Baldur's Gate 3 offers an impressive selection of races, classes, and subclasses from the Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition rulebook. Of all these options, few are more classically DnD than the Fighter class, a martial master of arms capable of wielding any weapon with deadly effect in Baldur's Gate 3.
A common misconception about the Fighter class in Dungeons and Dragons is that its simplicity makes it a "tutorial" class. However, the Fighter is actually the most versatile martial class in the system, and can be built and played in many different ways. The heavily-armored knight with shield and flail, the agile fencing master, deadly with a rapier, the sharpshooter archer who can strike an enemy's weapon from their hand with a well-placed arrow, all can be built using the Fighter class.
Baldur's Gate 3: Fighter Roleplay Features
Fighters are masters of arms and armor, able to wield any Baldur's Gate 3 weapon with skill and comfortable in the heaviest plate. However, when a player creates a Fighter they are given several options that allow them to specialize in a specific combat technique or weapon, and at level 3 they gain a subclass to further customize their own style. With few Skill Proficiencies and no out-of-combat abilities, these choices are core to a Fighter's roleplay identity. There's a huge difference between a hulking Strength-based Champion in heavy armor and a dextrous, intelligent Eldritch Knight who weaves magic and martial skill on the battlefield.
Because Fighters generally only need high Strength or Dexterity, as well as some Constitution to keep them alive, they often have a few points left over to spend as they like in the mental Ability Scores. This freedom is almost unique to the Fighter, as most other classes require either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma to power their features. Instead, Fighters can choose to put their spare points into Charisma to build a charming Bard-like adventurer, into Intelligence to combine their martial skill with a good education, or into Wisdom to make a perceptive character who sees through lies and traps alike.
Baldur's Gate 3: Fighter Gameplay Features
As the name suggests, there's nowhere that Fighters feel more at home than on the battlefield. Depending on their build they can fill a tank or DPS role in Baldur's Gate 3, and specialize in melee or ranged combat. Their Second Wind feature makes them one of the most self-sufficient classes, able to heal themselves mid-combat, and their powerful Action Surge allows them to get more done in a single turn than any other class.
While the Fighter's choice of Fighting Style will help to define how they play in combat, it's their subclass that will truly decide their build. The Fighter has three subclasses to choose from in Baldur's Gate 3, each with its own unique flavor:
- Battle Master
- The technique-focused Battle Master is one of the most popular Fighter subclasses in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, and offers players a selection of Battle Maneuvers that they can use to enhance their attacks. These Maneuvers range from disarming enemies to granting temporary HP to allies, and can be performed multiple times per Short Rest.
- Eldritch Knight
- The magic-focused Eldritch Knight enhances the Fighter with a little spellcasting, allowing them access to limited selection of cantrips and spells from the Wizard list. Although they only get access to 1st and 2nd level Spell Slots in Baldur's Gate 3, an Eldritch Knight can still use their magic to expand their opportunities both in and out of combat. Eldritch Knights use Intelligence as their spellcasting modifier.
- Champion
- The damage-focused Champion enhances the Fighter's natural talents, doubling their chances of inflicting a critical hit, enabling them to perform superhuman athletic feats, and granting a second Fighting Style.
Whichever Fighter subclass players pick in Baldur's Gate 3, they can be sure that their character will remain a linchpin of the party on the battlefield. The Fighter's self-sufficiency is enough to carry it through the toughest battles, and its flexible approach to mental Ability Scores means that players get to choose what their Fighter excels at when the swords are sheathed.
Baldur's Gate 3 comes out on August 3 on PC and September 6 on PS5.