After nearly three years in early access, Baldur’s Gate 3’s full version has finally launched, with plenty of tough choices for players to make. Like with any Dungeons & Dragons game, the first choice is which class you’re going to play.
With twelve different classes to choose from — and each having subclasses — choosing one can be a daunting task. Below, we’ve put together some guidance on classes suitable for both beginners and more advanced players of Baldur’s Gate 3.
Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Classes For Beginners
One thing to keep in mind for Baldur’s Gate 3 is that the party members you recruit will fill every class in the game. That means you’re okay picking any class you think sounds most interesting. That being said, there are a few options that are more beginner friendly.
The melee combat-focused classes — Barbarian, Fighter, and Paladin — have simple commands that can hit hard. They also don’t require a lot of finesse or planning to use. We’ll go through the perks of each.
Barbarian
Barbarian’s biggest strength is its large HP pool, the highest of any class in the game. This lets you jump right into the thick of battle and not have to worry too much about being KOd, although you’ll still need to be smart. Barbarians have a lot of high-damage abilities and AoE attacks, so they’re often the perfect choice for a starter character, with a party of mages or rogues to back them up.
Fighter
Fighters are one of the most versatile classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, because of their ability to cause high damage with both melee and ranged weapons. They have proficiency in a variety of weapons, and can also equip Medium Armor without incurring any penalties. What really makes Fighter shine, however, is its Extra Attack ability, which just as it sounds lets you use an extra attack action during your turn, doubling your damage output.
Paladin
Paladin is easily the best tank in the game, which makes them the perfect choice for a beginner. The class has extremely high damage resistance, even more so when you equip Heavy Armor and a shield. The real bonus of Paladin is that on top of dealing damage, you have quite a few options for healing. Early on in Baldur’s Gate 3 Shadowheart will be your only healing party member, so having your main character have the option as well can be a huge boon.
Best Advanced Classes In Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 has quite a few complex classes that beginners will want to avoid, as they have quite a learning curve for various abilities and spells. Most of the magic classes in the game are better left for later on, or a second playthrough, as trying to parse what spells to get and then how to use them during battle, can be tough. Here are some classes more advanced players might want to jump into, or you can try out on a second playthrough.
Rogue
The Rogue is a classic D&D class but the hardest part to get the hang of is its Stealth options. You can use Stealth both in and out of combat, but if not used correctly it can put you at a serious disadvantage, made all the worse because of the Rogue’s low health pool. Once you have a better grasp of Baldur’s Gate 3’s combat and systems, you can wreak havoc with the Rogue’s advantage attacks.
Bard
Bard is a class built entirely around support, which is probably not what you’re looking for out of your main character on a first playthrough. The Bard uses musical abilities to bolster allies and debuff enemies, but they have a hard time holding their own on the frontlines. Because of that, you’ll need to very deliberately build your party around the Bard, protecting them with tougher classes that can distract enemies and soak up damage.
Wizard
Wizard is the toughest of the magic classes simply because it has very little in the way of melee options or defense. It’s an entirely magic-focused class that typically needs to keep its distance and pelt enemies with a variety of effects. The Wizard’s abilities can also interact a lot with the environment to shock or burn enemies, but again you’ll need to have a grasp on the combat system to properly use it.
How to Change Your Class in Baldur’s Gate 3
There is actually a way you can change your class mid-game, but it requires a bit of work. You need to find an NPC named Withers, who’s locked away in a sarcophagus deep in the Dank Crypt, the first optional dungeon of the game. There are two entrances to the Dank Crypt, with the first being a door to the East of your starting position on Ravaged Beach, after the Illithid Ship crashes. The second way is by heading to the Overgrown Ruins, which has a fast travel spot, and dropping the handing stone, which creates a hold you can jump into. For our purposes, we’ll assume you enter from Overgrown Ruins, and give directions to find Withers based on that. Keep in mind you should bring a torch or a character that can see in the dark.
- Jump into the hole in Overgrown Ruins Temple.
- Head out of the room and take the door straight ahead, then follow the hallway to another door to Dank Crypt.
- In Dank Crypt head to the left and open the big double doors (you can lockpick with a Rogue, or open the sarcophagus in the room in the other direction for the key, but it’s trapped)
- Now in the room with the big statue head to the hallway in the NorthWest corner and look for a hidden button.
- This will open a secret room but also activate enemies which you’ll need to defeat.
- After the battle head to the new room and open the Richly Adorned Sarcophagus.
- During dialogue choose “Quite the question. What’s the reason for it?,” then “Yes. Ask away,” and finally “No one life is worth more than any other. We are all equal.”
- Withers will be impressed and will appear at your camp the next time you rest there.
Now you can talk to Withers in your camp at any time to change your class, for a fee of 100 gold. He can also resurrect any allies that have perished — for a price.
