Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3proved to be one of themost phenomenal RPGs of 2023. With an incredible Early Access phase that allowed players to experience plenty of the classes before its full release on August 3, many quickly decided on what they believed was the best class.
Larian Studios took heavy inspiration fromDungeons and Dragonsfor their classes, all twelve of which are directly linked to their tabletop counterparts. With so many interesting choices — and countless subclasses for them — players may wonder what class the best is to play.
Updated on June 04, 2025, by Megan Smith:While there is still no sign of the Artificer class being added to Baldur’s Gate 3, patch 8, which should hopefully be released in the upcoming months, intends to switch up the best class in BG3 as each class in Baldur’s Gate 3 will be getting a new subclass for players to experiment with. Even the classes like Cleric and Wizard that already have an abundance of options that see them rank highly as the best classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 are expected to receive a new subclass each too, with the highly enjoyed Death Domain finally arriving. In the meantime, these are all the classes ranked to determine Baldur’s Gate 3’s best class.
12Ranger
Brilliant Dexterity Fighters That Favor Long Range
Rangersin the Fifth Edition ofDungeons and Dragonsare seen as one of the least-used, least-loved classes out of the many available. Larian took this into consideration when designing the classes forBaldur’s Gate 3to make sure thatevery class chosen by the player can be enjoyable. This makes the ranger in this CRPG a lot more fun to play than its tabletop counterpart.
However, it still ranks quite low out of all the classes available. Rangers are known for staying in the back ranks, though players can plan some interesting ambushes of foes when needed. Out of the three subclasses available for the Ranger, by far the best to select is Beast Master. This gives the player not only a familiar but also a much larger animal companion to use in battle. Alongside being the Beast Master subclass, Ranger also has access to spells such asHunter’s Mark, which allows them to do even more damage to an enemy if they hit them during their next attack or area of effect spells, likeSpike Growth, which can slow down enemies and keep them away.
Strength & Dexterity
Skills
Pick three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, & Survival
11Barbarian
A Frontline Fighter With Tanking Potential
Although theBarbarianfinds itself almost at the bottom of the list of classes, it’s still a great class for players to experience for themselves, especially if they’re new toBaldur’s Gate.As a prominent melee class, players will be on the front lines dealing with various enemies they face head-on. Rage is what makes the Barbarian a great option for any player. This ability can only be used by Barbarians and makes them a lot harder to kill.
Being proficient in awide range of weaponryalso means that players can experiment with the various swords, maces, and axes they find while exploring inBaldur’s Gate 3. With their extremely high constitution, players can also be thankful they are likely to survive many encounters, too. Although Berserker is great for beginners, the Wildheart subclass is one of the greatest for its various options that allow players to fight with animalistic intent, while also unlockingSpeak with Animalsfor a class that usually can’t do spells.
Strength & Constitution
Pick two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, & Survival
10Rogue
Great Damage Dealers Who Multiclass Well
Unsurprisingly, theRogueis another tempting choicefor many players inBaldur’s Gate 3. Not only does it have its uses outside of combat, such as being the best when it comes to lockpicking or pickpocketing, but it also has the chance of landing plenty of critical hits to quickly deal with opponents. Like in many other RPGs, Rogues are seen as incredibly overpowered when put in the hands of a player who knows what they’re doing.
With the subclass Arcane Trickster, players can make this predominantly melee class more versatile through the use of magic. All three of the Rogues subclasses are great, though a player can only choose one for each character. Therefore, the best of the three has to be the Arcane Trickster, which allows a player’s Rogue to also use spells. Combine stealth attacks that make Rogues so lethal and useful magic such asBlur, and the rogue becomes near impossible to hit.
Intelligence & Dexterity
Pick four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Stealth, & Sleight of Hand
9Sorcerer
Powerful Magic Casters With Plenty Of AOE Spells
Although melee classes are interesting and easy to use, the spellcasters ofBaldur’s Gate 3are some of the best classes a player can decide from. ASorcerer’smagic comes from their bloodline, allowing them to harness power to defeat their foes. The sorcerer points that every Sorcerer gets,no matter their subclass, also mean abilities like Quickened Spell allow players to use two cantrips during their turn as both an action and a bonus action. This, therefore, allows the player to make the most of the spells, such asMagic Missileor protective abilities likeMirror Image.
While they may be unable to stand on the front lines of a battle due to their low health, this doesn’t stop the class from being incredibly lethal, with three exciting subclasses to work with. Draconic Bloodline is arguably one of the most intriguing options, especially with how it can cause a physical change for the player’s character. All three subclass options for Sorcerer are incredible, but by far the most exciting that players should try out for themselves has to be Wild Magic.
8Druid
Great Magic Casters Or Potential Tanks Depending On The Subclass
Like Barbarians,Druidswere added later into the Early Access process ofBaldur’s Gate 3, so some players may not have experienced the class until the full version of the game was released. Druids are a versatile class, as players can either support from the back or become the tank for their party setup. Spells like Lighting Bolt will continue to be valuable no matter the type of build the player is going for, as it’s arguably one of the best available to them.
Taking asubclass like the Circle of the Moonwill allow the player to become a bear like Halsin. This allows them to tank many hits due to how much health the bear Wild Shape form has. Other subclasses will instead allow the player to look deeper into their natural magic. As mentioned, Circle of the Moon is one of the best subclasses, but if players are looking for more interesting powers, then they should instead consider Circle of the Spores, where they can raise the dead through mushrooms.
Clubs, Daggers, Javelins, Maces, Quarterstaffs, Scimitars, Sickles, and Spears
Intelligence & Wisdom
Pick two from Arcana, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Investigation, Nature, & Perception
7Monk
Great Dexterity DPS With The Potential To Tank
Players were unable to play theMonkduring Early Access, due to the class only being added with the full release of the game. While many players may not have had a chance to try out the martial class yet, the Monk is an intriguing choice.
At late levels, players using the Monk in the tabletopDungeons & Dragonsfelt their Ki Points (the resource used by the Monk to use their abilities) were too few. Thankfully, Larian Studios took it upon themselves to balance this, making Monks a far more enjoyable melee class. Yet again,all three Monk subclasseshave exciting elements that make them fun to play; the Way of the Open Hand is one of the greatest, as it adds more power to the various actions a Monk can use during their turn. At later levels, this includes a Ki Resonation: Blast, which has the possibility of causing enemies to explode.
6Bard
A Support Spellcaster With Melee Potential
Players looking for a class that can mix both magic and melee should look no further than theBard. This class can be a brilliant support for any team due to their musical gifts, which can inspire the party to do better. Besides, creating various tunes throughthe subclass of College of Swordswill allow a player to be far more aggressive in combat.
The Bard can be a jack of all trades, as they specialize in different skills. This can arguably make a first run of the game much easier for some players while creating quite a charismatic character at the same time. Although College of Swords was mentioned, the best of the three subclasses goes to College of Valour. It is a great mix of deadly spells and brutal swords, which is almost a happy middle of the two other subclasses. ThoughVicious Mockerywill always be one of the best cantrips for any Bard to use, as well as many of the usual magic options, such asHold Person.
Musical Instrument & Pick any three skills
5Wizard
Spellcasters With The Potential To Control Or Deal Immense Damage
TheWizardclass is another spellcaster that has piqued many players' interest inBaldur’s Gate 3. Wizards have the most subclasses out of all the main classes. This is because a Wizard can focus on a certain school of magic when deciding what sort of build they are going to use, with some giving the player features to use outside of combat, such as Transmutation Wizards being able to craft two potions instead of one depending on their roll.
Although Wizard is one of the most beloved classes, it is also one of the squishiest. Therefore, players who wish to use a Wizard should eitherhave plenty of healing potionsor keep their character out of harm’s way. The Wizard class has multiple subclasses for the player to choose from. This is because there is a subclass for each school of magic in the game. While Necromancy is interesting to use for those that favorFalse LifeorCreate Undead, Evocation is by far the best for how powerful it becomes at later levels, with it increasing the damage to spells such asFireball.
4Cleric
Support Spells To Keep Control Or Even Protect The Party
Clericis an incredible class that works great not only on its own but alsowhen it is multiclassedwith the other various choices inBaldur’s Gate 3. There is a large assortment of subclasses for the player to pick from when deciding on their Cleric. Out of the seven subclasses, the Life Domain subclass is by far the best, with players healing their allies for more withCure WoundsorPrayer of Healing.
Not only does this allow a player to equip heavy armor for better defense, but it also permits the user to heal themselves and their party members while defending them from foes. Players can essentiallybecome the battle medicof their dreams or something a lot more aggressive, depending on their Domain of choice, with each subclass having its own interesting quirk to make each and every one of them different.
3Fighter
Incredibly Versatile With A Focus On Defending
Returning to predominantly melee classes, theFighteris a great option for any player who wishes to be at the center of combat. Lae’zel will likely take this role for many players inBaldur’s Gate 3, but that doesn’t stop them from also trying the class in their own build. While it may appear to be one of the most basic choices, Fighters can multi-attack.
By being able to attack twice during a turn, players are more likely to defeat an enemy before any serious damage can be done to them in return. Action Surge is another Fighter ability that then allows them to hit another two times during their turn. Champion may be the most straightforward of the subclasses available, but it allows the player to adventure as the classic Fighter in any adventure tale. With improved critical hit chances, Fighters are likely to hit their mark. Although some players mayfind interest in Eldritch Knightdue to having access to basic spells and cantrips likeFire Bolt.
Pick two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, & Survival
