Best Baldur’s Gate 3 classes tier list: Druid, Monk, Cleric & more

Jessica Filby
Baldur's Gate 3 classes

Choosing the right class in Baldur’s Gate 3 can be daunting with so many options available. Our tier list aims to simplify your decision-making process.

This decision is one of the most significant in the early stages of the game, affecting your journey in the Dungeons and Dragons world, particularly for those looking to balance their party effectively.

However, that choice is made much harder when you look into each class’ unique features, and benefits. Thanks to these features, it becomes clear that some classes are much better than others. So, here are the best classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.

All classes in Baldur’s Gate 3

Altogether are 12 different classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, each with their own specialty:

Baldur’s Gate 3 class tier list

A screenshot of Baldur's Gate 3 from Steam

  • S = The best classes to play. They’re versatile, strong, and work for most combats or conversations.
  • A = These classes are great to play. They may not be the strongest but they’re efficient and effective.
  • B = While not the best class in the game, they can help in a pinch depending on your playstyle.
  • F = They’re not particularly effective and can make the game relatively tricky.

Before acting on any of these tier lists, it’s worth playing the game with the class you think you’ll enjoy the most – but your choice can make battles a little easier if you select some of the better classes.

Tier Class
S Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer
A Paladin, Barbarian, Fighter, Wizard, Rogue
B Monk, Druid, Warlock
F Ranger

S-Tier

Bard

The Bard is quite literally a Jack-of-all-Trades yet still manages to be a master of all. With powerful spells, fantastic crowd control, and the ability to heal, this spellcaster is a no-brainer in any party and is essentially the utility belt of the game.

Cleric

Acting as the primary healing class along with having a great armor class, the Cleric is fantastic for those wanting a bit of melee and spells. The Cleric is beefy, extremely versatile, and will let you take one for the team all while healing them up.

Sorcerer

Sure, there are plenty of spell-casters in Baldur’s Gate 3, and even more spells to choose from – but few are as powerful as the Sorcerer. The range of spells they get is phenomenal and, as long as you stay back a little, you’ll be able to manipulate the battlefield, talk your way out of situations, and so much more.

A-Tier

Karlach Baldur's Gate 3

Paladin

Similar to the Cleric, the Paladin is a great combination between spells and melee. It’s got some great smites to help spice up a simple hit, can heal, and casts some great damaging spells. Sure, it’s not as good as the Cleric, but you can’t really go wrong with this class.

Barbarian

If you’re looking for a straight melee tank, the Barbarian is your class. They keep it simple and effective, all while tanking damage like no other. It might get a little repetitive for some players, but for others, this is perfect and extremely effective.

Fighter

The Fighter is essentially the Barbarian without range and with a few more fighting tactics. They don’t have quite as much health but increase their versatility and effectiveness with different attacks. Again, they’re kind of all for themselves with no healing and little support but they’re a great shout.

Wizard

The Wizard is not quite as effective as the Sorcerer but they have a fantastic selection of spells to help take down the enemy and can be pretty intelligent, which is ideal for some exploration elements – but that lack of high charisma puts them as a disadvantage during conversation, unlike the Sorcerer.

Rogue

Stealth is extremely powerful in Baldur’s Gate 3, granting the Rogue some great Sneak Attack damage when required, and often gets you out of tricky situations. So, many would assume that means the Rogue is ideal, and it is. That is until you find the moment when you can’t get out of said tricky situation and then get downed because of your low AC and health. Just make sure that doesn’t happen and you’ve got a great class.

B-Tier

Jaheira Baldur's Gate 3

Monk

As the newest class to be added, it’s sad to see the Monk so low down on the tier list. However, when you note its squishy armor class and inability to move effectively, there’s only damage to bring it out of F-Tier. It’s still good, and lots of fun to hit multiple times, but that low armor class will be its downfall on multiple occasions.

Druid

The Druid is often regarded as one of the most powerful classes in Dungeons & Dragons, but currently, it just doesn’t live up to the same status in Baldur’s Gate 3. Sure, free hit points from Wild Shape is ideal, but at the moment the spells and Wild Shape abilities are just too weak. Perhaps it’ll get more powerful the higher it levels, but only time can tell.

Warlock

Sure, Wyll is pretty cool and effective when you meet him in Baldur’s Gate 3, but most Warlocks don’t quite live up to this. They have extremely limited spells and an even more limited melee skill. It just feels like Warlocks are the worst of both Fighters and Wizards.

F-Tier

Ranger

The Ranger is arguably the worst class in Dungeons & Dragons and that seems to extend over to Baldur’s Gate 3. So many other classes have ranged abilities and you really don’t get anything better than those from the Ranger. You’re better off choosing Fighter, Druid, or really anything else.

That’s all there is to know about the best classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. Check out how to respec your character if you wish to explore other build options. You can also take a look at the best Sorcerer build, the best Bard build and the best Barbarian build.