Whether you’re a new player or you already tried some “Baldur’s Gate 3” builds, knowing which class to choose can be tricky. Especially in this case, considering there are 12 possible classes and a whopping 46 subclasses. Each has strengths, advantages, and aspects of the game they excel at, but some are better than others.
In “Baldur’s Gate 3,” the classes are ranked by three essential aspects of the game: how strong they are in combat, how well they deal with NPC interactions (which proficiencies they excel at), and exploration. The good news is you can’t make a wrong choice, and it’s fun to try different classes every time you create a new character (we’ve all done that).
Read on to learn which classes are the best and their advantages and disadvantages.
Which Class Is the Best?
While you can play whatever class, race, and role you want, some rank better than others. This is because their abilities, spells, damage, healing, or other aspects can be beneficial throughout the whole game. Considering the game’s length, you’ll want a compelling character.
Some of the best “Baldur’s Gate 3” classes are Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, and Rogue.
Bard Class
The Bard class, which relies on Charisma, is considered one of the best classes for support and healing. But if you want your Bard to be more versatile, choosing the College of Valour will provide you with some damage. Bard isn’t a great class for combat, but with this subclass, you can improve your damage stats.
With the “Bardic Inspiration” spell, this class helps party members in combat by buffing them. As you level your character, their attacks and abilities become stronger, which is the case with “Bardic Inspiration” as well. The Bard is a great team member, thanks to this character’s buffs.
The skills and proficiencies of this class are another reason why Bard is a must-play. The downside of Bard is the lack of firepower, but it’s not a significant disadvantage considering Bard is a support class, and with the College of Valour, the problem is solved.
Cleric Class
Like other Cleric classes in RPG games, Clerics have the same healing role in “Baldur’s Gate 3.” With OP healing spells like Healing Word and Bless, Clerics are the best healers in the game. However, Clerics can also become tankier in this RPG adventure, which is unusual for this class. Additionally, their subclass Light Domain gives them more damage and versatility.
On the other hand, Life Domain is an excellent choice for those who want to play Clerics for their primary role – healing. While Healing Word is the best healing spell in the game, Inflict Words is the strongest damage spell at Level 1. Stick to Wisdom, enhance it with the appropriate race and background, and no one will be able to out-heal you.
Paladin Class
Paladins are versatile, and their uses are threefold: tanking, healing, and DPS. Paladins mainly focus on boosting Strength but also have good Charisma. For this reason, they are a good class for dialogs, apart from their combat skills. It’s advisable that you pick Oath of the Ancient since it allows you to heal every party member.
However, since Paladin is a versatile class, you can’t go wrong with choosing either one of the two remaining subclasses. Oath of the Vengeance is excellent for a DPS Paladin, while Oath of Devotion is perfect for tank Paladins who prefer to protect others.
Likewise, opting for a DPS Paladin allows you to use Divine Smite and other Smite abilities, which are the base of this class’s significant damage. Besides these spells and the Healing Radiance, Paladins can cast Bless like Clerics.
So, for your multitasking needs, Paladin is the perfect choice and the best tank class, especially paired with Oath of Devotion.
Sorcerer Class
Charismatic Sorcerers are great spellcasters, even though they don’t have that many spell slots. They are great at interactions, and you probably won’t need to fight anyone with your great talking skills. Counting their high damage in combat and success in dialogs, Sorcerers are one of the best classes in “Baldur’s Gate 3.”
Moreover, the Metamagic unique spell that Sorcerers are famous for allows them to make changes to spells and bend the rules of magic. With this powerful spell, you can use the same spell twice or make single-target ones into AOE. That’s only some of the examples of Metamagic possibilities.
The downside of this class is the need for more armor. Sorcerers also have a shorter range of spells compared to Wizards. The best subclass for Sorcerer is Draconic Bloodline, which helps negate the squishiness providing you with more HP and armor. Furthermore, since you don’t need armor with this subclass, you can focus on obtaining accessories that buff your spells and powers.
Wizard Class
Wizards also have no armor like Sorcerer, but they have more spells and slots, making them a valid choice for dealing damage as a ranged character.
Unlike Sorcerers, Wizards rely on Intelligence, which is useless for exploring the land and interacting with NPCs. For this reason, Wizards can have a hard time outside of combat.
School of Evocation, School of Divination, or Abjuration are suitable classes that enhance Wizard’s power. School of Evocation allows Wizards to deal more damage with fire spells and limits friendly fire, which is a good addition considering some of the attacks are AOE.
Divination allows them to switch roles, while Abjuration makes them a little tankier with a regeneration shield, but they still need more. This is why Wizards, like all ranged classes need to be in the backline to be useful and deal damage without interruption. It would be best to create a team with at least one range damage dealer; either go with Wizard or Sorcerer.
Rogue Class
The rogue class ranks high as a melee damage dealer. Its primary stat is Dexterity, and its trickster skills, such as lockpicking and disarming traps, make them excellent for exploring the world, especially if you pick the Thief subclass. Additionally, they have decent Charisma stats making them useful in social interactions and dialogs. On the other hand, Assassin Rogues are great at combat, with improved stealth and more damage than Thief.
Right now, Rogues seem like a perfect class to pick with all three game aspects fulfilled. But this impression doesn’t stick, as Rogues aren’t a straightforward damage dealer, like Fighters. They have to set up traps and find the right angle to strike, which isn’t always possible, especially when you don’t expect enemies.
However, Rogues are equipped with many valuable actions and attacks, and their movement is above average. They deal high single-target damage, especially in stealth and with Sneak Attack, and can easily evade danger. Rogues work well with martial and magic classes, making them versatile.
Customizing Your Character
Video games are all about creativity and freedom, and even though there are stronger and weaker classes, picking either can lead to a fun gaming experience.
Furthermore, some players prefer to play the same classes in every RPG game. The type you choose depends on your preferences and style. Whether you like sneak attacking like Rogue, healing like Cleric and Paladin, or dealing damage from afar like Wizard and Sorcerer, there’s really no wrong choice here.
What’s your go-to “Baldur’s Gate 3” class, and why? Let us know in the comment section below.
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