Baldur’s Gate 3 best builds: Top tips to get started
Min-max your way to success.
By Cole Luke
Published: Friday, 11 August 2023 at 11:50 AM
In Baldur’s Gate 3, a lovingly crafted world chock-full of what feels like limitless choices to make, your first outing might feel rather overwhelming, as you very quickly find yourself making decisions about things you don’t quite understand yet. To help you get your best foot forward in your quest, we have for you our guide on Baldur’s Gate 3’s best builds with top tips to get started.
The amount of content on offer shouldn’t really come as a surprise, given that Larian spent six years developing Baldur’s Gate 3 coming off of the success of their prior title, Divinity: Original Sin 2 – which won a plethora of awards. Despite playing the game for a couple of weeks now, we still feel like we have barely dipped our toes into the game.
So you don’t get annihilated by the first Intellect Devourer you come across, or have the Goblins eviscerate the Druids (fair enough if you’re going for an evil playthrough), read on to get the scoop on how to get those maximums up, your minimums down and keeping the dice rolling your way.
Top tips for getting started with Baldur’s Gate 3
When building your first character, it is advisable to read up on all the classes on offer in Baldur’s Gate 3, as fully understanding them will be key to having an enjoyable playthrough with a character that matches your play style.
There are plenty to choose from, but we would advise a build that focuses on both weapons and magic for new players so you can see which you prefer.
Later in the game, you can change your class if you’re not satisfied or you can always start a new character entirely if you would’ve rather have done things differently.
Below are just some of the best optimised Baldur’s Gate 3 builds to really get the most out of your character.
We’ll also be highlighting which races are best suited for the build, the best subclass, background, skills and weapons.
Druid Circle of the Moon Build
Larian Studios
Druids embody nature’s magic, harnessing a diverse array of spells and abilities. With the capability to transform into different animal forms, they gain strategic advantages unique to each shape. Druids are proficient in support, crowd control and summoning, making them invaluable assets in any group dynamic.
Race – Elf
Subrace – Woof-Elf
Class – Druid
Subclass – Circle of the Moon
Background – Outlander
Skills – Animal Handling and Nature
Weapon – Clubs and Quarterstaffs
Larian Studios
College of Valour Bard
Bards are multifaceted fellows who can not only jam out on their instrument of choice – but also wreak havoc on foes by debuffing them or smacking them up (with a weapon – not a lute). With your tunes, you can also rally your party members to buff their skills.
Race – Half-Elf
Subrace – Wood Half-Elf
Class – Bard
Subclass – College of Valour
Background – The Entertainer
Skills – Acrobatics and Performance
Spells – Healing Word, Heroism, Dissonant Whispers, Thunderwave
Barbarians focus on melee weapons such as swords, axes and maces to dish out serious amounts of damage. They can also use the Rage mode to inflict more damage and better resist attacks.
We recommend trying to nab Commander Zhalk
Race – Dwarf
Subrace – Shield Dwarf
Class – Barbarian
Subclass – Berserker
Background – Soldier
Skills – Athletics and Intimidation
Weapon – Heavy and two-handed weapons
Larian Studios
Rogue Thief Build
Rogues are adept at the arts of stealth, deception, and delivering precise strikes both from afar and up close and personal with their Sneak Attack feature allowing them to unleash substantial damage in a single, cunning strike.
Rogues also possess a wide range of skills that make them highly capable in various non-combat situations, such as picking locks and realising when people are trying to take advantage of you.
Race – Drow
Class – Rogue
Subclass – Thief
Background – Urchin
Skills – Stealth and Sleight of hand
Weapon – Bows and daggers
Larian Studios
Light Cleric Build
Clerics aren’t just for healing from the periphery – with the right build, they can dish out serious hit points as well as replenishing them.
This build lets you strike enemies with a longbow but offers Insight into other matters during dialogue and will help pass Religion checks too.
Race – Human
Class – Cleric
Subclass – Light domain
Background – Acolyte
Skills – Wisdom and Dexterity
Weapon – Longbow
Larian Studios
Paladin Oathbreaker Build
The Oathbreaker Paladin hones in on their aggression, delivering high damage in melee combat using powerful mechanics like Smite, Dreadful Aspect, and Hellish Rebuke making them extremely useful in combat.
It requires some work past the character creator to get but essentially you need to be at level 2 and lie, or break a promise such as promising not to kill an innocent but then doing so.
At camp, you will then be visited by the Oathbreaker Knight and you need to accept the dialogue option.
This unique subclass delves into darkness and corruption, presenting the opportunity to embrace an antiheroic path or a fallen paladin seeking redemption.
Race – Tiefling
Subrace – Zariel
Class – Paladin
Subclass – Oathbreaker
Background – Soldier
Skills – Athletics and Intimidation
Spells – Spiteful suffering, Control Undead and Dreadful Aspect
Larian Studios
Way of Shadow Monk build
The Monk possesses the power to deliver devastating attacks with well-timed strikes and can even cause enemies to explode. With their bare hands, Monks excel at close-range combat, but they are also adept at peacefully resolving conflicts through persuasion. Additionally, the Way of Shadows subclass allows them to instantaneously move between shadows meaning rather than fighting your way in with your party, your monk can peel off and come back with what you need before you know it.
Race – Elf
Subrace – Wood-Elf
Class – Monk
Subclass – Way of Shadows
Background – Urchin
Skills – Dexterity and Strength
Weapon – Unarmed
Larian Studios
Fighter Battle Master Build
The Fighter Battle Master Build is an excellent choice if you prefer a playstyle centred around dealing significant damage and serving as a resilient tank. With their extensive hit point pool and proficiency in using various armours and weapons, Fighters can dive into the thick of it and come out on the other side with confidence.
Race – Half-Orc
Class – Fighter
Subclass – Battle Master
Background – Soldier
Skills – Athletics, Persuasion, Intimidation
Weapon – Two-handed weapons
Larian Studios
The Great Old One Warlock build
Warlocks are enigmatic and formidable spellcasters who have forged a pact with a potent entity – be it a demon, devil, or archfey. In return for their incredible powers, warlocks are bound to fulfil their patron’s desires, often entailing dark and malevolent deeds.
It won’t be just you being manipulated however as this builds high Charisma and Intelligence will see you outsmarting everyone
Race – Tiefling
Subrace – Mephistopheles
Class – Warlock
Subclass – The Great Old One
Background – Sage
Skills – Charisma and intelligence
Weapon – Quarterstaff
Larian Studios
Sorcerer Draconic Bloodline Build
Sorcerers harness inherent magical abilities, mastering their craft through a distinctive class mechanic called metamagic. This feature empowers them to buff their spells by increasing their range, cast multiple spells in a single turn and choose from a huge variety of spells.
Wizards shine in wielding area-of-effect spells, offering utility and control, yet their potency may demand meticulous forethought and preparation as they boast the most extensive spell repertoire in the game.
When things don’t go the way you planned, they can enable you to quickly adjust your strategy.
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