Baldur’s Gate 3: 5 Most Beginner Friendly Subclasses

Highlights

• New to Baldur’s Gate 3? Consider beginner-friendly subclasses like Ranger (Hunter) for simple, effective gameplay.
• Barbarian (Berserker) excels at dealing damage with extra attacks while raging, ideal for direct combat.
• Warlock (The Fiend) offers easy spells and handy temporary HP boosts for new players looking for a straightforward class.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is by no means an easy game, especially for players without any D&D experience. Understanding all the mechanics, resources, actions, and more takes time. Certain classes or subclasses further complicate this with too much new stuff going on for beginners. Even leveling up can be difficult with all the choices to be made.

Thankfully, there are also a number of beginner-friendly subclasses in BG3 that use basic actions and attacks. These simpler subclasses often have passive effects, instead of giving players tonnes of action options that can be overwhelming. The best BG3 subclasses for beginners also tend to be more tanky, making mistakes less punishing.

5 Ranger: Hunter

Deal More Damage From Distance & Gain A Volley Attack Later On

If players want to sit back and deal damage from safety with a bow or crossbow, then the Ranger class is certainly the best option. When it comes to BG3’s Ranger subclasses, the Hunter is the simplest, making it perfect for a first playthrough. Instead of taming beasts or trying to figure out the stealth mechanics, a Hunter simply focuses on dealing more damage, typically with ranged attacks.

For example, at Level 3, they can select the Colossus Slayer passive, which makes their attacks deal more damage against any enemy who isn’t at max HP. Level 7 provides passive bonuses to defense, and then, at Level 11, Hunters gain access to an incredibly fun Volley attack which is easy to use. It should also be noted that both Rangers and Hunter Rangers are still capable melee fighters, and by taking the Ranger Knight option at Levels 1, 6, or 10, players will be able to wear Heavy Armor to become harder to kill.

4 Barbarian: Berserker

Barbarians in Baldur’s Gate 3 are all about raging, brute force, and dealing as much damage as possible. For the most direct enhancement of this play style, players can choose the Berserker subclass at Level 3. This will grant them an extra weapon attack or throw as a bonus action, and if they are raging and have already used Reckless Attack, their additional attack is highly likely to hit.

At Level 6, a Berserker will no longer be able to be Charmed or Frightened while raging, meaning they can keep on attacking. In terms of the standard Barbarian features, players should always have plenty of health potions at the ready as Barbarians take almost as much damage as they dish out.

3 Warlock: The Fiend

Easy Spells & Gain Temporary HP When You Kill An Enemy

Warlocks are said to be the easiest spellcasters to use in Baldur’s Gate 3, due to the fact that their spells refresh with every Short Rest. They also have access to one of the best Cantrips in BG3, Eldritch Blast, which can be used again and again for free.

When choosing a Warlock subclass at Level 1, the simplest option for new players is The Fiend. This is in part thanks to a nice little passive that rewards the player with Temporary HP after they slay an enemy. The additional spells acquired via The Fiend are also more straightforward to use, making it one of the easiest subclasses in BG3​​​​​​. At Level 10, Fiends gain Resistance to any damage type, and this can be changed on each Short Rest.

2 Cleric: Life Domain

Gain More Heal Spells & Every Heal Becomes More Effective

As tanky supports, Clerics are consistently regarded as one of the most beginner-friendly classes in BG3, and the Life Domain subclass, all about healing, is arguably the simplest. For example, from Level 1, every heal they perform will restore bonus health. At Level 2, Life Domain Clerics gain access to the Preserve Life action, which is a large AOE heal.

Furthermore, from Level 6 onwards, players will automatically heal themselves whenever healing an ally, meaning it’s even easier to stay alive. This is in addition to being able to wear Heavy Armor, and Clerics often wielding the best shields in BG3. Other bonuses of the Life Domain subclass include access to even more supportive spells that are easy to understand and use.

1 Fighter: Champion

Use Simple Attacks Buffed Up By Passive Effects

The entire Fighter class is designed for beginners, as well as those who simply love swinging a sword and dealing lots of damage. However, while all three of the Fighter subclasses are relatively simple, the Champion subclass takes the cake. The first bonus for Champions simply makes crits easier to hit, and it is passive effects like this that players can expect throughout.

In fact, players will find that when leveling up, they practically have no decisions to make, something which is true for most of the Fighter class. At Level 10, they will need to choose an additional fighting style, but the effects are once again passive, such as granting +2 to certain attacks. With all these bonuses, players will deal plenty of damage with their weapon of choice while being able to wear BG3’s best Heavy Armor and having high health as a Fighter.