Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Cleric Class Build

Baldur’s Gate 3 can be a tough game for someone new to the series, or new to CRPG Dungeons and Dragons-like games in general. A well-balanced party composition should have some kind of support class, which the Cleric happens to excel at. The best Cleric builds aren’t necessarily those that deal the most damage, but those that make full use of this class’ unique quirks.

RELATED: All Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric Subclasses, Ranked

The Life Domain is one of four Domains players can choose in BG3, and it’s a fantastic way to build a Cleric thanks to its variety of always-prepared support spells. This leaves players open to pick up other spells when leveling, giving the Cleric more variety, and making it one of the most versatile classes in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Updated November 25, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: Baldur’s Gate 3 can feel overwhelming for players who have never experienced an RPG with the same level of complexity and choice. Making the right choices throughout the game for the best BG3 Cleric build can be confusing due to the sheer number of decisions that have to be made – from feats, spells, and other abilities to gear and equipment choices, making the best Cleric BG3 build means parsing a lot of information. To help players understand what gear and abilities should be prioritized in this best Cleric build guide, both the Leveling Choices and Cleric Equipment sections have been updated to more clearly convey recommendations in table format. Check these sections, and others, for newly updated tips to make the most of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric build.

As a guide-in-progress, this BG3 best Cleric build walkthrough will be continually updated with new information on what makes the Life Domain the best Cleric build BG3 offers to players.

Cleric Class Introduction & Overview

Cleric Playstyle & Signature Abilities

“Clerics are representatives of the gods they worship, wielding potent divine magic for good or ill.”

The Cleric is a multi-faceted class that puts equal emphasis on support and damage in virtually every BG3 Cleric build. Clerics are capable of being one of the game’s strongest healers and source of party buffs, but they can also be incredibly powerful spellcasters and melee brawlers that have access to spells similar to the Druid or Wizard’s repertoire. No matter which BG3 Cleric domain you choose, all players get access to the Turn Undead, Destroy Undead, and Divine Intervention abilities at various levels, too.

The Cleric’s unique features are related to one’s choice of Domain, including unique always-prepared spells and Channel Divinity abilities that correspond to the chosen BG3 Cleric subclass. Domain spells work just like other spells, and are highlighted in the spell list when leveling to avoid picking them twice. Channel Divinity abilities vary from domain to domain, and offer powerful effects from limited Channel Divinity charges. Clerics gain Channel Divinity charges at Level 2 and 6, which replenish on either a Short or Long Rest.

Cleric Subclasses

• Life Domain: Improves healing ability on target and caster. Grants always-prepared support and healing abilities & Heavy Armor proficiency.
• Light Domain: Grants ability to impose Disadvantage on attacks. Gives Light, Burning Hands, and Faerie Fire at level 1.
• Trickery Domain: Can improve Stealth checks for party members. Grants Disguise Self and Charm Person.
• Knowledge Domain: Control and RP oriented. Grants Arcana and History proficiency x2. Grants the Command and Sleep spells.
• Nature Domain: Gain Proficiency in select skills and a Druid cantrip. Grants Heavy Weapon proficiency and other Druid-like spells.
• Tempest Domain: Can retaliate against attackers for 2-16 Lightning damage. Grants Martial Weapon & Heavy Armor proficiency and Storm-related spells.
• War Domain: Can make additional Bonus Action attacks. Grants Heavy Armor and Martial Weapon proficiency and close-combat control, buff, and damage spells.

Cleric Class Proficiencies

• Cleric Armor Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, & Shields
• Cleric Saving Throws: Charisma & Wisdom
• Cleric Skill Proficiencies: Choose 2 from History, Insight, Medicine, Persuasion, & Religion
• Cleric Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Weapons & Morningstar

Cleric Class Features – Level By Level

Cleric Spell Slots & Prepared Spells – Level By Level

Best BG3 Cleric Build: Life Domain Overview

What Makes The Life Domain The Best Cleric Subclass?

“The Life domain is an aspect of many good deities, offering spells that protect and restore the mind, body, and soul.”

The Life Domain Cleric isn’t the most powerful Cleric build when it comes to raw damage output. But when one considers the breadth of buffs and support skills available to this subclass, it’s easy to see its benefits and its ability to get a party to get through otherwise overwhelming foes, where extra damage wouldn’t help.

As a support sub-class, the Life Domain Cleric can deal damage when it needs to, but most of the time players will stay far from enemies and close to their teammates, ready with a buff or a heal when needed. The Disciple of Life passive gives a bit of extra healing with each spell cast, and can even heal themself with each cast at later levels.

The build is notably proficient in Heavy Armor, a proficiency granted by the Life Domain subclass itself. It also has several Cantrips that keep allies alive and enemies weak when their relatively limited spell slots are expended – but their Domain Spells are always prepared, leaving room for other spells to diversify options.

At several levels, players are given free spells that don’t need to be slotted in and out of the spellbook. These spells include Bless and Cure Wounds at Level 1, Aid and Lesser Restoration at Level 3, and Revivify and Beacon of Hope at Level 5. These are some of the most powerful healing and support-oriented skills in the game, not to mention the AoE heal in the form of Preserve Life, a Channel Divinity skill gained at Level 2.

Life Domain Subclass Features – Level By Level

Best BG3 Cleric Build: Roleplay & Character Creation Choices

Best BG3 Cleric Race: Duergar

The Duergar race is one of the best races for Clerics in Baldur’s Gate 3 because of their powerful Duergar Resilience passive, which is granted from level 1. This passive grants Advantage against Saving Throws for being Charmed or Paralyzed by enemies, as well as against Illusion magic.

At level 3, Duergar get the ability to Enlarge themselves, altering their Strength stat and direct weapon damage. At Level 5, Duergar gain the ability to cast Invisibility as a racial ability. However, unlike many limited-use abilities, Duergar can cast Invisibility on themselves at will when out of combat, though it can only be used once per long rest in combat. This is incredibly powerful for setting up the Cleric in an optimal position before combat, then once in combat, Invisibility gives the Cleric a way to get out of dangerous spots.

Being a Dwarf means having a slightly reduced total Movement Distance, but what it lacks in mobility it makes up for with Dwarven Resilience, Superior Darkvision, and several weapon proficiencies Clerics don’t normally have.

Best BG3 Cleric Deity: Selûne or Bahamut

One’s choice of deity as a Cleric doesn’t affect the game altogether too much, aside from unlocking some unique dialogue options. As a Life Domain build that’s focused on healing and support, it makes the most sense to go with either Selûne or Bahamut when it comes to deity choice in character creation.

Selûne is the goddess of the moon and stars, and is the most impactful deity choice because of the many dialogue options it opens up with Shadowheart – a worshipper of Selûne’s nemesis, Shar. Bahamut also makes a lot of sense as the god of mercy and justice, and is a classic choice for a good-aligned Cleric whose righteous cause is helping others.

Best BG3 Cleric Proficiencies and Background: Folk Hero

The Folk Hero background can be useful for Clerics because it gives proficiencies to the Animal Handling and Survival skills, both of which rely on the Cleric’s main stat Wisdom. This puts them over the edge and makes virtually every Animal Handling and Survival Check pass.

However, it can also be useful to pick up the Guild Artisan background instead because the bonuses to Insight and Persuasion can be extremely helpful in dialogue and RP encounters throughout Baldur’s Gate 3.

Best Cleric Ability Scores & Stat Distribution

Feats, Spells, & Leveling Choices For Life Domain Cleric Builds

Best Cleric Equipment: Armor, Accessories, & Weapons

Best Life Cleric Head Armor: Wapira’s Crown

Best Life Cleric Cloak: Cloak of Protection

Best Life Cleric Chest Armor: Slippery Chain Shirt

Best Life Cleric Gloves: Hellrider’s Pride

Best Life Cleric Boots: Boots of Aid and Comfort

Best Life Cleric Amulet: Periapt of Wound Closure

Best Life Cleric Rings: Ring of Salving, The Whispering Promise

Best Life Cleric Weapon/s: Blood of Lythander & Sentinel Shield

Best Cleric Multiclass Choices & Builds

Players can choose to Multiclass beginning at Level 2. Look for the “Add Class” button on the top right of the level up overview menu – this will open up a new menu where players can choose one of any other class in Baldur’s Gate 3 when selected.

Fighter Multiclass – Cleric 10/Fighter 2

It might not seem like a natural fit, but dipping two levels into the Fighter class as a Cleric grants an incredibly powerful ability: Action Surge. One of the iconic abilities of the Fighter class, Action Surge is a Bonus Action that grants the caster another Action that turn.

Action Surge can be used once every short or long rest, granting the Cleric another Action to cast a spell when needed. This Cleric multiclass requires two levels in Fighter because Fighters do not start with this ability. Because of this requirement, players can only put 10 levels into Cleric, locking the character off from Level 6 spells – Clerics unlock the ability to use Level 6 spells at Level 11.

Wizard Multiclass – Cleric 11/Wizard 1

One of the biggest benefits of multiclassing into the Wizard class is that, with just one level dip into the Wizard, a character gains the ability to learn spells from scrolls. When paired with the Cleric – another Spellcaster class that uses Prepared Spells – this multiclass combination vastly opens up a character’s spell repertoire.

This multiclass choice has little impact on a character’s ability to use high-level spells. Because both classes are Prepared Spellcasters, and the ability to learn from scrolls only requires one level, a Cleric 11 Wizard 1 character will still be able to use Level 6 spells and have Level 6 spell slots unlocked.