All Baldur s Gate 3 Barbarian Subclasses Ranked
The Ranger subclasses in Baldur's Gate 3 allow the Ranger to gain additional abilities inspired by the Ranger's core concept as a Scout that hunts dangerous foes and has a deep understanding of the natural world. The Beast Master subclass allows them to acquire an Animal Companion to aid them in battle, the Hunter chooses a specialization to aid them in taking down their chosen foes, and the Gloom Stalker learns to steel their mind against mind-altering effects and strike at their foes from the shadows. Rangers select their subclass at level Three.
At level 11, the Hunter gains "Volley" and "Whirlwind Attack." Volley allows them to rain attacks on multiple foes with a ranged weapon, while Whirlwind Attack lets them spin and strike all foes around them in melee.
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, Brain jars BG3 which can be enhanced by Tavern Brawler, Martial Arts from Monk, and items like the Gloves of Crushing.
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The Urchin background grants proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Stealth, so these two classic Rogue options are removed from their massive list of 11 possible skills. Charlatans lose Deception and Sleight of Hand, while Guild Artisans lose Persuasion and Insight.
Updated on April 23, 2025, by Thomas Hawkins: With the release of Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3, each class has received a new subclass to use. In the case of the fighter, they can now choose the Arcane Archer subclass, gaining access to arcane arrows with a variety of powerful effects. This allows ranged fighters to apply status effects over a distance and access a wider range of damage types without needing specialized equipment. By pairing Arcane Archer with the game's existing assortment of specialty arrows, this subclass can be incredibly versatile. This guide has been updated to discuss the new subclass, multiclassing options that work well with it, and equipment that works especially well with this new subclass.
This can make them a valuable addition to caster-heavy teams. At level 10, a Wild Magic Barbarian gets the ability "Unstable Backlash." This allows them to create a new Wild Magic surge (replacing the old one) whenever they take damage or fail a saving throw while raging. This helps to increase the chaos they cause in battle.
If you're multiclassing with Barbarian, we recommend Leather Armour +2 for the early-game and then either the Bhaalist Armour or Elegant Studded Leather in the late-game. If you're looking for heavy armor, you should consider grabbing the Adamantine Splint Armour during Act 1, Dwarven Splintmail from Moonrise Towers during Act 2, or the Flawed Helldusk Armour from Damon in Act 2. Another decent option is the Rippling Force Mail. You can swap in the Reaper's Embrace or Armour of Persistence later, before picking up the Helldusk Armour as your final set.
Upon creating a Fighter character in Baldur's Gate 3 , players are asked which Fighting Style they would like to follow. There are six choices: Archery, Defence, Duelling, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, and Two-Weapon Fighting.
If you are dead set on including a character in your party, simply talk to Withers to respec them to one of the optimal Rogue 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.
The Hunter Subclass gains some powerful once-per-turn effects through Hunter's Prey, which could benefit other martial classes like the Fighter and Paladin. Multiattack Defence could be really helpful on a tanky character when facing powerful foes later in the game. Monks can also benefit greatly from abilities like Giant Killer and Colossus Slayer, as long as there is a weapon in their main hand.
In terms of Multiclassing, the Arcane Archer plays very well with some Rogue levels for Sneak Attack and Cunning Actions, with the Thief subclass providing an extra bonus action, which is very helpful, while the Assassin subclass offers incredible burst damage at the start of a fight if you get the drop on them. A few levels in Ranger, especially Hunter for the Hunter's Prey bonuses (Horde Breaker is particularly helpful), can also be quite effective.
Baldur's Gate 3 will have one of the most complex combat systems in the RPG genre on release thanks, in part, to it being based on the Fifth Edition of Dungeons and Dragons ' ruleset. Though there are some major changes to adapt the formula to a video game, most strategies work in Baldur's Gate 3 as they do in the TTRPG – including the benefits of a well-rounded party.