When jumping into any game that remotely touches Dungeons and Dragons, you’ll notice that there’s a lot of classes to choose from. There are the simple but strong barbarians and of course the sexy and morally gray bards. In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can choose any of these classes. Each class has their own strengths and weaknesses, and one should know at least the gist of their class before picking them.
In this guide, we’ll show you a quick overview of all the classes in the game. If you haven’t played any Dungeons and Dragons games, then don’t worry. We’ve made sure to make the explanations as simple as possible, now let’s see what the classes are!
Class Overview | Which Class Is For You?
Before we start listing out the classes in the game you should know that the game hasn’t released yet and is in early access. The release date is close by and that will add in more subclasses and even a new class. We’ll only be covering what you can get on the early access build to give you a sense on what the classes are.
Fighter
In a world filled with different races, classes with magical powers and of course dragons and dungeons, the most common character made is a human fighter. I am not dissing on anyone liking this combination, I too like white bread.
The Fighter might look like a simple class but there’s a lot of options you can go with it. From being a normal sword and board fighter that stacks a lot of Armor to even an Archer that can shoot multiple times in a turn. The Fighter has the most attacks as they get an extra attack at Level 5 and 11. They also get Action Surge which means they can get another action in a turn, that means you can attack again!
The fighter is mainly a class for battles, the bring little utility to the party and is there to tank and deal damage. They have different subclasses like a battlemaster that can have different maneuvers that give you an edge in battle, or Eldritch Knights that get spells along with their martial skills.
If you want a melee character and a safe choice in combat, then go for a fighter.
Barbarian
Another Martial class in the game is the Barbarian, and these guys hit hard and can take hits as well. They have the highest HP in the game and they use that to tank. They often don’t wear armor and rely on their unarmored defense and HP to survive. Wizards can also rage which makes them deal more damage and at the same time take less damage, the catch is they need to damage something or get damaged or the rage ends.
The Barbarian also has subclasses like all the other classes. They can either be a Berserker which pushes their rage even further to do more attacks. They can also be Wildheart, which is basically the Totem Warrior in normal DnD where they can choose an animal to get different bonuses.
If you want to see what’s the best race for the barbarian, check out our guide!
If you like tanking hits, dealing a lot of damage and being an absolute tank offensively and defensively then go with a Barbarian!
Rogue
Now we’re getting to the classes that give a bit more utility. The Rogue can deal extra damage with sneak attacks. This sneak attack can be triggered if you attack from stealth or if an ally is next to your target. You can imagine how much damage Rogues do!
They may not have the best HP but they do use Dexterity for both their armor and their weapons. In Dungeons and Dragons you can either get flat bonuses from heavy armor or wear light and medium armor that increases based on your dexterity, and the rogue usually has a lot!
Not only does the rogue deal a lot of damage but outside of combat they can be useful as well. From stealthily scouting for enemies, detecting and disarming traps and even stealing stuff from merchants. They can even be suave and put points into Charisma and be experts and persuasion and deception if you choose.
If you want versatility, utility and high damage then you’ll want to be a rogue!
Ranger
When some people think of rangers, they think of bow wielding heroes that shoot down droves of enemies like Legolas. It’s a weird misconception because even in lore it was Aragorn that was the Ranger, a master of the land and is seen using swords. In Dungeons and Dragons, Rangers aren’t only bowmen and swordsmen but also magic users!
The Ranger is the first hybrid class on the list since they’re both good at martial fighting and spellcasting. You can shoot bows, swing swords and cast healing or damaging spells. Some of their spells even make your martial attacks better so you’ll want to use these spells to your advantage.
The Ranger also has some of the more fun subclasses in the game, like the beastmaster that can have their own pet or the Hunter that leans more into combat. They can also have some utility with both their skills and spells like the speak with animals spell that, as the name implies, let you talk to animals.
If you want to dip into spell casting or have a big bear or spider as a pet to fight alongside you then Ranger is for you.
Paladin
Going with another hybrid class, the Paladin is another martial class that can also cast spells. This time their magic comes from their god and they’re ready to strike with righteous fury. The paladin is a tank and a healer in the same time, usually being able to get heavy armor as well as having abilities to heal from spells or class abilities.
These guys are basically a mix of fighter and clerics which we’ll touch on later. They have a wide range of spells from damaging ones to healing ones and can be versatile in the battlefield. Their main spell casting stat is Charisma which means you can also be persuasive or deceptive with the right build.
The Paladin can have different oaths which are basically their subclasses. You can either have the Oath of the Ancients which gives you more healing or Oath of Devotion which lets you use an ability to hurt enemies that hit you. There’s also a secret third Oath but that requires you to break your starting oaths!
If you want to be a melee class with some great damage and healing or want to be an evil Paladin that has broken his oath then this class is for you!
Bard
The bard class is filled with jokes about seducing dragons and having many lovers and there’s a reason for that. They’re a hybrid class that can be a spellcaster and a martial class with their charisma stat being their spellcasting stat. This means they’re naturally persuasive, deceptive and are good at performing with instruments.
The Bard is the ultimate utility class in Dungeons and Dragons and in Baldur’s Gate 3. They can be proficient with many skills, be experts in some of them and the skills they aren’t still get bonuses because they’re a jack of all trades!
In terms of fighting prowess, you can get a lot of dexterity to increase your armor class and use dexterity weapons like rapiers or bows. When casting spells, they can have a wide range of crowd control and utility spells. These spells can include, making someone uncontrollably laugh and fall to the ground or insult them so much they actually get damaged.
If you like the saying “Jack of all trades master of none, is better than a master of one” then the bard is for you!
Cleric
If the Paladin class was the caster class that was leaning more into fighter, the cleric is the opposite. Boasting more spells and spell slots but still retaining some fighting abilities like using Martial weapons and armor the cleric is more of a caster in the end. Don’t think that they’re weak though as some of their spells can be quite effective in combat both in damage and healing.
Unlike most classes in the game the Cleric can choose their subclass at the start. They’re called domain and they’re basically what kind of deity your cleric worships and what kind of abilities you’ll get. From the light domain that specializes in fire spells to the life domain that is more into healing.
The Cleric can dish out damage as well in battle, from spells like Inflict wounds or guiding bolt. They also have important spells like revivify to resurrect party members, restoration to remove conditions and so on.
If you like being a support class but can still dish damage then go with a Cleric!
Druid
The druid is an interesting case as their spells are quite unique to other classes. They’re primarily spell casters but they can use wildshape to turn into a bear and maul things. You’re not limited to bears though since you have a wide range of animals you can change to.
As you can imagine the spells for Druid involve nature more, with spells that can call lightning to strike down enemies or spells that turn targets into animals. They can also have some healing spells like cure wounds and goodberry if you need them.
Unlike other spellcasters the druid learn all their spells, but you need to prepare them every time you rest. That just means you choose which spell in your massive list you’re going to use for that day.
The druid has some fun spells that can bolster your party members, deal damage and control the battlefield. With you learning all of them you can experiment as well with the preparing different spells.
If you want to turn into a bear and bite enemies or call lightning and fae creatures to your aid then the Druid is for you!
Sorcerer
Going back to Charisma casters we have the Sorcerer, the first on the list that focuses more on spellcasting. They have a lot of high damaging spells with some utility spells here and there. They can even change how their spells work through metamagic, from not dealing damage to allies to casting them further away than normal.
Like the Cleric the Sorcerer can pick their Subclass at the start. You can be a wild magic sorcerer that gives fun RNG effects to your spells. If you don’t like that you can also have a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer that can get dragon scales and wings later on.
Unlike other spell casters the sorcerer doesn’t need to prepare spells. They choose what spell they learn and you can use them at all times, but you only have a small range of spells to learn.
If you like flinging fireballs that don’t hit your allies, then this class is for you. This class is also for people that want to have extra fun or dangerous things happen when you cast spells!
Wizard
The wizard is the first thing you think of when thinking of spell casters. They have the widest range of spells they can learn and unlike other spellcasters they can learn more spells without needing to level up. That’s because if a Wizard gets hold of a scroll, they can copy that spell to their spell book. Like the druid though they need to prepare their spells.
The Wizard also has the lowest HP in the game which means a light breeze can destroy you. You can destroy the light breeze though with all the spells you have! From Fireballs and Lightning Bolts to Hold Person and Fly you have a lot of choices.
The Wizard can also have different schools of magic which basically are their subclasses. These schools of magic can change how your spells work. Evocation Wizards can empower their damaging spells while Necromancy Wizards can summon the dead more effectively.
If you’re wondering which is better, between the wizard or sorcerer, check out our guide on that!
If you want all the spells, you can learn and fling them into the battlefield without any worry, then this class is for you. Just don’t get hit!
Warlock
The Warlock is the opposite of the Wizard, with the latter having multiple spell slots to cast spells and the former having 1 or 2. Yes, the Warlock can only cast 1 or 2 spells, 3 if you’re high level. The catch is they can replenish these slots at a short rest instead of other spellcasters that need a long rest. They also cast all of their spells at the highest spell level as possible.
The power of the warlock comes from their cantrips, spells that don’t use spell slots. They’re usually weak but one cantrip stands out as the warlock’s best friend: Eldritch Blast. This basic spell becomes a powerful tool for warlocks due to their class abilities, making them stronger or more versatile depending on your choice.
Warlocks don’t need to just spells though since they can also be Bladelocks. Warlocks that have chosen the pact of the blade, where they can summon a melee weapon to swing around. This magical weapon can even be buffed with their charisma which is the warlock’s main spell casting stat.
If you want to not worry about spell choice and just cast eldritch blast all day only to cast the strongest spells if you do use them then this class is for you!
Those are all the classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, and I know the DnD fans out there are thinking. There’s no monk in the list! Well, that’s because the monk isn’t in the game yet but will be there on release so stay tuned for that!
ALSO READ: Baldur’s Gate 3: Wares, Bartering & More Complete Guide
