Baldur's Gate 3: Best Classes For Beginners

Baldur's Gate 3 looks to be one of the most significant and extensive gameplay experiences for new and returning players at launch. As such, developer Larian Studios gives players much freedom of choice, beginning from the Character Creation menu as they create and finetune their character based on various options and metrics.

An essential aspect of their gameplay experience is deciding which character class best fits their needs and playstyle, and for new players, it can be intimidating if you need to know which class to start with. We've explained how to choose your character class and sub-class and provided suggestions on the best class for Baldur's Gate 3.

How To Choose Your Starting Class In Baldur's Gate 3

Akin to many popular RPG and MMO games, players have important decisions to make before their journey starts in Baldur's Gate 3. Most of your decision-making starts at the Character Creation menu, where you have vast options on how your character will look and play based on whether you wish to begin creating a character from scratch or using the available presets.

To forge a legacy, you need an identity. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game all about you. Your decisions in character creation will impact your experiences in Faerûn.

BG3 launches August 3rd on PC with 12 classes, 46 subclasses, 11 races, and 31 subraces.https://t.co/ivluI2bRK0pic.twitter.com/gGfYaDbLJM

— Baldur's Gate 3 re-rolled the D8 🥳 (@baldursgate3) July 20, 2023

With so many options available, once you've determined whether to go for a created or premade character, another important choice is which class piques your interest. This choice influences your playstyle throughout your Baldur's Gate 3 campaign and the build that will complement your playstyle.

Baldur's Gate 3 features 12 unique and diverse classes, for which most classes have at least three sub-classes or schools. Each class has its main ability, saving throw, and armor and weapon proficiencies, which can further optimize your character build when paired with your chosen race.

Therefore, selecting your character class is vital to your gameplay, as certain classes will have varied interactions and dialogue options that other classes won't experience. Additionally, this can unlock unique storylines, quests, combat styles, and more just by choosing a specific class, sub-class, and race, so think about how you want to play and experience Baldur's Gate 3.

What Are The Best Classes For Beginners In Baldur's Gate 3?

Now, an even more important task is determining which class would be best to choose to experience Baldur's Gate 3. Whether you're a returning player trying their hand at new classes and sub-classes or a first-time player to the gaming series, you'll need to get a feel of the game, learn and understand the mechanics, and work out what compliments the playstyles of your party.

For new players or beginners to Baldur's Gate 3, we suggest trying your hand with the Barbarian and Fighter classes to help you gauge the gameplay, understand the combat and their durability. The Fighter class meets the latter regarding their durability, as they have quite a significant hit pool and varied access to weapons and armor.

This allows them to inflict as much damage as possible, especially with the added benefit of gaining Extra Attacks, which increases their damage output. What makes the Fighter class a great option for beginners is their ability to deal both melee and ranged attacks while sustaining their high damage output irrespective of their playstyle and having one of the highest health pools out of all available classes.

The Barbarian class is a fan-favorite amongst roleplayers and, much like the Fighter class, has a high damage output. Together with their Rage ability, this increases their Strength and Damage Resistance which can be used to overpower and overwhelm enemies.

The Barbarian class also has great durability thanks to their large hit pool, which makes them absorb as much damage as possible, even with their Damage Resistance. Whether it be plowing throw enemies with ease or overwhelming them with heavy-hitting weapon attacks, the Barbarian class offers a "high stakes, high-rewards" playstyle that can be easy to slip into for beginners.