Baldur’s Gate 3: An overview of all 46 (sub)classes and what they can do

The huge selection of classes and subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 is overwhelming. We provide you with an overview and explain their abilities.

In the first moment, as a role-playing game fan, you are always happy as soon as heaps of selectable classes are announced. But then you suddenly find yourself standing in front of a mountain like an ox and simply can’t decide on the right class.

Baldur’s Gate 3 also offers an intimidating number of classes, and it’s quite a challenge to find your way through them all. We want to help you decide and have taken the DnD 5 Player’s Handbook to give you more details about all 12 classes and their 46 subclasses.

Quick Navigation:

• Barbar
• Bard
• Druid
• Witch Master
• Fighter
• Cleric
• Mage
• Monk
• Paladin
• Rascal
• Ranger
• Wizard

barbarian

Barbarians are simple-minded warriors who excel in immense strength, toughness, and uncanny fury. Barbarians hit especially hard in close combat and can dish out extremely powerful critical hits. They are usually not gifted with magic, but thanks to their light armour they are surprisingly fast.

At level 3, barbarians choose their subclass:

• Path of the Berserker: Berserkers are merciless fighting machines completely given to frenzy. They have the most powerful battle frenzy of all barbarians and can strike more often as a result. They are also almost impossible to charm or scare.
• Wild Heart Path: In the chest of the Wildheart Barbarians beats the heart of an animal you can choose. You can choose from bear, eagle, elk, tiger or wolf. Depending on the animal you choose, you get different abilities.
• Wild Magic Path: If you like it chaotic, you can choose the Wild Magic Path. Then your barbarian has uncontrollable magic that is triggered by his frenzy and has random effects.

Bard

Bards are true all-purpose weapons and can go stealthy as well as cast spells or fight. They draw their power from music and are able to inspire their companions. They also learn spells from other classes.

At level 3, bards choose their subclass:

• School of Knowledge: These bards are clever and articulate. They can irritate their opponents in battle and learn even more spells from other classes.
• School of Daring: These bards are better fighters and can handle more weapons. They also attack more often and are better at protecting their companions from damage or helping them out with damage.
• School of the Sword: Sword bards are excellent duelists and exceptionally use their inspiration to improve their own fighting skills.

Druid

Druids are wise nature wizards who are skilled in both healing and offensive spellcasting. Their elemental sorcery is particularly powerful, harnessing water, fire, earth and air. Druids are also famous for being able to transform into animals with ease.

At level 2, Druids choose their subclass:

• Circle of the Land: These druids have a special connection to the environment and can quickly recover their spells. They learn additional spells depending on their choice of preferred land.
• Circle of the Moon: These druids protect untamed nature and are outstanding shapeshifters. They have advantages in animal or later elemental form.
• Circle of Spores: These strange druids see the beauty of decay and have a connection to fungi. They additionally possess some necromantic spells and spray poisonous spores.

Witch Master

All warlocks have made some sort of pact with a supernatural being who, in return, endows them with magical abilities. They cast their spells quite idiosyncratically, as they don’t have many spells but get them all back after a short rest. Also, they don’t have to worry about spell levels.

At level 1, warlocks choose their subclass

• The Arch Fairy: You have made a pact with a powerful fairy. This mainly gives you the ability to glamour your opponents more easily and provides spells from the fairy realm.
• The Great Old One: You have a Cthulhu-like patron who defies the perception of reality. Abilities granted include telepathy and protection from same.
• The Fiend: You have truly made a pact with the devil, granting you infernal powers. You get life when you kill enemies or luck to just escape.

Fighter

Fighters are mainly profane … Fighters who overcome their opponents with sheer skill at arms. But this does not only include close combatants! Fighters can master any weapon, even bows or … er, throwing arrows. This class is very versatile, even without magic.

At level 3, fighters choose their subclass

• Champion: These fighters are physically in top form and outstanding athletes. They knock out critical hits more often and master two fighting styles.
• Fightmaster: These warriors are not only skilled, but also educated. They learn special fighting manoeuvres and can study opponents to learn their stats.
• Mystical Knight: If mundane tools of war are not enough, you can also add a little magic. You learn various spells and how to combine them with your weapon.

Cleric

Clerics are characterised by their belief in their deity. Depending on the god, not only does the cleric’s spell list vary, their morals are also coloured by it. While they are mostly the classic healers, they can also master many other forms of magic. All clerics are also good counters against undead.

At level 1, clerics choose their subclass

• Domain of Life: These clerics are among the best healers in the entire game.
• Domain of Light: These clerics deal damage to enemies with fire or protect others with light.
• Domain of Cunning: These clerics are thieves and masters of pranks, duplicating or even merging with shadows.
• Domain of Nature: These clerics bear resemblance to druids and can influence plants or animals.
• Domain of the Storm: These clerics embody the storm and hurl lightning or wind at their enemies.
• Domain of Knowledge: These clerics know about everything and everyone and can even read minds.
• Domain of War: These clerics are potent fighters and can also help their allies launch powerful attacks.

Mage

Magicians are the classic spell casters. Men and women in long cloaks and optional long beards. They are primarily scholars and seekers of knowledge, constantly increasing their arsenal of spells and specialising in particular areas of magic.

At level 2, mages choose their subclass

• School of Banishing Magic: These mages are gifted at protecting themselves or others from harm.
• School of Summoning: These mages summon creatures or animate objects.
• School of Cognition Magic: These mages can see into the future or otherwise improve their perception.
• School of Evocation: These battle mages invoke the power of the elements.
• School of Illusion: These mages excel at illusion and deception.
• School of Necromancy: These mages are especially good at bringing the undead back to life.
• School of Enchantment: These mages manipulate the mind and draw enemies to their side.
• School of Transmutation: These mages transform themselves or other things into something new.

Monk

Monks are skilled close combatants who often attack without weapons or with staffs. They are trained in such a way that they can use their inner ki to trigger special effects. These include things like catching arrows, stunning opponents or running particularly fast.

At level 3, monks choose their subclass

• The Way of the Open Hand: Monks from these monasteries are masterful martial artists, but also level-headed and disciplined. They can manipulate the ki of their opponents, or heal themselves.
• The Way of the Four Elements: Those who belong to this monastic tradition use the power of ki to unleash elemental forces. They can unleash gusts of wind or peals of thunder with their strikes and even cast elemental spells.
• Way of Shadow: These monks are basically true ninjas who rely on stealth and ambush. They move through shadows or cast certain darkness spells.

Paladin

Paladins are divine warriors known primarily for their extremely strong sense of justice. They stand up for order, the law or good. They are equipped melee fighters, but also cast divine spells and are thus also useful as healers.

At level 3, paladins choose their subclass

• The Oath of the Ancients: These paladins swear by the light of the ancient peoples and stand to preserve nature. They can cast light powers and summon the power of nature.
• Oath of Devotion: These are the classic paladins who stand up for good and justice and will do anything to bring unholy enemies to their knees, against which they are particularly effective.
• Oath of Vengeance: These paladins exact vengeance on all who have done wrong and use their rage to fuel themselves in battle or go after enemies.
• Oathbreaker: Attention! This subclass cannot be chosen. You only become an Oathbreaker when you violate the ideals of your Paladin in the game. You are then a dark paladin who knows no mercy.

Villain

Villains are cunning thieves, assassins or players who use cunning to gain an advantage. They are particularly agile and can open locks or disarm traps at any time. In combat, they are most effective when they strike from ambush.

At level 3, rogues choose their subclass

• Arcane Deceiver: If you can also cast spells as a thief, you become an Arcane Deceiver and use your sorcery to mislead enemies or gain entry unseen.
• Assassin: As trained assassins, their focus is on suddenly striking down unsuspecting opponents. They are also good at impersonating other people.
• Thief: These rogues are physically very skilled and can perform quick actions in combat, climbing up basically anywhere.

Ranger

Rangers are nature-loving hunters who combine their skills with magic and feel at home anywhere outdoors. They also use their talents to hunt special enemies and know how to use many weapons.

At level 3, Rangers choose their subclass

• Lord of the Beasts: These rangers are given a familiar, an animal that accompanies them into every battle.
• Hunter: These rangers are extremely skilled fighters who can inflict great damage in close or long range combat and are very difficult to catch.
• Gloom Stalker: Such Rangers prefer to stay in dark places and lurk until their prey falls into the trap. They are effective at ambush and can also see in the dark.

Wizard

Unlike magicians, wizards are endowed with magical powers from birth. They have a powerful ancestral lineage that can be traced back to a magical being. They are able to dynamically alter many spells to manipulate their effects.

At level 1, wizards choose their subclass

• Dragon bloodline: Such wizards come from a family that has procreated with dragons. Depending on the dragon, such wizards gain other abilities, such as lightning or fire odem.
• Wild Magic: These beings have been touched by pure magic and sometimes fall victim to chaotic effects. Spells can always have absurd side effects, but over time they also learn to control chaos.
• Storm magic: These wizards are imbued with the power of wind magic and can use it to fly or manipulate the weather, for example.

These are all the classes and subclasses that will be available in Baldur’s Gate 3 at release. It is not known whether more will be added as DLC.

Were we able to help you choose a class for Baldur’s Gate 3, or are you even more indecisive now? Which class do you like best and are there any DnD classes you would still like to see in Baldur’s Gate 3? Which race would you also like to choose in addition to your class?
Write it in the comments!