Baldurs Gate 3 Subclass Different Features Guide

Publish date: 2024-07-09

Contents

Quick Guide to Subclass Different Features

Quick Guide to Subclass Different Features

By Legios.

This mostly from my own experience and I didnt break the game enough (since its not necessary imo).

Barbarian

Wild Heart

Variety of Wild Heart to choose, each have their unique benefit, like super tanky with Bear, extra movement with Elk, or cause bleeding with Tiger, etc.
At lv6: gain animal aspect that help in a lot of situation, like double carry capacity and adv on Str check with Bear.
At lv8: difficulty terrain cant slow you down.
At lv10: gain additional animal aspect (like lv6).

Berserker

Best option when you want to do throw build, as they can throw 3 times at lv5.
Mindless Rage at lv6 make your Rage cannot be stopped via Calm Emotion – while also give immunity to Charm, Frightened.

Wild Magic

Though their wild magic effect on rage is random, all of them only benefit your team instead of harming like Wild Magic from Sorcerer.
Can recover low level spell slot for other caster.
Lv10 make the randomness of their wild magic somewhat very fun to play as it trigger every time you got attacked / failed save while rage instead of only on rage. This cost your reaction but you have the option to choose to replace or keep the current effect.

Bard

College of Lore

3 extra skill proficiency of your choice.
Magical Secret at lv6 (allow you to pick 2 non-bard lv1-3 spell from other class).

College of Valor

Extra attack at lv6.
Proficiency in Medium Armor, Shield and Martial Weapon.
Combat Bardic Inspiration (can now boost damage or AC for allies).

College of Swords

Arguably one of the best martial class in game.
3 types of Flourish (treat them as special attack), both range and melee.
Dueling / Two Weapon Fighting – fighting style give additional strength when you build as DPS (which you should if you pick this sub-class).
Extra attack at lv6.

Remember: You are still Bard, which mean you still a full spellcaster (have up to lv6 spell).

Cleric

Life Domain

Your healing spell are stronger.
Heavy Armor proficiency.
Lv2 channel divinity also a big aoe heal.

Note: If you play Cleric just for healing, you are playing them wrong.

Light Domain

Warding Flare give alot of safety early on. Extremely good when you hit lv6 as you can use it for allies.
Burning Hand, Flaming Sphere are good spell that you have access to at lv1 and 3.
Radiance of Dawn is a big aoe damage that other caster hard to keep up with Cleric at low level (and it especially strong in act2).
If you think other caster are stronger than Cleric because of Fire Ball, guess what, Light Cleric have it.
Wall of Fire and Destructive Wave.

Trickery Domain

Invoke Duplicity is a very good spell as it give your melee martial advantage on attacking while within its range. This mean they can hit easier, Rogue can also trigger Sneak Attack.
Disguise Self can trivial alot of encounter (especially during act1).
Fear is a VERY STRONG spell (no other Cleric have this).

Knowledge Domain

Expertise in 2 int-related skill.
Can have proficiency in all skill of 1 ability of your choice (you can change per short/long rest).
Have Confusion and Slow.
Kinda lackluster similar to Life Cleric.

Nature Domain

Gain 1 Druid cantrip, this could be Shillelagh (boost your melee combat) or Thorn Whip (which can pull enemy).
Heavy Armor proficiency.
Have access to Spike Growth at lv3, Sleet Storm at lv5. Both are fantastic control spell.
Dampen Elements can negate alot of damage (but why tf it use divinity charge?)

Tempest Domain

Heavy Armor and Martial Weapon proficiency (can come quite handy).
You get a nice reaction to strike back at attacker (either thunder or lightning – which is better than using weapon).
Channel Divinity can make your Lightning / Thunder spell deal max damage (but doesnt work with Destructive Wave).
You have Thunder Wave, Shatter, Call Lightning as domain spell, and all of them are strong when use well.
Thunderbolt Strike push enemies back when you deal thunder/lightning damage. This also work with Phalar Aluve and Eletricified Field.

War Domain

Heavy Armor and Martial Weapon proficiency (can come quite handy).
You have “extra attack”.
Guided Strike / War God Blessing are great to help martial class (especially when they use Great Weapon Master / Sharp Shooter).
Crusader Mantle is fantastic way to boost your martial team damage (somewhat better than concentrating Spirit Guardian).
You get Hold Monster.

Druid

Circle of Land

You have the most spell among 3 subclass. Some of them are not from Druid spell list (like Haste, Misty Step).
Nature Recovery allow you to regain some spellslot per long rest. Mean you can cast more spell per day than other 2.
Land’s Stride at lv6 make you immune to difficulty terrain (including your own).
At lv10, you immune to poison and disease, while also immune to charm and frighten from elements and fey.

Circle of Moon

Can abuse Tavern Brawler feat since you mainly in wildshaped (except Air/Fire/Water Myrmindon).
Some what not relies on equipment – this is both pros and cons.
Myrmindon Wild Shape are busted. Their strong attack (as summon) are balanced around the fact that they can only attack once per turn, but as Wild Shape, you can attack 3 times.

Circle of Spore

You gain a “reaction” that you can use on your turn to damage enemies. This somewhat net you higher damage.
Symbiotic Entity also make your weapon attack deal more damage. It work for both range and melee. So 2 lv of Spore Druid are common for alot of multiclass build (like Monk, Rogue, Bard, etc).
You have alot of summon.
If you dedicate to Spore Druid, their lv10 Spreading Spore can cause alot of consistent aoe damage, and it not harm your allies.

Fighter

Battle Master

You have 3 kind of special attack (2 more at lv7 and 10), and you can use them 4 times (1 more at lv 7) between rest – aka 12 total per day (15 at lv7).
Those special attack can cover a lot of situation, from dealing more damage, disarming, knocking prone, pushing back…
Again, they actually do a lot of damage.

Eldritch Knight

Bound Weapon make you immune to disarm-like effect (but not from Fear).
Can be build as thrower or cantrip-smacker/shooter.
You have Shield spell, overall make you a bit tankier than most class
Debatable one of strongest build.

Champion

A little underwhelmed compare to other 2 subclass.
Most feature are passive, so you can turn off your brain when playing them.
Have Improved Critical Hit (reduce Crit threshold) – good for multiclass.

Monk

Way of Open Hand

Your punch are very painful.
Wholeness of Body combine with Haste allow you to do some stupid burst of damage.
Topple, Stagger and Push give you additional way to control enemies, aside Stunning Strike.
Ki Resonation are good way to deal aoe damage, but since Monk’s Stillness of Mind at 7 is fcking stupid, I only go lv6 Monk.

Way of the Four Elements

All your “spell” are not spell, so Silence and Counter Spell literally useless against you.
Harmony of Fire and Water allow you to regain some Ki back per long rest.
Somewhat a meme subclass.
Lack item/equipment compare to other 2.
Kinda hard to multiclass.

Way of Shadow

Access to some utilities spell.
Shadow Step is fantastic, especially when you play Darkness team.
Can deal competitive damage if you use Psychic build (chances are deal better damage than Open Hand – but online quite late).

Paladin

Oath of the Ancients

Healing Radiant and Nature’s Wrath are good Channel Oath. The former healing (in 2 turn, only cost bonus action) while the latter can ensnare enemies (they cant move and attack against them have advantage).
Misty Step at lv5 boost your mobility.
Aura of Warding reduce spell damage by half, just by existing. Combine with Aura of Protection at lv6 make you (and allies within melee range) somewhat very tanky and hard to kill.

Oath of Devotion

Sadly the only thing that good about them (imo) is Sanctuary and Aura of Devotion (which prevent charm).

Oath of Vengeance

Vow of Enmity on yourself give your attack advantage for 10 turns (this is a bug btw) – and only cost your bonus action.
You have Hunter Mark, Misty Step, Hold Person and Haste as Oath spells.

Oathbreaker

Control Undead in act2 have alot of interesting interaction. Or you can use Dreadful Aspect to fear nearby enemies, make them unable to move and attack with disadvantage.
Aura of Hate boost your damage (and nearby undead) base on your CHA modifier. Which mean higher CHA now not only help you on social skill, saving throw, spellcasting but also directly boost your damage when attacking.

Ranger

Hunter

Depend on your choice of Hunter’s Prey, you can deal consistent damage per turn (Colossus Slayer), riposte when get attacked (Giant Killer) or free attack when enemies are closed together (Horde Breaker).
All 3 Defensive Tactics are good, but you can only pick one.
Volley at lv11 allow you to deal aoe damage with your attack (while not hurting your allies). Range are better since the aoe are bigger.

Beast Master

You get summon to fight along side you, they get stronger the more level you put into this class.
All 5 options are good depend on playstyle. You can have a Bear to tank for you, a Boar to knock enemies prone, Raven to make them blind, Wolf to expose their weakness, or Spider to spin webs and poison with its bite.
Remember your Beast Companion also trigger Hunter’s Mark extra damage. And they them self also get extra attack when you reach lv 11.

Gloom Stalker

Disguise Self can trivial alot of encounter (especially in act1).
+3 Initiative allow you to have higher chance to move first in combat.
Dread Ambusher give extra movement and 1 extra attack on the first turn (which also deal more damage).
Superior Dark Vision can come in handy in act2 (you usually dont notice it, but it does help).
Access to Misty Step.
Iron Mind help you against most control spell (as they usually target Wisdom saving throw).

Rogue

Trigger Warning: Rogue’s best feature from their subclass are lv3 one.

Thief

1 additional bonus action at lv3 (which is very powerful for class/build that relies heavily on bonus action, like Monk or Dual Wielder build).

Arcane Trickster

Avoid this subclass….

Assassin

Extra initiative and critical on successfully attack against target who doesnt have a turn yet (that you would get advantage) is very powerful, especially for build that plan on kill -> run/hide/invi -> out combat -> repeat. Basically kill enemies one by one or in 1 turn.

Sorcerer

Wild Magic

Wild Magic surge can cause alot of chaos in the battle field, a very fun thing if chaos is what you feel related.
Tides of Chaos give advantage on Attack Roll, Saving Throw or Ability Check at will, recharged on short or long rest (3 times total per day).
Bend Luck at lv6 give another way to use your Sorcery Point, give another 1D4 bonus on ability check for allies or 1D4 penalty to Attack or Saving Throw for enemies.
Controlled Chaos at lv11 can double the chaos level you can make every turn.

Draconic Bloodline

Free Mage Armor and additional HP per level.
Extra spell from the dragon ancestry of your choice (this can come very handy for spell like Disguise Self, Armor of Agathys).
Elemental Affinity: Damage at lv6 give your spell that have element related to your ancestry additional damage base on your CHA modifier, the bonus may be small, but add up if you combo well, like Ray of Frost build.
Elemental Affinity: Resistance at lv6 give you resistance to the damage share same element as your ancestry for a full day, as a low cost of 1 sorcery point.
Level 11 allow you to fly using your movement speed at will.

Storm Sorcery

Tempestuous Magic at lv1 allow you fly as a bonus action after casting a level spell. This movement doesnt provoke opportunity attack, some what you give a very good option to re-position yourself out of dangerous zone (like being surrounded).
Heart of the Storm at lv6 give additional damage whenever you cast Lightning/Thunder spell, the aoe is around you. It may small, but can combo with other equipment to ’cause additional effect.
Heart of the Storm at lv6 give you resistance to Lightning and Thunder damage for free.
Also at lv6, you get access to some very good spell, like Sleet Storm is fantastic for aoe control, while Call Lightning can be a very spellslot efficiency DPS spell (and it look cool).
Storm’s Fury at lv11 is a bit lackluster, because it only deal Thunder dmg. Pushing is nice, but it cost your reaction, and your reaction is very precious (for thing like Counter Spell).

Warlock

The Fiend

Access to Command Spell.
Dark One’s Blessing give you temporary HP on kill, the effectiveness scale up as you put more level into Warlock and your Charisma.
Access to Fire Ball at lv5.
Dark One’s Own Luck at lv6 give you 1d10 bonus to an ability check, recharged on short or long rest (3 times per day). This come very handy.
Access to Wall of Fire (a fantastic aoe control-damaging spell) and Fire Shield (very strong self-buff if you decide to go melee Warlock) at lv7.
Access to Cone of Cold at lv9, it deal good aoe Cold Damage. When combo with throwing Water Bottle / Create Water, the damage is double while also create ice surface that make enemies slipped and proned, losing their turn.
Fiendish Resilience at lv10 allow you to pick a damage type to gain resistance against it. You can change the damage type on short or long rest. This effectively give you more survival against certain enemies who deal one type of damage.

The Great Old One

Mortal Reminder, when combo with knocking prone effect, can shackles enemies at their place, potentially skipping their turn. And crit-build on Warlock is very strong.
Entropic Ward at lv6 is a little underwhelmed, making enemies attack with disadvantage and your next attack against that enemy advantage (if that enemy miss) is great, but its conditional (need them to miss) and recharge on short or long rest.
Psychic Resistance and Psychic Reflection at lv10 is great against enemies that deal alot of psychic damage (Mind Flayer for example). However, its only to Psychic damage, and not alot of enemies deal psychic damage from my experience.

The Arch Fey

Fey Presence at lv1 give you additional way to control enemies, both Charmed and Frightened are strong debuff.
Access to Calm Emotion at lv3. This spell prevent your team against charm, frightened. Its very strong buff.
Misty Escape at lv6 give you “emergency button”, it act as both Invisible and Misty Step in one go
Beguiling Defences at lv10 give Charm immunity. Charm may not be the best type of debuff, but an annoying nonetheless. So immunity against it is very great. Especially if you play Honor Mode, certain enemies really love to charm, making you unable to target them for attack.

Wizard

Quick Note: All of them got discounted when scribing (learning) spell from scroll that share the same type as the subclass. This is minor and most of time you wont notice this.

Abjuration

Arcane Ward at lv2 is insane, direct damage reduction (AFTER resistance) is bonkers. It scale well as you level up. The way it charge match the playstyle of Abjuration Wizard, by spamming defensive spell (like Counter Spell, Banishment).
Lv6 allow you to use Arcane Ward on allies as a reaction, more way to directly protect them.
Lv10 help you recharge the Ward on short and long rest (this is minor, as you would spam spell to charge it anyway).

Evocation

Sculpt Spells at lv2 make all your AoE Evocation Spell (like Fire Ball, Lightning Bolt, Cone of Cold, Sunbeam, etc) ignore allies. No friendly fire.
Potent Cantrip is underwhelmed, since it only work with Acid Splash and Poison Spray. Both are bad cantrip (p.s I assume you dont multiclass for Sacred Flame and Vicious Mockery, the passive work with both but they are bad cantrip [when only deal half dmg with no other effect on successful save]).
Empowered Evocation at lv10 power all your evocation spell by boosting their damage by your Int modifier. It work on each instances of damage, so Magic Missile and Scorching Ray benefit the most (especially Magic Missile since its deal guaranteed force damage).

Necromancy

Grim Harvest at lv2 give you “life-steal” when you kill (x1.5 when you use necromancy spell like Vampiric Touch, Blight and yes, Circle of Death). This passive alone can make an entire build around it, being frontline wizard that life steal with Vampiric Touch. Certain staff in act3 greatly benefit this build with its passive effect.
Undead Thralls passive at lv6 make your Animated Death spell stronger than other version, and more summons. You can summon Zombie or Ghouls and make them meat shield, or 3 Archer Skeleton being extra DPS.
Inured to Undeath at lv10 give you resistance to Necrotic damage. its nice but also underwhelmed for a lv10 passive. And not many enemy can reduce your max HP so the 2nd part almost useless (you may not even notice it).

Conjuration

Begin Transposition: Teleport at lv6, is great IN THEORY. Costing your action is not worth for this, you can just use Misty Step instead.
Focused Conjuration at lv10 make your concentration on Conjuration Spell cannot be broken when taking damage is a very great passive. However, it only work when using Conjuration Spell, and only few option are good to pick up, like Sleet Storm, Cloud Kill, Evard’s Black Tentacles  – this make the passive seem a little bit too weak, since you have alot more stronger concentration spells like Wall of Fire, Haste, Hold Person/Monster.

Enchantment

This subclass is underwhelmed…
Hypnotic Gaze is a good disable, but it require your action, and further action every 2 turns to maintain it. It recharge on long rest, and break upon the target taking damage.
Instinctive Charm at lv6 allow you charm the attacker, but this only good against enemies that can multi-attack, and do nothing again spellcaster (or attack that force save instead) – another thing make it pointless is you can get this passive by unlock Illithid Power.
Split Enchantment atlv10 allow you to double target when using Enchantment Spells that only target 1. This mostly benefit Hold Monster and Otto’s Irresistible Dance (as they lv5 and 6 spell).

Divination

Portent is bonkers. Ability to change Attack or Saving Throw is very strong, especially you can pick when to use it. Sure the dice number is random each long rest, but you can always use it (either help or harm) are what make it strong.
Expert Divination at lv6 give you additional charge of Portent, and also give you ways to regain it. More portent usage are, well, I’ll let you decide your own fate.
Lv10 Third Eyes give you Dark Vision and/or Ability to see Invisible. This passive is underwhelmed for a lv10 passive, at they are very easily obtainable via Dark Vision from racial trait, from lv2 spell (use scroll) or certain permanent buff.

Illusion

This subclass is suck…. the only thing noticeable is ability to cast Minor Illusion as bonus action. This can distract enemies during fight, but its not game changing. You can do alot more with your bonus action. See invisible at lv6 also not worth (as I mention in Divination subclass with their lv10 feature). Illusory Self at lv10 use your precious reaction, that can be either Shield or Counter Spell.

Transmutation

Also suck as a subclass. The only reason you pick this subclass is for hireling, as Experimental Alchemy passive at lv2 double the amt of potion/elixir they can make using Alchemy system. It not game changing as you can get alot potion of elixir by spamming vendor.

I sincerely hope this was helpful. Good luck to you!

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