Jump to content

All Baldur s Gate 3 Ranger Subclasses Ranked: Difference between revisions

From WarhammerWorkshop
mNo edit summary
mNo edit summary
(3 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
<br>Their other leveling choices make them both a controlling force in melee combat and a powerful support from a distance, though most of one's time should be spent on maximizing damage output while in Wild Shape.<br><br>Baldur's Gate 3 allows players to further customize their character via a subclass, selected either at character creation, at level 2 or at level 3, depending on the class. Warlocks choose their subclass during character creation since their subclass indicates what kind of being they made a pact with in exchange for their power. Be it a Fiend, Archfey, or Great Old One, their powers are sourced from dangerous creatures with ulterior motives.<br><br>Goolocks also get the spell options "Dissonant Whispers" and "Tasha's Hideous Laughter" at level 1. The former allows them to inflict psychic damage and frighten a foe, while the latter can leave a foe helplessly laughing on the ground for up to ten rounds. They gain the spells "Detect Thoughts" and "Phantasmal Force" at level three, allowing them to [https://Www.Baldursgate3Fans.com/articles/baldur-s-gate-3-dice-skins-my-personal-tier-guide-and-insights.html read the article] minds without relying on the Mindflayer Tadpole and inflict psychic damage whose damage type changes to match the last attack that hit the target and occurs every turn for ten turns. At level five, they can get "Bestow Curse" and "Slow," which offer them a huge range of debuff options for dealing with strong foes.<br><br>At fifth level, Giant Barbarians gain access to Boot of the Giants, allowing them to spend a bonus action to kick a target away. This is a contested Athletics check, just like the shove action, but you can use Boot of the Giants to push enemies that are up to twice the weight you'd be able to shove. You'll also deal your unarmed damage to the target when using Boot of the Giants, which can be enhanced by Tavern Brawler, Martial Arts from Monk, and items like the Gloves of Crushing.<br><br>Level 1 Hexblade Warlocks also receive the "Hexblade's Curse" ability , which curses a target to receive extra damage equal to the Warlock's proficiency bonus whenever the Warlock deals damage to them. It also reduces the number needed to roll a critical hit against that target by 1, and restores HP equal to the Warlock's Proficiency+Charisma Modifier when they kill the cursed target. A Hexblade Warlock gains Shield and Wrathful Smite as level 1 spell options.<br><br> <br>Upon wielding the Darkfire Shortbow, players get Resistance to Fire and Cold Damage, allowing them to brave Spellcasters with a penchant for using heavy-hitting Fireballs or even dangerous obstacles. Users of the Shortbow can also use Haste as a 3rd-Level Spell once per Long Rest, giving them an edge in emergencies as an escape tool or early in the fight to dish out heavy damage to thre<br><br>For defensive options, players should pick up the Cloak of Displacement from Entharl Danthelon in Wyrm's Crossing and the Boots of Persistence from Dammon in the Lower City (assuming he survived until Act 3.) The former gives enemies disadvantage on attack rolls against the wearer until the first time the wearer takes damage on each turn. The latter provides permanent Freedom of Movement (same as the spell), Longstrider (same as the spell), and a +1 bonus to Dexterity saving throws. The "Legacy of the Masters" gloves are also sold by Dammon during Act 3, offering +2 to attack rolls and damage with all weapons. Picking these up can make any martial character more effective , so they're worth grabbing if Dammon is alive.<br><br>Wild Magic Barbarians channel Wild Magic when they enter a rage, causing a Wild Magic surge similar to the one some Sorcerers can cause when casting spells. They also get the ability "Magic Awareness," which lets them use a bonus action to allow themselves and allies within 3m to add their proficiency bonus to saving throws against spells.<br><br>Where equipment is concerned , Rangers should seek out the "Speedy Reply" scimitar in Act 1 (found on a dead caravan agent near Flind) or the "Thorn Blade" Scimitar sold by Dammon in Act 2. These two can be very effective during the first two acts, though the Thorn Blade's poison damage is unfortunately resisted by quite a few foes. The Justiciar's Scimitar (found in the Gauntlet of Shar during Act 2) is also an excellent pick that synergizes well with the Gloom Stalker's stealth tactics. During Act 3, players can track down Belm, a returning weapon from Baldur's Gate 2, which is an exceptional weapon that can turn your bonus action into an extra attack and is thus excellent for builds that aren't dual-wielding. It has some unique synergy with certain weapons when held in the off-hand, which are discussed in the Act 3 section.<br><br>At sixth level, Giant Barbarians gain Elemental Cleaver. This allows them to add acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage to their weapon while raging, and also adds the Thrown property to their weapon when used. Additionally, weapons under the effect of Elemental Cleaver will be returned to your hand immediately after being thrown, allowing for greater flexibility in throwing weapon builds. The elemental damage behaves like a damage rider when throwing the weapon, meaning the elemental damage is boosted independently by things like the Rage buff, Tavern Brawler, or the Ring of Flinging. This allows you to achieve much higher damage than expected with weapons enhanced using Elemental Cleaver.<br>
<br>The Swarmkeeper Ranger performs especially well with the Sparkstruck set if using the Cloud of Jellyfish Swarm. Grab the Joltshooter, Jolty Vest, Speedy Lightfeet, Sparkswall, and the Real Sparky Sparkswall for an excellent early-game set that'll let you dish out tons of extra lightning damage. The Blast Pendant will pair well with certain Ranger spells to dish out some extra damage with this setup too.<br><br>Fiend Warlocks made a pact with an entity known for corrupting and destroying and often served those ends through their actions, intentionally or otherwise. Fiend Warlocks immediately receive the power "Dark One's Blessing," which allows them to receive HP equal to their Charisma modifier plus their level whenever they reduce a foe to 0 HP. This helps keep the Fiend's health topped off and allows them greater survivability.<br><br>The Duergar are a great choice for classes that need to remain defensive while staying mobile in combat. Though the Rogue gains the ability to go invisible at Level 9 with Supreme Sneak, the Duergar gain the ability to turn invisible from Level 5 once per long rest, granting Rogues this powerful skill far earlier than most will normally get it.<br><br>As a Rogue multiclassing options can be hard to nail down, because the class is so focused on stealth throughout all three of its subclasses. One powerful pairing for the Thief rogue in particular is the Gloomstalker Ranger, which requires players to put three points into the Ranger class to unlock.<br><br>At level seven, they add "Fire Shield" and "Wall of Fire" to their list of possible spells, giving them additional defensive options and the ability to create hazardous obstacles for their foes. At level nine, "Cone of Cold" and "Flame Strike" become available, giving them powerful cold and radiant damage options.<br><br>The Thief Rogue subclass offers one simple, but powerful, benefit over the Arcane Trickster: an extra bonus action. With this extra Bonus Action, the Thief Rogue is able to move further away from enemies, disengage from Opportunity Attacks, attempt a second Hide action if a first fails, and much more.<br><br>Unwanted Masterwork Scalemail (16 AC + DEX, Medium Armour, Rare): Being able to add the full DEX Mod of the Bard into this armor instead of the usual +2 Limit can boost their defenses to incredible levels. The Fire Damage Resistance is a godsend against the right enemies in Act 3.<br><br>Duergar also gain the Dwarven Resilience passive alongside Duergar Resilience, granting Advantage on saving throws against Illusions, Charm, Paralysis, and Poison. The Darkvision can be nice, too, though the reduction in movement distance is a notable downside of the race. Most races can move at least 9m on a turn, while Dwarves can only go 7.5m.<br><br>However, if the Arcane lifestyle doesn't feel right for you, the Guild Artisan arguably offers the best gameplay improvements for Wizards. The Guild Artisan background grants proficiency in Insight and Persuasion, the latter of which Wizards don't usually have access to on character creation.<br><br>At Level 1, The Great Old One gives Warlocks access to Tasha's Hideous Laughter or  [https://www.Baldursgate3fans.com/articles/karlach-s-thirsty-fanbase-in-baldur-s-gate-3-obsessions-and-reactions.html Samantha beart] Dissonant Whispers , and then at Level 3, they can use Detect Thoughts and Phantasmal Force. Playing as a Great Old One Warlock means committing nearly entirely to being a spellcaster, so only engage in combat from a distance.<br><br>Combat Inspiration : An upgraded form of Bardic Inspiration, the affected creature can now add the +1d6 bonus to their Damage Roll or use it to get +4 AC against one attack, allowing them to bolster the attack power or defensive capabilities of their allies.<br><br>But aside from useful racial spells, Githyanki give another important benefit to Wizards: armor proficiencies. As a Githyanki Wizard, players can equip Light and Medium armor, a huge AC boost over robes and clothing. The Astral Knowlegde ability can be incredibly useful for Dialogue checks and dice rolls, too.<br><br>Level 7 allows access to "Dominate Beast" and "Greater Invisibility," enabling them to turn animals to their side and render a target invisible for ten rounds whether they attack or not. Level 9 grants them access to "Dominate Person" and "Seeming," letting them manipulate humanoids and disguise all four party members simultaneously. Finally, at level 10, an Archfey Warlock gains "Beguiling Defenses", becoming immune to charm.<br><br>The improved Mage Hand at Level 1 is a strict upgrade over the default Mage Hand, and it saves a level 1 spell slot. At Level 5, Githyanki gain Misty Step, a normally level 3 spell that can be incredibly valuable for this Spell Slot-starved class.<br><br>If you are dead set on including a character in your party, simply talk to Withers to respec them to one of the optimal Wizard companion classes listed above. This way, you won't miss out on that character's questline, and you won't have to suffer from an improperly balanced party.<br>After landing an attack, the Swarmkeeper may choose to activate one of the abilities listed in the table above, based on their Swarm, or teleport up to 5m/17ft away. None of these effects spend an action, bonus action, or reaction. Third level Swarmkeepers also gain the Mage Hand and Faerie Fire spells, which are always prepared.<br>

Revision as of 17:56, 7 November 2025


The Swarmkeeper Ranger performs especially well with the Sparkstruck set if using the Cloud of Jellyfish Swarm. Grab the Joltshooter, Jolty Vest, Speedy Lightfeet, Sparkswall, and the Real Sparky Sparkswall for an excellent early-game set that'll let you dish out tons of extra lightning damage. The Blast Pendant will pair well with certain Ranger spells to dish out some extra damage with this setup too.

Fiend Warlocks made a pact with an entity known for corrupting and destroying and often served those ends through their actions, intentionally or otherwise. Fiend Warlocks immediately receive the power "Dark One's Blessing," which allows them to receive HP equal to their Charisma modifier plus their level whenever they reduce a foe to 0 HP. This helps keep the Fiend's health topped off and allows them greater survivability.

The Duergar are a great choice for classes that need to remain defensive while staying mobile in combat. Though the Rogue gains the ability to go invisible at Level 9 with Supreme Sneak, the Duergar gain the ability to turn invisible from Level 5 once per long rest, granting Rogues this powerful skill far earlier than most will normally get it.

As a Rogue multiclassing options can be hard to nail down, because the class is so focused on stealth throughout all three of its subclasses. One powerful pairing for the Thief rogue in particular is the Gloomstalker Ranger, which requires players to put three points into the Ranger class to unlock.

At level seven, they add "Fire Shield" and "Wall of Fire" to their list of possible spells, giving them additional defensive options and the ability to create hazardous obstacles for their foes. At level nine, "Cone of Cold" and "Flame Strike" become available, giving them powerful cold and radiant damage options.

The Thief Rogue subclass offers one simple, but powerful, benefit over the Arcane Trickster: an extra bonus action. With this extra Bonus Action, the Thief Rogue is able to move further away from enemies, disengage from Opportunity Attacks, attempt a second Hide action if a first fails, and much more.

Unwanted Masterwork Scalemail (16 AC + DEX, Medium Armour, Rare): Being able to add the full DEX Mod of the Bard into this armor instead of the usual +2 Limit can boost their defenses to incredible levels. The Fire Damage Resistance is a godsend against the right enemies in Act 3.

Duergar also gain the Dwarven Resilience passive alongside Duergar Resilience, granting Advantage on saving throws against Illusions, Charm, Paralysis, and Poison. The Darkvision can be nice, too, though the reduction in movement distance is a notable downside of the race. Most races can move at least 9m on a turn, while Dwarves can only go 7.5m.

However, if the Arcane lifestyle doesn't feel right for you, the Guild Artisan arguably offers the best gameplay improvements for Wizards. The Guild Artisan background grants proficiency in Insight and Persuasion, the latter of which Wizards don't usually have access to on character creation.

At Level 1, The Great Old One gives Warlocks access to Tasha's Hideous Laughter or Samantha beart Dissonant Whispers , and then at Level 3, they can use Detect Thoughts and Phantasmal Force. Playing as a Great Old One Warlock means committing nearly entirely to being a spellcaster, so only engage in combat from a distance.

Combat Inspiration : An upgraded form of Bardic Inspiration, the affected creature can now add the +1d6 bonus to their Damage Roll or use it to get +4 AC against one attack, allowing them to bolster the attack power or defensive capabilities of their allies.

But aside from useful racial spells, Githyanki give another important benefit to Wizards: armor proficiencies. As a Githyanki Wizard, players can equip Light and Medium armor, a huge AC boost over robes and clothing. The Astral Knowlegde ability can be incredibly useful for Dialogue checks and dice rolls, too.

Level 7 allows access to "Dominate Beast" and "Greater Invisibility," enabling them to turn animals to their side and render a target invisible for ten rounds whether they attack or not. Level 9 grants them access to "Dominate Person" and "Seeming," letting them manipulate humanoids and disguise all four party members simultaneously. Finally, at level 10, an Archfey Warlock gains "Beguiling Defenses", becoming immune to charm.

The improved Mage Hand at Level 1 is a strict upgrade over the default Mage Hand, and it saves a level 1 spell slot. At Level 5, Githyanki gain Misty Step, a normally level 3 spell that can be incredibly valuable for this Spell Slot-starved class.

If you are dead set on including a character in your party, simply talk to Withers to respec them to one of the optimal Wizard companion classes listed above. This way, you won't miss out on that character's questline, and you won't have to suffer from an improperly balanced party.
After landing an attack, the Swarmkeeper may choose to activate one of the abilities listed in the table above, based on their Swarm, or teleport up to 5m/17ft away. None of these effects spend an action, bonus action, or reaction. Third level Swarmkeepers also gain the Mage Hand and Faerie Fire spells, which are always prepared.