Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Classes: Class Tier List

What's the best class to play as in Baldur's Gate 3?

Baldur's Gate 3 class tier list cover

Baldur’s Gate 3 has so many different classes to choose from that you may be spending a long time staring at the Character Creation screen. Each class have their own strengths and weaknesses, with others having more utility and thrive in the deadly environment of the game. To give you an idea of how good a class is to play as, we made this tier list that ranks each class in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Class Tier List

Tier

Classes

S

Paladin, Sorcerer

A

Wizard, Fighter, Barbarian

B

Monk, Warlock, Rogue, Druid

C

Bard, Ranger, Cleric

Picking a class in Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t just about having abilities unique to that class. Depending on your class, it will also open up exclusive dialogue options that you wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. You may be able to convince certain characters as a particular class that you normally wouldn’t be able to unless you pass the dice roll.

Along with the primary class of your choice, you’ll also have subclasses to pick that are unique in each class. Warlocks, for example, can choose to pact with a specific being to give them access to powerful new spells. Fighters can choose to specialize in a fighting style that gives them bonus damage by using certain weapons.

With 12 classes in total, Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t lacking in diversity whatsoever. Since you have so much choices for what you want to be, this does come with some debate for which class is better than others. Some classes are easier to learn and others can be situational, so we made this tier list to show you where each class should stand.

S-Tier Classes

Paladin

The Paladin is a tank that can both support and heal allies. Not only that but thanks to their ability to handle heavy armor they can safely fight in the front lines and have abilities that allow to deal AOE damage with Divine Smite. which allows them to boost the damage they done especially against the undead. Because of their high ability to perform in combat while keeping their teammates alive, they earn their spot in the S-Tier.

Sorcerer

One of the more complex spellcasters to play as, the Sorcerer does have more powerful spell options compared to the Wizard and Warlock. The price is that it doesn’t have as much Spell Slots compared to the other two. If you’re looking to play as an offensive mage, then the Sorcerer is second to none when it comes to dealing damage. Sorcerers can have links to Dragon Ancestry that give them more control over their own magic. Or become even more unpredictable with Wild Magic. With Sorcery Points, Sorcerers can modify their spells to becoming even more powerful making them the best spellcasters around.

A-Tier Classes

Wizard

Wizard has the most variety in spells compared to Sorcerers and Warlocks but they do have a large learning curve. They’re very complicated to play as but if you’re willing to invest in some time into them you’ll quickly be overwhelmed by the amount of spells at their disposal. The reason why the Wizard is so high on this tier list is because of how many builds you can make with this class. You can buff allies, debuff enemies, cast powerful high damaging spells, and etc. In comparison to other spellcasters, the Wizard has the most number of subclasses allowing you access to powerful builds.

Fighter

The Fighter is your jack-of-all-trades that doesn’t quite specialize in anything but knows how to use everything. Being able to wield any weapon and equip any armor, Fighters can be very diverse. You can even pick their own fighting style so that they specialize in playing a certain way. They have so much high damage potential, being capable of attacking two times in one turn alone. Despite their capabilities in wielding weapons, they still don’t have access to spells but that doesn’t slow them down one bit.

Barbarian

If you want a frontline berserker then you’re going to want to pick the Barbarian. In terms of pure, raw damage the Barbarian outclasses the Fighter. They can even perform with or without any heavy armor thanks to Rage allowing them to soak up a large amount of damage. The downside is that the Barbarian is a purely melee class with no ranged options. Depending on the environment you’re fighting in, this could severely limit what they can do.

B-Tier Classes

Monk

Monk is the new kid around the block, being a new class to the Baldur’s Gate franchise as a whole. Like what you’d expect this class is all about martial arts and they have a variety of subclasses to pick that gives you more options than what you’d expect. The Monk uses a unique resourced called Ki which they use to gain access to their abilities. Compared to other melee fighters, the Monk is more dexterous while still maintaining a high damage potential. You’ll definitely find a hard time finding someone who disagrees that punching fantastical creatures in the face isn’t fun.

Warlock

What makes Warlocks different from the other spellcasters is their pacts which allow them access to new spells that normally wouldn’t be available. With Eldritch Invocations, they can buff the spells they already have or gain abilities far beyond what a normal spellcaster should have. Playing as a Warlock is fun and has unique mechanics to them that doesn’t tie them to their Spell Slots like a Wizard would. The downside is that they don’t have as many spells even with their subclasses and pacts.

Rogue

The sneaky Rogue offers high damage and high mobility making them suited for flanking enemies. The tradeoff is that a good Rogue will often require the assistance of their teammates before they can get themselves into a good position to deal fatal damage. Because of this, Rogues can be a bit situational and have a deep learning curve before you can maximize this class’s true potential.

Druid

As a shapeshifter, the Druid is flexible and has access to multiple forms that give them different abilities. They also have a lot of spells under their disposal giving them a lot of potential towards damage dealing and crowd control. Compared to the other spellcasters, Druids can be a considered a more aggressive option since their shapeshifting allows them to take and dish out damage you normally wouldn’t be able to as a Wizard or Sorcerer. The tradeoff is that this class can be hard to master.

C-Tier Classes

Bard

If you’re familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, then you already know the Bard is your smooth talking charismatic little flirt who can charm the pants off of anyone. And in Baldur’s Gate 3, having the ability to convince others to see things your way can turn almost every situation to your favor. The only issue is that Bards are hard to play and in combat they do suffer from a lack of combat related abilities.

Ranger

Just like their namesakes, the Ranger specializes in fighting at a distance. Aside from that, you’ll find this class using nature related skills. There are a lot of notable benefits that you can choose for the Ranger on character creation such as specific elemental resistances and they can summon an animal companion to help them fight. However they can be squishy and they’re lack of close quarters combat options can put them behind the Fighter.

Cleric

When you need a dedicated healer, call a Cleric. This class specializes in supporting their allies and keeping them in fighting condition. In a war of attrition, you can’t go without a Cleric. However you’re only limited to four party members and a Cleric is hard set to be at the backlines providing support. This may not be the most fun class to play which you may be more inclined to play as a Paladin which has more offensive potential while being able to heal their allies.

Senior Editor