Baldurs Gate 3 Class Tier List, From Powerful to Powerless
by Ushapriyanga | Updated Apr 27, 2023
Baldurs Gate 3 Class Tier List info
Our tier list for Baldur's Gate 3 classes reveals that each class offers a unique gameplay experience, but not all are equally effective. While they all have their own advantages and limitations, selecting the right class can greatly enhance gameplay. This guide includes a breakdown of all the current classes in Baldur's Gate 3, as well as a sneak peek at upcoming classes and what players can anticipate from them.
When creating a character in Baldur's Gate 3, choosing a class is a crucial decision as it influences various aspects such as health, abilities, spells, and skills. Although each class has its own merits, some prove to be more advantageous or impactful than others. Even the tabletop game that inspired Baldur's Gate 3, Dungeons and Dragons 5E, struggles with balancing its classes, and the same can be said for this video game adaptation.
Baldurs Gate 3 Class Tier List
Before presenting my tier ranking system for Baldur's Gate 3 classes, it's important to note that this guide will differ from the previous ones that covered abilities and sub-races. Among these three, classes are the most complex and have the most significant impact on gameplay. Therefore, ranking them is a challenging task.
Additionally, I believe that the class system in BG3 is well-balanced, which means that a class that I rank highly can still perform poorly if not built correctly, while a lower-ranked class can excel with the right choices. With this in mind, my goal for this guide is to serve as a helpful resource rather than just a tier list. I aim to assist readers in maximizing their enjoyment of their chosen class by providing a build outline for each subclass.
S-tier
A-tier
B-tier
C-tier
Baldurs Gate 3 Classes
Barbarian
Barbarians are warriors who use their rage as a powerful buff to improve their damage, reduce the damage they take, and even get advantage on Strength checks. At level three, they must choose between Berserker or Wildheart, each providing different upgrades to their rage ability.
Bard
Bards are spellcasters who use the power of song to cast magic spells. Their spellbook offers a balance of offensive, defensive, and utility spells. They also have the Bardic Inspiration ability, which can give a bonus to a target's next roll. Bards must choose between the College of Lore or the College of Valour at level three.
Cleric
Clerics are versatile spellcasters who can heal and cast spells that help in active situations. They are the most defensible spellcasters, able to wear Medium Armor and use Shields. At character creation, Clerics must choose a Domain, which affects their extra spells and abilities. The domains are Life, Light, or Trickery.
Druid
Druids are nature-focused spellcasters with a penchant for utility and defensive spells. At higher levels, they gain access to more powerful offensive spells. At level two, they can use Wildshape, assuming the form of an animal, each with different powers. Druids can speak to animals by default.
Fighter
Fighters get access to all weapons and armor options in the game, and you can customize their abilities effectively. At character creation, you'll pick a Fighting Style, such as Archery or Two-Weapon Fighting. Fighters also get the powerful Action Surge at level two, allowing them to act twice in a turn.
Paladin
Paladins are fantastic martial characters with access to divine spellcasting. At character creation, Paladins must choose between the Oath of Devotion or the Oath of the Ancients. Breaking an oath may cause Paladins to lose their powers temporarily or become an Oathbreaker.
Ranger
Rangers are hybrid warriors who use magic and martial abilities to hunt their favored prey. They must choose a Favored Enemy and an environmental perk, which provides various benefits. Rangers gain limited spells, but they can be useful.
Overall, Baldur's Gate 3 offers a wide range of class options, allowing players to choose the best fit for their playstyle.
Rogue
Rogues are known for their stealth and trickery, making them excellent at sneaking up on enemies and dealing devastating sneak attacks. Their ability to disengage and dash as a bonus action makes them highly maneuverable on the battlefield. Players can choose between two subclasses - Thief or Arcane Trickster - to further customize their rogue character.
Sorcerer
Sorcerers are similar to wizards but have unique abilities such as Metamagic, which allows them to modify and improve their spells. Players must choose a bloodline during character creation - Draconic Bloodline or Wild Magic - which grants them bonus spells and resistances.
Warlock
Warlocks derive their spellcasting abilities from a pact with a patron, and players can choose between Fiend or Great Old One. They gain strength through Eldritch Invocations - passive abilities that grant new powers or improve existing ones. Eldritch Blast is their primary method of attacking.
Wizard
Wizards are the original spellcasters, and players can choose from various schools of magic to specialize in. They have a balanced amount of spell slots and the ability to learn spells from scrolls in exchange for gold. With a wide range of spells at their disposal, wizards can have an answer for any situation.
Baldurs Gate info
Baldur's Gate is a popular series of role-playing video games that takes place mostly within the Western Heartlands and the Bhaalspawn Saga extends to Amn and Tethyr. The series has been credited with revitalizing the computer role-playing game genre due to its pausable realtime gameplay. Originally developed by BioWare, the series was later remade in HD by Beamdog and Overhaul Games.
The Dark Alliance series was successful and was developed by Snowblind Studios, Black Isle Studios, High Voltage Software, and Magic Pockets. A planned third series was cancelled when Interplay forfeited the D&D PC license to Atari. In 2012, the series was revived with the release of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, followed by an enhanced edition of the second Baldur's Gate.
Beamdog was granted permission to develop new games with the license, with two games in development, codenamed Adventure Y and Adventure Z. Baldur's Gate III is currently being developed by Larian Studios.
Baldurs Gate Gameplay
Baldur's Gate is a video game series that is set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting. The first game in the series follows a character who is raised in a monastery and must find the killer of their foster father while dealing with an iron crisis in the region. An expansion pack for the game called Tales of the Sword Coast adds more content but does not further the main storyline.
The sequel, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, sees the player character captured and taken to the city of Athkatla, where they must figure out the reason behind their capture while exploring the region of Amn and the Underdark. The game features innovations such as more specialization of character classes, improved graphics, and increased interaction with NPCs.
An expansion pack for Baldur's Gate II called Throne of Bhaal expands on the original game and concludes the Bhaalspawn story arc from the first game. Baldur's Gate III, the third main title in the series, is currently in development by Larian Studios in partnership with Wizards of the Coast, and is set to be released for Windows PC in August 2023.
Baldurs Gate 3 Class Tier List - FAQs
Baldur's Gate is a series of role-playing video games set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting.
The Bhaalspawn Saga is a series of games within the Baldur's Gate series, which revolves around the player character, who is a descendant of the god Bhaal.
Pausable realtime gameplay is a game mechanic in Baldur's Gate that allows the player to pause the game at any time to issue commands to their characters, giving them more control over battles.
The original Baldur's Gate game was developed by BioWare.
The Dark Alliance series is a subset of the Baldur's Gate series that was released for consoles and was critically and commercially successful.