Players fond of CRPGs will remember the Baldur’s Gate series for their compelling storylines and wonderful cast of characters, and Baldur’s Gate 3 brings the same character-focused flavor to modern screens. This time around, players encounter various survivors who escaped a recent skirmish against mind flayer invaders from Faerun. Not only that, all of them have to eliminate illithid tadpoles inside of them before transforming into mind flayers themselves.
However, Baldur’s Gate players who want to make optimized parties may want to rely on the game’s strongest Baldur's Gate 3 companions to help them save the day. Thing is, just how does each companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 fare in the context of specific builds?
Updated on January 8, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam: With Larian Studios giving Baldur’s Gate 3 an August 2022 release date, fans of Dungeons & Dragons may be delighted in setting up their existing characters in the existing playtest version. While they’re free to set up companion characters such as Lae’zel, Astarion, Wyll, Shadowheart, and Gale with their favorite D&D classes, some players may want to know just which classes work for these characters. As it turns out, a lot of these companions work best with their original classes, with tinkering here and there transforming them into absolute juggernauts.
5 Shadowheart: Healing Mastery
- Abilities: STR 12, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 16, CHA 10
- Starting Proficiencies: Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Religion, Insight
Despite her name, Shadowheart is a High Half-Elf Cleric of the Trickery Domain, serving Shar as one of its dark disciples. Due to her training, she boasts Wisdom 16 for her spellcasting, and decent Constitution 14 for defense, and Dexterity 14 for combat, allowing her to wield Simple Melee Weapons should the need for close combat arise with her Baldur’s Gate 3 builds.
Had this been about the most practical companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 gameplay, Shadowheart would easily dominate for her sheer utility. After all, her Cleric Class allows her not just to heal but also to support her team from the backline. Her presence can guarantee the survival of the team. Unfortunately, her lack of combat options means she’s not an ideal member to include on the front lines. Her damage output alone doesn’t necessarily make her a contender for the strongest companion, with the role reserved for her more combative counterparts.
Recommended Shadowheart Build: Cleric, Trickery Domain
When acquired as a companion, Shadowheart begins as a Cleric of the Trickery Domain by default, and this is also her ideal build versus other suggestions for Baldur’s Gate 3 classes like the Bard. While the initial perception towards the Cleric is that of a healer, Shadowheart doesn’t necessarily need to remain on the sidelines if her Cleric’s abilities are used properly.
For instance, Shadowheart can easily cast Shield of Faith and Mirror Image at Level 4, quickly making her one of the most formidable tanks. At its core, Shield of Faith gives its caster additional 2 AC. Meanwhile, Mirror Image not only offers players three (3) duplicates for distractions, but each of those distractions gives another 3 AC.
4 Wyll: Magic, Melee Flexibility
- Abilities: STR 9, DEX 13, CON 15, INT 14, WIS 11, CHA 16
- Starting Proficiencies: Arcana, History, Intimidation, Persuasion
At first glance, Wyll is a renowned hero in the land of Faerun. In truth, he is a Warlock of the Fiend Pact that made a deal with a succubus in exchange for power. Thankfully, the power he’s received did indeed make him rather competent in combat, allowing him to boast Charisma 16 and Intelligence 14 for his spellcasting, Constitution 15 for his durability, and Dexterity 13 to let him handle ranged combat.
Contrary to the spellcasting Gale, Wyllis a tried and true Warlock in Baldur’s Gate 3, having access to a wealth of debilitating spells with the Constitution to help him outlast his foes. While his build as a Warlock means Wyll won’t be attacking in melee any time soon, his impressive durability allows him to at least become the last line of defense before the backline. His access to both damaging and debuff-inducing spells from D&D allows him to play with the battlefield in a more damaging manner compared to Gale. Unfortunately, his lack of a true “specialization” means his damage output isn’t always as optimal on the get-go.
Recommended Wyll Build: Warlock, The Fiend
Being connected to mysterious horrors is something that perfectly matches Wyll’s backstory, making the Warlock, the Fiend a perfect build for him. However, aside from being fit in terms of story relevance, the Fiend also matches Wyll in terms of overall efficiency.
To make the most out of this build, players should secure the ability to add their CHA Mod (Agonizing Blast) or a 4.5-meter push (Repelling Blast) to their Eldritch Blast to diversify its use in combat further. He can also help make the fight more challenging for foes by inflicting Disadvantage on a specific Ability Check and dealing additional damage to them (Hex), and a set of rays that deal nifty 2d6 Fire damage each (Scorching Ray). When paired with a ranged Baldur’s Gate 3 weapon, Wyll can become nigh-untouchable.
3 Gale: Magic Domination
- Abilities: STR 9, DEX 14, CON 15, INT 16, WIS 11, CHA 13
- Starting Proficiencies: Arcana, History, Investigation, Insight
With a Netherese Destruction Orb in his chest threatening the destruction of both Gale and perhaps a city full of people, this Wizard of the Sage background may have to forego his obsession with becoming Faerun’s greatest spellcaster for the sake of survival. Moreover, his specialty in Investigation and Insight allows him to peer through things that are usually hard to understand - which is helpful in tricky combat encounters. His nature as a prodigy becomes quite apparent at the onset, boasting Intelligence 16, Dexterity 14, and a surprisingly high Constitution at 16.
One might think that the glass cannon nature of Galemakes him an unideal strong character to place beside his companions. However, his versatility as a Wizard from D&D and sheer firepower with magic allow him to dominate damage numbers with the right setup, especially against fiercer Baldur’s Gate 3 enemies. His spells offer a lot of options against various creatures, and his Cantrips afford him continuous damage should his spell slots run out.
Recommended Gale Build: Wizard, Abjuration School
When it comes to the almighty spellcaster Gale, one would think his Wizard would tap into Fireballs as soon as possible with the Evocation School. However, in the overall meta of Baldur’s Gate 3, Gale might be better off with the Wizard, Abjuration School build instead. To recall, the Abjuration School focuses on providing the caster and their Baldur’s Gate 3 allies with the best protection from some of the most brutal damage in the game.
More specifically, Abjuration School combined with the Armour of Agathys can provide players with 10 Temporary Hit Points alongside a unique ability that lets players do 10 Cold Damage to attackers whenever any of those Hit Points get damaged, practically punishing melee combatants who try to take Gale out of commission.
2 Lae’Zel: Tanking Specialist
- Abilities: STR 17, DEX 13, CON 14, INT 11, WIS 12, CHA 8
- Starting Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Intimidation, Survival
Trained specifically to fight illithids, Lae’Zel is a Githyanki Fighter of the Soldier background that knows exactly what she is doing. Her Skill specializations in Athletics and Acrobatics mean she can easily traverse obstacles to reach her foes. Moreover, her Great Weapon Fighting Style allows her to equip two-handed weapons in the game, giving her access to some of the largest damage pools from the get-go. Her most noteworthy stats are Strength 17, Dexterity 13, and Constitution 14, giving her both the durability and the skillset needed to handle combat across all ranges. This kit makes Lae’Zel an ideal frontliner in Baldur’s Gate 3 setups that want to focus on intense close-quarters combat.
As a Fighter, Lae’zelis probably one of the fiercest combatants in Baldur’s Gate 3. Boasting mastery over a wide variety of weapons, Lae’Zel can easily eliminate her foes should they become unfortunate enough to get in her way. Perhaps Lae’Zel’s biggest setback is the distance component, where her lack of movement speed means having to spend a lot of time getting close to foes. In turn, one wrong move can have Lae’Zel surrounded with no way out. However, in situations where Lae’Zel is attacked, she can easily wreak havoc with her arsenal.
Recommended Lae’zel Build: Fighter, Battle Master
An easy choice of a build for the aggressive Lae’zel would be the Fighter, Battle Master, especially due to her naturally-high STR Attribute, as well as above-average DEX and CON. Unlike other class choices like the stalwart Baldur’s Gate 3 Paladin, Lae’zel as a Battle Master grants her access to decent combat options early on in the game.
For instance, at Level 4, Lae’zel’s access to class features such as Menacing Attack, Rally, and Riposte allows her to maneuver the battlefield much more efficiently. Not to mention, having access to these convenient Passives allows Lae’zel to frighten the target (Menacing Attack), give 8 HP to an ally (Rally), and counter an attack with Weapon Damage + 1d8 Piercing (Riposte).
1 Astarion: Combat Versatility
- Abilities: STR 8, DEX 17, CON 14, INT 13, WIS 13, CHA 10
- Starting Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Deception, History, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
Formerly a vampire, Astarion is a High Elf Rogue of the Noble background. However, Baldur’s Gate 3 players should not make the amateur mistake of ignoring him. Despite his rather aristocratic appearance, Astarion hides a peculiar specialty in clandestine endeavors, becoming the team's go-to person for Stealth and even Perception. His most noteworthy stats are Dexterity 17 and Constitution 14, making him a rather decent frontliner should the need arise.
It’s one thing for a Baldur’s Gate 3 companion to dominate combat, and another to be equipped with almost all the right tools to fight any kind of enemy. Moreover, his high Dexterity also allows Astarion to double as a long-distance archer should the need arise, allowing him to adjust to almost any situation. Most importantly, his build as a Rogue allows him to take advantage of Sneak Attacks to rake in those damage numbers, easily making him the best damage dealer in the game.
Recommended Astarion Build: Rogue, Thief
Fit for his innate and mysterious charm, Astarion is suited for the Rogue, Thief build, especially given his naturally-high DEX Attribute. Compared to the other characters and their more flexible combat approach, Astarion as a Thief gives players a clear advantage: massive damage numbers.
Thanks to the Thief having an Extra Bonus action that allows them to do two (2) off-hand attacks in a single turn, Astarion is now capable of attacking three (3) times. This helps more in the context of Rogues that often have DEX as a main stat, making Versatile Baldur’s Gate 3 Weapons such as the Longsword an ideal piece of equipment. In the context of Level 5 gameplay, having the means to attack three (3) times in a single turn can transform Astarion into a boss killer or a mob eraser, depending on whether the attacks are allotted to a single opponent or spread throughout multiple targets.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is currently in early access and is available for the PC.