Baldur's Gate Best Class - What To Pick

Baldur's Gate clip from opening cinematic

Updated:

14 Sep 2022

Which route do you take? One of magic or one of the swords? And even if you do decide on magic, what type of magical class is the best fit? We’ll go over all of them so you can determine which class is the best in Baldur’s Gate.

Fighter

The fighters are perhaps the comfiest choice for beginning a quest. You don’t need to worry about hiding behind allies all the time or leveling up before you are willing enough to charge into more battles. It’s for this reason that fighters are easy to recommend for first-time players who want a pleasant playthrough.

Fighters also get to do a lot in terms of what they can wear, what they can fight with, and which skills they can learn. They have the option to dual-class meaning you can still explore other class options if you’re curious about what it’s like to master a few spells in addition to swinging a sword.

Playing as a fighter is ideal for first-timers but also for leaders who want to feel the thrill of leading the charge into battle. With so much versatility, it’s easy to see why this is the top of the classes.

What can Fighters do?

Use most weapons and armor.
Be experts in melee weapons.
Dual-class.
Master most weapons.

Pick this class if you want…

To be a leader.
To face down any enemy with heavy HP.
Have the power to wield nearly every weapon and wear every armor.

Fighter full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Fighter

Mage

Mages may start off weak but they’re a lot of fun once you get them leveled up. With enough time and patience, you can play as a master of magic missiles, trapping spells, and removal of curses. These aspects make the mage an ideal choice for handling enemies magical and non-magical.

A mage will start off weak but grow powerful over time. Deck them out in magic attire, teach them new spells from scrolls, and arm them with weapons to make them the most fearsome of party leaders. The best mastery of this class can lead to a leader who can work on both offense and defense.

What can Mages do?

Spellcasting is some of the most powerful and versatile spells.
Learn spells as you progress.

Pick this class if you want…

Turn the battlefield into a chaotic warzone of great magic.
Play a long campaign.

Mage full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Mage

Bard

Bards can be thought of as the more inspirational leaders. They possess many of the same abilities as thieves but have one special feature that makes them the most unique: they sing. What good is that? Well, singing will boost the stats of your party and ward off fear. You can inspire your party to charge into battle rather than retreat.

In addition to using more weapons than thieves, bards can also cast spells without having to dual-class. They’re highly recommended if you want to play a hero or villain who can do a little bit of everything in the game.

What can Bards do?

Cast some spells.
The same sneaky techniques as thieves.
Sing songs to keep up morale.

Pick this class if you want…

Be a versatile leader who dabbles in many abilities.
To keep spirits high.
To mix things up with quests.

Bard full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Bard

Ranger

If you’re familiar with the character of Minsc, you’re probably aware of how cool the rangers are as a class. As a ranger, you can be in tune with nature, cast druid spells, become stealthy as a thief, and hold as much luck as a bard in battle. The best part about the nature bit is that you can charm animals to be your allies in battle.

Another great reason to consider being a ranger is that you could be just like Drizzt do’Urden, one of the most powerful characters in the game. Remember that rangers tend to favor more of a balance with nature so you’ll want to choose them if you’re going for more of a good alignment than an evil playthrough.

What can the Rangers do?

Ability to charm animals.
Cast spells that are similar to druids.
Be lucky warriors.
Stealth.

Pick this class if you want…

To mimic Minsc or Drizzt do’Urden.
To be a master of archery.
To be stealthy.

Ranger full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Ranger

Thief

Thieves can be a great class for more than just picking locks and stealing from people. They can do all that but there’s so much more to them. They’re also able to become stealthy to hide in the shadows and detect traps before they harm your party. This makes them one of the best classes to have if you favor exploring dungeons.

Thieves are great as support during combat as well. They can fire arrows or sling bullets from behind. If you dual-class them, they can also cast spells as well. Thieves don’t even have to choose one type of alignment, meaning you can still play a good run while stealing and sneaking. This is an ideal class for someone who favors strategy over blunt force.

What can Thief do?

Steal.
Disarm hidden traps.
Dual-class.
Stealth.

Pick this class if you want…

To sneak around a lot.
To subvert the law.
Want to clear a path for your party in dungeons?

Thief full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Thief

Cleric

Clerics are the mages who focus the most on healing, making them the best type of support class. If you’re not willing enough to charge forward, you can hang back and heal your mightiest fighters who do all the fighting. But if you feel like swinging a sword when things get tough, you can still have enough strength to be a frontline warrior.

Clerics differ from mages in that they don’t need to scribe spells to learn them. They automatically learn cleric spells with each level increase. Even better, clerics can wield far more weapons than mages, meaning you can still engage in combat before you have the better spells. Don’t think of clerics as the medics of Baldur’s Gate. Think of them more as the mages who can use more weapons.

What can Clerics do?

Cast healing on the party.
Handle most weapons.
Wear most armor.
Cast spells as you upgrade.

Pick this class if you want…

To learn a variety of clever spells.
To support your party and heal them.
To be more of a battle mage.

Cleric full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Cleric

Sorcerer

If mages are like college students who haven’t found their major yet, sorcerers are for the confidant who knows the type of magic they want to wield. Let’s you love fire and dragons. If you choose the Dragon Desciple sub-class, fire spells will be your spells of choice.

The advantage of a sorcerer is that they don’t have to scribe spells. They automatically learn new spells essential to their sub-class. If you need even more incentive, consider that level 15 sorcerers can access 40 different spells without prep time. If you’re willing to play the long game, you’ll be amazed at how powerful a sorcerer can be in Baldur’s Gate.

What can Sorcerers do?

Master new spells with each level upgrade.
Focus on a specific magic ability.

Pick this class if you want…

To be a master of magic.
To be a particular mage with your own style.

Sorcerer full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Sorcerer

Monk

Monks are cool based on the simple fact that they can cast spells and throw fists. The best feature is that the monks can engage in unarmed combat. It’s enough to make up for the lacking nature of how monks can’t wear armor or shields or use that many weapons.

Monks are a lot of fun to watch them level up. As they get stronger, they become more resistant to magic and learn more spells. They operate under lawful alignment, however, so be ready for a good playthrough if you choose them.

What can Monks do?

Fight powerfully with their bare fists.
Heal.
Resist magical spells being cast upon you.

Pick this class if you want…

Punch your way to victory.
Cast spells with lawful intent.

Monk full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Monk

Paladin

Paladins are similar to clerics in that they cast the same spells. Where they differ most is that they’re fully committed to the forces of good rather than a balance of nature. All paladins are Lawful Good and come with the ability to detect evil in anyone’s heart.

With each increase in levels, you can do more cool stuff. Level 3 paladins can turn undead and level 9 paladins can cast cleric spells. This makes paladins one of the best leaders for a good playthrough as they’re able to heal your team and keep evil out of their ranks. They can also wield a solid amount of weapons, including some of the more advanced bastard swords

What can Paladins do?

Fight evil but do it in a cool manner.
Master the bastard sword.
Fight and cast cleric spells.

Pick this class if you want…

Wield cleric spells.
Become undead.
Use cleric spells.
Ward off evil.

Paladin full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Paladin

Druid

Druids exist somewhere between a mage and a ranger in terms of their abilities. They favor more of a balance to everything with their True Neutral alignment, becoming in tune with nature and all its creatures. This is why the druids can do such cool things as turn into a wolf or a bear.

The spells the druids can wield are also pretty exciting, able to cast such destructive spells as Earthquake and Firestorm. Druids can not only hold their own in combat but are immune to poison and can resist being affected by elemental spells. You’ll have to build up your druid for some time for them to get to this point but it’s all worth it to become a versatile party leader.

What can Druids do?

Cast amazing magic spells.
Become a wolf or a bear.
Be immune poison.

Pick this class if you want…

To be a hero of the woods.
To play offense and defense.
To cast neat spells.

Druid full details: https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Druid

Shaman

Shamans are very much in tune with the afterlife, able to spot spirits that others cannot spot. For favoring such a spiritual life, they’re exclusive of the neutral alignment. They have their own set of spells but they’re very similar to druids.

Their most powerful ability is the Shaman Dance. This dance can summon different types of spirits depending on your level. Early-level shamans can summon animals spirits for combat. Powerful shamans can summons spirits of the elements air, fire, and earth. You’ll want to get used to these spells as shamans can’t cast mage spells or dual-class.

What can Druids do?