The Best Builds in Baldur's Gate 3

If you want to beat Honor Mode, make sure you know what's going to happen and how to deal with it from previous playthroughs. But if you really want to put the fear of gods into the Absolute, play one of these.

1. Swords Bard

• Guides:
  
  • Honor mode 10/2 Smite Swords Bard (SSB) complete build guide (melee)
    
  • The Control Martial, all-purpose 10/1/1 Swords Bard complete build guide (ranged)
  
  
• Classes: Swords Bard 6[bg3.wiki] / Whatever the tsk'va you want 6. (The most popular builds are Paladin 2[bg3.wiki] / Swords Bards 10[bg3.wiki] and Fighter 1[bg3.wiki] / Wizard 1[bg3.wiki] / Swords Bard 10[bg3.wiki].)
  
  
• Strategy: Between Extra Attack[bg3.wiki] and Slashing Flourish[bg3.wiki], you can attack 4 times for 1 action, get up to +8 to your Spell Save DC from the Helmet of Arcane Acuity[bg3.wiki], then casts a crowd control spell like Fear[bg3.wiki], Confusion[bg3.wiki], Hypnotic Pattern[bg3.wiki], or Command[bg3.wiki] with the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel[bg3.wiki].
  
  
• Important Gear: Helmet of Arcane Acuity[bg3.wiki] and Band of the Mystic Scoundrel[bg3.wiki].
  
  
• Stats: 18 Cha, 16 Dex and Con, 8 everything else after an ASI (You can get another 4 Cha from the Mirror of Loss[bg3.wiki] and Hag's Hair[bg3.wiki].)
  
  
• Result: One of the best classes for crowd control, DPS, and dialogue.

2. Fire Acuity Sorcerer

• Guides:
  
  • Honor mode 11/1 Fire Sorlock complete build guide
    
  • How to Incinerate Honor Mode with Scorching Ray
  
  
• Classes: Fire Sorcerer 6[bg3.wiki] / Whatever you want 6 (The most popular build is Fire Sorcerer 11[bg3.wiki] / Fiend Warlock 1[bg3.wiki])
  
  
• Strategy: Just cast Scorching Ray[bg3.wiki], and each ray that hits will give you more and more Arcane Acuity[bg3.wiki] from the Hat of Fire Acuity[bg3.wiki]. Make sure to cast Hex[bg3.wiki] or a Twinspelled[bg3.wiki] Haste[bg3.wiki] first, though!
  
  
• Important Gear: The Hat of Fire Acuity[bg3.wiki] and anything else that gets better the more you hit people with Scorching Ray[bg3.wiki].
  
  
• Stats: 18 Cha, 16 Dex and Con, 8 everything else (You can get another 4 Cha from the Mirror of Loss[bg3.wiki] and Hag's Hair[bg3.wiki].)
  
  
• Result: Incinerating Honor Mode

3. The same sneak & shoot character you've played in every other RPG

• Guides:
  
  • The Complete Guide to Every Gloom Stalker Assassin
  
  
• Classes: Gloom Stalker Ranger 5[bg3.wiki] / Assassin Rogue 4[bg3.wiki] / whatever you want 3
  
  
• Strategy: The same sneak & shoot strategy you've had in every other RPG
  
  
• Important Gear: The Deathstalker Mantle[bg3.wiki], something to dual wield
  
  
• Stats: 18 Dex, 16 Con, 16 Wis after an ASI[bg3.wiki] (get Sharpshooter[bg3.wiki] for your other feat if you're going ranged)
  
  
• Result: Joining the Murder Tribunal on a full-ride scholarship with four-digit turn 1 damage

4. Eldritch Blast Sorlock

• Guides:
  
  • The Complete Guide to Eldritch Blast Builds
  
  
• Classes: Shadow Magic Sorcerer 6[bg3.wiki] / Hexblade Warlock 2[bg3.wiki]
  
  
• Strategy: Spam Eldritch Blast and use items that get better with each bolt. Make sure to cast Hex[bg3.wiki], Darkness[bg3.wiki], or a Twinspelled[bg3.wiki] Haste[bg3.wiki] first, though!
  
  
• Important Gear: Anything that makes each blast stronger or does something whenever we hit someone with Eldritch Blast[bg3.wiki]
  
  
• Stats: 18 Cha, 16 Dex and Con, 8 Int Wis and Str with 1 ASI. (You can get another 2 Cha from Birthright[bg3.wiki] and another 4 Cha from the Mirror of Loss[bg3.wiki] and Hag's Hair[bg3.wiki].)
  
  
• Result: Making our patron proud by never failing a dialogue check and killing everything that moves before it can attack

5. Tavern Brawler Thrower

• Classes: You can be a Berserker Barbarian 5[bg3.wiki] / Thief Rogue 4[bg3.wiki] / Fighter 2[bg3.wiki] / Whatever you want 1 (known as a Throwserker), an Eldritch Knight 11[bg3.wiki] / War Domain Cleric 1[bg3.wiki] (known as a EK Thrower) or a Giant Barbarian 11[bg3.wiki] / War Domain Cleric 1[bg3.wiki]
  
  
• Strategy: Yeet a big stick into all your problems (or yeet your problems into each other)!
  
  
• Important Gear: You can get the Returning Pike[bg3.wiki], Marksmanship Hat[bg3.wiki], Ring of Flinging[bg3.wiki], and Gloves of Uninhibited Kushigo[bg3.wiki] early on. Once you get Lightning Jabbers[bg3.wiki], you can use Weapon Bond[bg3.wiki] on one of them and start yeeting that instead of the Returning Pike[bg3.wiki]. (Only Eldritch Knights[bg3.wiki] can use Weapon Bond[bg3.wiki], so if you're a Throwserkers, either stick to the Returning Pike[bg3.wiki] or have an Eldritch Knight[bg3.wiki] hireling[bg3.wiki] use Weapon Bond[bg3.wiki] on a Lightning Jabber[bg3.wiki] and give it to you.) In Act III you should use Nyrulna[bg3.wiki] most of the time, but switch to the Dwarven Thrower[bg3.wiki] when the AoE damage will hit more friends than foes. Also use the Bonespike Garb[bg3.wiki] if you're a Throwserker or Heavy Armor that feels like it was make by Nokia if you're an EK Thrower.
  
  
• Stats:
  
  • 22 Str (17 + 1 from Tavern Brawler[bg3.wiki] + 2 from an Ability Score Improvement[bg3.wiki] + 2 from the Potion of Everlasting Vigour[bg3.wiki])
    
  • 16 Con (Just start with 16 in character creation.)
    
  • 16 Dex (15 + 1 from Hag's Hair[bg3.wiki])
    
  • 8 Cha, Int and Wis
  (If you don't get Hag's Hair[bg3.wiki], only get 14 Dex and make you Int, Wis, or Cha 10.)
  
  
• Result: 62.5 (3d10 + 6d4 + 31) average damage/round, +15 to hit, and 16 AC at level 5 with Act I gear, 108 (4d6 + 12d4 + 64) average damage/round, +18 to hit and 18 AC at level 9 with Act II gear, and 219 (12d6 + 30d4 + 102) average damage/round to the poor NPCs you're yeeting Nyrula at + 45 (18d4) average damage/round to everyone around them, +20 to hit, and 18 AC at level 11 with Act III gear for a Throwserker.

6. One (Hundred) Punch(es) Man

• Classes: Thief Rogue 3-4[bg3.wiki] / Open Hand Monk 8-9[bg3.wiki]
  
  
• Strategy: With Tavern Brawler[bg3.wiki] and the Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo[bg3.wiki], you add your twice your Str and twice your Wis to unarmed attack damage. This is really good, as you get 4 attacks from Extra Attack[bg3.wiki], Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strike[bg3.wiki] and Fast Hands[bg3.wiki], plus another 1-3 if you use Flurry of Blows[bg3.wiki], plus another 1 if you use Wholeness of Body[bg3.wiki], plus another 1 if you have the Vest of Soul Rejuvenation[bg3.wiki]. Basically, you're a WWE wrestler on steroids (also known as a WWE wrestler).
  
  
• Important Gear: A bunch of Str elixirs (I told you there'd be steroids!) Gloves of Soul Catching[bg3.wiki], Vest of Soul Rejuvenation[bg3.wiki], Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo[bg3.wiki]
  
  
• Stats:
  
  • 20 Wis (17 + 2 from an Ability Score Improvement[bg3.wiki] + 1 from Hag's Hair[bg3.wiki])
    
  • 18 Con (15 + 1 from Tavern Brawler[bg3.wiki] + 2 from the Vest of Soul Rejuvenation[bg3.wiki])
    
  • 16 Dex
    
  • 8 Str, Int and Cha
  
  
• Result: +14 to hit and 220.5 (7d10 + 7d6 + 7d4 + 140) average damage per round with an Elixir of Hill Giant Strength, or +20 to hit and 262.5 (7d10 + 7d6 + 7d4 + 182) with an Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength. Either way, you also get 20 AC and either advantage on most of your attacks/saves or 10 hit points each round. (Note: the average damage per round is for using Flurry of Blows[bg3.wiki] but not Ki Resonation[bg3.wiki] or Wholeness of Body[bg3.wiki].)

7. Here Comes the Sun

• Classes: Light Cleric 12[bg3.wiki]
  
  
• Strategy: Cast Spirit Guardians[bg3.wiki] and (ab)use any and all equipment that cares about radiant damage.
  
  
• Important Gear: Luminous Armour[bg3.wiki], Luminous Gloves[bg3.wiki], Coruscation Ring[bg3.wiki], Callous Glow Ring[bg3.wiki], Holy Lance Helm[bg3.wiki].
  
  
• Stats: 20 Wis, 16 Dex and Con, 8 everything else
  
  
• Result: A build that really lights up the battlefield. (I'm going to Hell for that pun.)

8. Abjuration Wizard

• Classes: White Sorcerer 1[bg3.wiki] / War Cleric 1[bg3.wiki] / Abjuration Wizard 10[bg3.wiki] (in that order)
  
  
• Strategy: Armor of Agathys[bg3.wiki] and Arcane Ward[bg3.wiki] will let you tank just about anything, but why stop there? Heavy Armour Master[bg3.wiki], Fire Shield: Cold[bg3.wiki], damage resistance, and the BiS gear below will make sure that whenever we're hit, the only person getting damaged is the attacker. With Hag's Hair[bg3.wiki], you can grab Tough[bg3.wiki] after you get Heavy Armour Master[bg3.wiki] and still get 18 Int. And after all this, we can still concentrate on something like Haste[bg3.wiki] (apparently the AI will target you more if you do) and spam Glyph of Warding: Cold[bg3.wiki] with our actions.
  
  
• Important Gear: Mourning Frost[bg3.wiki] and heavy armor that feels like it was made by Nokia
  
  
• Stats: 18 Int, 16 Con, whatever you want for the other stats.
  
  
• Result: Anyone who hits us will have to roll dozens of damage in order to get past our wall of buffs, and if it's a melee attack, they'll probably take double damage from Armor of Agathys[bg3.wiki] and Fire Shield[bg3.wiki].