Human: Being the most common Race in Faerun, Humans are found building lives almost anywhere. What they lack for racial features, they compensate for by getting an extra skill to be proficient with. Because Bards are already so great at skill checks, this just further guarantees success in dialogue. Humans are an ideal Race for a "balanced" Bard build.

Spore Druids can make excellent use of any staff that has added damage, such as the Gold Wyrmling Staff (Act 1, Sold by Roah Moonglow at the Goblin Camp) or the Cacophony Staff (Act 1, Sold by Lady Esther at the Rosymorn Monastery Trail) since the bonus damage will stack with the necrotic damage from Symbiotic Entity. When paired with the Shillelagh spell these staves can dish out a surprising amount of damage while scaling entirely off the Druid's Wisdom. This can be further boosted using the Polearm Master Feat.

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.

Darkfire Shortbow (1d6+2, Shortbow, Rare): The free Haste alongside Fire and Cold Resistances can make this Shortbow ideal for both offense and defense. Even if Haste is only available once per Long Rest, it can give the Bard and even another ally a much-needed boost to their offensive potential.

The Sorcerer is one of the few Spellcasting-only classes, one that is nearly impossible to build into a melee fighter without multi-classing. Like the Wizard, Sorcerers can access a massive variety of useful spells that range from devastatingly damaging to enraging environmental effects.

In terms of multiclassing, the Swarmkeeper Ranger pairs very well with Thief or Assassin Rogues , the former being particularly useful in a dual-wielding build while the latter performs better if you're using a ranged weapon. A few fighter levels for Action Surge and Second Wind can also be very strong on any Ranger.

Players who create their Bard for the first time might find the Class a bit rough around the edges. Compared to other Classes in the game, the Bard doesn’t offer much in terms of overall damage and utility, although they do make great early-game Face Characters.

The Githyanki are a severely underrated racial choice for most classes, as their innate race spells and Astral Knowledge passive, plus armor and weapon proficiencies, can open up a lot of doors for traditionally non-martial classes. Wizards have no shortage of spells to choose from, but they can be lacking in spell slots.

No matter which way one takes a Sorcerer, though, they all have the ability to use Metamagic , and Sorcery Points, to influence their spells. Metamagic can twin spells, make them more likely to hit, change their range, and even allow Sorcerers to cast spells while Silenced.

The Eldritch Knight subclass allows the fighter to learn a small selection of spells from the schools of Evocation and Abjuration , allowing them access to magic to buff themselves and damage their foes. They gain the ability to cast first-level spells once they reach Fighter Level three, with two spell slots to use when doing so.

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.

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.

Updated on April 23, 2025, by Thomas Hawkins: With the release of Patch 8 for Baldur's Gate 3 classes guide 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.