Baldur's Gate 3 has promised to be one of the most 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 players have already decided which class they deem as being the best.
Larian Studios took heavy inspiration from Dungeons and Dragons for 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. Therefore, this is every class in Baldur's Gate 3 ranked.
12 Barbarian
Although Barbarian finds itself at the bottom of the list for classes, it's still a great class for players to experience for themselves, especially if new to Baldur's Gate. As a prominent melee class, players will be on the front lines dealing with various enemies they face head-on.
Being proficient in a wide range of weaponry also means that players can experiment with the various swords, maces, and axes they find while exploring in Baldur's Gate 3. With their extremely high constitution, players can also be thankful they are likely to survive many encounters too.
11 Ranger
Rangers in the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons have been seen as one of the least-used, least-loved classes out of the many available. Larian took this into consideration when designing the classes for Baldur's Gate 3 to make sure that every 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 to the back, though players can plan some interesting ambushes of foes when needed.
10 Druid
Like Barbarians, Druids were added later into the early access process of Baldur's Gate 3, so some players may have not 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.
Taking a subclass like the Circle of the Moon will 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 nature magic.
9 Paladin
Paladin is another class that wasn't in the game at the start of early access, but was added later into the testing. The Paladin's abilities that allow the player to become the tank for their group. However, what makes it even more interesting is the chance of becoming an Oath Breaker Paladin.
Paladins must take an Oath, which becomes their subclass. If a player does something that is out of character for that Oath, they risk breaking it, which turns them into a different sort of Paladin. This would be fascinating to experiment with in-game for some players.
8 Monk
Players were unable to play the Monk during early access, due to the class only being added with the full release of the title. While many players may have not had a chance to try out the martial class yet, the Monk is an intriguing choice.
At late levels, the Monk in the tabletop Dungeons & Dragons players felt their Qi Points (the resource used by the Monk to use their abilities) were too few. Therefore, Larian Studios took it upon themselves to balance this, making Monks a far more enjoyable melee class.
7 Rogue
Unsurprisingly, the Rogue is another tempting choice for many players in Baldur's Gate 3. Not only does it have its uses outside of combat, such as being the best when it comes to lock picking or pick pocketing, 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 that knows what they're doing. With the subclass Arcane Trickster, players can make this predominantly melee class more versatile through the use of magic.
6 Sorcerer
Although melee classes are interesting and easy to use, the spellcasters of Baldur's Gate 3 are some of the best classes a player can choose from. A Sorcerer's magic comes from their bloodline, allowing them to harness power to defeat their foes.
While they may be unable to stand on the front lines of the battle due to their low health, this doesn't stop the class from being incredibly lethal with three exciting subclasses. Draconic Bloodline is arguably one of the most intriguing options, especially with how it can have a physical change to the player's character.
5 Wizard
The Wizard class is another spellcaster that has piqued players' interest in the RPG title. Wizards have the most subclasses out of all the main classes. This is because the Wizard can focus on a certain school of magic when deciding what sort of Wizard they are going to be.
Although Wizard is one of the most loved classes, it is also one of the squishiest. Therefore, players that wish to use the Wizard should either have plenty of healing potions or keep the character out of harm's way.
4 Fighter
Returning to predominantly melee classes, the Fighter is a great option for any player that wishes to be at the center of combat. Lae'Zel will likely take this role for many players in Baldur's Gate 3, but that doesn't stop an individual from also trying the class.
While it may appear 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 themselves.
3 Bard
Players looking for a class that can mix both magic and melee should look no further than the Bard. This class can be a brilliant support for any team due to its musical gifts, which can inspire the party to do better. Besides, creating various tunes through the subclass of College of Swords will allow a player to be far more aggressive in combat.
The Bard can be quite the jack of all trades as it specializes in being proficient in different skills. This can arguably make a first run of the title much easier for some players, while creating quite the charismatic character.
2 Warlock
Warlocks are similar in Charisma to Bards, and almost as versatile. Although the class has limited spell slots, players will become quickly acquainted with the cantrip Eldritch Blast due to how powerful it becomes while leveling up.
The Pact of the Blade can take will help the Warlock strive to become one of the greatest DPS characters in the party. This has been heavily tweaked for Baldur's Gate 3, to make Warlocks an incredible choice, even for those that wish to multiclass.
1 Cleric
Out of the twelve classes available, players have by far enjoyed Cleric the most. Clerics are another class that has plenty of subclasses for players to choose from, though there aren't as many as Wizard. Certain domains will give a player a certain buff to their playstyle, but Light Domain is arguably the best.
Not only does this allow a player to equip heavy armor for better defense, it also allows the player to heal themselves and their party members while defending them from various foes. Players can essentially become the battle medic of their dreams, or something a lot more aggressive depending on their Domain of choice.
Baldur's Gate 3 is out now on PC with the PlayStation 5 version releasing September 6th.