolls, making this subclass less efficient in its intended role.
1d10
Strength/Dexterity, Constitution
Fighters have mastered the art of combat, wielding weapons with unmatched skill and wearing armor like a second skin.
The Fightersboastimpressive durability and damage, making them a solid class choice.
Second Wind is a self-healthat can be used as a bonus action and is restored after a short rest, providing sizable sustainability to Fighters without costing an action in a fight.Action Surge, another short-rest feature, can also significantly boost damage when used in conjunction with crowd-control and party setup.
A Fighter can also specialize in one of six fighting styles, with each providing different bonuses. Most of these styles offersubstantial benefitsthat can either significantly boost yourdurabilityordamage output—and all of which add to theversatilityof the class.
Their features arestraightforward, reliable, versatile, and recharge quickly.
Battlemaster: S
Perhaps no other subclass provides moremastery over its core class rolethan the Battlemaster. For a little added resource-management, the Battlemaster gets a rechargeable well ofcombat maneuversthat can add devastating efficiency to your damage output in fights. The combat maneuverRiposteis especially worth a mention because itutilizes the Fighter’s reaction, which otherwisesees little useout of Attacks of Opportunity.
Champion: A
Champions are thesimplest of the fighters. Youhit things very hard, very reliably, and that’s about it. You get an additional fighting style at level 10, you’re able to jump, and you have better physical ability checks than everyone else. But simple doesn’t mean bad;build for critical hitsand you’ll see this subclass shine.
Eldritch Knight: C
The Eldritch Knight subclass imbues the Fighter class withlimited spellcasting. Unfortunately,casting spells from the backlineis as far as it gets from where a Fighter should be—and if they’re in the front, thefrequent concentration saving throwsmake their spellcasting completely counterproductive.Spells that enhance melee attacks(such as Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade) which make the Eldritch Knight so potent in the tabletop version of the game,are also not present.
Strength, Charisma, Constitution
Fuelled by the Oaths you swore to uphold justice and righteousness, you are a beacon of hope in dark times.
The Paladinis an absolute powerhouse inoffensive,defensive,andsupportcapabilities alike. They canheal,buff,output potent damage,and arebastions of durabilitywhile doing it.
Lay On Hands providesreliable healing, and Smites can bedevastatingly brutal against single targetsin fights. They also have one of the few “taunt” mechanics in the game and can use Compelled Duel to draw enemy aggression.
However, the strength of the Paladin comes with aunique roleplay restriction: choosing an oath means you’ll need to commit to aspecific code of conduct, and breaking its stringent rules (such asturning down those in needas a Devotion Paladin) will result in theloss of your subclass.
This aspect adds a layer of complexity to the Paladin, making themless reliablein certain circumstances where their Oath could conflict with the group’s interests or strategies. Still, this constraint also makes the Paladinespecially engagingfor those who enjoy the roleplay aspect of the game.
Oath of the Ancients: A
Sharing the same ideals as many Rangers and Druids, Oath of the Ancients Paladins aim topreserve the sanctity of life and nature. The tenets of this oath are significantly more difficult to break than those of Devotion, and its subclass features offersolid crowd-control optionsas well asexponentially-scaling, radial healing(level multiplied by your Charisma modifier) that especially excels in a party with lots of martials or frontliners.
Oath of Devotion: B
The Oath of Devotion Paladin, encapsulating thequintessential paladin role, is a potent combination ofoffense, defense, and healing. It does well in all the roles that a Paladin should excel in. However, theirstrict moral codes, such asrefraining from stealth attacks or deception, canseverely limit gameplaystrategies, and it’s exceedingly easy toaccidentally break your oathand lose your subclass as a result.
Oathbreaker: B
Oathbreakers are Paladins who broke their oath,losing their original subclass features. Though the process is reversible, it does cost asizable amount of gold. Oathbreakers come with their own set of features,focusing on doing necrotic damageandcontrolling the battlefieldby pitting foes against each other. Though they lose much of their subclasses’supportive capabilities, they are still powerful in their own right, and without the restrictions of their oaths.
Oath of Vengeance: A
Ethically more flexible than the other Paladin subclasses, Oath of Vengeance Paladinsspecialize in hunting down enemies–and ending them. Your vows give youadvantage on attacks, your spells make it easier to attack or reach your opponents, and yourenemies will find it almost impossible to disengageonce you’re in combat. All that and youstill have the utility and self-healingof other Paladins.
Dexterity
With stealth, skill, and uncanny reflexes, a rogue’s versatility lets them get the upper hand in almost any situation.
A great addition to your party,the Roguehas extremelyhigh burst-damage potentialwhen played correctly. Sneak Attack can provide asubstantial damage boost—but is dependent on being able to get advantage over foes or proper ally positioning. On that note, being able toconsistently crit(such as in a party with Sleep and other incapacitation spells) will also boost theRogue’s damage significantlydue to theSneak Attack dicebeing doubled.
Cunning Action gives the Rogueimpressive mobility, costing a bonus action to be able to dip in and out of combat with increased movement. Unfortunately, their trade-off for mobility when compared to other strikers isdurability(with their d8 hit dice), making them more fragile than other strikers and requiring proper positioning to play.
It’s worth noting that rogues have thehighest amount of proficienciesand are one of the very few whogain expertise in skills, which is significant as skill checks can often progress the story or change the trajectory of the narrative. Their high Stealth also helps withscouting placesandsneaking past foes undetected.
Arcane Trickster: B
The Arcane Trickster subclassadds magicto the mix of stealth and damage capabilities of the Rogue. Mage Hand Legerdemain—an invisible Mage Hand—sees very little usein the game. The subclass also comes withpowerful control spellslike Sleep and Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, reducing the Rogue’s dependency on support and allowing them toamplify their damage exponentially through critical strikes.
Thief: A
Thieves gain resilience to fall damage, which, again, seeslittle use in the gameexcept in situational circumstances. Fast Hands, however, gives the Thief Roguean additional bonus action—with the Rogue’s expanded list of bonus actions, this is anexcellent feature. you’re able to also equip your rogue with two weapons toutilize the extra bonus actionandmake three attacks total per turn. That said,dual-wielding can palewithout the boons from theDual-Wielder Feat, and Rogues do not get access to theTwo-Weapon Fighting stylethat other martials do (meaning theywon’t add their modifiers to any off-hand attacks), making this extra attack slightly less notable than that of other strikers.
It’s recommended totake a level in Fighterjust to grab the Two-Weapon Fighting style.
Assassin: A
The Assassin isat its bestwhen it’ssneaking around stabbing people in the back. It’s just as useful in combat thanks to gaining advantage on attacks against creatures lower in the initiative order, makingSneak Attacks even easier. Very focused on killing, but thankfully, Rogues also get four skill proficiencies, making this subclass useful outside of combat too.
1d12
Strength, Constitution
The strong embrace the wild that hides inside - keen instincts, primal physicality, and most of all, an unbridled, unquenchable rage.
The Barbarian class is comparable to the Fighter, but much more focused onoutputting high bursts of damagewhilebeing nigh-unkillable.
Withthehighest hit dicein the game, all the Barbarian’s featuresgreatly complement their role. Features include Unarmored Defense, which calculatesarmor class based on your Constitution, andRage, a powerful boost providingextra damage,resistance to physical damage, andadvantage on strength checks.
Barbarians also gain Danger Sense for improvedDexterity saves(a very common saving throw) and Reckless Attack, which providesadvantage to both you and your foe—though chances are, you’ll be able to take the hit much better than they can.
In essentia, they are theundisputed bestat performing in their base class roles:dealing and taking damage. As a trade-off, however, Barbarians offerlittle to no utilitywhatsoever when it comes to anything else.
Berserker: A
Berserker gains Frenzy, anenhanced form of Rageallowing anextra attack per round,and whenattacks hit as hardas the Barbarian’s, this is really significant. Berserkers can maintainhigh damage over long fightswhen considered in combination with thehigh durabilityof the Barbarian class, and increase theiralready-impressive damageto almost unparalleled amounts among the strikers.
Wildheart: B
Wildhearts draw strength from the spirit of a selected animal totem during their rage. Each totem grants apassive and active ability, ranging fromincreased mobility, damage, healing, jump distance, utility support,andarea-of-effect damage. The increased versatility is nice, as isignoring difficult terrain, but you simply won’t deal as much damage as either a Wild Magic or Berserker Barbarian.
Wild Magic: A
Unlike a Wild Magic Sorcerer, therandom magical effectsof a Wild Magic Barbarian aretypically beneficial. You won’t be able to predict whether the random magical effect provides more damage, better mobility, or improved defense, making this aless consistent class. Being able torestore spell slotsmakes this subclass theideal guardian for a spellcaster.
Druids channel the elemental forces of nature and share a deep kinship with animals. Mastery of Wild Shape allows them to transform into beasts from all over the Realms.
The Druid has two main features:spellcastingandWild Shape.
Although their spell list may not be the largest or most powerful, it includesbeneficial control and support spellslike Spike Growth and Healing Word. However, their best spells tend tocompete with each other for concentration.
The main feature of the Druid class is their Wild Shape, allowing them totransform into various animalstwice per short rest. The available animals each offerunique abilities and combat strategies.
When Druids in animal form are reduced tozero hit points, they revert to their human form with the hit points they hadbefore transforming.Depending on the Wildshape, this can provide asignificant amount of additional hit-points. As a side note, Druids also can largelyforego physical ability scores,as they take on the Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity of the animals that they Wildshape into.
The high Wisdom score inherent to Druids also leads toimproved Perception and Insight checks, which can provide information important to progressing through the game.
Circle of the Moon: B
The Circle of the Moon shifts the subclass' focus onto the Wildshape feature of the Druid, giving it thePolar Bear and Dire Raven Wildshapes, exclusive to this subclass. It also receivesCombat Wildshape—which allowsWildshaping with a bonus action, an otherwise underutilized resource for Druids—andLunar Mend, which further bolsters the Druids' durability withsizable healing. The Polar Bear’s damage is a little underwhelming but offers atonof extra hit points(30 per Wildshape), which is fantastic for lower levels.
The Bear also comes with agoading roar, which is one of the very few methods of taunting in the game, making the Druid viable as a defender. That said, thelow variety of extra Wildshapesand locking of the Druid into atanky “meat-shield” role—since you may’t cast while Wildshaped—makes theinevitable out-scaling of Wildshaped HPby enemies hurt this subclass a little.
Circle of the Land: A
The Circle of the Land provides the Druid withabundant casting capabilities. Its features include Natural Recovery, allowing somespell slots recovery between encounters; a bonus cantrip, whichadds to the Druid’s existing cantrip options; and Circle Spells, which give Druidsbonus spellsbased on the chosen natural biome.
These features combined grant Land Druids bothadditional spell choicesandimproved spell recovery, making them a much more respectable spellcaster. While the choice of biome for Circle Spells is largely a matter of preference, several of them provide anexcellent balance of damageandcontrol spellsnot usually accessible to Druids, reinforcing the Land Druid’s role as a controller.
Circle of the Spores: A
The Druidic version of a necromancer, Druids of this subclassraise mushroom-infested undead minionsanddeal necrotic damageto foes while maintaining access to an extensive collection of nature-based spells. You can theoreticallyraise an even larger army than a School of Necromancy Wizard.
Unfortunately, using Halo of Spores means Circle of Spores Druidsdon’t often have a free reaction, making it all the more important tokeep this subclass away from danger. Proper positioning of both you and your minions is key to success.
Bound by a pact to an all-powerful patron, warlocks trade their loyalty for supernatural abilities and unique magic.
Despite havingunique and powerful features,Warlocks are asomewhat selfish class, excelling individually insingle-target damagebut not contributing significantly to afour-person party’s overall synergy. In this way, they are outshone as casters bythe Wizard’s versatility and supportive capabilitiesand theSorcerer’s raw damage.
Their spell casting works very differently from all other classes; they getvery limited spell slotsthat refresh on short rests, and their spells arealways up-castat the highest available level. This makes them very effective in short bursts of combat, but can quickly run out of steam on longer days with several encounters.
Due to theirlimited spell slots, the Eldritch Blast cantrip—combined with the Hex spell—define their class. This can makecombat repetitive and monotonous. That said, Eldritch Invocations offer avariety of booststhat enhance the Warlock’s abilities and make it more flexible.
While Warlocks have an array of features, making themflexible and potent individually,they fall short inamplifying the overall party’s capabilitiesorspecializing in a particular role.
In terms of out-of-combat utility, Warlocks areCharisma-based, giving them a boost insocial situations.
Fiend: A
The Fiend subclass signifies a pact with a lower plane entity, enhancing durability and expanding spell options. Dark One’s Blessing providesbonus health upon defeating enemies,compensating for the Warlock’stypically low durability.
The Dark One’s Own Luck offers a d10 to an ability check, likelyturning failure into success once per short rest. Fiendish Resilience further enhances your endurance witha free resistance. Fireball, Cone of Cold, Flame Strike, and Scorching Ray are all excellent spells to have at the ready.
Great Old One: C
The Great Old One subclass signifies a pact with an ancient, eldritch being. Mechanically, however, the class offers two notable spells,Dissonant WhispersandTasha’s Hideous Laughter, both of which are excellent spells but benefit very little from the Warlock’s “always-upcast” spell scalability. The Mortal Reminder feature inflicts frightened on enemies that you critically hit, providingformidable crowd controlbut is unfortunately inconsistent.Entropic Ward is a decent defensive ability at level six, but the general lack of Psychic damage makes Though Shield a less useful ability at level 10.
The Archfey: B
Less direct than The Fiend but more useful than The Great Old One, The Archfey offers acollection of buffs and debuffswhile also providing somedefensive options. Fey Presence can charm or frighten all enemies within 10 feet, while Misty Escape ensures your survival by becoming invisible on being hit. Beguiling Defenses provide total immunity to charm effects.
Yourspells are useful, but often situational. Faerie Fire, Sleep, Calm Emotions, and Plant Growth aren’t great on their own, but you’ll be glad to have them when the situation arises. Invest in direct spells and your Eldritch Blast cantrip to ensure your damage doesn’t fall too far behind other spellcasters.
Dexterity, Wisdom
Channel your cosmic enlightenment by deftly dodging and efficiently disassembling your foes through stunning strikes and a whirlwind of martial arts attacks.
The Monk has seen asignificant upgrade from the tabletopversion of D&D. In general, Monks of Baldur’s Gate 3deal more damage,have more ki points, and with the help of certain magical items, even have more defense than you’ll see in tabletop.
That said, Monks still suffer from havinggenerally low hit pointsfor a frontline combatant, making them more difficult to throw into the thick of battle than a Fighter or Barbarian. Furthermore, your lack of Charisma or access to spells can make certainconversation checks difficult.
On the plus side, high Wisdom meansnever missing a hidden item, and with a full stack of ki points, the Monk isabsolutely devastating to a single target. Each of the three subclasses offers a distinctly different flavor of monk as well, making this a well-balanced class.
Way of the Four Elements: B
The Way of the Four Elements turns the Monk into a half-caster class. You still haveall the martial arts prowess of a regular Monk, but now you can casta few elemental-themed spells. Many of these spells have direct analogs to the regular spellcasting list. Blade of Rime isScroll of Ice Knife, Sphere of Elemental Balance isChromatic Orb, and Fist of Four Thunder isThunderwave.
But where Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks are casting these spells at level one, Monks only start casting them at level three. You’realways a few levels behind other spellcasters in terms of power, making this subclass a muddled version of the Monk.
One thing the Way of the Four Elements Monk excels at is battlefield manipulation. Water Whip and Fist of Unbroken Air offer ranged attacks that can push or pull enemies, potentially causing extra fall damage (or outright killing them in certain locales).
Way of the Open Hand: A
The Way of the Open Hand has received the most improvements from its tabletop counterpart. This subclass not onlydeals more damage at level sixthan it would in D&D, but it alsoregains hit points and spent ki points as a bonus action. The D&D version’sQuivering Palm technique has also been reworkedfrom level 17 to level nine, giving even more power to the Way of the Open Hand.
The only downside to the Way of the Open Palm is alack of ranged attack options. Firing a crossbow or shortbow is terribly underwhelming compared to your unarmed attacks, making closing to melee the utmost importance.
Way of Shadow: B
In many ways, a Way of Shadow Monk feels like playing an Arcane Trickster Rogue. You’ve gotaccess to a lot of spellsthat help keep you out of sight, and instead of a sneak attack, you have a lot of unarmed strikes.
There aresections of Baldur’s Gate 3 that benefit greatly from the indirect approachthat the Way of Shadow Monk specializes in. However, this Monk subclassdoesn’t get the same ki point regenerationas the other two subclasses, which hampers your overall power.
To get the most out of this subclass,be strategic with Shadow Arts: Darkness and Silence. Keeping bow-wielding goblins in the dark or mages in a sphere of silence can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Rangers are unrivaled scouts and trackers, honing a deep connection with nature in order to hunt their favored prey.
The Ranger class has undergonesignificant changes from its tabletop versiontoboost its utility and combat effectiveness, and this has largely been successful.
The classexcels greatly in certain situations, and the Beast Tamer subclass introduces aunique animal companion mechanic.
Unfortunately, while the Ranger possesses acombination of martial striking abilities and spellcasting, it doesn’t quiteexcel in eitherorblend these aspects well enoughto compete withpure martial or casting classes.
Thesituational applicabilityof most of its base features (proficiencies in specific skills,resistances to certain damage types, etc) further impacts the subclass negatively.
That said, once again, thereare no “unplayable” classesor subclasses in the game, and you’ll be able toclear the content with any classprovided enough party synergy—plus, you’ll havea lot more fundoing so if it’s a class whose mechanics and flavor you enjoy.
Beastmaster: A
The Beastmaster subclass greatly enriches the Ranger class bysummoning an animal companionto aid in combat.
Each animal has unique abilities; the bear can taunt, the spider can crowd-control, the raven can blind, the boar attacks (a lot), and the wolf can push foes prone to give allies advantage. The value of these summoned companions isextremely high at early levels, especially considering theweight of action economyin the turn-based gameplay of Baldur’s Gate 3, making the Beastmaster a very powerful subclass that skyrockets the Ranger’s utility and damage output.
Hunter: B
The Hunter subclass enhances the Ranger class with the Hunter’s Prey feature, allowing the Ranger to specialize inenhanced combat ability against certain types of creatures.
Three choices are available, including Colossus Slayer for extra damage onwounded foes, Giant Killer for reaction attacks onlarge enemies, and Horde Breaker formulti-target attackson creatures that are grouped up. However, most of these featuresrequire specific combat situationsto be useful.
The most consistent damage boost fromColossus Slayercombined withHunter’s Markmakes it the most reliable choice, but the subclass' overall effectiveness is, unfortunately, situational.
Gloomstalker: B
Dread Ambusher makes this Ranger subclass feel a little bit like a Rogue. You’retypically going firstin the turn order, and yourfirst attack lets you pick off weaker targetsto make the entire encounter easier. On top of that, you’ve got a collection of useful spells, and Iron Mind makes youharder to charm or frighten.
All in all, Gloomstalker is a verysolid and reliable subclassthat doesn’t excel at anything in particular. A jack-of-all-trades with few flaws but few exceptional qualities.
