Baldur’s Gate 3 Class Guide: Which Class is best for you?

Baldur’s Gate 3, the mega-RPG based on the Dungeons & Dragons system, is finally coming out of a long Early Access period tomorrow on PC. The highly-anticipated game brings the tabletop game to screens in the most faithful way possible, carefully adapting most gameplay elements to the virtual format. One of the best parts about Dungeons & Dragons is creating a character, including picking their class. Here’s which class players should pick based on their playstyle.

Classes in Dungeons & Dragons are like jobs, determining in part what actions a character is best at, what abilities they have access to and what weapons they are proficient at using. Selecting their character’s class is one of the first choices players will have to make when creating their custom character in Baldur’s Gate 3 should they decide to forego one of the preset ones developers Larian have created specifically for the game.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Which Class to Pick

At launch, Baldur’s Gate 3 will have 12 classes to pick from. These are:

1. Barbarian
2. Bard
3. Cleric
4. Druid
5. Fighter
6. Monk
7. Paladin
8. Ranger
9. Rogue
10. Sorcerer
11. Warlock
12. Wizard

The high level of customization available in Dungeons & Dragons means that generally, each class is powerful enough on its own to avoid being overshadowed by other classes. Historically, the Monk and Ranger classes have been viewed as weak by pen-and-paper players, but Larian has said that they are making changes to classes with the aim to buff those specifically.

Players seeking to maximize their damage using weapons should look first at Fighters, Barbarians and Rogues. Fighters are straightforward combat experts who can deal heavy damage in melee and at range thanks to having multiple attacks per turn. Fighters can also specialize in scoring critical hits against enemies or in special combat maneuvers like feints and disarms. Barbarians, on the other hand, are primal, tanky brawlers with the ability to enter a rage state, attacking ferociously and savagely. Rogues specialize in sneak attacks and fighting dirty to score bonus damage on unaware enemies, and are also nimble and proficient in theft. Rogues can work from range or in melee, so long as they work from the shadows.

Players who want to focus on magic damage should consider the Wizard, Warlock and Sorcerer classes. The Wizard class has an expansive spellbook to draw from, but is weak with weapons and is fragile, making them a glass cannon. Wizards can also specialize in schools of magic, like Necromancy, empowering one type of magic. Warlocks get magic powers thanks to a deal with a powerful entity known as their patron. Warlocks have fewer spell choices but regain their ability to cast them after every short rest. Sorcerers have magic in their blood, drawing from draconic or other ancestry to leverage their powers.

Support classes include the Bard, Cleric and Paladin. Bards are musical adepts who can cast debuffs on enemies and buffs on allies. Clerics are proficient in healing but can also disrupt enemies. They are also no strangers to dispatching enemies with a solid blow to the head. Paladins are tanky and can leverage their faith to inflict righteous vengeance on enemies, smiting them in blasts of holy light. Paladins also have an oath that binds them to a higher power that, when broken, totally changes their character.

Druid, Ranger, and Monk are classes for people looking for a different style of gameplay. Druids call on nature to cast magic spells, and also have the ability to transform into animals. Rangers are survivalists who thrive at long range, using bows to take down enemies. Rangers are receiving some changes in Baldur’s Gate 3 to bring them in line with other classes, with revamps to abilities like selecting favored enemies. Monks are melee fighters who use internal energy called ki to disrupt enemies and enhance their own combat prowess. Monks are fast, light and often carry no weapons at all. Though not available in Early Access, they will be present in the full game in revamped form.

That’s a breakdown of all the classes that will be in Baldur’s Gate 3 when it releases August 3. Which one will you choose?