Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally out. The game promises to be the biggest and most ambitious DnD creation we have ever seen in video games which means it comes with all the daunting decisions you’ll need to make along the way. One of which is creating a character and deciding on a class.
Now I have played Baldur’s Gate 3 quite a lot. Right from its early access right to its main launch and it is the secret boss of RPGs. Meaning the decision you make at the start of the game is of vital importance. It also means that some classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 are more advanced than others so, in a way, this decision will determine how difficult the game will be.
But don’t despair, you can always change things up while you’re playing Baldur’s Gate 3 by going the multiclass route or respeccing your character. I will explain multiclassing in Baldur’s Gate 3 in a separate post.
Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Starting Classes
Here’s a full guide on the Baldur’s Gate 3 classes and which ones are easier to master than others.
Bard
Subclasses
- College of Lore
- College of Valour
- College of Swords
People often overlook the Bard (it is an issue in many games) but in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Bard is actually incredibly useful. The Bard is a well-rounded class that unlocks some helpful healing abilities, magic and spells. You can also equip a good range of armour.
Sure, the Bard is a support class but it isn’t as far into that margin that makes them useless in everything else. In fact, Bards are known as the Jack of All Traded class and are able to choose their proficiencies from every skill in the game.
The Bard might be a bit squishy if you’re playing the game solo and have no intention of adding other party members to your story, but combined with other allies, the class will keep everyone alive, buffed and deal damage.
Outside of that, the Bard also excels in dialogue thanks to their high Persuasion, Deception and Intimidation. They act as the face of the party when the time comes.
Cleric
Subclasses
- Life Domain
- Light Domain
- Trickery Domain
- Knowledge Domain
- Nature Domain
- Tempest Domain
- War Domain
The Cleric takes things a bit further compared to the Bard. While they aren’t as proficient in everything, they are better at debuffing and healing. The Cleric is more a support class than anything else and won’t deal much damage with a sword.
The nice thing here is that Clerics can become powerful in damage-dealing spells, healing and support. So if one of those sounds like your thing, it is a versatile class to go with.
Clerics are highly religious beings and as a result, can pick a deity which grants them more abilities and even quests in the game.
Paladin
Subclasses
- Oath of Devotion
- Oath of the Ancients
- Oath of Vengeance
- Oathbreaker
The first melee class on this list and the easiest one to master is the Paladin. These heavy armour-wearing classes are tankier builds that rely on Divine Smites to get through combat. These see the Paladin expend spell slots to deal extra damage. It is also an optional feature on its own.
The Paladin, while being a melee class, can also wield healing abilities which is always helpful. They can also cast protective abilities making them vital to a team’s defence.
Paladins are controlled by a Code of Conduct. This code acts as an oath. If you break the oath it unlocks new subclasses and new quests but being an Oathbreaker could also restrict some roleplaying options. You have to be careful with the decisions you make to avoid becoming an Oathbreaker.
Players can easily reclaim their Oath by paying 2,000 gold but you might enjoy the changes to the game that come with being an Oathbreaker.
Sorcerer
Subclasses
- Wild Magic
- Draconic Ancestry
- Storm Sorcery
If you’re looking for a pure spellcaster then the Sorcerer is definitely the class to go for. While it is very similar to the Wizard, Sorcerers have the meta-magic ability which lets them play around with their spells to create some cool alternative effects.
Meta-magic affects different spells in different ways. For example, a Quickened Metamagic would cast double spells at once at times. Twinned Metamagic then lets you target two enemies with one spell. These scenarios make a big difference in the game.
The Sorcerer also unlock the Draconic Ancestry which adds a further list of elemental attacks to their abilities. Sure, this class is squishy with light armour and very little health, but if you know how to play them, it is one of the best classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Fighter
Subclasses
- Eldritch Knight
- Battle Master
- Champion
As the name suggests, the Fighter class is all about the art of combat. It is a hard-hitting, high defence class with proficiency across weapons and armour. In some circumstances, the Fighter can even access spells if you choose specific subclasses such as the Eldritch Knight.
Of course, the Fighter can be pushed further into a damage box or defence box. It all depends on how you want to play. This makes it a versatile class for those who might end up preferring a tank fighter more than a damage fighter.
They are great at duel-wielding weapons, have high strength and constitution and will keep the enemies away and most of the time, dead.
Ranger
Subclasses
- Beast Master
- Hunter
- Colossus Slayer
- Giant Killer
- Horder Breaker
- Gloom Stalker
The Ranger class is a scout and tracker. They rely deeply on keeping their distance while attacking from afar and hunting their prey. The Ranger class is also versatile allowing players to go into the Beast Master Subclass and summon companions to help them in combat. These companions can distract enemies and even deal damage.
There isn’t much to say about the Ranger. They don’t have the most defence and rely on smart movements and quick attacks. They are tough to play because of this. However, when combined with the right party, a Ranger can mark targets for allies and cleverly outmanoeuvre enemies.
Wizard
Subclasses
- Abjuration School
- Conjuration School
- Divination School
- Enchantment School
- Evocation School
- Necromancy School
- Illusion School
- Transmutation School
Wizards are a more advanced spellcasting class but at the same time, they are a lot of fun to play. Wizards have the largest list of spells in the game but unlike Sorcerers, they can’t use Metamagic.
The Wizard is great from the start of the game with highly potent level 1 spells. They only get stronger. At the same time, this light armour class is the first to die so you’ll need to back them up with some buffs and perhaps the Abjuration subclass’s Arcane Ward.
Other Arcane abilities come in handy with the Wizard. You can use Arcane Recovery to refill a spell slot. The Wizard is also useful when it comes to crowd control thanks to their great area of effect spells.
Warlock
Subclasses
- The Field
- The Great Old One
- Archfey
- Fey Presence
- Misty Escape
- Beguiling Defenses
The Warlock is a supernatural class. It relies on unique magic and reality-bending abilities. The Warlock can also summon powerful creatures to fight alongside them in combat. While they have limited spells and spell slots, these powerful creatures go a long way in a tough fight.
The Warlock’s most notable ability is its Eldritch Blast which lets you spam the attack at enemies from a distance. That, combined with its dark magic boons will definitely help you in combat.
Barbarian
Subclasses
- Berserker
- Wildheart
- Wild Magic
The Barbarian is another advanced class in Baldur’s Gate 3 that relies on rage to get through combat. Rage and Frenzy improve offence and defence during combat encounters and the Barbarian can even pick up any nearby item and chuck it at enemies.
Barbarians are all-around great fighters. The Berserker Subclass, for example, leans heavily into raging during combat. You deal extra damage to enemies but might accidentally kill a companion at the same time.
Keep in mind that the Barbarian might be useful in combat but outside of combat, the class struggles with dialogue and other gameplay mechanics.
Rogue
Subclasses
- Thief
- Arcane Trickster
- Assassin
The Rogue in Baldur’s Gate 3 is your typical shadow lurker. They rely on sneak attacks, poisons and planning ahead. With that being said, the game doesn’t always offer opportunities for these abilities to come in handy. As a result, the Rogue doesn’t always feel useful.
When they do come in handy, they feel great. Attacks are clever and effective. Outside of combat, the Rogue can also help with lockpicking, pickpocketing, disarming traps and more.
Druid
Subclasses
- Circle of the Moon
- Circle of the Land
- Circle of the Spores
The Druid is a shapeshifting class that is quite challenging to play. That’s because it doesn’t exactly fit into any specific role. It can cast spells but is limited to a set amount, it can also be a tank and damage dealer but is quite a challenge to get to that point.
The shapeshifting is definitely the best part of being a Druid. These shapes depend on your subclass and also determine what type of Druid you become. The Druid can also go into a heavy nature path gaining the ability of spores and fungal toxins.
I won’t say the Druid is a starting class just because of how complicated it gets. But there’s definitely no harm in trying them out.
Monk
Subclasses
- Way of the Open Hand
- Way of Shadow
- Way of the Four Elements
The Monk relies on Ki-powered punches in combat. They can attack enemies from afar and even pull them closer to the fight with these ki abilities.
The Monk can also branch out into different attack styles with its subclasses. The Way of the Four Elements grants them elemental attacks which definitely help in fights. Keep in mind that the Monk isn’t a tank. They don’t have a lot of armour but their attacks hit hard.
