Baldur's Gate 3: 10 Best Classes For Beginners (2024)

Baldur's Gate 3 offers 12 classes and 45 subclasses with thousands of combinations and the ability to multiclass. With the addition of unique mechanics outside the rules of , even experienced players have a hard time deciding which class to choose.

The best classes for those unfamiliar with previous Baldur's Gate games and D&D have a singular focus and don't force you to consider choices that require advanced knowledge to succeed. While you might not want to overlap skills and abilities with any origin characters, there are a few things to consider when choosing your first class in Baldur's Gate 3.

Updated August 7, 2024, by Matthew Cochran: With the ever-rising popularity of both D&D and Baldur's Gate 3, more and more new fans are being treated to the peak of high fantasy in many different forms. Surprisingly, Larian Studios continues to push out content updates that do more than just patch bugs and fixes but add new cutscenes, game modes, story endings, and more. This also means that the starting classes will be less difficult to manage than they were on release, with less knowledge of later acts and half-full or even empty wikis. Especially if you plan to play a villain for the new evil endings, your starting class might be more important than you think.

10 Fighter

Fighter is the most recommended class for beginners in both Baldur's Gate 3 and Dungeons & Dragons for being especially effective while staying relatively simple. While fighters are really only useful in combat situations, there are many ways to go about how you engage in combat, depending on which fighting styles and feats you choose to pair with the class.

Out of the three Fighter subclasses, Champion allows you to focus on being the most effective damage dealer without relying on spells or complicated maneuvers. The biggest decision you will probably make with Fighter is whether you will focus on Dexterity or Strength, as it will also affect how you interact with the world. Dexterity for ranged and finesse weapons, and Strength for all other kinds.

9 Wizard

Wizard seems complicated at first with the huge list of spells to choose from, but it is actually simple when compared to the other spellcasters, especially because Wizards have an easier time maintaining and managing spell slots while not having to rely on metamagic combinations. You will also not have to worry too much about which spells to choose from, as Wizards are able to learn new spells easily and will likely always have something for every situation.

The hardest choice you will have to make is which subclass to choose, as Wizards have the highest number of options. Since each subclass is related to spell schools, focus on the one that has spells best suited for your role in the party.

8 Rogue

Rogue is a martial-focused class that might seem underwhelming at first, but they can actually be the one dealing the most damage. Since the main focus of the Rogue is being able to make one devastating attack each turn, it will allow you to focus on building a character with that single goal in mind.

You will also not have to consider weighing too many options in terms of magic weapons and armor, as the Rogue's proficiency list is relatively small and will help you when choosing magical effects that benefit your sneak attack. If your party lacks spellcasters, then choose Arcane Trickster as your subclass at level three so that you can apply your character to non-combat objectives and exploration.

7 Ranger

Ranger is similar to Warlock in that both focus on having a mix of martial expertise and unique spells. Although, Rangers will require less ability tinkering and knowledge of options at future levels to optimize right away.

If you are worried about not being strong enough in combat, the Beast Master ranger will give you access to an additional controllable character, which means more actions and another target for your enemies to focus on. You can also control your beast to fly to hard-to-reach locations and interact with objects that would require out-of-the-box thinking otherwise.

6 Druid

Druids are perfect for players who want to be tanky while also putting out some damage. While Druids are a mix of spellcasting and martial combat, the two are more separate and don't require mixing and matching to make esoteric combos. Since your wild-shape feature gives you an additional health pool, after you are knocked to zero, you transform back into your humanoid shape, allowing you to be in danger without the risk of using a revive scroll.

The only thing you will have to be wary of as a Druid is which spells to choose, as they include a healthy mix of combat-focused and support-based. However, this choice is easier when comparing them to the other members of your party and making sure to include what they are lacking.

5 Barbarian

Barbarians are a combat-focused mix between Rogue and Fighter in that they have a little more versatility than a rogue but are more focused than Fighter. Since their main ability is a limited use Rage, Barbarian's biggest challenge is ensuring it stays up as long as possible and knowing which situations to hold off using it.

Barbarians also don't require armor as they have an innate bonus while not wearing any. This will help early on when you are saving coin or deciding who gets what armor. Later on, when you get the hang of proficiencies and armor types, you can improve your Barbarian's armor class.

4 Cleric

Clerics are best made for support roles and have spells that focus on healing and buffing party members while also having enough combat ability to stay alive in fights. Clerics also have enough versatility that if you wanted to shift to a more combat role or use spells that deal damage, then there are multiple subclasses to choose from that lean less supportive.

If you want to focus on buffing and healing your party, the Life and Nature domains will have spells and abilities that are best suited for that role. Clerics are also best suited for role-players as their class gives them inherent purpose in the story and loads of unique dialogue.

3 Bard

Bards are a versatile support class that can fill many roles at once, depending on the chosen subclass and accompanying items. Although the many options for Bard can be confusing at times, the use of Bard Inspiration and a focus on support spells makes leveling and gameplay simple.

Bards also benefit from high Charisma scores and the Expertise skill, which can make it especially easy to succeed in dialogue checks like Persuasion and Deception. If you want to make sure your character stands out from the rest, Bards will go a long way to ensure you do.

2 Warlock

While Warlock can look like a confusing mess of building blocks at first, it's important to remember there are no wrong choices. While knowing what lies ahead can help you make optimal invocation and spell choices, having powerful cantrips and refreshed spell slots on short rests is always useful.

The only difficult choice to make with Warlocks is the Pact Boon, which can be a source of regret in future acts, depending on your preferred playstyle. Otherwise, Warlock is a fun class with a ton of less-than-obvious features that make them interesting to explore.

1 Sorcerer

For those looking to create their own fun or just have a class that gives you a small list of amazing abilities, Sorcerer is a great spellcasting class to explore. If you want to focus on causing chaos and playing one of the most fun subclasses in the game, Wild Magic constantly supplies this.

The other two subclasses, Draconic Bloodline and Storm Sorcery are both built for utility through straightforward yet strong abilities. The hardest part of Sorcerer is the Metamagic options, which require a bit of foresight, but reading each one makes it obvious how they affect your spells.